Norwegian Wunderkind Triumphs at Eurovision
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TAIPEI TIMES MONDAY, MAY 1 8 , 2 0 0 9 PAGE 1 3 [ THE WEEKENDER ] Norwegian wunderkind PHOTO COURTESY OF EIKO AND KOMA Khmer artists yet triumphs at Eurovision to hit their stride Eiko and Koma’s loyal fan base applauded ‘Cambodian Stories: An Offering of Painting and Dance’ despite the glacial Puppy-faced Norwegian Alexander Rybak pace of some of its sections walked away with top honors and made history by garnering the most points BY DIane BAKER STAFF REPORTER in Eurovision’s 53-year history Cambodian Stories: An Offering of Painting and Dance opened with five young Cambodian men, clad in short sarongs, walking on stage and lining up with their backs to the audience in front of a brightly painted cloth. A young woman, Charian So, then painted a “T” on their backs in water in a cleansing ritual. When she was finished, all six turned to face the audience, and Above: Alexander Rybak of Norway sings during BY PETER LEONARD around 40 demonstrators, including rapturous applause from the spectators introduced themselves, some in English and some in Khmer. They the grand finale of the 54th Eurovision Song AP, MOSCOW British-based activist Peter Tatchell thronging the Olimpiisky Sports Complex then turned and pulled down the drop cloth, revealing a stage Contest in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday. A boyish, fiddle-wielding Norwegian and American activist Andy Thayer in central Moscow. The crowd heard lined with paintings of Khmer women in traditional dress, and the Below: Alex Swings Oscar Sings, left, of Germany singer won the Eurovision Song Contest of Chicago, cofounder of the Gay a wide array of songs, ranging from performance began. performs with US burlesque artist Dita von Teese in Moscow on Saturday night, his Liberation Network. traditional cheesy pop to tear-jerking The young men (who ranged in age from 20 to 25) carried at the Eurovision Song Contest. PHOTOS: EPA bouncy ditty the highlight of the musical “Today’s arrests go against the ballads and ear-piercing operatic melodies. out a wooden scaffold, which they placed upon a piece of bonanza studded with pyrotechnic principles of Eurovision, which are Norway last won the competition in canvas laying the floor, brought out pots of paint and positioned artistry and stunning electronic visuals about peace, harmony, cooperation 1995 and as winner will host the show themselves on the scaffold and began painting. The Japanese on an epic scale. and unity between all the peoples next year. performance artists Eiko and Komo appeared, their faces painted Twenty-five performers from across in Europe,” Tatchell said after being Russia was pinning its hopes on a grayish white. Europe competed in Moscow in a released by police. Mamo, an overwrought ballad composed There were slow passages by one or more performers across musical bonanza that is one of the most Rybak criticized the protesters by a Georgian songwriter and partially the stage; there was an awkward, shy duet by the young lovers, watched annual television events in the for choosing the same day as the performed in Ukrainian by a Ukrainian- Setpheap (Peace) Sorn and So, who dies shortly thereafter. Two world, despite being written off by some contest, which has a large following born artist Anastasia Prikhodko, but she of the men pick up her body and placed it upon a small mound of as European kitsch. in European gay communities, to vent could only muster 11th place. dirt, while Eiko performs a drawn-out mourning ceremony. Fairytale, penned and performed by their frustrations. US burlesque artiste Dita von Teese, But even as Eiko and Koma conducted an anguished duet, 23-year-old fiddler Alexander Rybak, blew “I think it is a little bit sad that they ex-wife of rocker Marilyn Manson, rebirth was underway, symbolized by the young painters away competition from Iceland’s Yohanna, chose to have (the protests) today ... spiced up Germany’s act by straddling a splashing the large black backdrop with yellow, white and blue, who finished second, and Azerbaijan’s They were spending all their energy on shiny lip-shaped black plastic sofa. In an clambering about a large black scaffold. By the end of the show, AySel and Arash, who was third, with a that parade, while the biggest gay parade apparent concession to the organizers’ the backdrop shows a woman laying with her arms outstretched, folksy melody to the accompaniment of an in the world was tonight” at Eurovision, sensibilities, Von Teese toned down her floating on a sea of waves or clouds, under a moonlit, starry sky. acrobatic dance routine and two blonde Rybak said. Minsk-born Rybak, who initially planned performance, which In many ways, the show reminded me of the Japanese female support singers. left Belarus