Sanomi
Encyclopedia
"Sanomi" was the Belgian
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003
, which ranked second in the Contest, performed in a constructed language
by the six-piece band Urban Trad
.
This was the second time ever in Eurovision history that Belgium finished as the runner-up, the first being Jean Vallée
with "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie
" in 1978
, and it was also the country's best placing in the Contest since Sandra Kim
's victory with "J'aime la vie
" back in 1986
.
The song was the twenty-second in the running order of the Contest, following Latvia
's F.L.Y.
with "Hello From Mars
" and preceding Estonia
's Ruffus
with "Eighties Coming Back
". At the close of voting, it had received 165 points, placing second in a field of 26.
The song is remarkable for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most readily apparent is that it was the first occasion that a song in a made-up language had been performed at the Contest (prompting the famous remark of BBC
commentator Terry Wogan
"Three languages to choose from and they had to make up their own").
Further, the song is remarkable for having featured in one of the closest finishes in Contest history, ultimately finishing with just two fewer points than the eventual winner (Sertab Erener
with "Everyway That I Can
" for Turkey
) and only one point above third-placed Russia
(t.A.T.u.
with "Ne Ver', Ne Boysia").
It is also often argued that Belgium received a lot of political sympathy votes. The country, together with France, took a firm position against the British-American proposition to put NATO anti-aircraft guns in Turkey to defend Turkey against Iraqi retaliation after a (then-)possible U.S. invasion of Iraq.
A few months before the Contest, it was decided that the original singer Soetkin Collier could not participate, apparently because she had extreme right sympathies in the past.
As a result of this, two versions of the song exist on record. One was the standard album version (4:08) and another version was released on single and on the Eurovision Song Contest 2003
compilation album. Often known as the 'Eurovision edit', it cut down to 3:01 and it had Soetkin Collier's vocals removed.
Later that year, after an investigation, it was concluded that these accusations by the national security, were exaggerated and based on outdated information.
"Sanomi" was succeeded as Belgian representative
at the 2004 Contest
by Xandee
with "1 Life
".
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
, which ranked second in the Contest, performed in a constructed language
Constructed language
A planned or constructed language—known colloquially as a conlang—is a language whose phonology, grammar, and/or vocabulary has been consciously devised by an individual or group, instead of having evolved naturally...
by the six-piece band Urban Trad
Urban Trad
Urban Trad is a Belgian folk music group, consisting of both Flemish and French speaking people and a close connection with Galicia.-Members:*Yves Barbieux: flutes and Galician bagpipe*Veronica Codesal: vocals*Soetkin Collier: vocals...
.
This was the second time ever in Eurovision history that Belgium finished as the runner-up, the first being Jean Vallée
Jean Vallée
Jean Vallée is a Belgian song writer and performer. Vallée was made Knight in the Order of the Crown by HM Albert II in 1999.-Career:...
with "L'amour ça fait chanter la vie
L'Amour Ça Fait Chanter La Vie
"L'amour ça fait chanter la vie" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1978, performed in French by Jean Vallée...
" in 1978
Eurovision Song Contest 1978
The Eurovision Song Contest 1978 was the 23rd of its kind, and was held on 22 April 1978 in Paris. With Denise Fabre and Léon Zitrone as the presenters - the first time more than one presenter hosted the contest - the contest was won by Izhar Cohen & the Alphabeta who represented Israel, with their...
, and it was also the country's best placing in the Contest since Sandra Kim
Sandra Kim
Sandra Caldarone , better known as Sandra Kim, is a Belgian singer of Italian descent who won the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 held in Bergen, Norway, on 3 May 1986....
's victory with "J'aime la vie
J'Aime La Vie
"J'aime la vie" was the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 1986, performed for Belgium by Sandra Kim. Belgium had finished the 1985 Contest in last place, and thus achieved the rare turnaround from last to first in the space of one year...
" back in 1986
Eurovision Song Contest 1986
The Eurovision Song Contest 1986 was the 31st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 3 May 1986 in the Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway. It was the first occasion on which Norway played host to the contest...
