What should have been a fun musical party turned out to be a debacle for the Netherlands. Today it turned out that the Netherlands had already reported an unsafe atmosphere before the disqualification. Ireland, Lithuania and Norway also spoke out critically.
“Fuck the EBU!” These are not just the words of Eurovision commentator Cornald Maas after Joost Klein’s disqualification, they are also the words used by Irish artist Bambie Thug after the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. They both addressed the organizer of the festival, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
After the final, the Lithuanian entry wrote on social media that it would have been better if the entire party had been stopped after the first semi-final and now the Norwegian band Gate is also speaking out critically. “Withdrawing was an option until the last minute. We ultimately had constructive discussions with the EBU and that was just good enough for us to continue.”
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal are all said to have threatened to withdraw due to the atmosphere behind the scenes, which was described as tense by several participants. On Tuesday it emerged that the Netherlands and Norway were also among the countries that reported the working atmosphere.
When asked, AVROTROS informed nu.nl that it had made an official report of the unsafe atmosphere behind the scenes. They already did that on Friday, when Joost Klein had not yet been disqualified.
The disqualification of Joost Klein may feel like the moment that everything went wrong for the Dutch, but there was already a lot of pressure on the event in the run-up to the Eurovision Song Contest. Israel’s participation made it perhaps the most politically charged edition in the 68 years that the festival has been held.
From the very first Eurovision events, participants were asked for their opinion on Israel’s entry, which sometimes led to emotional moments. After the final, Bambie Thug was crying to journalists because they had experienced so much pressure to ignore political opinions that it no longer felt sincere.
Bambie Thug is also the artist who was commissioned by the organization to remove the word ‘ceasefire’ in old Irish script from their face. The watermelon, painted on the chest of Australia’s entry was overlooked by the organization: the fruit is also seen as a statement of support for the Palestinians. Former participant Eric Saade received an angry response from the EBU after he wore a kaffiya during a performance. The scarf also symbolizes a signal of commitment to Palestine.
Things also went wrong in the commentators’ booths. For example, the Israeli colleague of Cornald Maas and Jacqueline Govaert announced the Irish entry as “the artist who speaks negatively about Israel”. The Irish delegation then filed a complaint with the EBU and the commentator was reprimanded.
The performance of Portuguese singer Iolanda during the final never appeared on social media because she had, among other things, the Palestinian flag painted on her nails. Such a political statement is prohibited according to the rules of the Eurovision Song Contest and therefore the artist could have been disqualified. It is unclear why this did not happen.
The Portuguese broadcaster RTP has not only been critical of the exclusion of Iolanda’s performance on social media, they also find it unacceptable that the EBU used an “anti-booing system” during the semi-final and final. As a result, the booing of the EBU and Israel’s entry was less received by the viewers at home than in the audience.
“For an organization like the EBU and for an organization like RTP and the European public media service, the fight against fake news, misinformation and the manipulation of information is a constant battle. It is unacceptable that this is possible. This method distorts the truth.”
AVROTROS is also critical: “We believe that when a musician performs you should always show what it does to the audience.”
As always, the European Broadcasting Union is difficult to reach, but responded to the angry reactions in an official statement. The organization places the blame mainly on the participating countries themselves.
“We find it very unfortunate that some delegations did not adhere to the rules during the event and during broadcasts. We have spoken to several delegations about incidents that have come to our attention. The EBU continues to engage with the chairmen of delegations and will do an evaluation of this Eurovision Song Contest.”
“In this way we hope to be able to move forward in a positive way, in a way where everyone respects the values of this event. Individual problems will be discussed in a subsequent meeting.” Source: nu.nl
Things are going “pretty well” with Joost Klein, who participated in the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the Netherlands but was disqualified hours before the final. This is what Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen, Head of Delegation at AVROTROS, said to RTL Boulevard on Sunday.
“It was an eventful weekend with a lot of emotions, which have still not fully settled or been processed. We are of course very disappointed,” says Van de Nieuwenhuijzen, who is also chairman of the selection committee. The entire delegation watched the final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday evening, while enjoying “pizza, cola and a few glasses of wine”.
“Joost is doing quite well,” Van de Nieuwenhuijzen continues. Klein even went to an official Eurovision afterparty on the night from Saturday to Sunday. “Joost is a handsome and strong personality. That’s how he stands and that’s how he deals with it.”
X shows a photo of a Eurovision fan and Klein at the party. “I’m not into negativity,” Klein reportedly said about his presence at the afterparty. The fan also shares a fragment of dancing to Europapa during the party. Source: nu.nl
After Switzerland’s win at the Eurovision Song Contest, Geneva wants to host the 2025 edition. The Palexpo exhibition and events complex in the Swiss city has already submitted a bid to the Swiss broadcaster SSR, writes the newspaper Le Temps. Palexpo has coordinated the plans with the city council.
It is tradition that the winning country organizes the next edition. Geneva is the first city to report. Swiss media also takes into account the interest of cities such as Zurich, Basel and Bern. Previous Swiss editions of the Eurovision Song Contest were in Lugano (1956) and Lausanne (1989).
Geneva is located in the far west of Switzerland, on the border with France. It is a very international city, with offices of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization and the Red Cross, among others.
Geneva is also home to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), an umbrella organization of public broadcasters and organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest. The EBU played a leading role in this week’s edition. The organization was criticized for the decision to allow Israel to participate due to the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while Russia has been banned since 2022 due to the war in Ukraine.
There was also a lot of dissatisfaction among fans and participants about the decision to disqualify the Dutch entry Joost Klein. At the final last night, there were boos and cheers in the audience when Eurovision boss Österdahl came into view.
Switzerland won the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time yesterday, with the song The Code by Nemo. He is the first non-binary winner of the song festival. Source: NOS.
Switzerland is the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Singer Nemo won with the song The Code. The Netherlands has been disqualified and Joost Klein was therefore missing on Saturday evening.
Nemo won the jury points convincingly: a total of 21 countries awarded ‘twelve points’ to The Code. The Netherlands also gave the most points to the Swiss song.
Switzerland, on the other hand, did not win the televoting. Ukraine received by far the most points from the viewers at home, after which it was Israel who emerged from the televote with the most points.
