Minn Hinsti Dans
Encyclopedia
"Minn hinsti dans" was the Iceland
ic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997
, performed in Icelandic
by Paul Oscar
, a former drag queen
(although the song was performed by Paul merely wearing some eyeliner) who raised many eyebrows in Iceland with his artistic creations before. The song is sung from the perspective of a man who has lived a hedonistic life - "Crystal champagne, pearls, porcelain/Diamonds for dinner, love for dessert" - and who appears to be either giving this lifestyle up or preparing to die (the lyrics are unclear on this point). He sings, however, that "I never regret a thing, never regret". The performance involved both Paul and his female dancers performing kinky gestures and adopting sexually suggestive poses.
The song was performed twenty-fifth on the night (following the United Kingdom
's Katrina and the Waves
with Love Shine a Light). At the close of voting, it had received 18 points, placing 20th in a field of 25.
With the rapid expansion of the Contest, the decision was taken to restrict entry to the 1998 Contest
to those countries achieving the best average score over the previous five years, a group which did not include Iceland. As Iceland broadcast that Contest, they were permitted to return in the following year along with the other "passive participants". Thus, the song was succeeded as Icelandic representative
at the 1999 Contest
by Selma
with "All Out Of Luck
".
A brief excerpt from the performance was shown as part of a montage at the Congratulations
special, provoking a positive reaction from the audience.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1997
Eurovision Song Contest 1997
The Eurovision Song Contest 1997, was the 42nd Eurovision Song Contest and it was held at the Point Theatre Dublin, Ireland, on 3 May 1997. Boyzone member Ronan Keating and Carrie Crowley were the presenters of the show....
, performed in Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
by Paul Oscar
Paul Oscar
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson , known internationally as Páll Óskar and Paul Oscar, is an Icelandic pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey. He had a musical childhood, singing at private functions, with choirs and for media advertisements, but was affected by bullying in school and tension between his...
, a former drag queen
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
(although the song was performed by Paul merely wearing some eyeliner) who raised many eyebrows in Iceland with his artistic creations before. The song is sung from the perspective of a man who has lived a hedonistic life - "Crystal champagne, pearls, porcelain/Diamonds for dinner, love for dessert" - and who appears to be either giving this lifestyle up or preparing to die (the lyrics are unclear on this point). He sings, however, that "I never regret a thing, never regret". The performance involved both Paul and his female dancers performing kinky gestures and adopting sexually suggestive poses.
The song was performed twenty-fifth on the night (following 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 Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
with Love Shine a Light). At the close of voting, it had received 18 points, placing 20th in a field of 25.
With the rapid expansion of the Contest, the decision was taken to restrict entry to the 1998 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1998
The Eurovision Song Contest 1998 was the 43rd Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 9 May 1998 at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The presenters were Terry Wogan and Ulrika Jonsson...
to those countries achieving the best average score over the previous five years, a group which did not include Iceland. As Iceland broadcast that Contest, they were permitted to return in the following year along with the other "passive participants". Thus, the song was succeeded as Icelandic representative
Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Iceland has entered the Eurovision Song Contest 24 times since their debut in 1986. Iceland did not enter in 1998 and 2002 when prevented due to finishing outside qualification places the preceding years....
at the 1999 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1999
The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 in Jerusalem, Israel after Dana International won the contest the previous year in the United Kingdom. The venue for the contest was the International Convention Center...
by Selma
Selma Björnsdóttir
Selma Björnsdóttir , also known as simply Selma, is an Icelandic singer born in Reykjavík, best known internationally for representing her country in the Eurovision Song Contest....
with "All Out Of Luck
All Out Of Luck
"All Out of Luck" was the Icelandic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999, performed in English by Selma. This was the first occasion on which the Icelandic entry had not been performed entirely in Icelandic....
".
A brief excerpt from the performance was shown as part of a montage at the Congratulations
Congratulations (Eurovision)
Congratulations: 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest was a television programme organised by the European Broadcasting Union to commemorate the Eurovision Song Contest's fiftieth anniversary and to determine the Contest's most popular entrant of its fifty years. It took place at Forum,...
special, provoking a positive reaction from the audience.