27. Austria

 

Title: Get A Life – Get Alive
Performer: Eric Papilaya 

Austria is back in the Eurovision Song Contest after taking a time out last year. The artist chosen to be the face of the Austrian comeback is called Eric Papilaya. Eric is 28 years old and made a name for himself when participating in the TV show Starmania which resembles Idol.

The entry Get A Life – Get Alive was, according to reliable sources, originally written for Anastacia but when she was diagnosed with breast cancer she felt unable to record the song. Instead it was chosen as the official theme song of the annual Life Ball which aims to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS. The gala is the biggest of its kind in Europe and the proceeds from the record sales will be donated to AIDS charity.

The line between the moving and the tacky is of course fine when it comes to charity – especially in competitions like these. However, the connection between the Life Ball and Eurovision has been strong and apparent in many years. For instance the Austrian votes have been delivered live from the Life Ball and in 2003 Elton John even greeted the European TV-viewers live from the event. Therefore it only feels natural that the Life Ball theme song will also be the Austrian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest.

I had to listen to Get A Life – Get Alive a couple of times before I grew to appreciate it, something which unfortunately can be quite costly in the Eurovision Song Contest. I would like to see Eric Papilaya in the grand finale on the 12th of May, but I gather his destiny lies in the hands of the people who are in charge of creating the Austrian visual appearance on the stage. If they come up with something truly spectacular they might make it to the final, if not I fear it will be difficult for Get A Life – Get Alive to get what it deserves.

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Read more about Eric at: www.ericpapilaya.com