India could win Eurovision!

Engelbert Humperdinck, 75, will represent England in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. Read to find out why we Indians care about it.

Anant Rangaswami|Mar 02, 2012, 14:47:30 IST

Eurovision. The contest that catapulted Abba to fame in 1974 with their smash hit Waterloo (which you can see here).[caption id="attachment_231992" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Engelbert Humperdinck, 75, will represent England in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012."][/caption]And this year, guess who will represent England in the 36 years after Abba’s victory with Waterloo? The 75-year-old Engelbert Humperdinck, who captivated audiences with hits Please Release Me, Spanish Eyes and My Way.Here we go, and judge whether he stands a chance.The BBC announced yesterday that Humperdinck would represent the United Kingdom in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.The contest is to be held in Azerbaijan on 26 May, where Humperdinck will sing a track produced by Martin Terefe and co-written by Sacha Skarbek. Terefe’s client list includes Jason Mraz, Train, Cat Stevens, Jamie Cullum and James Morrison, so Engelbert will have decent raw material to work with.Please Release MeSpanish EyesAnd his take on My WayAnd why does Firstpost care?It’s because Engelbert was born Arnold Dorsey in Madras, India, to an English father and an Anglo-Indian mother…… so in a way, as we are wont to do, if Engelbert wins, we can claim it as a victory for India.

By Anant Rangaswami

Anant Rangaswami was, until recently, the editor of Campaign India magazine, of which Anant was also the founding editor. Campaign India is now arguably India's most respected publication in the advertising and media space. Anant has over 20 years experience in media and advertising. He began in Madras, for STAR TV, moving on as Regional Manager, South for Sony’s SET and finally as Chief Manager at BCCL’s Times Television and Times FM. He then moved to advertising, rising to the post of Associate Vice President at TBWA India. Anant then made the leap into journalism, taking over as editor of what is now Campaign India's competitive publication, Impact. Anant teaches regularly and is a prolific blogger and author of Watching from the sidelines.

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