ABSTRACT
This chapter considers at the "imagined communities" of both "Lithuania" and "Europe" as articulated through the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) – considering both the Lithuanian national preliminary contest held in Vilnius on 14 February, and the international contest held in Copenhagen on 12 May. When accounting for the full range of languages in use, from English to Lithuanian to Russian to Spanish, the popular music scene in Lithuania underscores how rich and complicated the notion of national identity can be. Erica Jennings became a public target for anxieties that through European Union and NATO accession the nation would be overrun by Western foreigners whose disregard of the Lithuanian language could lead to its destruction. Owing to Erica Jennings' emphasis on education and drug-free living, some celebrate her as a role model for young Lithuanians, whom she encourages to pursue their personal dreams.