Nemo is the first non-binary person to win the Eurovision Song Contest. “I hope this match continues to deliver on its promise and stand for peace and dignity for all,” they said after the win.
Joost Klein was not allowed to perform his Europapa during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. He was told earlier on Friday that he was excluded from the match because he had been involved in an incident. Klein allegedly made a threatening movement towards a female employee. Source: nu.nl.
For me, highlight of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 was the hilarious and awkward moment for Martin Österdahl, supervisor of the EBU, who -while the public booed loudly-had to give the points for the country that they disqualified today.
Hoogtepunt van het Eurovisie Songfestival 2024 was voor mij het hilarische en gênante moment voor Martin Österdahl, toezichthouder van de EBU, die -terwijl het publiek hem luid uitjouwde- de punten moest geven voor het land dat ze vandaag diskwalificeerden.
The Dutch artist Joost Klein will not be competing in the Grand Final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
Swedish police have investigated a complaint made by a female member of the production crew after an incident following his performance in Thursday night’s Semi Final. While the legal process takes its course, it would not be appropriate for him to continue in the Contest.
We would like to make it clear that, contrary to some media reports and social media speculation, this incident did not involve any other performer or delegation member.
We maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our event and are committed to providing a safe and secure working environment for all staff at the Contest. In light of this, Joost Klein’s behaviour towards a team member is deemed in breach of Contest rules.
The Grand Final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest will now proceed with 25 participating songs. Source; EBU.
I think EBU’s decision is way over the top (my opinion for now). Joost is charged with allegations of intimidation, but let’s wait until ‘proven’ guilty. When Joost seems to be innocent, AVROTROS should submit a substantial claim for damages for all costs incurred, because money, that is what the EBU is all about (just check where main sponsor Marrocanoil is originated) United by Music, my ass. United by Money. Right now, I am done.
Joost Klein is suspected of threatening an employee of the Eurovision Song Contest. The alleged incident took place on Thursday evening at the Malmö Arena, Swedish police said.
The employee filed a report on Friday. The investigation has now been completed, a police spokesperson told NU.nl on Saturday. The spokesperson does not want to confirm that Joost is the suspect.
In addition to the suspect, the police also interviewed the person who filed the report and a number of witnesses. The investigation has been transferred to the public prosecutor.
On Friday, the EBU, which organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, had already announced that Joost was involved in an incident. That is why his rehearsal and his performance for the jury assessment did not take place on Friday. The EBU did not want to say at the time what had happened in the incident.
It is not yet clear whether Joost will be allowed to perform in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday evening. Source: nu.nl
Joost Klein is not allowed to participate in the jury show of the Eurovision Song Contest. The investigation into the incident that emerged earlier today has not yet been completed, AVROTROS reports.
AVROTROS informs the Dutch press that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has not given permission to participate in the show taking place in the Malmö Arena tonight. The professional jury therefore assesses the performance from the second semi-final.
The EBU is investigating an incident involving Klein. No further details have been shared. According to rumors from the Swedish broadcaster SVT, it concerns a violent incident in which the artist is involved. This has not been confirmed in any way.
The EBU speaks of “discussions” that are still ongoing with broadcaster AVROTROS. It is now unclear when anything will be decided.
Tonight would be an important moment for Klein: half of the points awarded on Saturday evening will already be determined during the jury show. On the evening before the final, professional juries submit their points.
During the rehearsal of the finale it became clear that something was going on around Klein. The artist should have been fifth on stage, but the Netherlands was skipped and rehearsals went straight to Israel. Klein did participate in the flag parade that is part of the opening ceremony.
Belarus was refused to participate in 2021 due to the political connotation of the song that the country wanted to submit. In the 68 years that the Eurovision Song Contest has been taking place, it has never happened that a country has been disqualified during the festival. Source: nu.nl
Joost Klein skipped his place in the Eurovision Song Contest rehearsal on Friday afternoon. The European Broadcasting Union is investigating an “incident” involving the artist. It is unclear what is going on.
“We are currently investigating an incident surrounding the Dutch entry. Klein will not rehearse for the time being,” the statement said. The EBU will not comment further.
It is unclear whether Klein will still be allowed to do his rehearsals at a later date. No statements are made in the audience about Klein’s absence.
AVROTROS, the broadcaster that accompanies Klein during the Eurovision Song Contest, was not available for comment. Source: nu.nl.
The Netherlands has secured a place in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Joost Klein and his Europapa are through to the final on Saturday, May 11.
Klein was the third to hear that he has a place in the final. So the artist didn’t have to sit in suspense for too long. It is not yet clear which half he will be in: that will be determined by the organization at a later time.
Latvia, Norway and Austria are also through to the final on Saturday. Furthermore, Israel, Estonia and Greece managed to get a ticket for the final. In addition, Switzerland, Georgia and Latvia can also take the stage again on Saturday in the hope of winning the Eurovision Song Contest.
The Belgian singer Mustii is not through. Denmark, Malta, San Marino, the Czech Republic and Albania also do not go to the final.
Croatia, Ukraine and Ireland already managed to qualify for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday. Furthermore, Serbia, Portugal and Slovenia qualified for the final, as did Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus and Luxembourg. Australia, Poland, Azerbaijan, Moldova and Iceland then canceled.
Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Sweden are automatically through to May 11. Source: nu.nl
“We have ticket buyers from 89 countries coming to Malmö,” says Martin Österdahl. “The United States is the second biggest ticket buyer.”
At last year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Graham Norton identified him as “Mr. Eurovision” and said he just calls him “the boss.” While almost everyone on the production team for the Eurovision Song Contest does their work behind the cameras, the European Broadcasting Union’s executive supervisor Martin Österdahl is visible every year on the live broadcast. When it comes time to reveal the votes of the participating countries, the hosts turn to Österdahl to confirm that the votes of the juries and the public are checked and that there is a verified result. He then tells the hosts that they are “good to go.”
Before he was named executive supervisor in 2020, Österdahl was executive producer of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 and 2016, both produced by Sveriges Television (SVT) following Sweden’s victories in 2012 and 2015. He has also produced past versions of Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s televised national final to select the country’s entry for the annual Eurovision competition.
