Before the contest, it sounded like a controversy packed event, with Tatu making too much noise and Alf Poier bringing on a show with animals, as monotonous as you'd like, with Norway not ggiven much of a chance and with Belgium-where did that song come from? interlude.

As the event started, we were warned about the fast rhythm of some songs, about saving the "Beth" for last (Spain's entry which marked the second year they sent someone from a Pop Idol competition) and about he synchronization (or voice over playback, to some songs). Thankfully not much of that, due to some of the bands on stage supplying the main instrumentalism to the songs. But...

What did we get in truth, and therefor what is the Song Vision for Europe, judging by music representations? Answer:
Lot of political controversies, a quiet "voice shouting" from Tatu, a ridiculous (but important message) interpretattion from Austria's Alf, and a brilliant randition of a song you'd need to hear it 10 times over before it works its way unto your groovy liking.. Belgium's entry. The political matters seem to overshadow the event each time! On May 24, 2003, we got former Yugoslavian counries voting top notches for each other, Cyprus and Greece joining hands, as always, and Scandinavians putting their neighbours up front! It's always like that.

Winners: Norway - indeed, no one might have wanted to send Jostein Hasselg?rd, but no one pan-Europeanly thought we'd hear a voice like Barry Manilow from him.
Greece - we discovered Mando, an illustrious, worldwide talent, from London to Montreal, to New York, she has even lived and performed in "Jesus Christ Superstar". Beautiful song!
Spain: The song was as catchy as any, but perhaps it lacked the English words in the lyrics? I don't think so, even if you don't have the latin guitar, or the heart, for that matter!

Who
let us down? I think United Kingdom should have gotten the impossible 9 points (always skipped in voting). Latvia, as hosts, could have done a lot better than joining UK at the botom of the televotes. Another unprecedented in Eurovision, for a host to do so bad!

And now, for the best part!
To win, in the future, there must be a rule making the neighbouring nations compete in a preliminary in the week of the Eurovision, thus only voting 1 single winner out of, say 3-4-5 nations!
To let the best in Europe compete, like Italy who has boycoted the event for over a decade now, not taking it seriously at all.
To let the orchestra back on stage(or under, or near, mind you)!
To let each nation perform its song twice- once in English or French or Spanish or German, and once in its original language! (could be done within that big European event! , not in just one night)!

That said, thanks for reading.
There's just one more thing! For the past 3 years, new nations have won: Estonia, Latvia and Turkey... those have never won previously! Turkey won this year! I think? Well, if you ever listened to the repeated lyrics of the chorus more than in any other song, you'dbe forgiven to have liked the original choreography of the song, which I think that is why it was helped to win overall... And I didn't say anything about people looking for the escape goat, he poor nation's isolation, and he people caring about it kind of voing attitude... because some people don't like the song contest, so they have now the power of televot ting!
In conclusion, I like the Song Contest, and followed it for almost 20 years live, and I am only 29! It has lost its creativity, but the talent is still around to be discovered. Let us never forget that and never ruin it with any kind of prejudices!

My kind of the winner? Spain and Poland (who had a brilliant interpretation sung in German and Polish, an outstand
ing concept of a song only matched by Nightwish, but since it united two languages, could it be considered a 1-nation's sole winner? there's your controversy!)