So then I wondered... What else could iTunes tell me about Eurovision?

Re-writing Eurovision History

Using iTunes tonight to tell me which are my favourite Semi Final tracks for Eurovision 2011 got me thinking. I have the CDs for the last 10 years on iTunes...

What could this piece of software tell me about my favourite tracks from years gone by. If it had been up to me, who would have won each year? Am I at all in tune with the European voting public? Have the winning tracks stood the test of time?

So this post takes each of the last 10 years and tells you which track from Eurovision I have listened to the most over the years which have followed... The results have been interesting, sometimes surprising and also a little bit revealing.

2002: SLOVENIA, Sestre: Samo Ljubezem

If only Scooch had realised that Slovenia had already been there and done it better. While Marie N scored a surprise win with 'I Wanna' for Latvia, iTunes reveals that Slovenia is my favourite from 2002 with hosts Estonia in second and a bunch of game old boilers from Sweden in third.

What I especially like about the Slovenian performance is that they come on to boos and leave to a standing ovation. Go Slovenia!

2003: RUSSIA, t.A.T.u: Nye Ver, Nye Bosye

OK so they didn't sing it well live. Screech more like. The whole 'are they or aren't they' lesbian thing was tedious to us in the West, but the booing at the start of their performance casts their attempt to stand up as gay icons in homophobic Latvia was actually ground breaking and brave. Again they finish their song to resounding cheering.

On the treadmill at the gym on full volume this track has got me to keep going for three more minutes on many an occasion and has been listened to far more often than the winner, Turkey.

2004: SWEDEN, Lena Philipsson, It Hurts

I will never ever forget Lorraine Kelly saying that this was a song about 'the love that dare not speak it's name'. Listen to the lyrics with that thought in mind and you can't disagree!

istanbul 2004 was the first Eurovision that I went to and I remember nothing of this song on the night. I have a vague memory that I was standing next to a Swede who belileved that this song was going to win. I remember dismissing it on first hearing as typical Scanda-pop. Clearly I am a fan of the sound as this has notched up twice as many listens as Ruslana's winning track for the Ukraine.

2005: ISRAEL, Shiri Maimon, Hasheket Shenish'ar / The Silence That Remains

After a blistering run of good form there was a definite feel about 2005 that it was Greece's turn to win. Elena Paparizou's song, outfit and performance reeked of an immense determination to win Eurovision and she romped home with a landslide win. My Number One is one of my favourite tracks and maybe my favourite Eurovision winner of all time.

So imagine my surprise when I find that I have listened to this unassuming but powerful ballad from Israel more times than the winner! I remember on the night dismissing this as a retro-ballad that would have won in any year of the 1970s. I remember dismissing Shiri as a Farrah-Fawcett wannabe. But over the 6 years since, it is the song from the year that I come back to.

2006: ROMANIA, Mihai Traistariu, Tornero

The winner from 2006 is my 31st favourite song from the year according to iTunes, yet on the night I cannot deny that I wanted Lordi to win as much as everyone else in Europe!

Time and my inner disco-bunny have left Mihai and his insistent throbbing baseline as my favourite from Athens. One big surprise in watching the video to this tonight... He's about 40 years older than I would have thought.

2007: CYPRUS, Evridiki, Comme Çi, Comme Ça

Veterans from the 1994 Contest, Evridki were one of the hottest of hot favourites going into the 2007 Contest. Cyprus must have thought they were well on their way to victory with all the hype and betting surrounding their chosen act. But drawn third in the Semi Final, this track fell at the first hurdle and did not qualify for the Final night.

In the end, Molitva won the night for Serbia. Marija Serifovic ties with France and Ukraine as my favourite tracks from the night of the Final.

2008: TURKEY, Mor ve Ötesi, Deli

Deli is not just my favourite track of 2008, it is by some distance the single Eurovision track which I have listened to the most. Bad news for Ani Lorak. The second most listened to Eurovision track on my all time list, was from the same year. Now is it just me or does this man have the most snoggable lips in Eurovision history?

