“Toll im Quadrat” – roughly translated it can mean either “great in a square” or “great squared” – was a show at the Klinik Hohe Mark in Oberursel last Friday.

Advertised as being “not just a Flamenco Revue”, it was a mixture of dance, songs and one might even say sketches performed by local graphic designer and dancer Nathalie Karg with John “Lobito” Opheim on the guitar and singer and percussionist Manuel Lojo “Ardillita” in front of an audience of 140 people.

Much of the music had a Spanish feel to it, even to the extent of “My Way” sung in Spanish, with more serious tones such as the homage to Salvador Dalí but mixed with light-hearted elements and in some cases performed against daring backdrops, such as a large photo of a cucumber.

Would you perform in Spanish in front of a giant cucumber?

After the interval, (more…)

When I was studying in Birmingham, there was always a rumour going around that if the UK ever won the Eurovision Song Contest, the city would be the host for the following year.

Of course, the UK never did win during those years, but I had hardly moved to Germany when Katrina and the Waves did indeed bring the contest to Birmingham, and I had to watch it with a German commentary.

So when Germany won the contest last year I was rather hoping that Frankfurt would get be on the shortlist of contenders for the 2011 competition. (more…)

Within the past half hour Germany has won the 55th Eurovision Song Contest with a song called “Satellite” and performed by a previously unknown artist – “Lena”.

Germany picked up points from most of the countries voting, so even though many gave 12 points to their traditional neighbouring recipients, eventually they could not be caught.

German television has shown live scenes from Hamburg with a crowed of 70,000 people celebrating the win.

Here is the winning song: