EURO-LIFE

Boom Banga Bang National heats for the Eurovision Song Contest begin in April, heralding the search for another 'Song for Europe'. Eyes glued to the Scoreboard, Lucy O'Brien is rooting for Norway

Whether it's Cliff Richard doing his strange twiddle- legged dance through 'Power To All Our Friends', Brother- hood Of Man in those amaz- ing cream flares, or Katie Boyle simpering and pro- nouncing the immortal phrase: 'Norvege: deux points', we all have an image of the Eurovision Song Con- test in our minds. But, apart from Abba, no act since the contest's heyday of the early 70s has remained long in the international public eye. The song-writing standards have failed to keep pace with mod- ern production techniques, and most 'serious' artistes avoid it like the plague. Yet the show still goes on, amassing more viewers each year, and attracting yet more countries. This year Cyprus will be the 22nd country to join the sparkling roll-call that includes such strange bedfellows as Sweden, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Iceland and, of course, the UK. An estimated 600m viewers (in- cluding 75m in the Soviet Union) will settle down to watch the marathon transmit- ted live from Switzerland on May 5. Lolita Morena, former 'Miss Photogenic Universe' and mistress of five lan- guages, will be our pert Ita- lian-Swiss presenter, along with the suave Swiss Olym- pics sports journalist Jacques Deschenauz. They have to en- sure that the show, with over 800 performers, composers, directors, officials and tv reps taking part, flows smoothly and accessibly. With 33 national tv organisa- tions simultaneously trans- mitting their every move, that could be a nerve-wracking prospect. Gaultier suit: European modernism uses the imagery of the past to feed the future The contest wasn't always so

37 MARXISM TODAY APRIL 1989 EURO-LIFE

large. Back in 1956, a measly glitzy uniformity. Adopting a seven countries participated secure middle-of:the-road in the first event - Belgium, mode, it ignores the chal- Germany, The Netherlands, lenges of current global pop; France, Italy, Luxembourg the onslaught, for instance, of and Switzerland. It was set Parisian/Algerian rai, Bel- up in a postwar atmosphere gian new beat, or British rap. of creative cultural co- To take such cross- operation, the brainchild of a fertilisation into account, as group of programme well as the impact of pop's pioneers within the Swiss- new technology, Eurovision based European Broadcast- would have to be rethought ing Union. Eurovision was de- and restructured. No more vised as a high-profile promo- orchestras, no more homogen- tion of cross-border tv prog- ised songwriting, no more ramming. What better way to plonky refrains and obedient do that than via those great performers. common-denominators music In the end, of course, it's the and song? Scoreboard our eyes are According to the early reg- drawn to, the subtle hierarchy ulations, the initial aim of of nations (where will Turkey Eurovision was 'to encourage come this year?), and the nail- the creation of original songs biting sense of competition and to stimulate, by means of for its own sake. Whatever the international competition, a cultural possibilities of 1992, spirit of friendly rivalry this is a presentation of between writers and compos- Europe that remains reso- ers'. lutely in the 70s. And it leaves Each participating tv only one question on every- organisation (one per coun- one's lips: can Norway do it try) was to present a song of Cliff Richard: Twiddled his legs for all our Euro-friends this time round? three minutes duration. An international jury was di- vided into separate rooms to ence. Like Sky magazine, watch the contest on their Eurovision adopts a simple own tv sets. The judging pro- pan-European parlance, Continental-List cedure has become more hence the 'Boom-Banga- sophisticated over the years, Bang' ditties and middle-of- EU & Non-EU but there are still sceptics the-road string arrange- who maintain that there's ments. Even language differ- Strasbourg Westminster more of a spirit of rivalry ences are being ironed out as Football Cricket than friendliness in the voting more and more entrants con- Glasgow London process. This mildly nationa- veniently sing in "English. Golden Delicious Granny Smith listic pop parade has the Something that began as a Abba Bucks Fizz humanist, cross-cultural Willi Brandt Norman Tebbitt media event has, over 33 Butter mountains Bad eggs 'It is a spectacle of enthu- Jetfoil Sealink years, become a case of posi- Milan Milton Keynes siasm and bonhomie that tive PR for television, and Smurfs Wombles erases rather than cele- bland razzmatazz. Perrier Lucozade brates difference. Some- The show has an annual Jack Lang Kenneth Baker momentum of its own, set Cappuccino Instant whip thing that began as a cross- apart from the day-to-day Marlene Dietrich Gracie Fields cultural media event has be- runnings of the European Munich Bavaria music industry. Phenomena Two-pin plugs Ear plugs come a case of positive PR like punk and hip hop, for Tutti frutti Apple crumble and bland razzmatazz.' instance, have scarcely Dukakis Bush dented its presentation. In the Human rights Get-out clauses The Body Shop Boots perfect combination of popul- 60s and early 70s it was a Boots Wellies ist entertainment and intense promotional vehicle for chart elan flan competition. People keep stars like Cliff, Sandie Shaw, Chantal Cuer Sue Lawley watching to see who wins, Lulu and even Olivia Newton La Dolce Vita Educating Rita who nearly wins, and who John, who didn't consider it Rifat Ozbek Paul Smith ends up with deux points. too embarrassing for their re- Winos Lager louts Like It's A Knockout, Miss cording careers. During the Marie Claire Woman's Realm World or the Grand Prix, last ten years, though, Eurovi- Daniel Day Lewis Rupert Everett Eurovision has more to do sion has taken on an increas- Multilingual Monotone with tv and PR than with ingly middle-aged hue, and Nina Hagen Sheena Easton international co-operation. It less credibility among young Milan Kundera Kingsley Amis is a spectacle of enthusiasm record buyers. Baguettes Mother's Pride and bonhomie that erases The contest follows a tv for- rather than celebrates differ- mula that's predictable in its

39 MARXISM TODAY APRIL 1989