when he was four years involved her stripping off her top down Butoh troupe Sankai Juku, who were here last August: Eiko The elfin-faced Rybak, the winning old with his musician parents, earned to just sparkly nipple warmers. and Komo’s white faces and arms, the awkward, contorted graduate of a Norwegian television talent the maximum number of points from The winner of the competition was movements, the glacial pacing of some sequences. I couldn’t show in 2006, accrued the most points in several of the participating former Soviet picked by a combination of telephone help but wonder what the students at the Reyum Institute of Eurovision’s 53-year history, outstripping satellite countries. voting and official juries from national Arts and Culture in Phnom Pehn had thought back in 2004 when Finland’s Lordi in 2006. His performance was greeted by broadcasters in the 42 nations that Eiko and Komo first showed up at the school to teach their “Thank you so much, Russia. You originally took part. Delicious Movement workshop. are just great, thank you,” an emotional Britain had been billed as a favorite That the Cambodians are painters, not dancers, was evident Rybak, said, speaking in Russian for the contest, but its entry, singer Jade, and despite being veterans of several performances, they still from the stage after the result was Eurovision Song Contest could only manage fifth place, despite looked uncomfortable on stage. The only time they looked relaxed announced. “You are the greatest public composer Andrew Lloyd Webber writing was when they were painting and when they sang Take Me to in the world,” he proclaimed, before top 10 performances her song. Your Heart, which turns out to have been a very popular song launching into a repeat performance of Bookmakers had also favored several years ago and one the Cambodians chose themselves. the winning entry. Norway won the 54th Eurovision Song. Greece, which was pinning its hopes The show had originally been created with nine Reyum Russia was trying to capitalize on Unlike last year, half the votes came on a choreographed stage performance students or graduates, but the other three could not make the the prestigious event to showcase the from professional judges from individual involving a giant flashing treadmill. Taipei performances (one just got married and started a family, nation’s hospitality and growing role in countries, as well as regular votes Israel made an appeal for peace and another had to stay home to work, the third is on a scholarship to modern society, but those efforts were awarded by the public. harmony with There Must Be Another Japan) and I couldn’t help but feel that the production must have undermined several hours earlier when Way, sung in Arabic, Hebrew and English been a bit more dynamic when there were eight painters moving riot police attacked gay pride rallies in Here are the votes by Arab-Jewish duo Noa and Mira. about the stage instead of five. the capital. In a Eurovision first, crew members That the show was about Cambodia’s loss and about 1) Norway 378 points 6) Estonia 129 Gay rights activists sought to of the International Space Station gave transformation, I got, but I’m afraid the more spiritual connections 2) Iceland 218 7) Greece 120 use the international competition the command to start telephone voting escaped me. The show wasn’t my cup of tea, but there were many 3) Azerbaijan 207 8) France 107 to draw attention to what they call in a video message from the orbiting in the audience enthusiastically clapping and shouting “bravo” at 4) Turkey 177 9) Bosnia 106 widespread discrimination science laboratory. the end. Eiko and Koma have a loyal fan base in Taipei, having 5) Britain 173 10) Armenia 92 against homosexuals in Russia. Moscow authorities splashed out visited here three times before. Far more interesting was the No injuries were reported. US$32.5 million on the show and a question-and-answer session after the show, with Eiko, Komo, So SOURCE: REUTERS Police hauled away weeklong series of decadent parties. and Sorn explaining the meaning of some of the Cambodian songs and how the show was created. The affection Eiko and Komo have for their young performers was clearly evident. PLANET oody Allen’s ex-girlfriend was damaged and used for profit 56, paving the way for a new case. Nevius on the video diary that Cannes film festival. W Mia Farrow and his wife without his consent. Actor Charles “Bud” Tingwell, makes clear she is nearing the For China’s Lou Ye (婁燁)�����, the Soon-Yi Previn will not be called Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s Nobel who starred in more than 100 end of her life. journey to the red carpet on the to testify at a trial pitting the Prize-winning author, said he may films and television programs Emotional Korean tale Mother Riviera is fraught with risk.