Eurovisions: Identity and the International Politics of the Eurovision Song Contest Since 1956

by Julie Kalman (Editor), Ben Wellings (Editor), Keshia Jacotine (Editor)

This book uses the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), as an analytical entry point to understand and illuminate post-War Europe and the drive to create an identity that can legitimise the European project in its broadest sense. The ESC presents an idealised vision of Europe, and this has long existed in a strained relationship with reality. While the trajectory of post-war European integration is a high-profile topic, we believe that the ESC offers a unique and innovative way to think about the role of culture in the history of post-War European integration and tensions between the ideal and reality of European unity. Through the series of case studies that make up the chapters in this book, analysis brings these interlinked tensions to light, exploring the roles of culture and identity, alongside and a productive conversation with the political and economic projects of post-war European integration.

Genres: Nonfiction

257 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2019

Reviews

[Kriti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and weighty book that gave me a lot to think about and consider! The ESC is interesting because it is, always, not just a song contest but has so much more going on below the surface and this book breaks down a lot of the ways a country's participation in the contest relates to their identity as European, both politically and culturally. My favourite chapter was the one that broke down Ruslana, Verka Serduchka and Jamala's entries for Ukraine over the years of their participation and how they presented the country on a wider European stage (I can easily imagine a revised version including details of MARUV's 2019 entry being pulled, as well as the circumstances around Ukraine's 2022 win and Russia's disqualification from the EBU). Following that closely was the chapter on Australia's participation that immediately followed it in the book, because it made many interesting points about how Australian cultural identity is tied more to the Europe they are "exiled" from than the Asia-Pacific countries that are its immediate neighbours.