The Eurovision song contest arrives in Bangkok next week for its inaugural Asian edition, bringing its glitzy production values to a region mostly unfamiliar with the format.
Eleven acts will take the stage for their three-minute performances, though many had never heard of the competition before their selection. Organisers hope for the same fanfare seen in Europe over the past seven decades, even without established fanbases in Asia.
Nyendra represents Bhutan, a nation of 800,000 people. He had never heard of the contest until a friend called him a year ago.
🇰🇷 JUNHEE heads to Bangkok from Incheon International Airport.https://t.co/KNzdWPzlQ6
“I learned about how countries were united with the help of songs in Europe,” Nyendra said. “And that was really beautiful for me.”
The 24-year-old bar singer applied for his first passport after winning the national selection in Bhutan. He has spent the past five years performing acoustic pop covers and ballads in Thimphu.
“I’ve never been outside my entire life,” Nyendra said. “I’ve never actually stepped on a plane before. Forget about the plane. I’ve never been on a train before!”
His entry, “Lhayi Semo”, translates roughly to “the angel” and is sung in Dzongkha. His grandparents watched the national final broadcast in August from home.
Junhee enters the contest representing South Korea. The 32-year-old debuted in 2017 as the leader of A.C.E and now records as a solo artist under his own label.
K-pop.”
Junhee studied past winners on YouTube and plans a big staging in Bangkok.
“There might be a second or third Asian season,” Junhee said. “So the title of being the first winner means a lot to me.”
Nineteen-year-old Carmelle represents the Philippines after winning the televised singing competition Tawag ng Tanghalan. She grew up in a house beside railway tracks in the Bicol region.
🇻🇳 Tóc Tiên at her first rehearsal, where she also had a brief encounter with JUNHEE. See more: https://t.co/Ri2F7Gt34K pic.twitter.com/KiptVRCRNf
Her entry, “Sobra-Sobra”, blends pop and rap with traditional Philippine instruments including the kubing and kulintang. She has balanced daily vocal sessions with her studies as a first-year psychology student.
🇵🇭 CARMELLE and the Philippine delegation have arrived in Bangkok. 📷 📹 jazzamae / carmelle_lite pic.twitter.com/q1tDCvUF22
The inaugural Asian edition of the song contest takes place next week in Bangkok.
Eleven acts from across the region are taking the stage for their three-minute performances.
No, Eurovision rules prohibit audiences from voting for their own country.
Contestants are performing in their national languages, including Dzongkha for Bhutan and Tagalog and English for the Philippines.
Worth a look