One more week and then it’s time: the very first edition of the Regional Song Contest. Friday was the official presentation of all thirteen participants in Utrecht, with a mix of all kinds of dialects, styles and performances. The Brabant entry, Cheers to Life, is already very popular with the fellow candidates. And they actually have confidence in it themselves.
There is already some tension among the brothers. Saturday, November 4 is the big day and they are starting to feel that a bit. “The run-up is busy, there’s a lot to deal with,” says Sam.
“A lot of TV and radio stuff. Then you have to hold your stomach and laugh all day.” That takes some getting used to for the singers. “They are taking a very big approach,” says brother Merijn. “I didn’t expect that at all.”
“I especially hope that I can be very drunk afterwards.”
The brothers themselves still find it a bit difficult to estimate their chances. “I especially hope that many people will watch,” says Merijn. “And go vote, of course.” This also applies to brother Sam, although his priorities lie elsewhere. “I especially hope that I can be very drunk afterwards,” he laughs. “May we take first place and it may have a long aftermath.”
“I think it’s really good, also very typical for Brabant.”
Our own entry, Sam and Merijn, wrote Cheers to Life together. It’s about friendship, gratitude and making memories with people you love. “Seize the day, enjoy life,” Sam tells us.
And that is also well received by the other entries. Many fellow candidates think it is typically Brabant. The sound, the message and the drink. “Top 3 anyway,” predicts the Groningen entry. “I think it is really very good, also very typical for Brabant,” says Remedy, Rijnmond’s entry. “The conviviality in the pub, that really comes across well.”
The Regional Song Contest is the very first program that all regional broadcasters make together. Nice detail: that is also how the Eurovision Song Contest once started. The acts are very different from each other and the genres also vary. From wind instruments in Drenthe to a Groningen rap: there is a wide range of songs in the dialect. The Regional Song Contest will be broadcast on Omroep Brabant on November 4.
View the Brabant entry below:
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