To find out what to watch for in the 2024 contest airing next week, Billboard talked to Österdahl via Zoom to get a preview of this year’s 68th edition of the popular pan-European event.
How are things in Malmö with just a few days to go before the two semi-finals and grand final of the 2024 contest?
The rehearsals are going really well. All the delegations are here now. I wish the world could see what the atmosphere is like. People are hugging, high-fiving. It’s great to be together again and great to be getting the job done.
What are five things we should be looking out for this year?
The first thing is that for the first time ever, we are finally going to see the Big Five and the host country perform full-length performances on stage [in the semi-finals], which is great. We’ve never done that before, as you know. It will give more entertainment to the viewers and more value to the fans, so I think that’s a great change.
In recent history, the Big Five (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom – the five countries that contribute the most to the production budget) don’t have to compete in the semi-finals to qualify for the grand final, so we would only see snippets in the two semi-finals. Why was this change made?
We’re very much about the even playing field and we have felt from time to time that the Big Five perhaps had a disadvantage. We’ve looked at ways to correct that. The Big Five have been doing much better recently, but still we feel the time is right to make this change now. And it has to do with [the second thing to watch out for].
That is to increase the engagement in this show. For an entertainment show in Europe, we have a lot of young viewers. We’re quadrupling the channel average when it comes to reach and the youth segments, which is fantastic, but the voting system is quite old fashioned with SMS [texting] and televoting and also the fact you had to wait for two hours before you can cast your vote. So we’re trying out this new thing this year where you can vote in the grand final from the very top of the show. If you see something that you like, you can cast your vote, which is something that is more in line with the behavior of young people today, who are used to interacting straightaway with the shows.
We introduced the rest-of-the-world vote last year and we’re increasing the window for that to be 24 hours before the show, so that people in Asia and in South America don’t have to sit up and watch this live on Central European Time. We get votes from 180 countries around the world in the show, so we want to embrace that love for Eurovision in other parts of the world.
How did that rest-of-the-world vote work last year?
Very well. We do a show called the Junior Eurovision Song Contest as well and we’ve had an online voting platform for that. We did a show in Warsaw a couple of years ago during the darkest days of the pandemic, so we couldn’t have the delegations on site. There were pre-recorded performances from the different countries. And then we had a studio in Warsaw where I sat with the presenters and the interval acts and Polish TV did a great job with that.
But when we saw the online voting come in, it was a real eye-opener for me, because there were 12 participating countries as opposed to 40 in Eurovision and it’s a kid show. We saw the votes coming in from 180 countries around the world on this European kids’ show. It was amazing, so I thought, “We need to tap into this.” My expectations are high when it comes to the engagement here.
Does the fact that U.S. viewers can watch live on Peacock greatly increase the number of people watching?
Yes, the engagement from the U.S. is great. The United States is the second biggest ticket buyer [for the live shows]. If you forget about [host country] Sweden, the biggest country of ticket buyers is the U.K. followed by the U.S. Amazing, right? We have ticket buyers from 89 countries coming to Malmö.
And what is the third thing we should watch out for?
Celebration. We have so much to celebrate this year. Sweden has taken the number one position now alongside Ireland with seven wins in history. Loreen is only the second ever female artist to win twice and she and Johnny Logan are the only artists to have won twice, so we’re celebrating that. And of course, it’s 50 years since ABBA won with “Waterloo” and we’re going to celebrate all these things in the show, so that’s another one to look out for.
How exactly are we going to celebrate “Waterloo” and ABBA in the show?
There’s an easy reply to that. Tune into the show and you’ll see.
I didn’t think you were going to give that one away. And the fourth thing to watch out for?
Number four, you should look out for the new hit phenomena. When I started working on Eurovision a long time ago, we used to refer to the classics like Celine Dion and ABBA when it came to who had the international global hits from this show, but that’s not the case anymore. We churn out international hits every year and you’ve probably seen the success of Duncan Laurence, Rosa Linn and Måneskin. That’s a really exciting trend with modern day Eurovision and I think it’s going to continue. It’s a really strong field this year.
Alright, you’ve given us four things to watch out for. What is the fifth?
Number five is that we’re going to have a really exciting climax to this show. The Eurovision Song Contest voting sequence is arguably one of the longest, but also one of the most nail-biting sequences of any show on TV and I think this year we don’t really have one standout favorite. We’ve got a couple who are talked about a lot but not that one standout. So I think it’s going to be exciting this year and I think it’s going to lead to a really exciting climax.
Speaking of the voting sequence, do you track the ratings on different parts of the show, and if so, how does this part of the contest do?
Normally the voting sequence is the most viewed part of the show.
In the past, some years were runaways and we knew who the winner was going to be long before the final vote was cast. Other years we didn’t know until the last moments.
When Loreen first won in Baku [in 2012], everyone knew 35 minutes before the show ended that she was going to win, because you could do the math. But we still had to go around all of these countries and listen to their 12 and 10 and eight points. It seemed this show deserved a better climax, so that’s when we made that change [to report the juries votes first and add in the public voting at the very end] and now it’s all down to the very last delivery of points.
One last question. As an EBU official, how would you describe your interaction with the production team, which is from the host broadcaster.
My job covers a lot of different areas, but when it comes to the production, this is a co-production between 37 different national broadcasters in Europe and beyond and as such it needs a central coordinator or supervisor for the whole thing and that’s me. That means I have final say in all questions, including all of the show content. I work very closely with the producers every year. My main mission is to transfer knowledge and best practice. Of course, this year it’s special, because the knowledge is already here and it’s my old team. We work together really well. Source: Billboard.
The Dutch TV Guides pay attention to the Eurovision Song Contest this week. The VARA GIDS pays attention to seventeen former Dutch acts.
Ben Cramer (77) De Oude Muzikant (1973)
I sang five songs in the national contest. It was certain that I would participate, but the audience decided which song I would sing at the Eurovision Song Contest. Afterwards I understood why they chose that song: it was a song in six-eighths time. The hit I had two years before Eurovision, ‘De clown’, was also in six-eighths time. These songs are recognizable and sing-alongs for the audience.
