Excitement Down Under

Guy Sebastian takes for Australia participate in the Euro Vision Song Contest. And so it goes in a multicultural world society.

BY JÖRG SCHMILEWSKI

Sixteen thousand kilometers southeast of Europe is a country that participates in the Euro Vision Song Contest. Already bizarre how enlarged the world of ESC.About the enlargement up to Azerbaijan has been much discussed in recent years.Now Australia is the first time, thanks to a wild card to the finals of the 60th competition.

The 33-year-old Guy Sebastian, who competes for Australia, is a native of Malaysians. He is one of the 2.5 million Asian immigrants in the country. In 2003 he won the talent show Australian Idol , since finds hisR ‘n’ B-Pop on the type of Bruno Mars at home a large audience.

In Europe so far hardly known, Guy Sebastian heard in Australia and New Zealand’s most successful artists ever. And also the second face, the Australia comes up when ESC is an Asian: Lee Lin Chin, a native of Indonesia presenter and designer, is the European public announce the result of the Australian scoring in Sydney.

First, a one-time appearance

Since 1983, the transmitter transmits every year the ESC-finals. For the anniversary of the show, the European Broadcasting Union has now invited their faithful friends at the end of the world, initially just to participate. If Guy Sebastian win in Vienna, however, Australia will be doing in 2016. Then the Song Contest would be held but not in Australia but in a European partner country that can choose freely SBS.

The transmitter has contributed much to the enthusiasm of Australians developed over the years for the ESC. Already in 1974, when Abba the ESC, then called Grand Prix de la Chanson won, the interest of the Australian was woken at European popular culture. Three years later, as the four stopped on their world tour in Down Under, came nearly 200,000 fans to the eleven concerts.

“Abba was in the seventies for visually interesting stage performances and a new style of music that simply fascinated many Australians,” said Ian Harvey, Managing Director of the Australian Music Industry Association Amra. He knows the Australian musical tastes.

To this day, his compatriots for crazy outfits and lyrics, joyful exuberance interested with some kitsch and ironic stage performances.Attributes that also characterize the Song Contest for many years, says Harvey, if one disregards the serious early years. 60 percent of its sales makes the Australian music industry now with US productions.

Particular preference there is not there obviously. “Australians listen and buy just about everything that goes into the international charts – from country to hip-hop,” says Harvey.

Certainly it will be exciting to see how Australia tunes. What role do old ties to the motherland United Kingdom? And to Ireland? Melbourne is considered by the immigration wave 50 years ago as the second largest Greek city in the world to Athens. Twelve points for Greece? In turn, Guy Sebastian’s title might Tonight again received votes from the origins of Australian immigrants.

© Der Zeit

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