eurosong: Good afternoon, folks! Today’s statistical map looks at something that is a passion

eurosong:

Good afternoon, folks! Today’s statistical map looks at something that is a passionate cause of mine, and something to which I dedicate a fair bit of analysis every year. It is language diversity at the Eurovision, or rather, the lack thereof. Every year, I analyse the number of songs in languages other than English, and every year the statistics grow more disheartening for those of us who love linguistic diversity. 

Last year, we had 6 songs entirely or almost entirely in a language other than English (15% of all songs). This year, we’re down to just 3 out of 43 songs completely in another language. That’s just under 7%and is quite frankly, lame. If we put together all the songs with at least a substantial part of the lyrics in another language than English - thus, disregarding Bulgaria’s promise of “10% Bulgarian” - it’s just 7/43 songs (16%), down from the previous all-time low of 17.5% in 2015, and much reduced compared to 21% in 2014 and 44% in 2013. It is becoming evident that delegations think English is necessary for a good placing at Eurovision - if you do the maths, as I did, it most certainly is not.

I’ve been watching the contest every year since the late 80s, and part of what I loved of pre-1999 Eurovision was the delectable buffet of linguistic delights it offered each year. When else in the year would one hear Turkish, Estonian, Romanian, and even minority languages like Breton and Neapolitan in quick succession? Out of my all-time favourites, only one of twenty is in English, and my all-time favourite is not even in a language I speak (and I speak several), because I didn’t need to understand the lyrics to feel the emotion of the performance. The creators of Eurovision designed the contest as an exhibition of Europe’s cultural diversity - united not by a single language, but by music. I feel sad to see even previously steadfast countries like Serbia jettison their beautiful languages and the contest I love with all my heart becoming more and more an Anglovision each year.