On the Hunt for Europop's Crown

During the 40 years of its existence, the Eurovision Song Contest has become a cult classic. Contestants from all over Europe gird themselves in everything from spandex to leather and perform live in glitzy venues to panels of judges who then vote for their choice of a "Song for Europe."


In its heyday, the competition was a paradigm of '70s glamour television, the gorgonzola of Euro-cheese granny-pop, the launchpad of such classics as ABBA, Olivia Newton-John, Lulu, Julio Iglesias, Nana Mouskouri, Cliff Richard and Bucks Fizz.


Now, more popular than ever in its '90s incarnation, the Eurovision Song Contest -- which will take place May 13 -- looks set to be taken by storm by the hotly tipped Russian contestant, 28-year-old Filipp Kirkorov, husband of superstar singer Alla Pugachyova.


"My song will be called 'Volcano Lullaby,'" said Kirkorov. "It's a lullaby for world peace, a sincere, traditional type song, sung from the heart." The song was written by Ilya Reznik, a friend of Kirkorov's who has penned other tunes for the star.


Kirkorov, a giant of a man with Marie Osmond hair, is 18 years Pugachyova's junior. In an interview in the Metropol Hotel's Teatro bar, he sat opposite his wife, drinking tequila. Pugachyova, 46, Russia's top pop star for over two decades and the last-named People's Artist of the Soviet Union, smiled indulgently at her "little sunshine" while dragging on a Marlboro and cajoling like a mother hen.


"I want people to be peaceful, to stop killing each other, and to love one another," Kirkorov said. "After all, people all over the world don't want to worry about war, they want to smile, have fun and sing songs about love."


Kirkorov not only likes to sing about love -- he and Pugachyova also like to talk about their romance, which was played out on the pages of Russia's celebrity magazines.


Kikorov, whose father is Bulgarian ("but with a Jewish brain, like me," interrupts Pugachyova), fell in love with his celebrity wife-to-be at the age of 13.


"Our love story is straight out of Hollywood," said Kikorov. "If you made a film of it, it would be a hit." His career as a pop singer took off four years ago, and since his marriage to Pugachyova shortly afterwards his fame has boomed.


"I waited until he was famous before I married him, so that people wouldn't think it was because of me," said Pugachyova, pulling out a glossy star magazine she produces, modestly entitled "Alla." It is full of soft-focus photos of Pugachyova, Kirkorov and Pugachyova's pop-star daughter, who is three years younger than Kirkorov.


The Eurovision competition finals will be beamed live from Dublin to over half a billion people worldwide, 70 million of whom will be Russian.


Last year, Russia's first entrant to the contest, the female pop singer Youdiph, stormed to ninth place out of 25 entrants with the dramatic love ballad "Eternal Wanderer." Kirkorov hopes to improve on her performance, noting, "It's great to have exposure to such a huge audience. Many record executives will be watching and looking for talent."


"Every year the competition has a different mood; last year it was nostalgia, this year who knows?" Kirkorov said. "Britain has entered a rap song; maybe this year people will want something ultramodern."


"But if they want to hear a good melody, a good voice, and see a beautiful body, my Filipp will win," said Pugachyova, who produces her husband's albums. "He'll be the youngest and the most beautiful one there. That's all I need to know."


"I didn't enter myself because I knew that I would win straight away, so it wouldn't be interesting for me," Pugachyova volunteered.