cafebabel.com

Eurovision 2011: French losers and queer angles

('Helen Crumpton',) — Mon, 16 May 2011 15:30:00 -0000

Do you have to be gay to be a eurovision fan? A French researcher has looked into the culture of the fan clubs of the famous European song contest. Whilst references to the competition are ever camp, good old eurovision has turned out to be an excellent recognition tool for sexual minorities - whether the European cultural elite like it or not

2011 win for Azerbaijan: Eurovision returns east

('Dave Keating',) — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:43:35 -0000

Norway, Germany...after two years in western Europe, Azerbaijan was the surprise winner of the Eurovision song contest on 14 May. The 2012 contest will be held in the Caspian Sea coast city of Baku, an awkward host city given that the country is in an ongoing military conflict with its neighbour Armenia

Best and worst of Eurovision 2011

('Dave Keating',) — Thu, 05 May 2011 13:18:04 -0000

It's a year of astonishing comebacks, pleas to stop climate change and, most intriguing of all, France's entry singing entirely in a language other than French. The famed song contest is held between 10 - 14 May in Duesseldorf, Germany. We've put ourselves through the best of Europe out of the 43 participants - especially for you

Porn, drugs and Domenech: a Eurovision of World Cup songs

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 18:29:04 -0000

As the World Cup moves into the next phase – sixteen of the best battle it out for the second round from 26 June – we follow the 2010-featuring European teams in song. Spain, Holland and Germany are EU favourites as runners-up on 11 July, with Brazil or Argentina to win, according to betting agencies

Baby language

('Paulina Dominik',) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:31:41 -0000

Scientists and parents were shaken by a recent discovery: newborns cry in tune with the melody line that they have most often heard while still in their mothers’ placenta. To that, we say ga ga - baby phrases of the week

Eurovision 2009: kitsch but politically correct

('Gemma Turner',) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:02:26 -0000

Watching the best party that a flagging Europe is supposed to provide reminds me more of watching the antics at an elderly relative’s birthday party. Extravaganza, my eye. The only aspect that continues to emerge like a beast year in, year out is its political censorship from Spain to Russia

The Russian music rundown

('Lydia Bigos',) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:43:37 -0000

As the Eurovision song contest 2009 final takes place in Russia on 16 May, we check out the pop, hip hop and even central Asian choirs marking its music scene today. Music videos

Sofia's clubs: what American jazz?

('Annika Thornton',) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:22:10 -0000

Balkan sounds and American influences are in search of space. The jazz scene in particular is in rapid evolution, after the darkness of the communist period. A meeting of several of the major musicians on the Bulgarian music scene - Theodosii Spasov, Elitza Todorova, Stoyan Yankoulov and Anton Duchev

Dustin to Lisbon: Eurovision turkeys and European treaties

('Angela Steen',) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:00:00 -0000

Will Ireland vote no in a referendum on 12 June? It is the only European public to voice its doubts about the Lisbon treaty, which has been ratified by fifteen EU member states and needs the remaining twelve votes to work

Top five Eurovision hits

('Martyn Hawkins',) — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Since its first broadcast on 24 May 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest has seen hundreds of songs battle it out for the titles of the worst, the funniest and above all the best

Eurovision song contest: chamber of horrors

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:28:40 -0000

Dear readers – it’s not easy, but I have to tell you the truth. You surf cafebabel.com, amazed by the variety of themes the online magazine covers and the quality of the analyses it publishes. You’ve no idea of the unhuman conditions which are imposed on its journalists! Recently the editorial team asked me to write an article about the participants of the 2008 Eurovision song contest. Great! So enthusiatic .... I am such a poor baboon

Ourvision song contest in Helsinki – northern talent nodes

('Soili Semkina',) — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:15:00 -0000

Modest budgets, amateur singers, no dance troupes: the song contest is open to people living in Finland with non-Finnish origins

Serbia win Eurovision

Fri, 11 May 2007 12:00:00 -0000

Inaugarated one year before the treaty of Rome in 1957, the Eurovision Song Contest celebrates European diversity. All eyes are on Helsinki during 5-12 May

Musical revolution in Estonia

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 15:18:00 -0000

Former Eurovision participant, singer Vaïko Eplik, 24, explains why he shuns the bright showbusiness lights of the mainstream music industry