Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021

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Eurovision Song Contest 2021
CountryFlag of Belarus.svg  Belarus
National selection
Selection processInternal selection
Selection date(s)9 March 2021
Selected entrant Galasy ZMesta
Selected song"Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)"
Finals performance
Final resultDisqualified
Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest
◄2020 •2021

Belarus had originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They internally selected Galasy ZMesta as their representative, initially with the song "Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)", but the entry was deemed ineligible to compete by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) due to violation of the contest's rules against political entries. After their replacement entry "Pesnyu pro zaytsa (Song About Hares)" was also deemed ineligible, Belarus was disqualified from the contest on 26 March 2021. This was the first time Belarus was absent from the contest since the country's debut in 2004. Belarus was originally set to compete in the first half of the first semi-final on 18 May 2021. [1]

Contents

Background

Prior to the 2021 Contest, Belarus had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest sixteen times since its first entry in 2004. [2] The nation's best placing in the contest was sixth, which it achieved in 2007 with the song "Work Your Magic" performed by Dmitry Koldun. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004 contest, Belarus had managed to qualify to the final six times. In 2019, Belarus qualified to the final and placed twenty-fourth with the song "Like It" performed by Zena. In 2020, VAL was set to represent Belarus with the song " Da vidna " before the event's cancellation.

The Belarusian national broadcaster, National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC), broadcasts the event within Belarus and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. From 2012 to 2020, the broadcaster has organised a national final in order to choose Belarus' entry. However, the broadcaster selected their 2021 entry via an internal selection. [3]

Before Eurovision

Internal selection

In March 2020, regarding the selection of the 2020 Belarusian participants, VAL, during a broadcast of Makaionka, 9 then Belarusian Eurovision commentator Evgeny Perlin stated that the Belarusian state broadcaster had not confirmed VAL yet, because "there [was] still time for that". [4] The duo was not selected for the 2021 contest as a result of a string of events in the aftermath of the 2020–2021 Belarusian protests. [5] [6] In the run-up towards and after the August 2020 Belarusian presidential elections, VAL showed support for opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and subsequently openly supported the Belarusian democracy movement. [7] After not having appeared in the media for five months, VAL gave an interview to an independent publication, stating that they had not been allowed to talk with the media according to their contract and that they felt neglected by the broadcaster. [8] On September 25, 2020, a day after the independent interview was published, the Belarusian broadcaster confirmed that they would not internally select VAL for Eurovision 2021, stating the duo had "no conscience". [5] [6]

BTRC opened a submission period where artists and composers were able to submit a live performance of their entries to the broadcaster between 1 January 2021 and 31 January 2021. [9] At the closing of the deadline, 50 entries were received by the broadcaster and among the artists that had submitted entries was 2006 British Eurovision contestant Daz Sampson. [10] [11] On 9 March 2021, "Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)" (Russian : Я научу тебя) performed by the band Galasy ZMesta was announced as the Belarusian entry for the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest. [12] The song would have been Belarus' first entry performed in the Russian language at the Eurovision Song Contest.

Disqualification

After the release of Belarus' 2021 entry, there were immediate calls for the country to be disqualified from the contest, due to the "obvious political subtext" of the song. [13] Among others, the Swedish political party Liberalerna and the Belarusian Foundation for Cultural Solidarity called for Belarus to be disqualified from the contest. [14] [15] Several Eurovision news outlets also announced that they would be limiting the coverage of the song. [16] On 11 March 2021, the EBU released a statement, stating that after scrutinizing the entry, they concluded that "the song puts the non-political nature of the Contest in question". As a result, the EBU declared the entry ineligible to compete in the contest, and demanded that the Belarusian broadcaster BTRC must either submit a new version of the song or an entirely new song that was compliant with the rules, or face disqualification. [17]

