Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Eurovision

Long gone are the days when an european wide live broadcast of a music show was in itself a technical exploit. The Eurovision song contest was, in my youth, a big annual event. Many things have changed since, and I can't tell or recall any of the last 30 years winners (I need to go back to the 70's to remember any of the winning songs).

However, last night when I got home I found my wife watching this year's event. She was interested because apparently the portuguese music is a beautiful one (both the music itself and the lyrics). So I watched a bit and was shown whatever highlights my wife thought were interesting (funny how even TV broadcasts can be rewinded and put on pause like the videotapes of old).

And yes, ok the portuguese music is nice but there's something my wife told me that I almost couldn't believe. Ours was the ONLY of the 18 musics yesterday shown that wasn't sung in English!!!

I was under the impression that the Eurovision songs had to be sung in the languages of the respective contesting countries (and yes, I know that this is an handicap for non-english and non-french speaking contestants, but it is an acceptable one). But even if this isn't a rule I find it a bit odd (and sad) that the eurovision song contest has lost that "feel" that I remember about hearing songs in several languages (with the TV hosts explaining what the song was about before we got to hear it).

Anyway, beautiful song or not, I was "kind of" proud that the portuguese entry was sung in the portuguese language. And - as you all know - I have nothing against speaking other languages, namely English.

Well English singers singing in English will I predict get null points this year as always.
I won't be watching it.

Mario, right you are!

Second thought: after the EU executes Brexit there will be no country in the EU who filed English as the countries language.

Instead of Esperanto the English language may then become a neutral language for communication

Our parting gift.

Boom bangabang boom bangabang.

Watching Eurovision is not about the singing or the songs (which are usually dreadful). In the past, it was for Terry Wogan, now it is for Graham Norton.

er, you seem to be forgetting the Republic of Ireland and Malta.

Malta named the local dialect Malti and Ireland named Gaelic? Didn't they?

I guess the EU will always have English as a main language, even if all English speaking countries leave. Bluntly put, English (at a very basic level, and you don't need much more in na international forum) is very simple and very accessible, so why go for any of the other, structurally more complex, languages?

Anyway ... the eurovision song contestants should sing in their own native languages. There, I said it!

Good excuse not to televise it here , horray !

Well, I'm a fan..

Yes it's kitsch, camp & horrid in places but it's transgressed the 'naff' and is now the perfect excuse for an evening in with friends and a wine or two.

The art is never to take it seriously, and never to expect anything but partisan voting, but Graham Norton does a terrific job over here as compere spotting the humorous in the serious pomposity of it all.

It's an institution, like it or not..!!

And yes, I think they should all sing in their native language.