Eurovision tease that “The Caribbean is coming” to 2024 contest
The Eurovision Tune Contest has teased that “The Caribbean is coming” to this 12 months’s competitors.
Taking to their official Instagram web page with 1.3 million followers to announce that the Caribbean – a subregion of North America with over 700 islands – can be collaborating within the well-known contest for the primary time.
The put up confirmed a video clip of palm timber and clear seashores. The caption of the put up learn: “New 12 months! New Information! We’re thrilled to substantiate that the Caribbean is coming to the Eurovision Tune Contest 2024. Keep tuned, we are able to’t wait to inform you extra.”
The 68th Eurovision will happen in Malmö, Sweden, with the Grand Ultimate of the competitors resulting from be held on Saturday, Could 11, 2024.
Probably one among 13 unbiased nations – which embrace Jamaica, Barbados, The Bahamas and extra – may very well be taking the stage as a part of the 2024 musical extravaganza.
This may not be the primary time {that a} non-European nation takes half within the singing contest. Israel, Cyprus, Armenia, Morocco and Australia have all been part of Eurovision since 1973, 1981 and 2006 respectively, with Morocco in 1980 and Australia in 2015.
Just lately, Shaul Greenglick, an Israeli soldier, was killed in Gaza simply weeks after auditioning for the 2024 Eurovision.
Greenglick was one among three troopers lately reported lifeless by the Israel Protection Forces, by way of The Occasions Of Israel, following the continuing Israel-Hamas conflict.
In accordance with Billboard, Greenglick auditioned for Israel’s The Subsequent Star, a singing competitors collection by which the nation’s Eurovision contestant is chosen, whereas on furlough final month.
He earned a spot within the present’s subsequent spherical however he reportedly dropped out of the competition as a way to return to his navy duties.
It comes simply days after Yotam Haim, the drummer for Israeli heavy steel band Persephore, was killed by the Israel Protection Forces after being mistaken for a Hamas fighter.
Because the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel, the Israeli navy have mentioned 170 of its troopers have been killed. 21,800 individuals in Gaza, two-thirds of them girls and youngsters, have died within the battle, in accordance with the well being ministry in Gaza (by way of Sky News). Round 1,200 Israelis had been killed by Hamas on October 7.
In the meantime, Eurovision was topic to backlash and boycott calls after permitting Israel to compete in subsequent 12 months’s competitors. As well as, The Times Of Israel reported that The Affiliation of Composers and Lyricists in Iceland known as for the nation to not take part in subsequent 12 months’s Eurovision competitors until Israel is barred from competing.
Regardless of the protests, the European Broadcasting Union mentioned in a press release that it presently has no plans to ban Israel from the Eurovision Tune Contest.
It added: “The Eurovision Tune Contest is a contest for public broadcasters from throughout Europe and the Center East. It’s a contest for broadcasters – not for governments – and the Israeli public broadcaster has been collaborating within the contest for 50 years.
“The EBU is a member-led organisation. The EBU’s governing our bodies – led by the Board of Administrators – signify the members. These our bodies assessed the checklist of individuals and determined that the Israeli public broadcaster complies with all competitors guidelines. Along with 36 different broadcasters, it is going to be in a position to take part within the competitors subsequent 12 months.”
Elsewhere, Olly Alexander, who’s representing the UK at Eurovision subsequent 12 months in Malmö, Sweden, was lately criticised for signing a pro-Palestine letter calling Israel an “apartheid state” and accusing it of genocide.
The Conservative Occasion criticised the BBC for choosing Alexander for Eurovision, with a celebration spokesman telling The Telegraph: “Letting an brazenly anti-Israel singer compete on the identical stage as Israel is both an enormous oversight or sheer brass neck from the BBC… Possibly it’s time to cease letting the BBC resolve who represents the UK at Eurovision.”
In the meantime, the Jewish charity Marketing campaign In opposition to Antisemitism insisted that the BBC “can and should” reduce ties with Alexander.