The bookmakers ranked this song at number six. I think the fact that I came fourteenth was mainly due to technology. The sound was so bad, everyone complained about it. During the dress rehearsal I stopped singing halfway through, which was absolutely not allowed. I said: ‘Sorry, but this is not possible!’ I received applause from the audience, because they all agreed. But what I didn’t know at the time was that the jury was also watching. And I had to deal with a very angry director, because I quit. In the final TV recording he took his revenge.
Look, the Eurovision Song Contest is not just about the song, but also about the TV registration, and that was deliberately very bare here. Because of the argument. The orchestra sat in the dark and the musician sat in the back. I can’t help but feel that that had an influence on the final score. I have always continued singing this song, and introduce it with the joke: I came, I saw, and I could go again.
Linda Wagenmakers (48) No Goodbyes (2000)
The first time I heard ‘No Goodbyes’ it was a completely different version than how we know it now. At the time it was still a kind of Spanish summer hit. Jerry Wolff then turned it into what it is today: a party song that really explodes. With my team we then came up with the act, with the dress and the dancers from Fame that came out from under the dress. We made the most of everything, even in the national finals. I’m a real Song festival fan, ever since Sandra Kim won with ‘J’aime la vie’.
It was bizarre to notice how much attention there was about the act itself. Especially from the press. At one point, journalists even broke into the rehearsal room to see what the act would be like and what dress I would wear. In the weeks leading up to the performance, it was really only about that dress. I thought: why is this so important for the Netherlands? Isn’t there anything important happening in the world? Of course it happened, because on the day itself there was a fire works disaster in Enschede, which meant that the live broadcast of the final wasn’t broadcast on Dutch TV. My participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has created a huge audience. Afterwards I often performed the song. And in that dress.
Michelle (42) Out on my own (2001)
The National Song Contest was the first big performance I did. I was only nineteen at the time and won right away, I didn’t understand it at all. I thought it was bizarre and intense . I was a very insecure teenager. It was not easy, also because I started to get to know myself during that period.
After my participation, I was at a crossroads in my life: continue with my career and use the Eurovision Song Contest as a springboard or continue at the conservatory, where I studied singing and cello. Because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, I chose the latter. I didn’t want to jump into something that I wasn’t sure would be right for me.
‘Out on my own’ contains the beautiful sentence ‘Free in the choices of my life’. That’s how it really felt at the time when I sang it. I can make conscious choices in my life! I’m in control! Sometimes I’m a bit insecure, and in those moments I tell myself: you have the choice , you decide. I still sing the song, but in a 2.0 version , with different chords and a bit more jazzy. I retrained as a nurse four years ago and I still enjoy making music. But people always have an opinion. With a few of former Eurovision participants we sometimes jokingly call ourselves ‘our trauma club’, because there is a lot of comments coming your way, for example Mia (van Dion, ed). She has suffered so much misery, we should be more aware of that.
Ronnie Tober (79) Morgen (1968)
The line “I was on the road for so long” kept coming up in the chorus and I thought, damn, they’ll never get each other. The end came suddenly without you, my distant wife? So that conclusion was correct.
We traveled to London with a very small delegation. Conductor Dolf van der Linden came along and someone from record company Phonogram. I had a stack of biographies with me in three languages and that was it.
Afterwards there was a cocktail party organized by the BBC with the declared winner Cliff Richard, but he came second behind Spain. He didn’t say anything , walked around with a big smile and said ‘next time better.
I am very grateful that I participated. As a result, I have seen a lot of the world with performances in Belgium, France, Poland , Spain and Greece and a show in Germany at the WDR with Üdo Jurgens. Even though I came last, it still felt like I had won. Life doesn’t make or break , and it’s a good push for your career. I would participate again in a heartbeat, after all, those Russian grandmothers who represented their country in 2012 came second. I almost forget the most important thing; I met my husband Jan after a preliminary round of the Eurovision Song Contest in Arnhem during drinks at the White Horse Club. It was an immediate hit and that’s now 58 years ago.
Marga Bult (67) Rechtop in de Wind (1987)
There is a time before and after ‘Rectop in de Wind’. The song has proven to be a benchmark in my life. It meant the end of girl group Babe, with which I had already had hits, and was the start of my solo career.
The song finished fifth, after the Netherlands had not reached the top ten for years. People still respond so enthusiastically to the song. After 37 years, I have never given a concert where not everyone knows this song. The younger generations also know it, through their parents. A few years ago I sang it at a De Toppers concert. I was curious if people would still like it. Well, the whole place went up! Seven hundred thousand men!
The text is particularly popular: for example, people found out that they were gay through this song. Or they discovered that their marriage was no longer working. Upright in the wind – that sentence catches, something happens. The song still fits me like a glove, you keep experiencing new things. Whenever I was having a hard time, I thought about the song and its predictive value. Then I was singing on stage again and thought: yes, I can sing this song for myself too. I was in the middle of what I was singing about. I would sing it with a smiling face, but with a sad heart. I am also amazed by this song. Nowadays I sometimes see the audience I have to perform in front of and think: they’re quite young. But then they blow the roof off.
Maxine (53) & Franklin Brown (62) De Eerste Keer (1996)
Maxine: The title ‘The first time’ is very apt for me: the Eurovision Song Contest was my first major performance. Franklin: And the first time we worked together. We were introduced by John de Mol and Ruth Jacott. When we met there was an immediate click. Maxine: We thought: this is it. Franklin: ‘The first time’ is still regularly played on the radio. A few weeks ago we did it live on Radio 538 and since then the phone has been ringing off the hook again. But even when we sing the song at a party, everyone sings along. Also young people. It’s just a catchy and cheerful song. Maxine has been singing in the Edwin Evers Band for years, where she sings the song regularly. I have been touring for years with my band, the Tiny Little Big Band, more jazz and soul, and the audience still asks for this song. So we also sing it separately from each other regularly. She has a tape with my voice on it, and I have a tape with her voice on it. Maxine: Singing became my job in 1997, before that I still worked at the Social Insurance Bank in Breda. And that is only because of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Justine Pelmelay (65) Blijf Zoals Je Bent (1989)
Jan Kisjes wrote this song for his wife. When I sang it I was in the middle of a divorce. My ex had to read from the newspaper that I had another boyfriend, that didn’t get the beauty prize. So that text had a special meaning for me. But I didn’t know then that ‘Stay the way you are’ would become the anthem of the entire LGBT+ movement. I didn’t know that scene at all at the time.
