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🇨🇭 Road to Malmö: Switzerland

In the spotlight: Nemo

photo: EBU

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Switzerland.

Nemo

Nemo Mettler, known as Nemo, was born on August 3, 1999, in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Speaking German naturally, Nemo stepped into the spotlight in 2012, acting in a musical inspired by Udo Jürgens’ famous song. By 2015, Nemo showcased their rap skills on “Die grössten Schweizer Talente” and released their first EP, “Clownfisch,” which made a splash in the Swiss music charts. Their 2017 hit “Du” climbed to 4th place, earning them the SRF 3 Best Talent award. Choosing Berlin as their new home in 2021, Nemo also participated in “The Masked Singer Switzerland” as the Panda, finishing fifth. A pivotal moment came in November 2023, when Nemo publicly identified as non-binary, adopting they/them pronouns. In a thrilling announcement on February 29, 2024, Nemo was chosen to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with their song “The Code,” promising an exciting performance on the international stage.

Non-binary artists in Eurovision

2024 is a special year in Eurovision. No less than three participants identify as non-binary. It is the first time in Eurovision that people, participating, have come out as non-binary at the moment of their participation. Apart from Nemo, als Bambie Thug (Ireland) is non-binary. Their pronouns are they and them. Olly Alexander already came out in 2016: “I feel very non-binary, and you know, I identify as gay and queer and non-binary.” However, he identifies as he and him.
The reason that this only happens in 2024 is the term non-binary. People who do not (solely) identify as male or female only use the term since not too long ago. As said, Olly Alexander used the term in 2016
Artists who later came out as non-binary are Jamie-Lee (2016, Germany), Rykka (2016, Switzerland), Montaigne (2021, Australia) and Roxen (2021, Romania).

Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest

Switzerland takes part in the Eurovision Song Contest from the first moment on. They even organized the first contest in Lugano, ánd their contestant Lys Assia won it with the song “Refrain”. It took a long time before the second Swiss victory was there. In 1988, it was Celine Dion who did the job. In those years she was quite unknown and sang “Ne partez pas sans moi”. Oh, how things have changed since then!

The Bookmakers

Currently, the bookmakers think that Swiss Nemo will be the winner. Ever since they took over the first place from Croatian Baby Lasagna, their change to win is groing more and more. Who knows, next year we will head to Zürich, or Geneva, or Basel, or…..

The song

And this is the song:

 

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Blast from the past

Blast from the past: Belgium 1981

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1981, when Emly Starr represented Belgium with her song “Samson”. Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest Belgium is one of the countries that participates from the beginning on. The Belgians switch every year between the Flemish and Wallon broadcasters. Just once, Belgium won: in 1986, Sandra Kim sang she was 15, claimed she was 14 and in the end appeared to be 13. However: more Belgian songs were successful. In 1978 and 2003 Belgium was the runner up: Jean Vallee and Urban Trad were very close. In recent years, Belgium made it to the top-5 with Loïc Nottet (2015) and Blanche (2017). The best scoring Flemish entry was the 2010 song “Me and My Guitar”, sang by Tom Dice. Eurosong 1981 No less than 40 songs participated in the Belgian selection of 1981. Out of three heats, 10 finalists were chosen. The final was held in the Amerikaans Theater in Brussels, hosted by Luc Appermont. No results were made public, apart from the winner. However, in later years jury members of those days confirmed that Liliane Saint-Pierre’s “Brussel” reached the 2nd place. Fancy Free sang “De Wereld Is Een Showtoneel“ De Opera sang “De Opera“ Gene Summer sang “Zing Het Maar“ Stella sang “Veel Te Veel“ Ann Michel sang “Ik Ben Gelukkig“ Johann Stollz sang “Hello Hello“ Emly Starr sang “Samson en Delilah“ Lester & Denwood sang “Bonnie“ Venus sang “Talisman“ Liliane Saint-Pierre sang “Brussel“ Liliane Saint-Pierre Stella already participated in 1970 for the Netherlands as a member of Hearts Of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium as a member of Dream Express. She sang solo for Belgium in 1982. Liliane Saint-Pierre represented her country in 1987, in….. Brussels! The title of the winning song was later shortened to “Samson”. Emly Starr Emly Starr, born Marie-Christine Mareels on September 5, 1957, in Wetteren, Belgium, is a singer best known for representing Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. She began her career at a young age under the stage name “Heidi” but later adopted the name Emly Starr, performing English-language pop and disco songs. In 1978, she appeared in the short film Santiago Lovers. Starr gained recognition with her disco act “Emly Starr Explosion,” and in 1980, she participated in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, finishing eighth with the song Mary Brown. The following year, she won Belgium’s Eurosong contest, earning the opportunity to perform Samson at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, where she finished in 13th place. In 1985, Starr played the role of Erika in the film Springen and sang its title song, Jump in the Dark. Eventually, she transitioned from performing to the business side of the entertainment industry, working alongside her husband, Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver). Together, they manage the Globe Show Center in Denderleeuw, which houses a television studio and organizes events. They also provide showbiz equipment rentals, contributing to the Belgian entertainment scene. Samson “Samson” was composed by Kick Dandy, a pseudonym for Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver), and the lyrics were written by Penny Els. It is a dynamic, upbeat disco-pop track, characterized by its catchy rhythm and energetic performance, which was a popular style in the early 1980s. The lyrics of “Samson” playfully reference the biblical story of Samson, known for his great strength, and Delilah, who betrays him. However, the song reinterprets the tale, using it as a metaphor for a romantic relationship, with the singer comparing herself to the powerful figure who falls for a lover’s charm. Emly Starr’s lively stage presence and the colorful, engaging choreography added to the song’s appeal. The daring dress with a high slit contributed to the festive atmosphere. Despite the spirited performance, “Samson” scored 40 points at Eurovision and finished in 13th place out of 20 entries. Although it did not achieve a top ranking, the song remains a memorable part of Emly Starr’s career. Share