Due to the EBU releasing a statement declaring the original entry ineligible, on 13 March 2021, Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko stated that he would potentially order BTRC to opt for a new entry instead of modifying the lyrics of the original song. [18] On 26 March 2021, Galasy ZMesta submitted a new song, titled "Pesnya pro zaytsev (Song about hares)" (Russian : Песня про зайцев), as the replacement entry. [19] [20] The new song was also rejected by the EBU for the same reasons as their previous attempt, and Belarus was subsequently disqualified from the 2021 contest. [19] [20]

After Eurovision

On 28 May 2021, six days after the 2021 final, the EBU voted to suspend BTRC's membership for three years. [21] BTRC was given two weeks to respond before the suspension comes into effect on 11 June, but there was no public response. [22] The broadcaster was entirely expelled from the EBU on 1 July, therefore losing the rights to broadcast and participate in the contest. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest</span> Overview of Belarus participation in the annual song contest

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 16 times, making its debut in 2004 and having its last appearance in 2019. The country has been unable to participate in future contests following the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) suspension of broadcaster BTRC from the EBU, which became effective in June 2021. The country's first appearance in a final was in 2007, with the song "Work Your Magic" performed by Dmitry Koldun, where it placed sixth; this remains Belarus' only top ten placement. Belarus also qualified for the final in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2019. More recently, the nation had planned to take part in the canceled 2020 contest and was disqualified from taking part in the 2021 contest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belarus in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest</span>

Belarus has participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in every edition since its inception in 2003 until 2020. The Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC), then a member organisation of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been responsible for the selection process of its participants since its debut. The country hosted the contest at the Minsk-Arena in 2010 and again in 2018.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "Love Me Tonight" written by Nikos Terzis and Nektarios Tyrakis. The song was performed by Angelica Agurbash. The Belarusian entry for the 2005 contest in Kyiv, Ukraine was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of a semi-final which was a televised production and an untelevised final held on 25 December 2004 and 31 January 2005, respectively. Fifteen competing acts participated in the semi-final where the top three entries as determined by a public televote qualified to the final. In the final, "Boys and Girls" performed by Angelica Agurbash was initially selected as the winner by a jury panel, however the singer opted to withdraw her song and the replacement entry, "Love Me Tonight", was announced on 18 March 2005.

Belarus debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "My Galileo" written by Aleksey Solomaha, Alexandra Kirsanova and Konstantin Drapezo. The song was performed by Aleksandra and Konstantin. The Belarusian entry for the 2004 contest in Istanbul, Turkey was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of fifteen competing acts participating in a televised production where public voting selected the winner. "Moy galiley" performed by Aleksandra and Konstantin was selected as the winner with 2,311 votes. The song was later retitled as "My Galileo".

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Hasta la vista" written by Eleonora Melnik and Taras Demchuk. The song was performed by Ruslan Alekhno. The Belarusian entry for the 2008 contest in Belgrade, Serbia was selected through the national final Eurofest 2008, organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final was a televised production which consisted of a semi-final and a final held on 21 December 2007 and 21 January 2008, respectively. Fifteen competing acts participated in the semi-final where four entries qualified to the final: one entry selected by a public televote and three entries selected by a nine-member jury panel. In the final, the jury panel selected "Hasta la vista" performed by Ruslan Alekhno as the winner.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with the song "Butterflies" written by Maxim Fadeev, Robert Wells and Malka Chaplin. The song was performed by the group 3+2 featuring Robert Wells, who were internally selected by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC) to represent the nation at the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway after broadcaster All-National TV (ONT), which was to take over BTRC, failed to receive EBU membership. 3+2 and the song "Far Away" were initially announced as the Belarusian entry on 25 February 2010, however the band opted to withdraw their song and the replacement entry, "Butterflies", was announced on 19 March 2010.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with the song "I Love Belarus" written by Evgeny Oleynik and Svetlana Geraskova. The song was performed by Anastasia Vinnikova, who was internally selected by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC) to represent the nation at the 2011 contest in Düsseldorf, Germany. Anastasia Vinnikova and the song "Born in Byelorussia" were initially announced as the Belarusian entry on 28 February 2011, however the song was reworked and retitled as "I Am Belarusian". The song was later disqualified and the replacement entry, "I Love Belarus", was announced on 14 March 2011.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Solayoh" written by Marc Paelinck and Martin King. The song was performed by Alyona Lanskaya. The Belarusian entry for the 2013 contest in Malmö, Sweden was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of ten competing acts participating in a televised production where "Rhythm of Love" performed by Alyona Lanskaya was initially selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a jury panel and public televoting, however the singer opted to withdraw her song and the replacement entry, "Solayoh", was announced on 7 March 2013.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with the song "Cheesecake" written by Yuriy Vashchuk and Dmitry Novik. The song was performed by Teo, which is the artistic name of singer Yuriy Vashchuk. The Belarusian entry for the 2014 contest in Copenhagen, Denmark was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of fourteen competing acts participating in a televised production where "Cheesecake" performed by Teo was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a jury panel and public televoting.

