Here in the Eurovision Fam we want to feature YOU! No, not all of you, but a few YOUs in the Eurovision Song Contest fandom. As always, this is a site where we are highlighting and centering the voices of individuals who are not from Eurovision participating countries.
Check out the latest Eurovision Family Member:
Iustin (not Justin or Austin)
Where are you from?
I am from Canada, more specifically from Montréal, QC
When and how did you discover the Eurovision Song Contest?
The first time I’ve heard about Eurovision and watched it live was back in 2010 when Lena won for Germany, I was only nine years old at the time! My mom has always been a huge fan of the contest and she was the one who initiated me to it. I absolutely fell in love (literally love at first sight, even if I was only 9 back then haha) with Eurovision and its power to unite people from over 40 countries, and even more, if we count the people from the non-participating countries that are still watching the contest like me, throughout music! Here I am now, 11 years later, and it’s still one of my favourite things in the world, probably until I die!
What is your all-time favorite Eurovision Song?
This is the probably the hardest question to answer for a huge eurofan like me because I have so many favourites, but I have to go for a classic one! Indeed, I am talking about Loreen’s massive hit which is the amazing “Euphoria”! This is the kind of song that I will never get tired to listen, even after all these years! I literally cannot say anything bad about it, this is THE song, and ultimately one of my favourite song ever.
Who is your favorite Eurovision winner?
I could’ve mentioned Loreen and Euphoria for a second time, but there’s another Eurovision winner that is really meaningful to me as much as Loreen is. I am talking here about the one and only worldwide music icon, Céline Dion, who won Eurovision in 1988 with the song “Ne partez pas sans moi”, representing Switzerland. Her win is probably my biggest national pride in the Eurovision, mainly because I am French-Canadian as well, just like her, and because that song is an absolute masterpiece among the entire French language music industry worldwide. Another classic that I will never get tired of!
What is your favorite Eurovision Contest year?
I would say that my favourite Eurovision Contest year is definitely 2016! 1st of all, Mans and Petra together are by far the most exciting, entertaining and professional hosts that this contest has ever had in my opinion! Secondly, the whole production behind the three live shows that year was amazing! The stage, the postcards and all the graphics looked unbelievably good, the interval acts were memorable and really enjoyable, FREAKING JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, and most importantly, the vast majority of the countries competing that year served us iconic bops (Australia, Bulgaria, Armenia, France, Russia, etc.). So yeah, the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest is by far my favourite one!
If you could change one thing about the Eurovision Song Contest what would it be and why?
I would definitely bring back the language rule that was used during the 80s and 90s forcing every participating country to send a song in their native language! I think that in a musical competition like Eurovision where you are supposed to represent your country and your country’s music, singing in your native language should be the most important thing, and there is no better way of representing a specific culture than singing in that culture’s language! Also, it would be really interesting seeing how that rule would affect the contest in the 21st century.
What do you LOVE about being in the Eurovision fan community?
What I love the most about being in the Eurovision Fan community is the fact that I am able to share my excitement and passion about Eurovision with eurofans all around the world. I’ve met so many nice people in this fandom that I consider today as my friends, and I am grateful to have them in my life. Without being in the Eurovision Fan community today, nothing of what I’ve mentioned would have been possible!
What is the hardest thing about being a fan NOT from a participating country?
Being a eurofan from a non-participating country it’s hard for several reasons. The main one is that I’m the only person in my group of close friends, mostly Canadians, that follows Eurovision like I do. So, it is sometimes really frustrating when I am talking to them about Eurovision, because most of the time, they have no clue about what I am saying and it’s making me feel like an absolute alien! Being a fan from a non-participating country it’s also giving me trouble to support a country more than another. It is a bit like watching the Olympic Games without your own country competing in. I unfortunately cannot feel the same nationalism/patriotism that Europeans feel about their country qualifying to the final, winning the entire contest, receiving 12 points, etc.
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