For the third year in a row, Parodi (Parody) Grand Prix will be arranged in Norway. The national competition is based on performances of previous Eurovision Song Contest performances and provides a thrilling competition filled with great music and humour. The first shows start next weekend, on 19th and 20th January, in Oslo and Bergen. The competition producer is none other than esctoday.com Norwegian editor, Tom Espen Hansen!
At the beginning in 2005, Parodi Grand Prix was such a success that the show had to expand and become a national event in 2006. In 2005 everything took place in Bergen, but last year also Trondheim and Oslo arranged semifinals. This year, Stavanger will host a semifinal for the first timebefore the, national final takes placein Bergen in May. Altogether, there will be held 10 qualifying rounds this year, and the competition is hotter than ever.
In the competition you will recognise all the musical and stage elements from the original Eurovision Song Contest (in Norway called Melodi Grand Prix). To participate, you have to sing a song that has been in either a national final or the Eurovision Song Contest. Competitors are free to make their own musical twists and stage performances.
The original idea was to create a small contest for fun in Bergen, but the enthusiastic response was enormous, and the final had to be held in the largest eventhall in Bergen, Grieghallen. This was also the stage for the first Eurovision Song Contest that Norway held, backin 1986. In the final, Roy Vorland and Andreas Holt became the proud first winners of Parody Grand Prix with their contribution “Shame on you” (Denmark 2004). First runner-up was Belinda Glava with Croatia’s “Marija Magdalena” from 1999. Kim Fairchild (who actually came second in Melodi Grand Prix in 1993) ended second runner-up with “Where are you?” (UK 1998).
In 2006 the contest expanded, and now included semifinals in both Trondheim and Oslo. Suddenly the contest had become a national event. The final was also this year held in Grieghallen, and it was the Scandinavian songs that made the biggest success. Third place went to Smellysocks with “La det swinge” (Norway’s first victory in 1985), first runner-up went to Sweden. Ane Skumsvoll sang “Det gör ont” (2004). Also the winner was a former Norwegian contribution. Bjørnar & Lappjæntan won with “Samiid Ædnan”, the unforgettable song from 1980. Below there are youtube links to all the finalists of the 2006 edition, enjoy!
First we get to se the opening of the show, with Kim Fairchild singing the Eurovision hymn acapella, and the 2005 winners, Roy Vorland and Andreas Holt, repeating their number ‘Shame on you’ (Denmark 2004).
The winner of the Oslo-final was also the winner in the 2006 edition of Parodi Grand Prix. Bjørnar Løberg competed in the Norwegian national final of 2003 as a composer, and made his very own version of ‘Samiid Ædnan’ (Norway 1980). Together with five energetic girls who called themselves Lappjentan, he took the audience by storm. Later this number also got to perform at Rådhusplassen in Oslo during the Memory Lane-concert, where many big Eurovision stars performed their unforgettable Eurovision acts.
The runner up ‘Det gör ont’ (Sweden 2005) was the winner of the Trondheim-final, and was performed by Ane Skumsvoll, who is an actor in Trøndelag Teater. Her hilarious version of Lena Ph’s song reaches the top when se actually takes her heart out, and THAT hurts!
Third place went to the two student-actors in Smellysocks who made a parody out of ‘La det swinge’ (Norway 1985). The monologue in the beginning of the song makes a joke about why everything starts to swing, referring to the use of pills.
The rest of the entrants in the 2006-final can be found by searching on ‘parodigrandprix’ on www.youtube.com.
Report written by Geir Magne Økland and Tom Espen Hansen for esctoday.com