Everyone still sings along to this, very beautiful. And everyone know the text, although everyone gets something different out of it. Some people have come out of the closet because of this song, I received cards from people who started a new life and it is played at funerals. And all because of that one sentence: ‘Stay as you are.
The moment I received the invitation for this photo shoot, I was diagnosed with leukemia. If I don’t improve, stem cell therapy will follow. I trust that there will be a good outcome, but now I’m performing a little less. Hopefully again later, because I think I’m singing the song better and better. I’m getting older, my backpack is filled with new life experiences and new encounters.
Thérèse Steinmetz (90) Ring-dinge-ding (1967)
‘If I want to drink vodka in the morning and spontaneously chat with the baker’, I thought it was the funniest sentence. ‘Ring -dinge ding’ was written for a young girl and I wasn’t that young anymore, that’s why.
Participating in the Eurovision Song Contest was a very fun and unexpected experience and a special event. I did an awful lot after that . I immediately won a festival in Belgium and I was able to pack my bags for an eight- day festival in Poland. In 1970 I won the Golden Deer Festival of Brasov in Romania. That lasted a whole week and you were able to show quite a bit of your repertoire. Big names from that time came: Josephine Baker performed there and Dalida but also Charles Trenet.
Musically speaking, I think the Eurovision Song Contest has little to offer these days . Many acts don’t get further than two chords. Oh, everyone will think: what an old, grumpy lady, but that’s not me at all.
Greetje Kauffeld (84) Wat Een Dag (1961)
I haven’t sung the song for a long time, but recently I started singing it a little more often. It’s not an easy song. ‘I even picked flowers in the park/Across the street with impunity – that part is really difficult, so much text!
When I joined, I had already made quite a career in Germany . And that went really well. Shortly after my participation , I moved from the Netherlands to Stuttgart, then to Munich. I traveled all over the country, at the time there were these big TV shows where I also participated. A golden time. Later I moved back to the Netherlands, I got married , but I always continued to work in Germany, because German fans are very loyal, they still remember me there, I recently performed there with a big band, very special.
‘Wat Een Dag’ hasn’t been part of my repertoire for a long time, because I’m always in Germany. When I started singing it again later, I discovered how good it was. I have gradually come to love ‘Wat Een Dag’ more and more.
Saskia (77) & Serge (78) Tijd (1971)
Serge: We were approached in 1970 to participate in the national contest for Eurovision. They were looking for an original Dutch song. Saskia: That came suddenly, because we filled in for The Shepherds last minute. Serge: We received a call on Tuesday afternoon asking if we had an original Dutch song that we could share on Wednesday morning. Then we wrote the song ‘Het Spinnewiel’, and that turned out to be a kind of coincidence. We didn’t win, but we were nationally known because of that. The following year we were invited to the festival and came sixth with ‘Tijd’. Saskia: While we thought that we didn’t stand a chance with this, because there is no chorus in it. I thought it was a bit of a calm song, fado-like, and that turned out to be the case: we got twelve points from Portugal. Serge: After our participation came European success with several TV specials made in other countries, including Portugal. We had hits in America, where we had the opportunity to build a career. There we performed in front of 24,000 people and were offered a recording contract. We were at Johnny Cash’s house. Saskia: And we met Roy Orbison, Don Everly… we just went to the pub with them. Serge: They wanted us to stay there and make a country record and go on tour. That was not possible, because four hundred performances were already booked in the Netherlands. And we’re still performing. We only do “Time” and “Spinning Wheel” when its asked. It’s so old, and we have so many other hits.
Bill van Dijk (76) Jij en Ik (1982)
For me, the Eurovision Song Contest was a very special experience. It was about big money, apparently, suddenly all kinds of managers from other artists were knocking on my door, I got friends who I didn’t know were my friends, political games were played, there was an argument about the producer of the song, about the dance and about who should make the clothes. Everyone was angry at everyone. I learned a lot about human behavior.
Once at the festival, the people from the broadcaster had disappeared: they went to play tennis, or swim, or whatever. During the rehearsal it turned out that the choreography was not possible at all, it did not fit on the stage, but the people from the broadcaster were gone. And then there was also a radio boycott of the song, because I couldn’t attend a certain performance. That was my experience with the Songfestival.
I haven’t sung the song for a long time; I already had a theater career and after this performance I simply continued. Why would I still sing that song? From that circus? But now I really like it. The song contains the line: ‘We remain connected forever/No matter how our paths go’. You can also sing this these times, with wars, with fascists taking charge. Because no one takes the same distance as an astronaut. No one sees that we are all sitting on this ball. We really are all connected.
The older I get, the more I like the song. Last year I sang it again, in the Amsterdam Melkweg, it was great fun. I made it too complicated all those years.
Willeke Alberti (79) Waar is de Zon (1994)
The sentence ‘And suddenly you were there, I saw you go again/I stepped aside, but you stood next to me/you kept walking next to me, You went home again /my heart opened again, I feel at home again’ is very special to me. I thought a lot about my father at the time and that helped me enormously. I always try to think of someone with my songs. When I think of ‘Telkens Weer’ I think of the love that is still possible. I like to experience the lyrics at the moment I sing them. I thought it was very special that I could represent my country, comparable to a royal award. I wanted to wear an orange dress in Dublin because it was broadcast on Queen’s Day, but I opted for a black one because I liked it better and it was also made especially for me. ‘Where is the sun’ only got four points, but for me it remains a beautiful song. I still sing it always with great pleasure. Coot van Doesburgh wrote the text for someone who died of AIDS, that makes it more special for me. The song is also always part of my medley that I perform at Gay Prides.
Esther Hart (53) One more night (2003)
I met Tjeerd van Zanen in a café in Rotterdam. He is a composer and has composed, among other things, the Marlayne song (‘One good reason, ed.). I asked him if he would again would submit a song for the Eurovision Song Contest. That’s what he wanted, he had a nice song, ‘but I don’t know yet whether it should be sung by a man or a woman. I offered to sing it for him so he could hear what it sounded like in a female voice. In his upstairs apartment in Rotterdam, in the clothes closet, I sang ‘One more night’ for the first time . Finally he asked if I had it wanted to interpret.