Belarus participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Kyiv, Ukraine. The Belarusian entry was selected through a national final, organised by Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The final was held on 4 October 2013. Ilya Volkov and his song "Poy so mnoy" won the national final, scoring 18 points.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song "Time" written by Uzari, Gerylana and Maimuna. The song was performed by Uzari and Maimuna. The Belarusian entry for the 2015 contest in Vienna, Austria was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of fifteen competing acts participating in a televised production where "Time" performed by Uzari and Maimuna was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a jury panel and public televoting.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "Help You Fly" written by Viktor Drobysh, Alexander Ivanov, Timofei Leontiev and Mary Susan Applegate. The song was performed by Ivan, which is the artistic name of singer Alexander Ivanov. The Belarusian entry for the 2016 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of ten competing acts participating in a televised production where public televoting selected the winner. "Help You Fly" performed by Ivan was selected as the winner with 23,167 votes.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with the song "Forever" written by Kirill Pavlov and Yevgeny Matyushenko. The song was performed by Alekseev. The Belarusian entry for the 2018 contest in Lisbon, Portugal was selected through a national final organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of fifteen competing acts participating in a televised production where "Forever" performed by Alekseev was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a jury panel and public televoting.

Belarus participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Like It" written by Yulia Kireeva, Viktor Drobysh and Zinaida Kupriyanovich. The song was performed by Zena, which is the artistic name of singer Zinaida Kupriyanovich. The Belarusian entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel was selected through the national final Natsionalny Otbor, which was organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of ten competing acts participating in a televised production where a jury panel selected "Like It" performed by Zena as the winner.

Belarus originally planned to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song "Da vidna" written by Uladzislaŭ Paškievič, Valeryja Hrybusava and Mikita Najdzionaŭ. The song was performed by the band VAL. The Belarusian entry for the 2020 contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands was selected through the national final Natsionalny Otbor, which was organised by the Belarusian broadcaster National State Television and Radio Company of the Republic of Belarus (BTRC). The national final consisted of twelve competing acts participating in a televised production where "Da vidna" performed by VAL was selected as the winner following the combination of votes from a jury panel and public televoting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurovision Song Contest 2021</span> International song competition

The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was the 65th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, following the country's win at the 2019 contest with the song "Arcade" by Duncan Laurence. The Netherlands was set to host the 2020 contest, before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcasters Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS) and AVROTROS, the contest was held at Rotterdam Ahoy, and consisted of two semi-finals on 18 and 20 May, and a final on 22 May 2021. The three live shows were presented by Dutch television presenters and singers Chantal Janzen, Edsilia Rombley and Jan Smit, and Dutch YouTuber and make-up artist Nikkie de Jager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021</span> International song competition for youth

The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 was the 19th edition of the annual Junior Eurovision Song Contest, organised by France Télévisions and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The contest was held on 19 December 2021 at La Seine Musicale in Paris, France, following the country's victory at the 2020 contest with the song "J'imagine", performed by Valentina. This was the first time the contest was held in France, as well as the first Eurovision event to be held in the country since Eurovision Young Dancers 1999 in Lyon and the first to be held in Paris since Eurovision Young Dancers 1989.

