Install

Get the latest updates as we post them — right on your browser

Today's paper. Last Updated: 02/13/2012

Georgia's Eurovision Entry Nixed

The Moscow Times
Georgia's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, which takes a thinly disguised dig at Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, has been disqualified because it does not comply with the competition's rules, the contest's oversight committee announced Tuesday.

Georgia caused a stir in February when it selected a song titled "We Don't Wanna Put In" as its entry, performed by Stefane & 3G. The group has denied any political overtones, though the phrase "put in" appears to be a grammatically unsound pun referring to Putin at a time when Russian-Georgian relations are at a historic low following the countries' five-day war in August.

Several prominent Russian entertainers have complained that the song is a deliberate smear of Russia, this year's Eurovision host.

The contest's oversight committee said in a statement on the Eurovision web site that the song violated a statute in the contest's charter stating that songs must not bring the contest "into disrepute" and banning "lyrics, speeches [and] gestures of a political or similar nature."

The committee has given Georgia until March 16 to select a new entry or "change the lyrics of the selected song" so that it complies with the rule, the statement said.

Set to a disco beat, the song's lyrics include the chorus: "We don't wanna put in/ The negative move/ Is killing the groove" and "I'm trying to shoot in some disco tonight." It also proclaims that, "I like all Europe countries."

The song was picked after a public vote and the decision of a jury headed by Stephen Budd, a top British music producer who has worked with acts including Franz Ferdinand and Madonna.

The song's video and lyrics remained unchanged on Georgia's Channel One web site as of Tuesday evening.

The popular song contest will be held in Moscow in May. Russia picked its entry last weekend, Ukrainian singer Anastasia Prikhodko.

Also in News

Report: United Russia Might Be Dismantled

United Russia, the country's dominant political party for more than a decade, might be radically reformed or even dissolved in the coming months.

Police Chief Sacked In Reform Shake-Up

The head of the St. Petersburg police was sacked following an investigation into the beating death of a 15-year-old boy while in custody, amid an ugly power struggle that came to head at the annual meeting of police brass with President Dmitry Medvedev.

Putin Aide: Corruption Was 'Civilized'

Corruption in Russia was "normal" and "civilized" during Vladimir Putin's first stint as president and support for him has grown stronger as a result of recent opposition rallies, the prime minister's campaign manager has boasted.

Houston's Death Felt In Russia

Russians joined the world Sunday in mourning the death of singer and actress Whitney Houston, who passed away suddenly at the age of 48.

Woman Ignites Herself

A 56-year-old woman from the Urals set herself on fire in front of the White House on Sunday, two weeks after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited her region for a rally supporting his presidential bid.

Sentence of 13 Years Meted Out For Spying

A military court on Friday convicted a Russian officer of providing the CIA with secret information on Russia's new intercontinental ballistic missiles and sentenced him to 13 years in prison.




Discussion
The Moscow Times welcomes your comments and invites you to discuss topics with other readers. Your comment will be posted automatically to enable a live discussion. If you aren't familiar with our comments policy, you can read it here.

If you're a registered user, you can start typing your comment below. If not, take a moment to sign up. and then return to the article.

If your comment doesn't appear, contact us by using our web form.

Comments

Comments via Facebook

print


Comments

This article has no comments.

Be the first to leave a comment





Most Read