After the Eurovision Song Contest I noticed that I was booked much more. As a solo singer, but also for roles in theater and musicals and as a singing teacher. For example, I have been Marco Borsato’s vocal coach for more than twenty years. I still do a lot for the Eurovision audience. Those fans are all over Europe, so I also have nice international performances. In Stockholm, London, Leeds, Lissabon. Once the Eurovision audience embrace you, they won’t let you go.
Hearts of Soul Stella (71) and Bianca Maessen (73) Waterman (1970)
Stella: I still get the question: aren’t you one of those three sisters from Harderwijk? That’s crazy, I say. We participated in 1970, when the Eurovision Song Contest was already something very big. While we were just starting out as singers. Bianca: We were already in the circuit of Pim Jacobs and Rita Reijs. Stella: Yes, and in Voor de Vuist Weg, we were already there at the time. And Fenklup, with Sonja Barend . Then we wore those blue dresses! Bianca: Yes, with the black bow. We have given away all that clothing over the years, to fans or to charity. Stella: When I joined. I was sixteen years old. And you nineteen. Bianca: So we sang about the zodiac sign Aquarius . Very nice, because each person has an animal sign. I’m a Cancer. Stella, you’re a Leo. Not that those zodiac signs suit an Aquarius very well, as we sing. No, the song was just waiting for us. And it was up to us to sing it in three voices. Bianca: We never married Aquarians later, did we? No, definitely not. Stella: Haha, indeed not! But the song is still beautiful, isn’t it?
Text: Paul de Bruin, Johan Reijnen & Roy van Vilsteren. Photos: Frank Ruiter.
Gover Meit is not only creative director of Joost Klein’s Eurovision Song Contest performance, he and the artist are also very good friends. The grand artist feels extremely responsible for the performance and Klein’s enjoyment, he tells nu.nl.
“I am there for Joost and to ensure that all his ideas can be realized,” says Meit, who previously made a name for himself as Stefano Keizers and Donny Ronny. “But Joost has about a thousand good ideas a month. That’s a lot of ideas to make come true. So I am also a filter and ensure that we come up with an act that can still be followed.”
Klein and Meit have known each other for about 8.5 years now. Meit was associated with a youth platform as a mentor for creative talents. There he met Klein. “Fate really brought us together. From the moment I met Joost there, I saw that we both have a penchant for innovation. That happened so very quickly. I feel like we have always been together.”
Because it clicks so good, Meit feels responsible not only for the act, but also for Klein’s enjoyment of the whole process. “I think I can play just about any role that is needed here. So I am the person who wipes his head with a napkin after the performance, but also the person he goes to talk to in the evening. And with whom he can spar and vent.”
“Through this process I have gained a lot more respect for my own director, Jelle Kuiper. Also because I notice how important it is to have someone by your side who fully supports you.”
Meit is used to being on stage himself, but now notices that he actually finds it even more exciting to accompany someone. “It really is like my child is playing a very important game. And I think anyone with children will know how intense it is to let go. To let him go on that stage and have that whole world wash over him.”
Even after the first photos of Europapa on the Eurovision stage, there was criticism of the performance. Klein and Meit kept talking about “a new form of a moon landing”, which meant that expectations were high. The first images did not meet those expectations for some people and Klein fell with the bookmakers.
The artist told nu.nl that he is having a hard time with it. Meit also sees a role for himself there. “I have been involved in the media world for about ten years now. I know how every time you stick your head above the parapet, you are met with a lot of criticism. So I always help him remember how many people also be helped with this.”
“If we didn’t take risks creatively, who would? I think if I hadn’t been there, it would have been a lot harder for him to keep that trust. I’m lucky to have been a step further. can stand from and always say: let’s not forget how important it is that we try to bring that innovation.”
Klein previously compared the performance at the Eurovision Song Contest to baking a cake: every element belongs in the recipe, he said in conversation with nu.nl. But now that he is in Malmö, he prefers to speak of a bag of chips, because the options are different than expected. Meit believes it is important to add nuance to this. “I would say this is the tastiest bag of chips I have ever eaten. With lots of flippos in it.” Source: nu.nl.
Just a few more days and then it’s finally that time again: the Eurovision Song Contest. And that brings back memories for former participant and presenter Marlayne Sahupala (52). In 1999 she achieved eighth place in Jerusalem with her song One Good Reason. But for that she had to dig deep into her pockets. She says this in an interview in magazine ‘Libelle‘.
Marlayne was 28 years old when she performed for the Netherlands with the song One Good Reason. She had no experience as a solo artist at the time. She thought singing was fine, but she didn’t dare say anything into the microphone. “It was all very awkward and I hated being the center of attention.”
Yet she won the National Song Contest with her song and was able to prepare for the European spectacle in Israel. She says it cost her something. “The organizing broadcaster gave me seven hundred and fifty euros for outfits for me and the background artists. That was tight.” The presenter hardly earned any money herself at the time. The fact that at one point she received requests for performances was her ‘salvation’. “The whole spectacle ultimately cost me quite a lot of money, because I had to pay for all the clothing and expenses myself.”
It seems that her participation has paid off. “Thanks to my participation, I got where I am now,” says Marlayne, who was then allowed to record her solo album in England and was given the opportunity to present Hart van Nederland.
Does she have any advice for Joost Klein? No. “If I do that, he will probably think: Marlayne who? But I am convinced that he will deliver a top performance with his vision and song.”
The Dutch TV Guides pay attention to the Eurovision Song Contest this week. The Veronica Superguide pays attention to the Dutch act of 2024: Joost Klein, and asks on their cover: Genius or madness?
It’s ‘that time of year’ again and this time it’s Joost Klein who represents the Netherlands with the crazy Europapa at the Eurovision Song Contest, which is now being held in Sweden. Remarkable? Rather!
