To identify themes and values of a country, one often researches the country’s history such as their wars, politics, culture, or anything that shapes its identity. In this blog post, I will be taking a slightly different route, for my strategy of research is analyzing music performances from the Eurovision Song Contest. In my previous essay, my goal was to illustrate a parallel between the concept of national identity and Hungarian culture. Now I am examining more elements of Hungary’s identity by looking into three consecutive Eurovision performances. In this contest, countries throughout Europe compete for a chance to win the best performance of the year. On the surface, it may seem like flashy pop performances, but when further examined, countries often express recent political issues or conflict with other countries through their lyrics. There are numerous examples of European countries not getting along in the past, and some of the lyrics expressed in Eurovision show that these countries are still not on good terms. However, song lyrics in Eurovision are not always directed at historical events. Often they are songs about hope, pride, freedom, striving for change, love, and other progressive themes that are simply intended to give people joy. The slogan for the 2017 contest was “Celebrate Diversity,” which is another major value expressed in Eurovision. Whether the goal is to be racially diverse or musically diverse, Eurovision performers often strive to create a multi-cultural community that will intrigue viewers.
When looking back at Hungary’s Eurovision performances, they have shown a variety of themes, covering topics from war and hatred to love and world peace. After taking a year off from Eurovision in 2010, Hungary returned to the contest in 2011, which was hosted in Germany. This performance marked Hungary’s ninth participation since 1994. The song was performed by Kati Wolf and was titled, “What About My Dreams?” The stage was set with a dark background that illuminated dark shades of blue as Wolf stood solo in the spotlight. She wore a light blue dress that was short like a skirt, but it was also loose-fit, the sleeves draping below her arms. The light and turquoise blue of her dress clashed with the dark blue setting, but she also wore a massive ring with diamonds that matched the background color. The verses of the song were ballad-like with high, delicate notes that complimented a soft piano. During the chorus, an electronic drum line is played over Wolf’s passionate voice that asks the question: what about my life? As she sings, dozens of different-colored light beams rotate around the stage while two backing singers dressed in white dance in sync. Throughout the song, Wolf is questioning a significant other that is holding her back from living the life she wants. In the first verse, she asks questions like, “Should I live all my life for only your cause?” and opens the chorus with: “What about my life? What about my dreams?” She is tired of putting the other person’s life in front of hers, and she’s realizing that self-care is more important than maintaining a relationship. The lines, “What could you say, what could I say, we've faded away / The sparkle in our eyes is gone” show that she used to love her significant other, but her feelings started to fade as time went by. She feels as thought she must pursue her dreams, but her partner holds her back, so she is choosing to let them go.
Although the lyrics to this song are not clearly attempting to express a political movement, they can be related to Hungary’s history with Communism, which I talked about in my first blog post. In the 1940’s, Hungary identified as a socialist republic (otherwise known as a communist state) up until 1989, where Communism was discontinued. They have been a Democratic country ever since, and Kati Wolf’s “What About My Dreams?” is a celebration of breaking free from someone’s control and becoming independent. Once Communism was abolished in Hungary, people no longer had to follow strict guidelines in order to make a living. Not only is it a celebratory song for the people of Hungary, but it is a song of hope for achieving one’s dreams. The lyrics to Hungary’s 2011 Eurovision song are more than just a dysfunctional romantic relationship; they are reminiscing on a positive day in Hungarian history. Although this song was performed 20 years after the fall of Communism, it sparks a feeling of empowerment and reminds Hungarians how they were able to overcome a controlling authority.
In 2012, “Sound of our Hearts” by Compact Disco was Hungary’s song for Eurovision. The performance consisted of all-male band members. An electronic beat was played as the backing singers held various instruments. Neon lights flashed behind the stage as the singer built up the verse to a beat-dropping chorus. During the final chorus, the singer (along with the band members) walked down the center, which stretched far into the crowd. In this song, the singer is encouraging people to unite as a community and make a stand to create change. The first verse consists of the lyrics, “The whole world is just one place / You can say it’s all the same / You may feel hatred is sown / We can show it’s no way to go.” I interpreted these lyrics as an acknowledgment of our world’s flaws and learning how to move past them. The chorus contains the lyrics: “This is the sound of our hearts / This is a fever they can’t take away,” which seems to refer to a community or big group of people starting a movement that promotes love and demotes hate. The line, “Differences may not be wrong / They enrich the things that we know” demonstrates the value of open-mindedness towards those who are different. Having an open mind towards different people will allow people to learn new culture and values, leading to acceptance and equal treatment.
