Eurovision Song Contest 2012

It's that time of year again: Not only is spring in the air (despite the British weather of floods AND a serious draught), but we have also started the countdown to the EUROVISION SONG CONTEST 2012! Hooray!

Music fans and MFL fanatics relish this opportunity to listen to foreign language songs, to try to sing along to catchy Finnish tunes using the subtitles and to vote for our favourite European neighbour.

Here are some of this year's entries, to get you into the Eurovision mood and give you a chance to predict the unpredictable winning nation (who'd have thought Lena from Germany would make it two years ago?):

Luckily for us, the biggest countries (and mother nations of the languages we teach at Tomlinscote) already have their guaranteed place in the final on the 26th of May:

This is the French entry: The song is called Echo (You and I) and the singer is Anggun, an international star who has sold over 2 million album copies around Europe.

Here is the wonderful Spanish song Quédate Conmigo (Stay With Me) by Pastora Soler, who is very well-known in Spain and famous for combining diverse musical styles like copla, flamenco and "Canción Española" with pop. She is considered one of the best voices of the Spanish music scene, and this truly beautiful power ballad might have a good chance of winning!

 

Representing Germany is Roman Lob with the song Standing Still. He was unknown until he won the German talent show Unser Star Für Baku. Unfortunately the song is all in English. Boring!!! Boooo!

Also Italy is automatically qualified for the final with this song: Nina Zilli sings L'amore è Femmina (Out of Love). The slightly scary Nina has spent most of her life in Ireland and the US, thus singing mainly in English with only a few sentences in Italian. What a shame!

The British entry is, of course, sung by the legend that is Engelbert Humperdinck. The song is called Love Will Set You Free, and is actually quite nice, even though Humperdinck looks about 150 years old (when he's only 101).

Here is a secret tip for you: Will Montenegro make it into the final with this song???
Give it up for Rambo Amadeus with Euro Neuro! "Stay cool like a swimming pool!"

So, who's your favourite? Vote here! Write a comment to let the world know!

For more information on the various songs in the competition and the rest of their videos go to

http://www.eurovision.tv/page/baku-2012