The United States launches Putin's alternative festival at Eurovision

MoscowWhen Russia was expelled from Eurovision after invading Ukraine, Moscow accused the festival of having succumbed to politicization. Three years later, Vladimir Putin wanted to hold Intervision, an alternative version of the European broadcasting festival, showcasing his worldview: multipolar, conservative, and with an increasingly isolated West. The icing on the cake of this move was supposed to be the much-hyped presence of the United States, but when it was the American representative's turn this Saturday night, the cart unexpectedly went to hell.

Vassy, ​​an Australian artist of Greek origin, had been replacing the first American candidate invited by the festival organizers, B Howard, for just four days. Howard had dropped out citing "family circumstances." At Moscow's Live Arena, nothing suggested a disaster, but as the contestants took the stage, the hosts announced that "for reasons beyond the control of the organizers and the US delegation, and due to unprecedented political pressure from the Australian government," Vassy would be unable to perform. One of the hosts concluded: "It's sad when politics tries to interfere in a world that belongs to the arts."

Until then, it couldn't be said that politics had been kept out of the event: just as the broadcast began, a canned message from Putin emphasized that "respect for traditional values" would serve as inspiration to the participants. Then, from a tribune inside the venue, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov congratulated himself, stating that the world "has a demand for such a contest."

The Russian president had been mulling over the idea of ​​creating an alternative to Eurovision for over a decade. The turning point came in 2014, just after the annexation of Crimea, following the victory at the European festival of Conchita Wurst, thedrag queenAustrian, which didn't go down well with Russia. In recent days, Minister Lavrov, who had proclaimed that he would guarantee a competition "without perversions or abuses of human nature," still joked: "We don't prohibit anyone from voting for a man with a beard, dressed as a woman, and with body modifications."

Russian favorite gives up victory

In another unexpected twist, the Russian representative, Shaman, a pro-war singer and regular at Putin's rallies who has been sanctioned by the European Union, ruled himself out as the winner despite starting as the favorite. After performing his song, he addressed the jury and asked them not to judge his performance since, according to "the rules of hospitality," he "had no right to claim victory." "Russia has already won," he concluded.

His request was observed with scrupulous respect by the 23 jury members, one from each of the participating countries, including the BRICS (Brazil, India, China, and South Africa); Russia's Arab partners (Qatar, the Emirates, and Saudi Arabia); the former Soviet republics of Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan; African countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Madagascar; and Latin American countries such as Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela, which, ironically, presented the song.The feast of peace.

Shaman's mysterious gesture paved the way for the victory for Vietnam's representative, Duc Phuc, who achieved victory with the songPhu Dong Thien Vuong. Its visual offering stood out amidst the unspectacular staging, the particularly folksy song selection, and the exasperatingly slow pace of the gala.

Unlike Eurovision, where each public television station selects its representative, at Intervisión, many of the artists were contacted directly by the festival. There was also no popular vote, which the organizers attributed to time differences across four continents.

Extras in the audience

Before the event began, a Vietnamese viewer, Phong Tran, told ARA that Intervisión was better than Eurovision because it brought together countries from all over the world. However, its origins were an international mirage among a predominantly Russian audience.

To project an image of a global event, the organizers hired hundreds of extras, classified them according to their appearance, dressed them in traditional costumes, and gave them flags. Many of them couldn't hide the evidence, like a Russian dressed in a tunic and carrying an Egyptian flag, a country he described as "sunny, with a beautiful sea, pyramids, and a good singer," or another Russian wrapped in a Colombian flag who, uncomfortably, pointed to his accreditation.

With the aim of consolidating this opposite pole in the West, without waiting to know the winner, the presenters announced that Saudi Arabia, a powerful ally of the Kremlin, will host the second edition of the contest. Putin's Russia claims nothing is politicized, but in reality, nothing is left to chance, not even a music competition.