For the first time in years, it is not a French artist who will represent France at Eurovision. On Thursday, France Télévisions announced that the Quebec singer La Zarra had been internally chosen to defend the tricolor flag during the 2023 edition, in Liverpool next May. A rare configuration but nothing new, which has often brought luck to the countries that have chosen it.
No regulation of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes Eurovision, requires participating countries to choose one of their nationals to represent them. In France, the latest example is that of Natasha St-Pier. The Quebecois and her song I only have my soul ranked 4th in 2001, a score it took France 20 years to surpass (thanks to Barabara Pravi, who came 2nd thanks to his title Ready in 2021).
On the contrary, it has happened that other participating countries call French artists to represent them. This was the case of Luxembourg, which won the contest in 1965 against 17 other participants with France Gall and its hit written by Serge Gainsbourg, wax doll, sound doll.
Two customary countries due to
Luxembourg, precisely, is undoubtedly one of the countries that has most attracted singers from other places, almost always French-speaking and very often French: Hugues Aufray (1964), Michèle Torr (1966), Corinne Hermès (1983), Plastic Bertrand (1987)… The country has also had the Greek Nana Mouskouri (1963), the American Jeane Manson (1979) or the Quebecois Lara Fabian (1988).
And then there are the artists who have worn multiple dresses. In the 1960s, a certain Jean Philippe competed for France in 1959 and for Switzerland in 1962.
Ten after representing Luxembourg, Michèle Torr switched to the Monegasque side of the force, lending her talents to Le Rocher; your title a bit of french offered a good fourth place in Monaco in 1977.
In 1963, the principality had already called an icon of French song by summoning Françoise Hardy, who had finished 5th with love flies away. In 1971 the country appealed to the French Séverine, who won the competition with A bench, a tree, a street..
One of the biggest stars in the world.
But in the game of sought-after foreign artists, it is undoubtedly Switzerland that signs the biggest hit in the history of the competition. In 1988 he won the 33rd edition of the Telegancho thanks to the world star Celine Dion, who came to interpret the title. don’t go without me. Thus, it offers the country the second -and last to date- victory in its history. This song, which became a hit, is also the last song in French to win Eurovision.
In a few months we will know if La Zarra had the same lucky effect as her fellow citizen. In any case, she does not hide his ambitions: “I did not accept so that we would lose!”, She confided to BFMTV on Thursday minutes after the announcement of his participation. “I am going to fight!”
Source: BFM TV