There are few songs that cause as much controversy as that of Joost Klein, our entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. Europapa, with a pounding gabber beat full of creative rhyme schemes and wordplay, is very different from our previous entries. Many people wonder: is Europapa a brilliant move or are we going completely wrong with this? According to Alexander van Eenennaam, music journalist at the AD and Song festival expert, it is only logical that the relatively unknown Joost Klein and his song were chosen. “Since Anouk’s participation in 2013, the selection committee has only looked at the song itself and no longer at the fame of the artist. That explains why Joost was considered in the first place,” he explains. “The other songs that had a chance were more common songs, which we have often seen at the Eurovision Song Contest. Europapa may be a bit crazy, but according to the jury it was really the very best song. It may not be to your taste, personally I wouldn’t put the song on at home, but the song is excellent within its genre.”
Alexander emphasizes that there is more behind the song there is only some happy hardcore. Europapa tells the story of Joost who lost both parents at a young age. In the song, he travels through Europe as an orphan to find himself. His parents gave him a broad vision of the world in their upbringing, namely that there are no boundaries. After a long chopping session to some pounding beats, Joost immediately addresses his parents. “I miss you every day, is what I secretly whisper. See, dad, I listened to you,” sings the blonde Frisian. A surprisingly emotional end to the cheerful song. “That emotional charge is important, because it makes Europapa more than just a gimmick,” the journalist explains. It is perhaps also the biggest difference from this year’s other entries. For example, Finland has the song No Rules! from the dance duo Windows95man. It is cheerful, striking and, like Joost, harks back to the recognizable and popular music of the nineties, but still misses the point. The song revolves around a man with long curly hair, a white cap and a shirt with the Windows 95 logo on it. He also wears skin-colored briefs until he finally finds pants. The message: don’t take everything so seriously. In any case, it makes a much less impression with the bookmakers than Joost, as the act is currently at number thirteen.
In 2019, the Netherlands made history thanks to Duncan Laurence, whose emotional ballad Arcade took first place. Europapa is so much different from Duncan’s entry. The question is why we didn’t go for a quiet emotional song again? Alexander notes that the pace of Eurovision entries has increased every year. In 2024, there are almost no ballads. According to the AD journalist, this has to do with a major change in the voting procedure. Where everything used to be in the hands of the professional jury, nowadays the opinion of the viewer also plays a major role. During the semi-finals, the public decides via televoting which country will go to the final. And that can be useful for Joost, the Eurovision expert explains. “Ballads don’t do well with the viewers. They are less likely to enter your living room. Such a striking song as Europapa is more likely to attract the attention of people at home and get more votes.” This is also where the power of social media comes into play, something Joost has mastered well. “He is a born marketer and grew up with social media. He is so good at it that he can easily reach people at home.” He previously proved that he knows how to gain fans through social media with his hit Friesenjung, which ended up in countries such as Germany and Austria via TikTok videos and became a true hit there.
While writing this article, Joost is number three among the bookmakers. So it’s starting to look more and more like we can make a profit with Europapa. “Anything is possible, but it all depends on the performance itself,” says Alexander. “We don’t know yet what he will do on stage. But without knowing exactly what his act will look like, I dare to predict that he will become number one with the audience. The only question is whether he will able to touch the professional jury with his message.” But according to the music expert, that no longer matters. Europapa has been listened to millions on YouTube and dominates the radio in countries such as Belgium, Germany and France. “Actually, Joost has already won.”
Joost Klein is a creative artist and used to having a free hand in his performances. But the Eurovision Song Contest has a lot of rules and that is quite difficult for him.
“It has often been said to me from high up, especially to Gover (Meit, creative director, ed.): ‘Please, don’t let Joost change anything,'” Klein told nu.nl on Saturday from Malmö.
Last week the artist had two days of rehearsals to fine-tune his Europapa for the Eurovision Song Contest stage. While Klein is normally used to having control over everything that happens, he now has to rely much more on others.
“It’s a crazy process, where I really learn the hard way that if you let go of all control, you get control back. It’s very difficult,” says the artist.
“It takes a lot of getting used to. I’m not going to lie to you, it’s not the easiest thing. And I understand that for the outside world it may only be a three-minute show. But all of us, with a team from this point, almost a hundred people have been working on this for a year.”
The European Broadcasting Union has a lot of rules for a performance at the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that he has had his first two rehearsals, Klein is not allowed to change any major things.
“I believe 100 percent in the concept. In the art that we have created and will create. But I have to admit that so many rules also take a mental toll on myself. There is a lot involved that the audience does not know.”
Klein continues: “You shouldn’t know that. But I’m getting to know it now. And that makes it difficult. I expected some kind of cake, but now it’s just a kind of bag of chips.”
He finds it quite complicated that after seeing the photos of the rehearsals there are also negative reactions and Klein drops at the bookmakers.
“I’m not allowed to use my phone anymore. It’s just very strange. I try to remain myself. So far I don’t really care about it, but I would be lying if I said I don’t care about it. But I am here with the best intentions, also for the Netherlands and not just for myself.”
“I dare say: we make art. And we are now putting it in the Eurovision gallery. Whether it all fits in there, we will see on the ninth and eleventh. And I just hope that the country still has some love left somewhere. for me. And if not, then don’t watch. I’m not the TV boss.” Source: nu.nl
Ilse DeLange already has a second place as an artist and a victory as a mentor, but the singer does not rule out another Eurovision participation, she tells nu.nl. According to HetParool, she even made another attempt this year.
The newspaper offered a behind-the-scenes look at the selection committee and wrote that DeLange had made it to the final rounds. Numidia was also one of the artists who played their song live for the selection committee in an audition setting.
DeLange’s entry was ultimately found “too inaccessible” and “too complicated for the festival”, according to Het Parool. In a response to nu.nl AVROTROS said it would not make any statements about the selection procedure and who participated. A spokesperson for the singer’s record company cannot confirm anything.
In an interview with nu.nl that took place at the end of last month, DeLange said that she would like to go to the Eurovision Song Contest again. When asked if she would like to write a song for one of the talents of her record company Spark, such as Hannah Mae, she responded enthusiastically.
“I would really like that, but everything starts with the right song, of course. The role behind the scenes was absolutely crazy. Going through fire for someone else gives me just as much satisfaction as for myself. But I don’t close it out for myself.”