On April 18, 2011, Hungary’s parliament approved a new constitution that promoted discrimination. The constitution contained provisions that prohibited women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people from having equal rights (“Hungary: New Constitution Enshrines Discrimination”). This lead to a lot of controversy; enough to the point where it was brought to the president’s attention, who at the time was Pál Schmitt. He eventually listened to the people and had further discussions with parliament, and the constitution was stripped of its discriminatory laws. When analyzing the song “Sound of our Hearts,” it is clear that the lyrics go against this constitution, or any racist/sexist values for that matter. Hungary’s 2012 performance was meant to give a voice for those who are or have been discriminated against, which can apply to Hungary itself and the rest of the world.
The third and final song I analyzed was titled “Kedvesem” and sung by ByeAlex. From the start of the performance, it is clear that the song is meant to soothe the listener, for the slow tempo and relaxed chord progression is pleasant to the ear. During the chorus, a female backing singer harmonized with the lead singer while a guitarist strummed softly. Throughout the song, various cartoons and animations appeared on the green-screen, giving the viewer a feeling of happiness and innocence. Although the song is not sung in English, I was able to investigate the lyrics. One significant line in the song is: “Say did you know she reaches around the globe / She plunges into the deep sea / Dancing up on top of clouds.” The singer seems to be referring to his lover, who is one with nature, as he describes. He talks about how she has experienced many different cultures, making her diverse and life-smart. The line, “I'm so glad I found
the one for me - the one for me / I’ll sing it loud / She’s all I need” shows that just his lover’s presence is enough to make him content. She appreciates the outdoors and is able to create a home out of what the earth provides, giving her simple and natural qualities that the singer finds attractive. This song was Hungary’s choice for Eurovision in 2013, and the message is to simply appreciate the things that are close to us. Whether it is your partner or the natural world itself, or the combination of the two, cherish the simple things in life that make us happy.
Analyzing three consecutive Eurovision performances has given me an understanding of Hungary’s attitude towards diversity. After identifying themes within their lyrics and on-stage visuals, I concluded that having diverse performances from year to year is not a concern for Hungary. Each of their performances is similar to the previous one, promoting positive values such as achieving happiness or appreciating the simple things in life. There are many countries that attempt to shock the audience by putting on a powerful performance. A common strategy for Eurovision contestants is to surprise people by having emotional, dramatic lyrics, however Hungarian songs tend to stay consistent. Although their song choices do not meet the definition of “diverse,” Hungary has chosen many culturally diverse performers throughout the years. They have had performers like Kati Wolf, who fits the stereotypical appearance of a female singer: light-complected, tall, lean, and dressed in high fashion. On the other hand, they have also had performers like Alex Márta (ByeAlex), who is far from the stereotypical male singer when it comes to appearance. Márta’s awkward stage presence and rugged beanie gives the performance a much different vibe than Wolf’s flashy, exposing dress. Having several consecutive performances that contain diverse singers makes Hungary a heterogeneous country in regards to Eurovision.
References
Eurovision Song Contest Lisbon 2018. (n.d.) Retrieved March 07, 2018, from https://eurovision.tv/
Hungarian People's Republic. (2018, February 20) Retrieved February 20, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_People%27s_Republic
Hungarian People's Republic. (2018, February 20) Retrieved February 20, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_People%27s_Republic
Hungary: New Constitution Enshrines Discrimination. (2015, April 17). Retrieved February 20, 2018, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2011/04/19/hungary-new-constitution-enshrines-discrimination
Pike, J. (n.d.). Military. Retrieved February 20, 2018, from https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/hu-history-30.htm