2009: PORTUGAL, Flor-de-lis, Todas As Ruas Do Amor

I was surprised when I did my eve of Eurovision iTunes check in 2009 and found that Portugal was my favourite song at the time. Two years and it still is my favourite from the year with Turkey in a close second place. While Turkey is more typically Eurovision, I think that this cute Portuguese song is just a breath of fresh air in the contest.

2010: RUSSIA, Peter Nalitch & Friends, Lost & Forgotten

Well this shows you cannot judge a song on first impressions gauged from grainy video provided by the Russian national broadcaster alone. I dismissed this song within 10 seconds of the opening bars on first listen. The wonderful comedy in the lyrics and staging, the beautiful lilting tune, the voice, the photo, the snow, the sighing all added up to an act of pure unadulterated Eurovision genius.

I know there are those who rank this as the worst Eurovision song ever, but iTunes does not lie and I have listened to this track marginally more than the winner Lena, but more than twice as often as my third favourite, Lithuania.

There you have it then...

9 years and none of my favourites were actual winners! What do my 9 favourites say about me? A drag act, some punky lesbians, a song about sodomy, a power ballad, a disco floor-filler, an angst-ridden bit of Hellenism, a hot Turk with an indie vibe, a Portuguese song as sweet as a tart de nata and a bit of comedy folk action. In short, my kind of night out!

So now it's time for a drumroll please... Having demonstrated a taste in music which has been shown to in no way be a reflection of the wider voting European public, what is my most listened to song of 2011? I am either setting myself up for a huge disappointment or for once in a decade, as Jade Ewen once sang, it's my time...

2011: UNITED KINGDOM, Blue, I Can

With 10 more listens that Germany's foxy little number, I have absolutely fallen for this track and these boys. With 13 million record sales across Europe in their career and a bag full of Number One tracks, there is a strand of British Eurovision fans who have been given exactly what they wanted in Blue representing the UK (me included). If we come last with this we may as well pull out. Whether Blue can bring home win number 6 for the UK, we have only until Saturday to find out.

Eurovision 2011: Calling Semi Final 2

Good evening Europe!

We have reached Eurovision Eve! And thanks to the wonders of iTunes this means we can now have a look at how many times we have listened to the Eurovision songs of the year and plan how to vote!

For those of us foolish enough to commit our first impressions to the Blogosphere it is also possible to see how right and how wrong we were.

Below then are my Top 10 Tunes from Eurovision Semi Final 2

12 points: Belarus - 54 listens
10: Bosnia & Herzegovina - 47
8: Holland - 40
7: Austria - 38
6: Latvia - 35
5: Estonia - 34
4: Slovenia - 33
3: Moldova - 32
2: Romania - 27
1: Sweden - 26

Non-Qualifiers
Slovakia - 25
Denmark - 24
Cyprus - 24
Bulgaria - 20
Ireland - 18
Israel - 15
Ukraine - 13
Macedonia - 13
Belgium - 3

All change!

My first impressions of this semi-final had Denmark, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Israel all in positions to comfortably qualify. In reality the songs have not appealed to me when I had the chance to listen to them. Why not? Because in the case of Denmark, Slovakia and Israel they are fairly lame songs.

In the case of Bulgaria I can only offer an apology. I wanted to listen to Na Inat more. I wanted to like it better... But for some reason most times the track came on I chose to skip it. For shame everywhereventually... for shame.

Holland, Latvia, Romania and Sweden were the big gainers over the last month, and some were bigger gainers than others...

Holland and Romania's songs are cheerful and upbeat and inoffensive without being too bland.

Sweden was always likely to make it into my Top Ten but nonetheless I still can't say I love it and Eric is certainly a walking definition of slappable.

Latvia's lyrics were originally the cause of my scorn are now seen in the everywhereventually household as being rather fabulous... who wouldn't want to be loved by luscious thighs after all?

Before you leap to the comment bank, Belarus is a bit of a surprise to me too... Yes, I have seen and heard the rehearsal videos. Yet there is something silly and fun and rather rampant about this song which I think will come across well to a giddy audience of 35,000 Eurovision fans in a stadium. Disagree with me if you like... In 2006 my favourite song was Croatia's Moja Stikla, so what do I know?!