Share
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Blast from the past
Martijn

Blast from the past: Belgium 1981

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1981, when Emly Starr represented Belgium with her song “Samson”. Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest Belgium is one of the countries that participates from the beginning on. The Belgians switch every year between the Flemish and Wallon broadcasters. Just once, Belgium won: in 1986, Sandra Kim sang she was 15, claimed she was 14 and in the end appeared to be 13. However: more Belgian songs were successful. In 1978 and 2003 Belgium was the runner up: Jean Vallee and Urban Trad were very close. In recent years, Belgium made it to the top-5 with Loïc Nottet (2015) and Blanche (2017). The best scoring Flemish entry was the 2010 song “Me and My Guitar”, sang by Tom Dice. Eurosong 1981 No less than 40 songs participated in the Belgian selection of 1981. Out of three heats, 10 finalists were chosen. The final was held in the Amerikaans Theater in Brussels, hosted by Luc Appermont. No results were made public, apart from the winner. However, in later years jury members of those days confirmed that Liliane Saint-Pierre’s “Brussel” reached the 2nd place. Fancy Free sang “De Wereld Is Een Showtoneel“ De Opera sang “De Opera“ Gene Summer sang “Zing Het Maar“ Stella sang “Veel Te Veel“ Ann Michel sang “Ik Ben Gelukkig“ Johann Stollz sang “Hello Hello“ Emly Starr sang “Samson en Delilah“ Lester & Denwood sang “Bonnie“ Venus sang “Talisman“ Liliane Saint-Pierre sang “Brussel“ Liliane Saint-Pierre Stella already participated in 1970 for the Netherlands as a member of Hearts Of Soul, and in 1977 for Belgium as a member of Dream Express. She sang solo for Belgium in 1982. Liliane Saint-Pierre represented her country in 1987, in….. Brussels! The title of the winning song was later shortened to “Samson”. Emly Starr Emly Starr, born Marie-Christine Mareels on September 5, 1957, in Wetteren, Belgium, is a singer best known for representing Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981. She began her career at a young age under the stage name “Heidi” but later adopted the name Emly Starr, performing English-language pop and disco songs. In 1978, she appeared in the short film Santiago Lovers. Starr gained recognition with her disco act “Emly Starr Explosion,” and in 1980, she participated in the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, finishing eighth with the song Mary Brown. The following year, she won Belgium’s Eurosong contest, earning the opportunity to perform Samson at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, where she finished in 13th place. In 1985, Starr played the role of Erika in the film Springen and sang its title song, Jump in the Dark. Eventually, she transitioned from performing to the business side of the entertainment industry, working alongside her husband, Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver). Together, they manage the Globe Show Center in Denderleeuw, which houses a television studio and organizes events. They also provide showbiz equipment rentals, contributing to the Belgian entertainment scene. Samson “Samson” was composed by Kick Dandy, a pseudonym for Tony Winter (Frans De Schrijver), and the lyrics were written by Penny Els. It is a dynamic, upbeat disco-pop track, characterized by its catchy rhythm and energetic performance, which was a popular style in the early 1980s. The lyrics of “Samson” playfully reference the biblical story of Samson, known for his great strength, and Delilah, who betrays him. However, the song reinterprets the tale, using it as a metaphor for a romantic relationship, with the singer comparing herself to the powerful figure who falls for a lover’s charm. Emly Starr’s lively stage presence and the colorful, engaging choreography added to the song’s appeal. The daring dress with a high slit contributed to the festive atmosphere. Despite the spirited performance, “Samson” scored 40 points at Eurovision and finished in 13th place out of 20 entries. Although it did not achieve a top ranking, the song remains a memorable part of Emly Starr’s career. Share

Share
Read More »