European Minority Song Contest 2009
Many thanks to our business reporter and fellow blogger Alistair Houghton for passing this little gem on to Boom Bang a Blog - there's another European Song Contest taking place this weekend, celebrating the mother tongues you don't hear very much about in the mass media.
Leeuwarden in the Netherlands hosts the sixth (No, I'd never heard of the previous five, either) European Minority Song Contest Liet International on Hallowe'en night.
Sounds a lot more fun than Brucie's laboured jokes on Strictly...
The Council of Europe is behind the event and is seen as a way to promote conemporary new songs in minority languages. Although it won't be televised over terrestrial or satellite channels, CNN will broadcast it on their website and all those taking a peek will be invited to register their preference so a Eurovisiony-style vote can take place. You can follow the show for yourself on the official feed here.
It's all part of the Partnership for Diversity Conference which takes place at the same time, under the theme: "The challenging relationship between transmission of cultures and transmission of languages."
And even those serious political types are in approval. Alexey Kozhemyakov, Head of the Secretariat of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (bet his office is a long walk from reception), said: "As it has done in the previous years, the Council of Europe welcomes this initiative that offers an international stage to artists singing in minority and regional languages.
"The Festival gives an excellent opportunity to keep these languages alive in a creative and interesting way. It is also an original window for the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: a unique instrument in the world seeking to safeguard regional or minority languages at international level."
Let's hope that, after all that worthy talk, we don't end up with various minority-tongue equivalents of Diggi Loo Diggi Ley.
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