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Hamburg (dpa) - The longtime commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), Peter Urban (73) already has the first favorites on his list. “I think it's a really good vintage. With around ten titles that really stand out. That can be really exciting, ”said the music expert from the German Press Agency in Hamburg. However, he does not see a clear favorite. «Italy will certainly have great chances. They always send the winner of the San Remo Festival. They have a contribution that is really interesting. It's a mix of really hard rock with a bit of rap influence and Italian. Really good."
Urban also rates the contributions from Switzerland, Malta and Portugal as exceptionally good.
In any case, he is very happy that a nice range is finally available again.
«That was not quite as abundant in the last two years.
This time there are very good pieces from different styles and that always makes a competition interesting. "
Urban has been commenting on the ESC since 1997. He is not only deadly serious, but also delights many ESC fans with his small, snappy, ironic side comments.
But you have to be very careful with them, says Urban.
“I don't want to insult or make a fool of anyone.
This is a fine tightrope act.
Because I want to be fair too. "
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Urban finds the German contribution, “I Don't Feel Hate” by Jendrik Sigwart, “totally original”.
Jendrik himself is «extraordinary» and «highly talented young artist, who sprays, who will be like a rubber ball on stage, who can sing, who can dance and who has great ideas”.
Due to the different styles - skiffle music, a touch of 20s jazz and hard rock - the song does not seem to fit into a drawer.
But the song has a very catchy melody and a serious theme.
“A current topic - namely hate messages - is dealt with here in an easy, sympathetic, amusing way.
That is a big claim.
But it has been reached well. "
He could not say whether the song will be popular with the ESC audience.
«It will get attention.
And with the ESC it is much more important to be original and extraordinary. "
Urban is a proven music expert who has already attended more than 5000 concerts and spoken to the greats of the music world.
He has been playing the piano and organ since his youth, wrote his thesis on pop music and its content, has been part of a blues-soul band for 40 years and has already hosted several music programs on NDR 2, currently every Thursday evening «NDR 2 Soundcheck - Die Peter Urban Show ».
At the moment he is also regularly on the air with the NDR podcast “Urban Pop”.
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At the ESC he likes the sporty character and that he can also learn something from it. “The ESC is a kind of game without borders, a European competition, but it doesn't necessarily have to be taken seriously. You can see it easily and playfully. " He is fascinated by the fact that so many musical cultures from many countries are brought together on stage. "And to be honest, I am always happy when there are ethnic or national songs or music to be heard." There is a lot going on this year in particular. “They are good and fascinating because they combine ethnic elements with modern elements - electronic music and rap. And that's really exciting. "
The ESC is a competition that is open in many ways - also for music in other styles.
“It's now music from all styles at the ESC.
Hard rock, modern soul and R'n'B music.
A few years ago even Portugal won with a jazzy Bossanova-like song in very delicate tones in Portuguese.
In the past you would never have believed that it would ever happen. "
The 73-year-old does not see an end to his professional passion for music for a long time.
"I would be terribly bored if I only had to do this privately."
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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210516-99-616868 / 2
Portrait of Jendrik Sigwart on the NDR-ESC page
Information about the broadcast of Peter Urban on NDR 2
Information on the Peter Urban Podcast "Urban Pop"