Ukraine was again in the international headlines this week, not for the obvious reason of its ongoing defense against Russian agression, but because it came out on top in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest.
This was frankly no surprise since Ukraine has garnered international support in the face of Russia's invasion, as the winners are chosen by the voting TV public.
Although twelves years of my life were spent living in Europe, I've never really taken the time to learn about the longest running annual televised musical event in the world. Here are a few tidbits I've learned:
It was based on Italy's Sanremo Music Festival which began in 1951, making it 71 years old by that count
52 countries have competed to date, with the 1956 contest featuring only 7
The most successful Eurovision winner of all time was Swedish supergroup Abba, who won with the song "Waterloo" in 1974
Although the rule has fluctuated over the years, it has mostly been -- and is presently -- a requirement that each song be performed in the national language of the participating country. (Abba obviously won during a time when this rule had been relaxed)
Last year's winner, Italy, hosted this year's festivities in the city of Turin's Palaolimpica arena, where 40 different countries competed for the prize of international notoriety (Celine Dion won for Switzerland in 1998 -- don't ask me how or why Switzerland) and the honor of hosting the next year's event. No cash prize.
But in light of the international outrage at the Russian invasion and the worldwide outpouring of support, millions of votes came pouring in for Ukraine's entry, the song "Stefania" by the Kalush Orchestra. You can see the live performance here, and you might also want to watch the official music video, which depicts heartbreaking scenes from the still ongoing war.
It was Eurovision that inspired the recent American Song Contest, perhaps causing a good deal less excitement but featuring artists representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
One of the secrets of the Eurovision contest's success is that it has managed to maintain its sense of good will and international unity while fostering friendly competition. Sure, there have been occasional controversies, but there is no reason to believe this most European of musical competitions will slow down any time soon.