Belarus participated in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Warsaw, Poland. Belarusian Television and Radio Company (BTRC) selected Arina Pehtereva with her song "Aliens" through an internal selection. She achieved 5th place with 130 points.

Galasy ZMesta is a Belarusian band that was formed in 2020 in the city of Baranavichy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)</span> 2021 song by Galasy ZMesta

"Ya nauchu tebya (I'll Teach You)" (Russian: Я научу тебя) is a song by Belarusian band Galasy ZMesta. The song was selected by the Belarusian national broadcaster BTRC to represent Belarus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, but was rejected by the competition's organisers for having content which they believed was too political in nature. The music video was also taken down from the official Eurovision site.

References

  1. ↑ Groot, Evert (17 November 2020). "2020 Semi-Final line-up to stay for 2021". eurovision.tv. Eurovision Song Contest. Archived from the original on 18 November 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Belarus Country Profile". EBU . Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "🇧🇾 Belarus: Galasy ZMesta to Eurovision 2021". Eurovoix. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "Александр Рыбак/Alexander Rybak phone chat, show "Makayonka"/Макаёнка on Belarus1, 18.4.2020, w/subs". YouTube.com. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  5. 1 2 Vladyko, Aleksandr. "Группа VAL "потеряла совесть" и место на "Евровидении" от Беларуси". Onliner.by. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 Smith, David. "Belarus: BTRC confirms VAL will not go to Eurovision 2021…and says duo has "no conscience"". Wiwibloggs .
  7. ↑ "VAL Instagram post 12 August 2020". Instagram.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  8. ↑ Shashuro, Anton (24 September 2020). "VAL". Interesnye Lyudi. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  9. ↑ Granger, Anthony (1 January 2021). "Belarus: Launches Submissions Process For Eurovision 2021". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  10. ↑ ""Евровидение-2021" - завершился прием заявок на нацотбор". tvr.by (in Russian). 1 February 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  11. ↑ Granger, Anthony (1 February 2021). "Belarus: Around Fifty Songs Submitted into Eurovision 2021 Selection". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "🇧🇾 Belarus: Galasy ZMesta to Eurovision 2021". Eurovoix. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "🇧🇾 A new petition to disqualify Belarus from Eurovision 2021 hits 1000 signatures". ESCXTRA.com. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Van Lith, Nick (17 February 2021). "Swedish MEP demands EBU exclude BRTC from Eurovision". ESCXTRA. Archived from the original on 17 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "🇧🇾 Campaign urges EBU to remove Belarus from Eurovision 2021". ESCXTRA.com. 23 January 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  16. ↑ Deakin, Samuel. "Eurovoix's Statement on Galasy ZMesta and Belarus' Participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021". Eurovoix. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  17. ↑ "Latest news: EBU statement on Belarusian entry". Eurovision.tv. 11 March 2021. Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  18. ↑ "Lukashenko says Belarus may submit new Eurovision entry after backlash". Reuters. 13 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  19. 1 2 "EBU statement on Belarusian participation". Eurovision.tv. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  20. 1 2 Галасы Зместа - Песня про зайцев - песня на Евровидение 2021 , retrieved 26 March 2021
  21. ↑ Granger, Anthony (27 August 2021). "Belarus: BTRC Reveals EBU Suspension Scheduled to Expire in 2024". Eurovoix. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "EBU EXECUTIVE BOARD AGREES TO SUSPENSION OF BELARUS MEMBER BTRC". European Broadcasting Union. 28 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 May 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  23. ↑ "Белтэлерадыёкампанію выключылі з Еўрапейскага вяшчальнага саюза". euroradio.fm. 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021.
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