Ireland only got so many listens I think because I foolishly left my iPhone in the hand of a Jedward-mad friend for 20 minutes!

Belgium the big 'nul points' of the year.

Eurovision 2011: Calling Semi Final 1

Good evening Europe!

We have reached Eurovision Eve! And thanks to the wonders of iTunes this means we can now have a look at how many times we have listened to the Eurovision songs of the year and plan how to vote!

For those of us foolish enough to commit our first impressions to the Blogosphere it is also possible to see how right and how wrong we were.

Below then are my Top 10 Tunes from Eurovision Semi Final 1

12 points: Georgia - 55 listens
10: Hungary - 51
8: Serbia - 48
7: Poland - 44
6: Croatia - 41
5: Azerbaijan - 37
4: Albania - 36
3: Iceland - 35
2: Russia - 30
1: San Marino - 27

Not Qualifying
Switzerland - 26
Armenia - 22
Finland - 22
Norway - 21
Malta - 17
Turkey - 15
Lithuania - 10
Portugal - 10
Greece - 10

The first thing that strikes me about my iTunes list is that it is actually very consistent with my first impressions. Norway has been replaced with Russia in my top 10 and that is the only change. Norway turned out to be too saccharine to be listened to. Albania has dropped down the ranking... Aurela turned out to be too shouty to be a real favourite.

One thing I am surprised by is that I have listened to the bottom 3 on 10 occasions each. I don't remember having subjected myself to them more than once!

The Tree That Started A War

After a bitter and bloody civil war which lasted for 30 years, Eritrea finally gained de facto independence from Ethiopia in 1991 and de juré independence in 1993.

A sense of independence comes in many forms and for many, the currency is a strong symbol of national identity and independence. After independence Eritrea continued to use the Ethiopian currency, but by 1997 they were ready to launch their own.

Perhaps it was the decision to link the currency at parity to the Ethiopian Birr which enraged the Ethiopians. Perhaps it was the decision to name the currency after the town which had been the Headquarters of the Independence Liberation Army; Nakfa. Perhaps Ethiopia had simply not psychologically accepted Eritrean independence as a fact and thought they could continue to dictate policy in the region.

Whatever the most important of these factors, the launch of the Eritrean currency was a catalyst for a complete breakdown in relations between Eritrea and Ethiopia and a brutal and bitter war was fought along their border. A border which has remained closed ever since.

So what does this tree have to do with all this?

In rural communities the enormous span of this tree makes it an ideal place for people to gather to socialise; to discuss important matters; come to decisions and to share stories of the ancestors. So it was seen as the perfect symbol for the 5 Nakfa note. And this is the very tree that features on the note.

Stupidly I didn't think to photograph a note while I was in Eritrea... It is a currency which cannot be exchanged or brought out of the country either.

How Do You Write UK In Tigrayan?

...Or any other European country for that matter?

Drop your left ear to your left shoulder...

...See the letter 'F'?

It stands for Fascisti and this building was the headquarters of the Italian Fascist Party during the occupation.

The Duomo of Florence...

...In Asmara.

The architectural legacy of the Italian occupation is apparent in all sorts of ways.

A Lonely Planet Front Cover Waiting To Happen?...

...Or just another one of my nearly pics?

A Man Made Landscape

Eritrea has been home to a human population for approximately 55,000 years.

And put into that context it is maybe not surprising to realise that almost the entire country has been literally shaped by human hand.

This terracing was evident everywhere that we went. Though deforestation and reduced precipitation mean that very little of it is now kept in good repair or used for agriculture.

Application for Head of Eritrean Tourism Marketing

Maybe it's just me, but as the minivan came round the corner I expected it to stop and for us to be ushered out to marvel at the natural phenomenon of the landscape that looks like a sitting lion.

If Eritrea had the same Tourism Marketing as Japan then this would be called 'The Lion of Eritrea'. It would have a visitor's centre and a ranking on the 10 best visual landscape effects in Eritrea list.

Of course if Eritrea had an Irish Head of Tourist Marketing it would also have it's own AV as well.

Unmistakably...

...the litter of war.

The School Run

We stopped off at a small village on the run from Keren back to Asmara.

