Disney and the Eurovision Song Contest (updated)
Everyone ready? In just two minutes the finale of the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest will commence in Belgrad, Serbia. Hundreds of millions of viewers all over Europe and even on tv-sets in Australia and New Zeeland plus countless fans all around the globe watching live online at eurovision.tv will see and hear songs competing for 25 countries (down from an original 43 after two semi finales).
Why am I posting this on a Disney blog? Hey, I just want to point you to some great entertainment! Well, actually there is a Disney connection this year: Germany is represented by the girl band No Angels singing “Disappear” - please no cheap jokes now 
Anyway, the girl band casted on the tv show “popstars” had an extended chart success in Germany and several European countries in the 90s and early years of this century before disbanding and then reuniting a year ago (albeit now missing one of the original members). So where is that Disney connection I promised? Keep reading after the break…
Most recently their connection to Disney was a visit to the Disneyland Resort Paris at the occassion of the grand opening event for the Tower of Terror. But surely getting invited and photographed / filmed all over the parks is not sufficient here. There is another connection which goes back to 2001 and the release of Disney’s animted feature Atlantis in Germany.
Being an action adventure in the style of maybe Indiana Jones the press and marketing teams of Disney in Germany realized they needed a new way to market the movie as they had to reach a different audience nto used to going to Disney animated features. For this they came up with the idea of having popular pop acts either record new songs or contribute somehow thematic fitting songs to a CD release titled “STARS inspired by Disney’s Atlantis” and to celebrate the German premiere of the movie with a gigantic pop concert featuring this (and other acts) in Cologne together with the German music tv station “VIVA”.
It’s pretty obvious that the “No Angels” was one of these pop acts and that this is their Disney connection. But wait - there is more! Disney paired the No Angles with folk / pop singer Donovan for them jointly to re-record his worldwide smash hit / classic “Atlantis” as “Atlantis 2002″. That version featuring the No Angels and Donovan was used to promote the movie, released as a single featuring artowrk from the movie and the movie’s title on the cover and was also featured during the end title in Germany.
See, there it is the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest Disney connection … but now, please excuse me … I need to get ready for the show … enjoy it (and spare some point for Germany if you are living in any country eglibile to vote) :-)
UPDATE: CONGRATULATIONS to DIMA BILAN - his “Believe” surely is a great song and the performance was outstanding as well - so a deserved winner for Eurovision 2008! In his second attempt he finally brough the contest to Russia. Let’s hope that the win also gets an international carreer in western Europe going for Dima - it would only be deserved. And about our No Angels: well, neither the song nor the performance was that bad that they would have deserved the 23rd place, or to be fair: last place. Sure Poland and the UK were officially placed behind us, but only due to the tie-breaker rules as Bulgary awarded us 12 points (explanation: Lucy of the No Angels, the red haired girl with the hair-do that looked like it exploded, actually comes from Bulgaria and thanks to her participation in the jury of a tv casting show last year in Bulgaria is rather well known and popular there).
Anyway: one more time: congratulation to Dima Bilan and Russia! and: see you all again next year in Russia for Eurovision 2009!
May 24th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I can’t help thinking thast it would be best for all the candidates to sing in Esperanto. That would be fairer all round.
What do you think?
May 25th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Not sure about that. What should it change? Ok, barely anyone would be able to understand the lyrics since this artifical language is not realy thaught in schools or used anymore (neither was it in the past). Belgium tired it this year again with a song in an artifical language and bombed out during the semi finales.
Also: different from several years ago each country is free to sing in any language they want to so the playing field is level in this regard. In fact many many countries perform in English, including this year’s winner Dima Bilan for Russia. So no, I don’t think it would be betetr for the contest or the candidates to perform in Esperanto.
Overall I am rather happy with the winner this year. Dima Bilan had a great song and presented a wonderful performance - so a deserved win. The song got points from the majority of countries and not only from the usual suspects from the former sovjet union. So fair & deserved win.
Personally I also loved “Shady Lady” - good song and fun performance … man, that dancers did a great job, loved their work! About our German song? As I wrote in the update above: it wasn’t a winner but I thought it deserved better than 14 points (12 from Bulgaria thanks to Lucy and 2 points from Switzerland - guess, someone threatened to withdraw its money from Switzerland if we don’t get any points). But hey, after the Eurovision Song Contest is before the Eurovision Song Contest … maybe we should send Tokyo Hotel next year?? I just fear they won’t be interested…
But how did YOU see the contest performances last night??