DeLange and Waylon competed as The Common Linnets in 2014 and took second place. In 2019, DeLange guided Duncan Laurence to victory. For Spark, the singer regularly accompanies new talent, including singer Hannah Mae, who scores hits with songs such as Waterdicht and Wat Wil Je Van Mij with Metejoor.
DeLange is very proud of the things Mae achieves. “The growth she is experiencing is so great to see. It is so nice to be able to play a role in that.” It also gives DeLange a push to get the best out of herself. “I advise great songwriters and hard workers. Then of course you have to work yourself. It’s something that serves as a threat.” The 46-year-old DeLange will release her new album Tainted on Friday. Source: nu.nl
Not Joost Klein (26), but Numidia (24) would have long been the favorite to go to the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the Netherlands. Ilse DeLange (46) would also have been on the selection committee’s list for quite some time. This is evident from a reconstruction of the selection process that ‘Het Parool‘ published on Friday.
According to Het Parool, the choice for who would definitively go to the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of the Netherlands was made on November 28 last year in the Nobel pop hall in Leiden. The five artists who were still in the race at the time performed their song in complete secrecy in front of the selection committee of broadcaster AVROTROS. Among them Numidia, Ilse DeLange and Joost Klein. Karsu and The Voice winner Sophia Kruithof are also said to have performed for the selection committee in Leiden.
The committee would not be entirely enthusiastic about Ilse’s submission. They would find it “too inaccessible” and “too complicated for the festival”. Numidia would provide more enthusiasm with an “English-language song with Berber elements” made with Douwe Bob. There are doubts about Joost Klein’s entry, writes Het Parool. The selection committee is said to have wondered, among other things, whether the ‘fun pop’ of Europapa is what the Netherlands wants to radiate. There are also doubts about the structure of the song, and Joost reportedly made some adjustments to the song upon request.
According to the newspaper, Numidia’s audition, ‘she sings excellently, has charisma and represents the modern Netherlands’, would normally be enough to represent the Netherlands. But Joost Klein would make such an impression with his ‘irresistible earworm’ Europapa and also his “humor, persuasiveness and a well-worded story”, that things will turn out differently.
Jaap Reesema, one of the members of the selection committee, would eventually comment that the other members should put their own taste aside and choose ‘the most promising song’. That was Klein’s Europapa.
On the eve Joost Klein has started his Eurovision Song Contest adventure and is considered one of the European favorites. Tuesday was his first rehearsal on the Malmö-Arena stage. What are his chances and why does Europapa have so much power?
When he left for Malmö in Sweden, Joost Klein could hardly disguise his annoyance about it: he was not happy that the Eurovision Song Contest rehearsals would now be somewhat visible. It ruins the surprise effect of his act – exactly what Klein’s performance always relies on. He prefers to keep everything secret. “You’re not going to film a magician during rehearsals, are you?” he asks in front of the camera at Schiphol.
These are rules that the autonomous Frisian artist will have to deal with over the next week and a half. The Eurovision Song Contest is a media circus. A ubiquitous international music festival that is widely publicized both before and during on social media, blogs and fan sites. And then the Eurovision fire will really flare up from Sunday, with the official opening of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with 37 participating countries.
The first semi-final with fifteen countries is on Tuesday. Then Thursday is the second semi-final – Joost Klein’s. In the most favorable position of the evening, last, he plays for the Netherlands.
In the meantime, you can picture him in his bright blue suit with those exorbitant shoulder pads and white hair. Although there also appears to be a black ‘travel variant’. Last Tuesday he did his first rehearsal in the Malmö Arena. The participants are allowed to explore the large stage for half an hour, enough to go through the song three times. Some artists play around with the decor, try out their show clothes. The act can still be adjusted.
Press is not yet welcome. But fragments filtered through the official Eurovision channel on TikTok and Instagram. Klein seemed to keep his cards close to his chest with a somewhat clumsy-austere staging without controversial visuals. Of his two companions, Appie Mussa was dressed as a fluffy blue-yellow bird and the Stunt Kabouter stood behind a turntable/monitor with many wires in a starry blouse. And two dancers danced along in white sweatsuits with European Union stars on the back.
Eurovision Song Contest commentator Cornald Maas immediately confirmed on X that a few visual surprises have not yet been released. There is no doubt that Klein will conspicuously pass on his contagious, energetic dance virus. A dancing gabber army on the screens, who knows? Source: nrc.nl
Joost Klein had his first rehearsals in Malmö on Tuesday. The first photos that have appeared show that his good friend Appie Mussa is dressed in a blue bird suit and Klein has two dancers with him.
The first photos show Appie Mussa in a blue bird suit with a blue tie with stars, standing behind a kind of futuristic keyboard. Another photo also shows Klein’s friend Stunt Gnome behind the same keyboard. Both men had also appeared in the Europapa video clip.
The Eurovision organization describes the background of the act via its website as “a manic visual tour of the song lyrics” projected behind Klein. “It is three minutes of pure dance energy, with Joost standing on stage with two dancers in white tracksuits.”
Klein told NU.nl in advance that he does not like the fact that images of this rehearsal are already being shared. “You’re not going to film rehearsals for a magician, are you?”
The Eurovision Song Contest will take place from May 7 to 11 this year. Joost Klein will be in the second semi-final on May 9 and will be the last to perform. He then hopes to get a ticket for the final on May 11. Source: nu.nl
Nikkie de Jager will give the points on behalf of the Netherlands at the final of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 11. The presenter will do this during a major event in Leeuwarden, AVROTROS announced on Tuesday.
Leeuwarden is the birthplace of Joost Klein, who represents the Netherlands this year. The broadcast will be broadcast live at the Oldehoofsterkerkhof and there will be various performances. Rappers Brunzyn and Bokoedro, good friends of Joost, are among others.
The party is a joint initiative of the municipality of Leeuwarden, the province of Friesland, pop venue Neushoorn, Omrop Fryslân and presenter Sipke Jan Bousema.
It is the first time that De Jager has awarded the points on behalf of the Netherlands. In 2021 she was one of the presenters when the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Rotterdam.
Joost still has to secure a place in the final on May 9 with his song Europapa. The chance that this will not work seems small. According to bookmakers, the singer is one of the favorites for victory in Malmö, Sweden.
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