.
The song was the twenty-second in the running order of the Contest, following Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
's F.L.Y.
F.L.Y.
F.L.Y. was a Latvian band, created with purpose to participate in Eurovision Song Contest.At a party following the national finals of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, Mārtiņš Freimanis came up with an idea for the following year’s contest....
with "Hello From Mars
Hello From Mars
"Hello From Mars" was the Latvian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, performed in English by F.L.Y.The lyrics are notably obscure, however the song appears to be a love song in which a pair of lovers reminisce about the way in which they met...
" and preceding Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
's Ruffus
Ruffus
Ruffus was a britpop band from Estonia that was originally known as Claire's Birthday. They represented their country in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003.-Members:...
with "Eighties Coming Back
Eighties Coming Back
"Eighties Coming Back" was the Estonian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, performed in English by Ruffus.The song was performed twenty-third on the night...
". At the close of voting, it had received 165 points, placing second in a field of 26.
The song is remarkable for a number of reasons. Perhaps the most readily apparent is that it was the first occasion that a song in a made-up language had been performed at the Contest (prompting the famous remark of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
commentator Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
"Three languages to choose from and they had to make up their own").
Further, the song is remarkable for having featured in one of the closest finishes in Contest history, ultimately finishing with just two fewer points than the eventual winner (Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener is a Turkish pop music singer and also a cross-over soprano with a vocal range that extends to high F. She is one of the most successful female Turkish pop singers in her homeland, and is considered one of the divas of Turkish pop music...
with "Everyway That I Can
Everyway That I Can
"Everyway That I Can" is the winning song of the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest sung in English by Sertab Erener.-Everyway That I Can:"Everyway That I Can" was written by Demir Demirkan in early 2003 and produced and arranged by Ozan Çolakoğlu, famous for his works with pop idol Tarkan...
" for Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
) and only one point above third-placed Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(t.A.T.u.
T.A.T.u.
t.A.T.u. was a duo formed in Moscow, Russia in 1999 by Ivan Shapovalov. The group consisted of Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova.Their debut single "Ya Soshla S Uma" was released in December 2000. The single had a huge success in Russia and Eastern Europe...
with "Ne Ver', Ne Boysia").
It is also often argued that Belgium received a lot of political sympathy votes. The country, together with France, took a firm position against the British-American proposition to put NATO anti-aircraft guns in Turkey to defend Turkey against Iraqi retaliation after a (then-)possible U.S. invasion of Iraq.
A few months before the Contest, it was decided that the original singer Soetkin Collier could not participate, apparently because she had extreme right sympathies in the past.
As a result of this, two versions of the song exist on record. One was the standard album version (4:08) and another version was released on single and on the Eurovision Song Contest 2003
Eurovision Song Contest 2003
The Eurovision Song Contest 2003 was the forty-eighth Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Skonto Hall in Riga, Latvia on 24 May 2003. The hosts were Marie N and Renārs Kaupers. Sertab Erener, the Turkish entrant, won the contest with "Everyway That I Can", scoring 167 points. The winning...
compilation album. Often known as the 'Eurovision edit', it cut down to 3:01 and it had Soetkin Collier's vocals removed.
Later that year, after an investigation, it was concluded that these accusations by the national security, were exaggerated and based on outdated information.
"Sanomi" was succeeded as Belgian representative
Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest
Belgium is a founding member of the Eurovision Song Contest. Since 1956, the country has participated 52 times, only being absent three times in total: in 1994, 1997 and 2001, due to low scores in the previous contests that relegated Belgium from the contest.-History of Belgium in the Eurovision...
at the 2004 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
by Xandee
Xandee
Xandee is a stage name of Sandy Boets , Flemish singer who represented Belgium at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. At the age of 16 she founded the pop duo "Touch of Joy" with Serge Quisquater...
with "1 Life
1 Life
"1 Life" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, performed in English by Xandee.The song was performed thirteenth in the final, to which Belgium was prequalified...
".
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|