This morning, during the press conference revealing the eight hopefuls to represent Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, there were demonstrators with flags of Palestine demanding a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The call from the protesters was clear. Both DR and the Danish Melodi Grand Prix winner must refuse to go to the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö in May, if the organizers maintain that Israel must participate in the competition.
For several of the participants, that call was a difficult amount to deal with.
The singer Stella would not answer whether she had decided whether she was ready to drop Eurovision if she won the Danish song contest.
– I think that it is a very unfortunate situation that we are in, but it is not something that I have an opinion on. Unfortunately.
– Have you thought about it?
– Yes, but it is not something I have a comment on, she said to Ekstra Bladet.
Faroese Janus Wiberg also did not want to deal with the inflamed question.
– It is not something I want to comment on. I don’t want to do that. Someone other than me has to take care of that.
Chu Chu said that she has not thought about the problem at all.
– But you may have to if you win.
– Yes, and I think no matter what, I would go to Sweden and celebrate the music without having any political opinion.
– So it is apolitical to go to Eurovision?
– For me it is, said Chu Chu.
Many of Basim‘s competitors were tight-lipped when it came to Israel, but the 31-year-old singer-songwriter didn’t mind talking about the war in the Middle East.
– It’s very human to talk about this. The whole situation down there affects me a lot. I have followed what is happening. I have seen dead children on video. I have seen dead, innocent people and it has touched me deeply and it has torn open my own wounds, he said.
However, he is not going to insist that Israel be excluded from Eurovision:
– I don’t think we stop hate with hate. I believe that we stop hate and injustice with love. The thing about excluding someone, it never helped anything. You don’t become a better child by being thrown out the door. So my position is that we will have to meet each other in love and justice and be humane to each other.
Aura Dione, RoseeLu and the group Ublu agreed that the situation in the Middle East is heartbreaking and something that touches them deeply.
But none of them could give a clear answer as to whether Israel’s participation in Eurovision will have any significance for them if they win and have to represent Denmark in May.
– I just have to think about it a bit, because it’s a big question that goes beyond what Eurovision is about. I would like to answer, but it requires some thought, Aura Dione replied.
– It is difficult to answer in a simple way. After all, I am not directly nominated for Eurovision. Right now I’m in Melodi Grand Prix. But if you ask me later, I’d like to tell you how I feel at that time, RoseeLu said.
– It’s something we’ve talked about a lot in the band, and we’re hugely affected by what’s happening to the Palestinians right now. So we are also going to talk to DR and the other participants about finding a good solution to that, said the lead singer of Ublu, Andreas Darger.
Denmark’s public broadcaster is hosting DMGP 2024 on Saturday, February 17 in DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen, with eight artists competing.
The hosts of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix are Stéphanie Surrugue and Sara Bro.
Until we learn who is going to represent Denmark in Eurovision 2024, let’s remember their song for last year’s contest. Reiley was the winner of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2023 with the song “Breaking my Heart” ending up in 14th place of the second semi-final:
Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Danish participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö!
source: Ekstrabladet
