Emmy during her Eurovision performance

BY NANORE BARSOUMIAN
From the Armenian Weekly

As Armenia stayed behind, ten qualifiers made it to the Eurovision Song Contest’s final, which was won by Azerbaijan on May 14 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Arguably, the loss was foreseeable. Emmy, or Emma Bejanyan, the Armenian pop starlet delivered a disappointing—an understatement—performance during the first semi-final which took place on May 10.

Although Armenia stayed behind—as did its neighbor, Turkey—Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, Russia, Finland, Georgia, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Serbia, and Iceland made it to the final, with Azerbaijan winning the title and the right to host next year's event.

Eurovision is known to many as a kitschy affair, featuring performers in glitzy clothes, spewing catchy nonsensical chorus verses—like Emmy’s “Boom-boom chaka-chaka”—or whiny ballads. However, once in a while a gem slips through. On the other hand, the subtle political undertones, or surrounding indignations and attacks, can be fascinating at times.

A matter of patriotism
While some countries view Eurovision as a chance to display their cultural heritage, many relinquish that for the sake of “competitiveness,” and display performances stripped of national characteristics.

The Huffington Post, in a May 11 article, singled out eventual winner Azerbaijan to highlight the staggering amount of money the country invests in the ESC—$2 million in 2010, which included hiring Beyonce’s choreographer to aid Safura, their last year’s contestant.

“Under the influence of alcohol, you might mispronounce Azerbaijan as aspiration. You wouldn’t be far off the mark. A fiery patriotism makes doing well at the Eurovision Song Contest a matter of national importance, and that occasionally leaves competitors scratching their heads,” wrote Will Adams.

Following the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, Azerbaijani authorities launched a campaign tracking and interrogating dozens of individuals who had voted for Armenia’s Inga and Anush Arshakyan sisters and their song “Jan Jan.” Forty-three individuals had reportedly voted for the song. (The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) found that the Azerbaijani broadcaster, Ictimai Televiziya, had distorted the TV signal when the Armenian contestants were up, blurring the telephone number.) According to the Azeri Press Agency (APA), EBU fined the TV station €2700, and gave them a warning.

This year, Azerbaijan’s “Ell & Nikki,” or Eldar Qasimov and Nigar Jamal, won.