Book ’65 years Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest ‘has been published
’65 years Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest. All artists. All stories. ‘ With this title, the first book has been published that sheds light on Belgian history about the Eurovision Song Contest. Authors Jonathan Hendrickx and Jasper Van Biesen – of the Eurovision website songfestival.be – focused not only on the actual history, but also on the artists and their personal stories and experiences. 35 ex-participants, from Clouseau to Sandra Kim and Laura Tesoro, give a sometimes surprising and emotional testimony to their participation. Eurovision commentator Peter Van de Veire wrote the foreword to the book.
A total of 35 artists looked back on their participation: Jacques Raymond (’63 and ’71), Lize Marke (’65), Tonia (’66), Claude Lombard (’68), Nicole & Hugo (’71 and ’73) , Stella Maessen from Dream Express (’77 and ’82), Micha Marah (’79), Telex (’80), Emly Starr (’81), Pas De Deux (’83), Linda Lepomme (’85), Sandra Kim (’86), Liliane Saint-Pierre (’87), Ingeborg (’89), Clouseau (’91), Morgane (’92), Frédéric Etherlink (’95), Lisa del Bo (’96), Vanessa Chinitor (’99), Nathalie Sorce (’00), Sergio (’02), Urban Trad (’03), Xandee (’04), Nuno Resende (’05), Kate Ryan (’06), Ishtar (’08) , Patrick ‘Copycat’ Ouchène (’09), Tom Dice (’10), Chicory Bay (’11), Iris (’12), Axel Hirsoux (’14), Laura Tesoro (’16), Blanche (’17) , Sennek (’18) and Eliot (’19).
A lot of artists were eager to tell their story: some even after years of silence! Their participation in any way contributed to their lives. Kate Ryan (2006) even got goosebumps during her extensive interview: ‘When I think back to it, I immediately get sparkles in my eyes again! The Eurovision Song Contest is one of the best things I’ve ever done. ‘ This also applies to Laura Tesoro (2016): ‘Thanks to this book I relived my participation again. While I still can’t believe I ever stood there! ‘. Even ‘Masked Singer’ Sandra Kim, still our only winner, is very candid in the book about her participation in 1986. While she says she is finished talking about the Eurovision Song Contest after five minutes. Micha Marah (1979), whose participation was anything but a success, even sees this book as the closing of a personal chapter.