The locals spoke a language which neither of our drivers understood so I'm not sure anyone knew what we were doing apart from a little bit of cultural exchange.

It was lunchtime at the local school so we were mobbed by several dozen kids all building up the bravery to say 'hello' and 'how are you'. We terrified and fascinated them in equal measure I think by taking their photos and showing them themselves on the digital display screens. The way that some of them pointed at the screens and then at themselves in wonderment made me wonder if they had seen themselves before. When we were invited into two of the thatched huts by the locals I certainly didn;t see any evidence of a mirror anywhere.

And then we heard a bell ring in the distance and the kids all screamed and ran off and we resumed our journey.

Eritrean Institute of Agriculture

How do you grow crops in a country with little water, arid soil, sudden floods and dry season temperatures in excess of 40 degrees celcius?

Good questions, and ones which they are trying to answer at the Eritrean Institute of Agriculture.

We saw different irrigation and furrow methods being trialled here as well as different crops and grape varietals being tested against the conditions.

We also learned about the different sorts of cattle that can prosper in East Africa. European cows don't do so well for example because they have too much subcutaneous fat and get too hot; hence the reliance on goats for milk and dairy produce.

Midday: 45 Degrees

You'd cling to the shade too!

Easy To Spot

One striking thing about Eritrea is how brightly the women dress.

I don;t know if I had been expecting something else.

Or perhaps in the sunshine the colours shimmered luminously. Either way, the colours of the fabrics were dazzling.

Another village...

...another blue dome.

This one appearing through the early morning mists on the road out of Keren.

The Early Bird...

... Catches the petrol.

While we saw ready supplies of home grown food and other produce being traded in Keren, Eritrea suffers from fuel poverty.

De-forested as the country is, the place is fed through the use of gas burning stoves. With only one semi-functioning port acting as a bottleneck on supply, queues for fresh fuel start early on delivery day.

Keren Fruit Market

The Keren Fruit Market had been busy during the day.

As had the grain and vegetable markets we had seen too.

At sunset a peace settled over the city after a day of heavy bartering in all quarters. From our rooftop restaurant all we could hear was the occasional birdsong, the occasional car horn and the screams of playing children.

Keren Sunset

At sunset the Catholic Cathedral makes a little bit more sense.

The vile reflective blue glass mellows and is reminiscent of the blue domes that scatter the countryside.

The Wishing Tree

Look carefully at the base of the tree.

Can you see the gap?

Inside is a shrine to the Virgin Mary. By tying some fabric to the tree you are able to make a wish. It is meant to be particularly lucky for single women who are looking to wish themselves a husband.

The Commonwealth War Graves: Keren

Another corner of a foreign field which is forever England.

In contrast to the Italian War Graves, the British and Indian forces graves were all named.

They were also all mixed together. Respected in death as they fought in life.

Ascaro Ignoto

The Italian War Cemetery was divided into two sections.

The side to the left had the names of the fallen on the gravestones.

Those to the right had gravestones with ‘Ascaro Ignoto’ carved into them. 'Unknown Soldier'

To the left the cemetery was reserved for Italians. To the left lay local troops who fought for Italy in the Second World War. Their names were never considered important enough to be recorded for their families or for history.

Cultural Diversity Day

I asked what the photo was of.

The photo was of 9 kids on a stage in different dress. I was told it was a photo of the school’s Cultural Diversity Day. Every year the school celebrates the 9 different ethnic groups of Eritrea and this culminates in an assembly.

I thought this was interesting because we do something similar in my own school in London.

Special Needs Inclusion In Eritrea

The deaf school in Keren is the only one in Eritrea.

It has day students and also boarders. The waiting list is so long that students in a Year 1 class can be as old as 14.

Not only do the students learn how to sign, read and write their own language, they also learn how to read and write and sign English.

This is because all of their Maths and Science text books are available only in the English language.

How much does a camel go for?

Turns out it is over £1000.

I don’t know why it came as a surprise that a camel would have that value but it did.

When we asked what camels were mostly used for it turns out that if you see a man with a camel, he is probably running an illicit trade in smuggled goods across the border with Ethiopia.

A camel loaded with black market cigarettes is worth it’s own weight in one trip.