The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 will take place on Saturday (May 14). But no ESC without Peter Urban: Anyone who loves music knows “the voice” from TV and radio. In 2022 it will be the 25th time that the 74-year-old will comment on the show on German television. Two days before the ESC we reached Urban by email, his first reply: “I’m stuck between rehearsals and writing lyrics, for three shows – two semis and a final”. Nevertheless, he was happy to answer our questions about the importance of the ESC today and his thoughts after 25 years.
Peter Urban on how he came to ESC: “I came 25 years ago like a virgin to a child. At the beginning of 1997, Jürgen Meier-Beer, who was responsible for NDR and with whom I had realized large rock events on TV, asked me if I would like to be a German commentator for the ESC. I was hesitant at first, my relationship to the contest had cooled noticeably in the 80s and 90s.”
But the challenge of commentating on a major music show live on television was enticing. Every year in a different European metropolis. Since then, the ESC has changed constantly, Urban then writes, it has become more extensive in every respect and is the largest entertainment show in the world. “And this show is also absolutely state of the art in terms of television and stage technology. Technical innovations are constantly being tried out and introduced there, for example a stage floor that can be played with videos and many other tricks. These things would not be developed at all without the ESC,” says Urban.
Peter Urban on Ukraine at the ESC
He ends his email with the words: “The first 12 of the last year were hardly any mainstream titles, but rather independent, exciting songs from a wide variety of genres, hard rock, chanson, soul, avant-garde pop, ethno-dance and so on. The audience has also become more diverse and younger, and the ESC has made clever use of social media.”
About Ukraine’s role in the ESC, he said to Düsseldorf’s “Rheinische Post” (online): “Of course, there is a great deal of solidarity and sympathy for Ukraine in Europe, and that will certainly have an impact on voting. But it doesn’t help the Ukrainians if they score a lot of points at the ESC. They need other help and solidarity. So I don’t really think Ukraine will win.”
ESC expert Jörg Seisselberg on Malik Harris and the political message of Ukraine
ARD Rome correspondent Jörg Seisselberg is also on site in Turin as an ESC expert. When he spoke to the ME, he was in the hotel lobby near the event location, between rehearsals and interviews – and contest participants in the entrance area of the hotel.
Russia is not there this year. Doesn’t that change the basic idea of the ESC, so isn’t the music rated less than the political events?
“The fact that Russia was excluded this time is understandable: the aggressive war against Ukraine contradicts the values that the ESC lives by – tolerance, friendship, liberality. As for Ukraine: If Kalush Orchestra wins, it’s because they are good, not just because of the political situation. Your song is not a junk title that only gets to the top because of the political framework. It’s enough of a political message that they’re even here; young men who are now being drafted into the military in Ukraine and actually don’t get a residence permit – except for the ESC.”
Malik Harris – how is the candidate for Germany backstage?
“Malik, who is competing for us this year, is awesome: 24 years young, controls his audience like only the big ones do, sings great, has a lot of charisma. Malik is how you perceive him backstage as well, he is intelligent and talks kindly to everyone. Nothing is played there.”
The 66th Eurovision Song Contest will take place from May 10th to 14th, 2022 at the Pala Alpitour in the Italian city of Turin, after the Italian band Måneskin won the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Rotterdam with the song “Zitti e buoni”. . The motto for 2022 is “The Sound of Beauty”. Malik Harris sings for Germany with the title “Rockstars” at starting position 13.
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