ABSTRACT
The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) was conceived in 1955 as a televised competition between songwriters, their songs performed live on camera by singers selected for the occasion. "Sanomi" projected musical and visual exoticism, albeit unidentifiable in terms of nation or region. A surprising break of trend within the dominant field of English lyrics and global pop sounds was the 2010 entry "Shalalie." ESC is a spectacular live show with dozens of competitors offering a wide variety of performances using the latest technologies, in front of a huge crowd of aficionados waving national flags and rainbow flags in a concerted effort to promote pride and diversity. While in the real world the idea of a somehow united Europe is constantly challenged and changing, ESC is a comparatively stable environment of positive reasoning. Whatever the situation on the ground, ESC creates a bubble of peace and optimism and excludes songs the European Broadcasting Union deems too controversial.
