The Eurovision finale 2023 left more than one with their mouths open after the performance of the Ukrainians Kalush Orchestra and the appearance of an unexpected protagonist: Kate Middleton.
During the gala opening video and after a panoramic view of the windsor Castle, The Princess of Wales appears for just a few seconds dressed in blue and sitting at the piano while accompaniment to the keys the interpretation of “Stefania”, the winning theme of 2022.
“A surprise for Eurovision. Nice to join Kalush Orchestra in a special performance of last year’s winning song. Enjoy the show, Liverpool! ”, Wrote the princess on her social networks, where she shared the video of her participation.
According to local media, the princess’s performance was recorded earlier this month at the Crimson Drawing Room of Windsor Castle.
The singers from the 26 finalist countries each had three minutes to convince the jury and the international public, with the novelty that this year viewers from all over the world were able to vote, despite the fact that their countries did not participate in the competition.
finnish rapper Käärijäwho did not leave anyone indifferent with his frenetic “Cha Cha Cha” and his particular style, a cocktail of bright colors and punk airs, came second.
Third place went to the young Israeli Noa Kirel C.on the energetic “Unicorn”.
The Spanish Blanca Paloma and her lullaby “Eaea”, a mixture of flamenco music and electronic rhythms, came in 17th position.
Ukraine was the great protagonist of the show, held under the motto “United by music” on a stage made entirely of led lights at the M&S Arena in Liverpool.
This year the country was represented by the electronic duo Tvorchi with the song “Heart of Steel” (“Heart of Steel”), inspired by the resistance during the long siege of Mariupol’s Azovstal steel works by invading Russian forces.
Minutes after his performance, Tvorchi posted on Instagram that Ternopil, his hometown, had been attacked.
Ternopil“was bombed by Russia while we were singing on the Eurovision stage about our strong hearts, indomitability and will,” they wrote. “Europe, united against evil for peace”.
Usually, the winning country hosts the following year’s contest.
However, the 67th edition of the festival could not be held in kyiv due to the russian invasionand the United Kingdom, which was second, took over.
Among an audience dressed in sequins, heavily made up and armed with pennants, glowing bracelets and a great desire to have fun, Vasylyna Kindrat, a 25-year-old Ukrainian who had to flee her country in December, said she expected victory.
But not in eurovisionbut in the war”, she said, assuring that the blue and yellow colors of the Ukraine displayed throughout Liverpool made her “feel at home”.
The war was in the background in many of the songs.
The flamboyant and mustachioed Croatian group Let 3 took the stage with “Mama ŠČ!”, a corrosive track that lashes out at Russian President Vladimir Putin in an undisguised way.
Deploying two huge missiles, its members shed their ridiculous military uniforms to end up playing in their underwear.
Dressed in pink and with very long braids, the six Czech performers of “Vesna” sang a part of their song “My Sister’s Crown” in Ukrainian.
“My sister will not stay in a corner, she will not listen to you either”, they sang, “we are with you in our hearts”.
(With information from EFE and AFP)
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