JOY Eurovision

17 Mar 2012

Musings – Se muziko estas la nutraĵo de amo – lingo again !

Adapted from a blogpost published at The Full Catastrophe

The issue of language and the Eurovision is always a hot one.

It just won’t go away.

In 2012 things are just as all over the place as they have been for the last two decades and more.

It appears that yet again far too many would-be Eurovision winners – singers, writers & broadcasters – are still hell-bent to hobble what chances they might have by deciding to sing in what they presume to be the language of success, riches and global understanding.

And it ain’t Esperanto.

To the Court of Eurovision (Language Division), Justice AJ presiding.

Exhibit One.

“Call the supremely lovely Pasha from Moldova.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF2asFH8V90]

Come on, how long did it take you to discern that he was not singing in Romanian (the language of the song’s title) or Moldovan, but in English ?

Once I had stopped giggling, grimacing and the rest, I settled down and thought – “hey, this tune isn’t the worst”.

But it was too late.

My first impressions overwhelmed my later considerations – shallow I know, but that is Eurovision for you.

Sorry Pasha, your winning ways were struck down the moment you opened your mouth.

Exhibit Two.

“Call the Hungarian bears.” (Gay reference offered with love)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTWaeyae9Hg&feature=related]

The lyrics offer wonderful sentiments:

“The whole big world is just one place
You can say it’s all the same
You may feel hatred’s it sows
We can show it’s no way to go.”

Even the apostrophes are in the right place.

But when the performance comes along any fine and noble thoughts disappear down a plug hole of aural nonsense.

The emphasis isn’t never quite right, consonants are given one hell of a beating and it all sounds linguistically blancmange-like.

And here’s another thing.

“This is a zeal from above and it can say it all.”

Singers who struggle with English pronunciation should NEVER be given the word “zeal” to sing.

If they had stuck to Hungarian I reckon it would have been for the best.

Somehow just knowing Compact Disco are singing about the brotherhood of man (& woman) would have done the trick for me.

Hearing them singing in their own language might even have added a layer of magic & mystery to those fine sentiments.

But once a song sung to you in your own first language has to be deciphered, then that song is in big trouble as far as I am concerned.

All too often I end up with an attitude of “can’t be bothered”.

Harsh I know, but these things need to be said.

Kemény, de igazságos

Exhibit Three.

“Call the sexy piano playing singer.”

In 2011 Italy had a song which was, in my humble view, head and shoulders above the rest.

But it had a fatal flaw.

In Düsseldorf Raphael Gualazzi felt obliged to sing a few words in English early in the piece and then halfway through.

It did not serve him or the song well.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE0uNLp3LuU]

Back at Sanremo when he & his song were selected there was a tiny phrase of English buried in the song at the midway point.

By then I was totally in the thrall of “Follia d’Amore” and those performing it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfJRONrf2h0&feature=related]

It’s all in the individual ear I guess, but I sincerely wish that “day by day” and “night by night” those who’ll be converging on Baku in a few weeks time think long & hard about the lingo thing.

And if they do feel pressured to switch to what we call in Welsh “yr iaith fain”, the thin language, they do so in a strategic way.

Remember that folks – the thin language !!