_
Rehovot Gets Ready for Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Controversial Israeli song allowed into Eurovision contest
Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 will allow Israel's entry "Push the Button" by Teapacks into this year's competition despite some complaints about its lyrics, which allude to nuclear war.
The European Broadcasting Union, which arranges the annual event, said Wednesday that no songs had been barred or changed ahead of the finals, to be held in Helsinki, May 12.
"They have all been cleared. The songs were all according to the rules," the EBU's Svante Stockselius told a news conference.
He declined to comment on individual entries.
Host broadcaster YLE said earlier this month it had received many objections to "Push the Button."
The song is widely interpreted as a commentary on Iran's atomic program and statements by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Israel should be "wiped off the map."
"We are very happy and excited," Hagit Novick-Salomon, a spokeswoman for Teapacks, said in Israel, where the tune overwhelmingly won a Eurovision selection contest last month.
She said the band had been confident its song would be approved for its broad appeal. "We have been rehearsing as scheduled in anticipation, and look forward to the trip to Helsinki for the May 10 competition," Novick-Salomon said.
Contest organizers had previously termed the song as having an inappropriate political message.
"It's absolutely clear that this kind of message is not appropriate for the competition," said Kjell Ekholm, an organizer of the contest. "We'll have all the delegation leaders here in Helsinki next week, and I'm sure we'll talk about this case within the EBU [European Broadcasting Union] group."
Israel won the 1998 Eurovision contest when Dana International wowed audiences with "Diva."
[The official web site of the contest indicates the ticket price for the different event portions vary from 190 Euro to 950 Euro.]
Source: Controversial Israeli song allowed into Eurovision contest. Haaretz.com (14 March 2007) [FullText]
Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 will allow Israel's entry "Push the Button" by Teapacks into this year's competition despite some complaints about its lyrics, which allude to nuclear war.
The European Broadcasting Union, which arranges the annual event, said Wednesday that no songs had been barred or changed ahead of the finals, to be held in Helsinki, May 12.
"They have all been cleared. The songs were all according to the rules," the EBU's Svante Stockselius told a news conference.
He declined to comment on individual entries.
Host broadcaster YLE said earlier this month it had received many objections to "Push the Button."
The song is widely interpreted as a commentary on Iran's atomic program and statements by its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Israel should be "wiped off the map."
"We are very happy and excited," Hagit Novick-Salomon, a spokeswoman for Teapacks, said in Israel, where the tune overwhelmingly won a Eurovision selection contest last month.
She said the band had been confident its song would be approved for its broad appeal. "We have been rehearsing as scheduled in anticipation, and look forward to the trip to Helsinki for the May 10 competition," Novick-Salomon said.
Contest organizers had previously termed the song as having an inappropriate political message.
"It's absolutely clear that this kind of message is not appropriate for the competition," said Kjell Ekholm, an organizer of the contest. "We'll have all the delegation leaders here in Helsinki next week, and I'm sure we'll talk about this case within the EBU [European Broadcasting Union] group."
Israel won the 1998 Eurovision contest when Dana International wowed audiences with "Diva."
[The official web site of the contest indicates the ticket price for the different event portions vary from 190 Euro to 950 Euro.]
Source: Controversial Israeli song allowed into Eurovision contest. Haaretz.com (14 March 2007) [FullText]
Labels: Israel Culture
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home