The most boring yearly concert in Europe will take place today. It is called Eurovision: European countries send their ‘best’ singers to this concert. They compete. The population of the individual European countries and their juries vote for who they think did best, and the act with most votes wins. It is a bit like Idols or America’s Next Popstar, but then the patriotic European version.

Although Eurovision is of little to no importance in the Netherlands – we scoff at it – it is considered an important event in many European countries, especially in Eastern European countries like Bulgaria, Rumania, Russia, and Turkey. 

One of this year’s favorites is Hadise: a beautiful Turkish Belgian singer, representing not Belgium but Turkey (see the photo to the left). Hurriyet:

As pop princess Hadise steps up in an attempt to bring Turkey its second victory on Saturday, most of the country will lock their televisions to TRT and hang on every word of commentator Bülend Özveren, Turkey’s answer to Terry Wogan, hoping that they will not be robbed again.

The new voting system is a bit complex:

Birol Uzunay, the press consultant for the general manager of TRT explained the new voting system to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. “Each country chose five professional musicians for the jury,” he said. “Fifty percent of the jury’s votes will be combined with 50 percent of the public votes that are sent in by mobile phone.”

This was done because the average Westerner had had enough of the Eastern European states always voting for each other, no matter whether the acts were actually good or not.

Still, despite the jury, Hadise is a top favorite. Perhaps even also partially because of the jury. Unlike many other artists performing at Eurovision later today, Hadise is a skilled. She can actually sing. And quite good at that.

My prediction, then? Well, I do not know any of the other acts, nor am I going to watch it (it truly is boring), except for Hadise’s performance – I’ll tune in when my fiancée tells me Hadise goes on stage – so I will not predict the winner either. I do hope that Hadise will win, however.