Vertigo is always an uncomfortable experience. This time of year is the time when I feel I am living in a pathetic country discussing whether we should take part in the next edition of the Eurovision Song Contest or not, only for the discussion to fade out in a few weeks and return in a year.
Grotesque is the best adjective to describe the way Maltese society ventures into this experience. People get passionate to cast their vote, end up in tears watching our local performer, argue about the use of Maltese or any other language, become angry over our elimination and battle out a million issues in the Press.
To my mind, music is conceptually not about competition but, by nature, music is about art and art is an expression.
Rather then being an opportunity for the local artists, the Eurovision Song Contest has been programmed to become the target and peak for most careers and the final result at this event is nowadays a lifetime label for these artists. Fabrizio Faniello is still the “no points guy”, Lynn Chircop was laughed at recently on TV. Chiara’s ‘no vote’ from Macedonia is probably her worst nightmare!
I really cannot understand but ironically admire such artists who are so enthusiastic to waste a year’s efforts for such a sick script.
Luckily many local young people are nowadays aware that the Eurovision Song Contest is not the place to be (unless you missed the latest Zoo show and want to have a similar good time) and gladly many of them travel worldwide for the various festivals where international audiences can really get to enjoy true music meant for artistic purposes rather than an evening’s competition.
On a wider spectrum, I would keep the Eurovision Song Contest as an opportunity for someone to feature on a low-key drive but let’s kill all the pressure and hype, and halt major government investment. Let the private bodies invest if they want to.
Most European countries have strong music export offices that do their utmost to promote their music abroad through various bands or solo artists. We, on the other hand, prefer to invest in one song, one artist, one ridiculous competition. And then we complain about bloc voting as if we never knew about it!
There are hundreds of promising acts locally who lack proper support from a proper Malta music export body. While these invest modestly trying to make the best out of their little, without any aid from sponsors or the government, the majority of Maltese media and the public cries over this year’s elimination and all the business lost yesterday week!
The brainwashed are kept busy helping the local mobile phone companies make their fair share of profits by sending their useless votes in repetitive sms questionnaires asking “do you agree we should stop participating in the Eurovision?”
And finally 12 points go to… Italy!
Visit these Websites of festivals across the world:
www.readingfestival.com
www.icelandairwaves.com
www.fiberfib.com
www.alkantara.pt
www.creamfields-andalucia.com
www.heineken.it/heinekenjamminfestival
This article was written as a letter to the editor of The Sunday Times of Malta and was published in the May 20, 2007 edition.