Intervision Song Contest

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See also: Sopot International Song Festival
For other uses, check Intervision (disambiguation).
Intervision Song Contest
Location(s) Forest Opera, Sopot, Poland
Years active 1977-1980

The Intervision Song Contest (ISC) was the Eastern Bloc equivalent to the Eurovision Song Contest. Its organiser was the Intervision, the network of Eastern Europe television stations. It took place in the Forest Opera in Sopot, Poland.

The ISC was organised between 1977 and 1980. It replaced the Sopot International Song Festival (Sopot ISF) that had been held in Sopot since 1961. In 1981 the ISC/Sopot ISF was cancelled because of the rise of the independent trade union movement, Solidarity, which was judged by other Eastern-bloc countries to be counter-revolutionary. From 1984 Polish television TVP resumed the organisation of this festival, but with the old name of the Sopot ISF. The winners of the Sopot ISF receive the Amber Nightingale.

The competition had an interesting way of voting. Because lot of citizens did not have phones, viewers would turn on lights if they liked the song or turned them off if they didn’t like the song. According to load experienced on the electrical network, points were granted accordingly to each contestant.[1]

In 2009 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposed restart of competition but this time between Russia, China and Central Asian countries which are mostly members of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.[2][3][4]

Winners

Contest Country Song Performer
I ISC 1977
XVII Sopot ISF		 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia "Malovaný džbánku" Helena Vondráčková
II ISC 1978
XVIII Sopot ISF		 Soviet Union Soviet Union "Vsyo mogut koroli" (Всё могут короли) Alla Pugacheva
III ISC 1979
XIX Sopot ISF		 Poland Poland "Nim przyjdzie wiosna" Czesław Niemen
IV ISC 1980
XX Sopot ISF [5]		 Finland Finland "Hyvästi yö" -- "Where Is the Love" Marion Rung
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia "Vyznanie" (also known as "Declaration") Marika Gombitová
Soviet Union Soviet Union "Dance on a Drum" Nikolai Gnatiuk

References

  1. ↑ Clip from the movie The Secret History of the Eurovision Song Contest
  2. ↑ Intervision: The Russian proposed song contest with China, Central Asia (Shanghaiist: Shanghai News, Food, Arts & Events)
  3. ↑ Putin mulls Intervision Song Contest (BBC World Service)
  4. ↑ Vladimir Putin proposes rival to Eurovision Song Contest between Russia and central Asian countries (Daily Mail)
  5. ↑ Waschko, Roman (1980-09-06). "Finn Singer Triumphant At Sopot Contest". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media). p. 65. Retrieved 2011-04-05. "Two competitions were held at the 4th Intervision Song Festival in Sopot August 20–23, 1980: one for artists representing television companies, the other for those representing record companies. In the first the jury considered the artistic merits of the songs entered; while in the second, it judged the performers' interpretation. The outcome was a victory for Finnish singer Marion in the first contest, "Where Is the Love?" taking the Grand Prix. Six year before, Marion Rung had wond won the Grand Prix at the Sopot International Song Festival. The first prize was shared by Czech performer, Marika Gombitová with "Declaration", and Soviet Nikolai Gnatiuk for the song "Dance on a Drum"."  (English)

External links

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