a good lesson learn from European song contest

You may be wonder why I posted song lyrics of “Hard Rock Hallelujah” by Lordi in my previous post. Definitely, it was not a tremendous song (not yet perhaps) and Lordi is not (yet again) a well known famous rock band. In fact, yesterday is the first time in my life I heard this song and the band. So, I want to share you the reasons.

It was all start from the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. First of all, I am really not a big fan of any singing contest. Maybe I follow a bit on Idol, especially American Idol (from a biggest “my beloved wife” fan) and Norwegian Idol (salute for Wisnu Witono Adhi). Somehow, I got curious with this Eurovision contest since it was trying to perform different countries’ music and let the European public to vote for. They have a simple rule that they cannot vote for their own country’s performer. Thus, it has a meaning that we must appreciate (by vote) other countries. Such a wonderful rule of contest, I guess. In the year 2006, there are 24 participants. You may find the detail event in here.

Now, the main reason why I interested with this event is because the winner for this year contest is the band whose lyrics I have been posted. Lordi with his band and the song titled “Hard Rock Hallelujah” won the contest in a very unique way. The thing that I love from the band winning is that they are a “rock band”. As most of us know that it is very rare that rock music or band will participate in any song contests with televoting system. Most of the contests will be dominated by pop or ballads songs. Moreover, in such contest they commonly would be dress a very glamorous, sexy, and attracting in fashionable way. So, at the end we mostly will vote for the performer with obvious style and genre of music.

But, Lordi’s band has changed the obviousness. This rock band was really “rock” the Eurovision 2006 (I borrow part of the term from this headline). With their unique monster costumes and mask, as media said as a shock “horror rock” group, they won the vote from 35 European countries participated in the voting. The music, typical rock enough music (not that “hard” or “metal”) with fires on the stage were really gives different customary feeling on what a song contests should be considered. In short, they are really different. One of a kind!! (You can see their performance here)

Although political voting between neighbors’ countries voter may exists, but this year Eurovision – as stated by many commentator – was the best ever. I am absolutely agreed on that. There is a good lesson that I grasp from this year contest: the open-mindedness and heterogeneity. I quote what Lordi said to the press after win:

“This is a victory for rock music, not only for Finland, but also for rock music. And also, it was a victory for open-mindedness. There are a lot of Eurovision fans that belongs to the minority. … We are the minority. But now, suddenly a hot rock band, looking like monster won a Eurovision. … The thing is that from now on Europe and the European people, they actually showed that the times changes and there are more different kind of musical style than just pop or ballads. Those are nice too, but this is also a prove that from now on I hope that there’s a band, more rock band who will have a courage to join in.”

So, are you ready to vote for different kind of music?