The Netherlands win Eurovision without kitsch nor usual gadgets

TEL AVIV – With a powerful but unobtrusive ballad, the Netherlands has won the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, a kitsch-free event without exaggeration in which 41 participating countries took part this year in Tel Aviv.

Regarded as the largest singing competition in the world with a worldwide television audience of 200 million euros, Eurovision was raised this year by an apparition of Madonna and enough glitter, feathers of fire and d & rsquo; Special effects to reinvigorate even the most fade Europop.

But the winner, Duncan Laurence, 24, opted for a more minimalist approach, surprisingly devoid of gadgets. He sang his moody solo, "Arcade", evoking a broken heart, while accompanying himself to the piano.

The ubiquitous political tensions in Israel, the host country, took place behind the scenes of Eurovision this year. Israel was chosen to win the contest last year, but a pro-Palestinian international campaign urged artists and the public to boycott this five-day event.

The boycott campaign has had some success, citing increasing awareness of its cause. But no competitor or country has withdrawn from the competition, which, according to the Israelis, has been an unrivaled showcase for their country.

Tel Aviv has created a carnival atmosphere, with tens of thousands of Israelis setting up an open-air Eurovision village on the waterfront to watch free concerts and live broadcasts of the competition on giant screens.

Israel has not left much to chance in its efforts to pretend to be a trendy gay-friendly tourist destination, as opposed to a troubled Holy Land. torn by conflict.

The Palestinian campaign for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel had urged Madonna to boycott the event, accusing him of "whitewashing the brutal oppression of Palestinians by Israel for a million dollars".

Instead, his guest appearance, sponsored by Sylvan Adams, a Canadian-Israeli mogul and philanthropist, stimulated public relations with both Eurovision and Israel. In part, said Adams, the idea was to increase the visibility of Eurovision in less engaged regions of the world, especially North America.

In an in-camera conversation with one of the Israeli presenters in the series, Madonna responded to critics by stating, "Never underestimate the power of music to bring people together." two of his dancers briefly waved Israeli and Palestinian flags. on the back, flouting the rules of Eurovision.

Many critics said that Madonna, appearing around 1 am, Israel time, had sung fake.

Some Eurovision artists have gained international renown, including Abba, the Swedish quartet that won the prize with "Waterloo" in 1974, and Canadian-French Celine Dion, who won the 1988 competition for Switzerland. However, most of the candidates fainted. in relative darkness outside their home country.

The opera was among the finalists this year. Australian singer Kate Miller-Heidke, a classically trained soprano, sang an ethereal number, "Zero Gravity", while she and her dancers seemed to float in a starry sky.

Non-European countries may compete in Eurovision as a member of the European Broadcasting Union or at the invitation of the organizer. The first Eurovision, organized in Switzerland in 1956 with seven countries in competition, aimed to promote unity on the post-war continent.

This year, in contrast to the atmosphere of love and harmony of Eurovision, the dystopian Icelandic techno-punk band with the theme of servitude, Hatari, has virtually climbed through 'Hate Will Prevail'. In the official English translation of the lyrics, the song tells: "Hate will prevail / And the heart of Europe impaled"

Hagarious Hatari members also unfurled a scarf with the inscription "Palestine" in the colors of the Palestinian flag on the screen during the vote. The crowd at home booed.

In contrast, Serhat, a Turkish artist (and dentist) representing San Marino, a tiny mountain republic that is not heard outside of Eurovision, played "Say Na Na Na," a piece of Europop digest and conscious. The audience in the 7,500-seat auditorium was more than one-fifth of San Marino's population of 35,000.

The Israeli candidate, Kobi Marimi, went straight to the final, a privilege granted to the host country, although his ballad was criticized by Israeli critics. He ranked 23rd out of the 26 finalists.

Mr. Marimi, 27, practically unknown in Israel until he won the reality TV show that made it the country's choice for Eurovision, had previously stated that he thought that Israelis were missing the boat by focusing too much on the outcome.

"You can only win in Eurovision, you can not lose in Eurovision," he told reporters.

The results combine the rankings of the professional judges of each competing country – who often vote in regional or linguistic cliques – and the global public vote by telephone, SMS or Eurovision application.

Israel, a non-European member of the broadcasting union, has won four victories since the 1970s, including last year in Lisbon with "Toy", sung by Netta Barzilai – a flamboyant singer defending the emancipation of women.

This competition, which marks the third time Israel has hosted, was accompanied by an unusually intense background noise as the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement campaigned against Israel's role.

Omar Barghouti, the founder of the movement, said the holding of Eurovision in Israel was "a political decision and a very immoral decision".

The movement's objectives range from opposition to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to a right of return for millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, an objective which, according to Israel's lawyers, involves dismantling of the country as a Jewish state.

The boycotters praised the participation rate of Eurovision tourists less than expected. About 10,000 people came from abroad, according to Israeli officials, including 1,500 journalists and bloggers and 1,500 members of delegations. Last year, the contest in Lisbon attracted around 90,000 tourists.

But Eurovision fans have said that the cost of traveling to Israel – rather than taking a bus or train on the European continent – far removed it. The deadly fighting that erupted in Gaza a week in advance may have also blocked tourism.

There were mass petitions against participating. Two international DJs left a party at the beach in Tel Aviv.

Scores of L.G.B.T.Q. groups boycotted the event and organized parties featuring alternative concerts with Palestinian artists. Barghouti said the campaign had succeeded in sensitizing millions of people that the movement would not normally affect Palestinians' rights.

The Israelis said that Eurovision was primarily a televised event and that clips showing candidates dancing in beautiful parts of the country were promoting Israel.

William Lee Adams, the founder of Wiwibloggs, one of the main independent sites of Eurovision, said that he was in a situation of increased tension with more visible security, especially during the competition in Ukraine there are two years.