Foreigners/naturalized immigrants/ performance in eurovision

[Stuff]

I was kinda new to the eurovision Mythos so please enlighten me. I heard that foreigners who are not a citizen of a certain country have won eurovision before. from what i heard, Celine Dion is the biggest example.

I also heard Luxembourg is usually represented by a French National rather than an actual local. Then we have immigrants representing their adoptive countries as well. I know some of them did well, some of them didnt.

I wanna know who are some notable immigrants who represented their adopted country and win?

I also wanna know if there are other "foreigners" like Celine Dion who represented a country that is not her country.

another one I wanna know, how many person of color had won Eurovision?

What ESC country where immigrant singers/ Guest foreign singer does well.....

lets say I have plans to immigrate in an ESC country....I know I am very ambitious and it sounds impossible but I can dream right? I heard there are countries taht get frowned by neighbors if someone who is not a native represents them while there are countries were the voting block neighbors dont mind who represents them.

 

[AdelAdel]

From recent Eurovision, Vanilla Ninja - an Estonian band represented Switzerland in 2005.

All entrants from Monaco were French.

80% entrants from Luxembourg were French.

The Herreys, who won for Sweden in 1984 are in fact Americans.

 

[Stuff]

so Americans had won Eurovision before....LOL,

How many naturalized singers/2nd generation immigrants had won Eurovision before?

If Monaco and Luxemberge got active again, Being a French citizen may be a good thing cos its 3 chances to be in eurovision.

Switzerland seemed to be foreign representer friendly, cos before the Estonian band you said there is Celine Dion. I guess to be an acceptable Representative of Switzerland I may have to learn German or French.

I heard a Half Indonesian Danish girl won for Denmark before, I am not sure though if she looks Asian or she passed as white. but if she looks Asian , It means an Asian immigrant may have a chance to win eurovision given the right song.

 

[Archer]

Don't forget Jon Lilygreen

 

[Stuff]

he didn't do well though but I did like his song and his chemistry with the Islanders. . Have a person of African descent won eurovision before?

 

[Archer]

he didn't do well though but I did like his song and his chemistry with the Islanders. I know "foreign" composers thrive in Eurovision. Have a person of African descent won eurovision before?

Loreen

 

[Milos-BC]

I am personally totally against having someone who has no connections with a certain country at all representing it. Having, for example Justin Timberlake representing Serbia.........or having Anabel Conde representing Norway is totally lame imo.

Yes, I know that this opinion of mine is maybe conservative for some, and I know that this is also some form of modernization that is present in other fields as well (in sport too, as national teams tend to be managed in the same way as clubs do), but it totally kills the spirit of the competition imo and it also kills the main idea behind the whole thing. It is a modern trend, but it doesn't automatically mean that everything that is modern is also good.

But to make some things clear - a representative of Serbia (for example) doesn't have to be Serbian by blood. Republic of Serbia isn't a country of Serbs, but citizens of Serbia. And under citizens I assume that it can be any other nation, but someone who has lived here for a certain number of time, who knows the language, etc.........who has some roots in the country he/she is representing. So, that is normal and that is the right way to go. Immigrants can also represent that country for me, as they are also citizens of the country, they live there, and in such circumstances they must be allowed to play by the same rules as anyone else. No misunderstanding there.


But having for example Vanilla Ninja representing Switzerland is one of the most ridiculous things I have seen. Or imagine if I was to compete in ESC and I go to represent Finland. My connections with Finland are the same like the connections of Felix The Cat with Hogwarts. If Carola sang for Serbia and won, I would feel absolutely nothing.

It happens in sports too, we can often see someone who has no connections with the country at all playing in the national team of that country. The association just gives him/her a passport and it is enough to buy him/her. And it doesn't matter that he/she doesn't even know to say "hello" in the language of the country he/she is representing.

If, for example, the Serbian national soccer team had Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Buffon etc........in our national team and if "we" won the World Cup that way, for me personally it could never be the success of . I like modern trends, but as I noted earlier, I also like to keep and look out for some traditional values too.

 

[Stuff]

so you dont mind Anggun representing France because she is naturalized and had been living there for years right? But you wont like the idea of Jennifer Lopez representing Belarus. How about an Italian American representing Italy?

 

[Milos-BC]

^^ Yes, absolutely correct. She has lived there for years and she is a citizen of France, so she has all rights of this world to represent in ESC. Jenifer Lopez doesn't have anything in common with Belarus, so that is what I really do not support at all. Such mixes are total nonsense for me.

Italian American is also totally ok to represent Italy imo.

 

[Archer]

I totally agree with Milos. In addition, It's also wrong that expatriates representing their home country, although they have no any connection (in terms of citizenship and residing) with there, and it's a big disrespect toward the country which contributes to their training and education the most.

 

[AdelAdel]

so you dont mind Anggun representing France because she is naturalized and had been living there for years right? But you wont like the idea of Jennifer Lopez representing Belarus. How about an Italian American representing Italy?

In my opinion, the artist should have some connection to the country they represent, most notably - having citizenship or at least living there.

 

[nofuxCZ]

Karel Gott, a Czech singer, represented Austria in 1968

 

[Stuff]

are they "naturalized"? or they were foreigners representing another country?

 

[nofuxCZ]

Karel Gott was a foreigner representing another country.

 

[LakZaNokte]

All entrants from Monaco were French.

Tereza (represented Monaco in 1966) is Croatian singer

 

[Sabiondo]

Betty Missiego (2º place at Eurovision 1979) is from Peru, but she was live in Spain long time ago . Also Eva Rivas (Armenia 2010) is a Russian Citizen.

 

[Sim]

Non-belgians representing Belgium:

1977 : Dream Express (they are dutch but lived in Belgium for some time)
1982: Stella

 

[Sabiondo]

Non-belgians representing Belgium:

1977 : Dream Express (they are dutch but lived in Belgium for some time)
1982: Stella

Also add Veronica Codesal, Part of Urban Trad (Belgium 2003) she is from Galicia, Spain.

 

[Stuff]

I just found out that Anggun is not the first first Asian in Eurovision and not the first Indonesian neither.

 

[LalehForWD]

From recent Eurovision, Vanilla Ninja - an Estonian band represented Switzerland in 2005.

All entrants from Monaco were French.

80% entrants from Luxembourg were French.

The Herreys, who won for Sweden in 1984 are in fact Americans.

Not true at all. Herreys are all born, raised and lived most of their lives in Sweden. They attended a Hollywood school (paid by their father) and pretty much a product of Swedish producer Bert Karlsson.