Melodifestivalen [1]
It’s that time of the year. Again. Big deal? It really is a big deal!!
Melodifestivalen [Mehlody-festivahl-en] is the very core of Swedish music culture. It is the intense and slightly complicated selection process in choosing a song for Eurovision, which is where almost all European countries compete in a pompous music competition. Eurovision is like a big karaoke party! Sweden has won in total 4 times, with ABBA’s ‘Waterloo’, Herrey’s ‘Diggi-loo-diggi-ley’, Carola’s ‘Fångad av en stormvind’ and most recently, Charlotte Nilsson’s ‘Take Me to Your Heaven’ in 1999. Sweden is very competitive in Eurovision and evidently takes it very seriously.
Melodifestivalen is divided into four main parts. The best two songs from each quarter are selected by the voting public in attending the finals in Stockholm. Additionally, eight other songs go to ‘Andra Chansen’ [Awundrwa Shahnsehn, the Second Chance], where two songs will be elected in joining the eight entries at Globen. In total, we have six weeks of this musical festival. Stockholm is the big night. 10 songs. 1 night. Expect blood and tears.
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