Der K Und K Kalypso Aus Wien
Encyclopedia
"Der K und K Kalypso aus Wien" (The K and K Calypso from Vienna) was the Austrian
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959
, performed in German
by Ferry Graf
.
The song was performed ninth on the night, following Switzerland
's Christa Williams
with "Irgendwoher
" and preceding the United Kingdom
's Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson
with "Sing Little Birdie". At the close of voting, the song had received 4 points, placing it ninth in a field of 11.
The song is somewhat unusual, in that it represents one of the first attempts to fuse an ethnic musical style (in this case, Calypso
) with the chanson-style songs popular in the Contest at the time. Graf attempts to describe a specifically Viennese
style of calypso, one which appears to be connected to "the melodies of Strauss
" and have "a bit of red pepper" in it. The sound is likened to "the polka
from Brno
". There is also some yodelling in the song.
The title, too, is unusual. "K und K" refers to "Kaiserlich und Königlich" ("Imperial and Royal"), the common description of the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The song was succeeded as Austrian representative
at the Eurovision Song Contest 1960
by Harry Winter
singing "Du hast mich so fasziniert
".
Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest
Austria has appeared frequently at the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has won once, in 1966, with the song "Merci Chérie".In recent years, Austria's entries have tended towards the humorous, in contrast with the dance-pop achieving success. 2003 saw comedian and personality Alf Poier perform...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959
Eurovision Song Contest 1959
The Eurovision Song Contest 1959 was the fourth Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in Cannes, following the French victory the previous year....
, performed in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
by Ferry Graf
Ferry Graf
Ferry Graf is an Austrian singer, who is now a Finnish citizen.-Career:In 1959, Graf was selected by the Austrian broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1959, with the German language song "Der K und K Kalypso aus Wien"...
.
The song was performed ninth on the night, following Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's Christa Williams
Christa Williams
Christa Williams is a German pop singer most popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s....
with "Irgendwoher
Irgendwoher
"Irgendwoher" was the Swiss entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1959, composed by Lothar Löffler and performed in German by Christa Williams...
" and preceding the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson
Pearl Carr & Teddy Johnson
Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson were a popular English husband-and-wife team of entertainers, during the 1950s and early 1960s.-Early days:They were both successful solo singers before their marriage in 1955...
with "Sing Little Birdie". At the close of voting, the song had received 4 points, placing it ninth in a field of 11.
The song is somewhat unusual, in that it represents one of the first attempts to fuse an ethnic musical style (in this case, Calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
) with the chanson-style songs popular in the Contest at the time. Graf attempts to describe a specifically Viennese
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
style of calypso, one which appears to be connected to "the melodies of Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
" and have "a bit of red pepper" in it. The sound is likened to "the polka
Polka
The polka is a Central European dance and also a genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia...
from Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
". There is also some yodelling in the song.
The title, too, is unusual. "K und K" refers to "Kaiserlich und Königlich" ("Imperial and Royal"), the common description of the army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The song was succeeded as Austrian representative
Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest
Austria has appeared frequently at the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has won once, in 1966, with the song "Merci Chérie".In recent years, Austria's entries have tended towards the humorous, in contrast with the dance-pop achieving success. 2003 saw comedian and personality Alf Poier perform...
at the Eurovision Song Contest 1960
Eurovision Song Contest 1960
The Eurovision Song Contest 1960 was the fifth in the series, and was held on 29 March 1960 in London. France's win this year was their second in the contest....
by Harry Winter
Harry Winter
Harry Winter , born Horst Winter, was a German-Austrian singer who performed at the 1960 Eurovision Song Contest...
singing "Du hast mich so fasziniert
Du Hast Mich So Fasziniert
"Du hast mich so fasziniert" was the Austrian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960, performed in German by Harry Winter....
".