Click here —> Experience Eurovision ~~ Eurovision YouTube Channel
Hey Everyone!
Now that the shouting and celebrating over San Remo over, it’s back to work for The Guys. Gianluca recently tweeted that he was in Bologna in the recording studio, so work on what promises to be a stellar album continues (on a side note, let me just say how abjectly in love I am with the Sanremo EP 😀 ). And I’m sure preparations for their upcoming Eurovision run are in full swing as well.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle arena in Vienna, Austria on May 19th, 21st and 23rd. It is an amazing and prestigious opportunity for them, so I thought we should learn more about it.
Premiering in 1956, the Eurovision Song Contest is the longest running televised music competition and one of Europe’s best-loved television shows.
The idea to have different acts from different countries compete against each other was actually conceived by the EBU (European Broadcast Union) in 1955 by Frenchman, Marcel Bezençon, and was based on the concept of (ironically enough) the Festival di San Remo, which first aired in 1951. At that time, it was considered a zealous undertaking to bring so many different countries together via the medium of television, since the plan was to broadcast the event throughout all represented countries at the same time, and the technology obviously wasn’t what it is today.
Proof of how well-loved the show is in Europe is demonstrated by the fact that it has been held and broadcast without fail since 1956. Up to 43 countries have been represented in one competition, and it has been broadcast throughout the world, including in countries that do not actively participate.
Winning this competition allows the winning artist(s) to use the publicity to further their career(s) and can even pave the way for international success. Winners include such names as Abba, Celine Dion and Julio Iglesias.
Click the links below to learn more.
Eurovision Song Contest Wikipedia Page
Eurovision Song Contest Facebook Page
GET THE APP for your Smart Phone!!!
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and primary city in Austria, with more than 20 percent of the country calling the city home. Austria itself has something of a war-torn history in the early to mid twentieth century, but in recent years, Vienna has risen to be recognized as one of the world’s “Most Livable Cities” as well as for its “Culture of Innovation.”
It is also regarded as the “City of Music” for its rich musical culture, which was also noted to me by Myron, our own music educator:
“…Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn, Mahler and many other great musicians lived there. Kind of like New York is for the USA. In other words: a great place for a music competition.”
An overview of Vienna’s history can be found on the Vienna Wikipedia Page.
Wiener Stadthalle Arena
The Wiener Stadthalle Arena is an indoor arena and convention center in the 15th district of Vienna. It was designed by Roland Reiner, and construction took place between 1953 and 1958. The arena holds roughly 16,000 people and hosts about 350 events per year, but there are several other buildings and sports venues that make up the complex. Visit the Wiener Stadthalle Wikipedia page for the details, and The Stadthalle Multimedia Page on its official website for pictures and videos.
Grande Amore
So we know that this is the song Il Volo is taking to the contest, and why shouldn’t they? Have I mentioned that I love it? Well, just in case there is any confusion, I do! I do; I do! 😀 I’m not going to say anything else. Just enjoy the graphic tweeted from our affiliate, AAIV, regarding the song’s debut on the Billboard Chart while watching the official video!
~~ Kelly
https://twitter.com/allaboutilvolo/status/569540783315009536
** Note: all information for this article was gathered using the websites linked throughout. **