- Published
On Saturday, the biggest and longest-running international song contest will make a leap into unknown territory.
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contest → publish → territory
Eurovision, the pan-European competition famed for zany gimmicks, slick, sometimes over-the-top staging, the drama of its complex voting system and, occasionally, for outstanding music, celebrates its 70th birthday this year.
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Eurovision → fame → birthday
And to mark it, the European Broadcasting Union is trying out audiences in Asia.
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Union → mark → Asia
It's an idea that's been talked about for two decades but never materialised, despite many false starts.
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that → talk → starts
Until now - Eurovision Asia will hold its first grand final in Bangkok, starting at 20:30 ICT (13:30 GMT).
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Asia → hold → ICT
Transferring one of the most successful television formulas that has worked in Europe for 70 years to Asia has not been straightforward, says Sarun 'Note' Kungbunpot, a Eurovision enthusiast and Thai singer who has won several competitions in this region.
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who → transfer → region
I'm not sure many people have heard about it yet," he says, adding that he thinks it will take a bit of time for audiences to adjust.
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audiences → hear → time
"When we look at contests in Thailand, the Philippines and Korea, we actually compete based on the singer.
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we → look → singer
"It's all about popularity – fans are looking for their idols.
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fans → look → idols
I think this needs to be communicated clearly.
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this → think → ?
It began in 1956 as a project to encourage greater cultural exchanges in a Europe which was trying to forge a common future after two world wars.
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which → begin → wars
This was the very start of the age of mass television ownership, and Eurovision became such a fixture it is now an indelible piece of Europe's shared cultural heritage.
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it → become → heritage
It has no such resonance in Asia, and arrives in this region in the digital age, when traditional TV formats are struggling to cut through.
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formats → have → age
Only 11 countries are taking part in this first Eurovision Asia contest – host Thailand, along with Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, South Korea, Mongolia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
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countries → take → Malaysia
Asian giants India, China, Japan and Indonesia are noticeably absent, although there are negotiations ongoing to try to get them into next year's contest, assuming there is one.
There have also been problems with the organisation of this event.
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giants → be → event
A sudden million-dollar (£760,000) budget cut just three weeks before the final meant many of the technicians familiar with staging Eurovision were not brought to Thailand, and there have been a number of staff resignations too.
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many → mean → resignations
Eurovision fans - and there are many passionate followers around the world - have noticed, criticising audio and lighting in rehearsal videos.
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fans → be → videos
Like in Europe, Eurovision Asia will determine the winner through a 50/50 mix of public voting and national juries from each of the 11 contesting countries, as well as a 12th "rest of the world" category.
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Asia → determine → world
Anyone can vote - you get eight votes once you register - but you cannot vote for your own country's contestant and you must give your votes to at least three others.
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you → vote → others
The public and jury votes are then converted into points.
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votes → convert → points
The most popular song among the Bhutanese or Mongolians, for example, will get 12 points from those countries, while the song ranked last will get zero - the famous "nul points".
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song → get → zero
This seems less likely in Eurovision Asia, but political differences, for example between Thailand and Cambodia after their border war last year, could influence how their audiences vote.
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audiences → seem → war
Filipinos, with their passion for singing, are expected to be enthusiastic participants and the 11 million who live overseas might make a difference.
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who → expect → difference
But as most live and work in countries which are not participating, their votes will only go into the "rest of the world" pool.
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votes → live → pool
For Bhutan, with a population of less than a million, this is a rare chance to shine on a global stage, which puts some pressure on 24-year-old Thukten Nyendra, the singer representing the Himalayan kingdom in Bangkok with his song Lhayi Semo (The Angel).
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which → shine → song
Before coming here he had never left his country or been on a plane before.
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he → come → plane
I'm just Nyendra over there," he told the BBC.
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he → tell → BBC
"Nobody knows me.
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Nobody → know → me
But Eurovision has given me a huge platform.
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Eurovision → give → platform
Actually winning would mean the world to us...
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winning → win → us
If I really make it through all of this, it would mean the entire freaking world to us."
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it → make → us
The other characteristic of Eurovision is the song format – no more than three minutes, no more than six people on stage, and no backing band, only taped music.
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characteristic → tap → stage
This encourages performers to prepare elaborate, sometimes outrageous choreography and stunts to impress the audience – think Poland's My Słowianie in 2014 with models in traditional costume churning butter on stage, or the Finnish heavy metal band Lordi donning flamboyant monster outfits in its 2006 entry.
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models → encourage → entry
Eurovision Asia includes Malaysia and Bangladesh – where same-sex activity is illegal – and there are no visible LGBTQ+ elements this year.
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activity → include → Malaysia
Performers have been using the last days of rehearsals before the final to try to make their stage acts as striking as possible.
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acts → use → final
Thinla from Laos has abandoned the short, sequinned dress she wore in the first video of her infectious reggaeton song Bae and is adopting Lao hill-tribe costume for her and her backing dancers.
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she → abandon → her
It has been exhausting just watching her rehearse the elaborate moves and costume changes for more than an hour at a time.
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her → watch → time
The entry from Bangladesh's Beatmosphere, Tumi Ele ("You Came"), is unusual as an a cappella and beatboxing performance by six men with little backing music.
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You → come → music
The youngest contestant is 19 year-old Carmelle Collado from the Philippines, whose bubbling confidence and strong stage presence in her song Sobra-Sobra ("Too Much") belie her youth.
"I'm actually quite scared because I'm the youngest, but also really happy," she told us.
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she → bubble → us
Eurovision is famous for putting unknown acts onto a global stage, and introducing musicians who went on to become megastars – think Abba, little known when they won in 1974 with Waterloo, and Celine Dion winning in Ireland in 1988.
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Dion → put → 1988
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
