Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 explained

Year:2000
Country:Belgium
Preselection:Finale Nationale Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 2000
Preselection Date:18 February 2000
Entrant:Nathalie Sorce
Song:Envie de vivre
Final Result:24th, 2 points
Next:2002

Belgium participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 with the song "Envie de vivre" written by Silvio Pezzuto. The song was performed by Nathalie Sorce. The Belgian entry for the 2000 contest in Stockholm, Sweden was selected through the national final Finale Nationale Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 2000, organised by the Walloon broadcaster Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF). In the final on 18 February 2000 which featured ten competing entries, "Envie de vivre" performed by Nathalie Sorce was selected as the winner solely by public televoting, receiving 21,362 votes.

Belgium competed in the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 13 May 2000. Performing during the show in position 10, Belgium placed twenty-fourth (last) out of the 24 participating countries, scoring two points.

Background

See main article: Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest. Prior to the 2000 contest, Belgium had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest forty-two times since its debut as one of seven countries to take part in .[1] Since then, the country has won the contest on one occasion in with the song "J'aime la vie" performed by Sandra Kim. In 1999, Vanessa Chinitor represented the country with the song "Like the Wind" and placed twelfth.

The Belgian broadcaster for the 2000 contest, who broadcast the event in Belgium and organised the selection process for its entry, was Radio Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française (RTBF). The Belgian participation in the contest alternates between two broadcasters: the Flemish Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroeporganisatie (VRT) and the Walloon RTBF. Both broadcasters have selected the Belgian entry using national finals and internal selections in the past. In 1996 and 1998, both VRT and RTBF organised a national final to select the Belgian entry. On 28 June 1999, RTBF confirmed Belgium's participation in the 2000 Eurovision Song Contest and held a national final to select their entry.[2] [3]

Before Eurovision

Finale Nationale Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 2000

Finale Nationale Concours Eurovision de la Chanson 2000 was the national final that selected Belgium's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2000. 145 entries were received for the competition following a submission period which was opened on 25 September 1999, from which ten acts were selected by RTBF and announced on 6 January 2000.[4] [5] [6] The national final was broadcast live on RTBF La Une at 20:45 CET on 18 February 2000 in the RTBF Studio 6 in Brussels, and was hosted by Jean-Pierre Hautier.[7] [8] The winner, "Envie de vivre" performed by Nathalie Sorce, was selected solely by public televoting with the results being revealed by Belgium's six regions: four provinces in Wallonia with votes from Namur and Luxembourg being combined, a "Rest of Belgium" region made up of votes from Flanders, and Brussels.[9]

Final – 18 February 2000
DrawArtistSongSongwriter(s)TelevotePlace
1Maria Canel"Et si..."Maria Canel Ferreiro, Patrice de Matos de Morais2,51810
2Géraldine Cozier"Ma voie"Geraldine Cozier, Cécile Delamarre, Pascal Noel, Philippe Libois8,3715
3Gerlando"Rêve"Fernando de Meersman, Hughes Maréchal4,0029
4Sabrina Klinkenberg"Tout ce que je suis"Alexis Vanderheyden, Jacques Broun11,0853
5La Teuf"Soldat de l'amour"Alec Mansion6,2166
6Mezzo Mezzo"Belgicanos"Silvio Pezzuto, Michel Ianiri, Juan Gonzalez10,7504
7Christel Pagnoul"Pour la vie"Francis Goya, Ralph Benatar, Christel Pagnoul, Valérie Weyer6,0667
8Frédéric Reynaerts"Le nomade m'a dit"Frédéric Reynaerts17,7742
9Nathalie Sorce"Envie de vivre"Silvio Pezzuto21,3621
10Triana"Donne"Roberto D'Angelo, Filippo di Maira5,2708
!Draw!Song!Walloon
Brabant!Hainaut!Namur and
Luxembourg!Liège!Rest of
Belgium!Brussels!Total
1"Et si..."1636314268482,0352,518
2"Ma voie"3682,0422,7821,0722281,8798,371
3"Rêve"1031,3132633605631,4274,002
4"Tout ce que je suis"2928093937,9061141,57111,085
5"Soldat de l'amour"2907277311,4891462,8336,216
6"Belgicanos"4243,9628481,1094973,91010,750
7"Pour la vie"3406812217424563,6266,066
8"Le nomade m'a dit"9562,4971,9883,1372,2256,97117,774
9"Envie de vivre"9108,3052,2433,3609505,59421,362
10"Donne"916292113,361479315,270

Controversy

After the final, there was initially some degree of uncertainty about the disproportionately high number of votes to Sabrina Klinkenberg from the province of Liège, but RTBF subsequently confirmed that it was correct, citing the fact that Klinkenberg was a native of that province as the most probable explanation, and pointing out that Sorce had also received an exceptionally high number of votes from her home province of Hainaut.

At Eurovision

The Eurovision Song Contest 2000 took place at the Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on 13 May 2000.[10] According to the Eurovision rules, the 24-country participant list for the contest was composed of: the winning country from the previous year's contest; the 18 countries, other than the previous year's winner, which had obtained the highest average number of points over the last five contests; and any countries which had not participated in the previous year's content. Belgium was one of the 18 countries with the highest average scores, and thus were permitted to participate.[11] On 21 November 1999, an allocation draw was held which determined the running order and Belgium was set to perform in position 10, following the entry from Russia and before the entry from the Cyprus.[12]

A somewhat shrill and at times off-key vocal performance, combined with a much-criticised choice of outfit, contributed towards an ignominious result, with only 2 points received, placing Belgium last of the 24 entrants, the eighth time that Belgium had finished at the foot of the Eurovision scoreboard.[13]

The contest was broadcast in Belgium by both the Flemish and Walloon broadcasters. VRT broadcast the show on TV1 with commentary in Dutch by André Vermeulen and Anja Daems.[14] [15] RTBF televised the show on La Une with commentary in French by Jean-Pierre Hautier.[16] The Belgian spokesperson, who announced the results of the Belgian televote during the final, was Thomas Van Hamme.

Voting

Below is a breakdown of points awarded to and by Belgium in the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Latvia in the contest.[17]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Belgium Country Profile. EBU. 3 November 2014.
  2. Web site: 1999-07-01 . EN VUE La Belgique à l'Eurovision 2000 . 2023-11-24 . Le Soir . fr.
  3. http://natfinals.50webs.com/90s_00s/Belgium2000.html ESC National Finals database 2000
  4. Web site: 1999-09-25 . EUROVISION Appel aux candidatures . 2023-11-23 . Le Soir . fr.
  5. Web site: 2000-02-11 . WATERLOO Concours Eurovision de la chanson Frank Bechelmilh et Francis Goya en finale avec Christel Pagnoul . 2023-11-24 . Le Soir . fr.
  6. Web site: 2000-01-05 . Onbekend talent in Waalse preselectie Songfestival . 2023-11-23 . Gazet van Antwerpen . nl-BE.
  7. Web site: 2000-02-17 . Petra is backing vocal in Belgische finale voor Eurovisie Songfestival . 2023-11-22 . Het Belang van Limburg . nl-BE.
  8. News: 9 February 2000 . RTBF 1 . Revue . 148.
  9. Web site: Chris . Vandenabeele . 2007-08-28 . The Belgian Preselection 2000 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070828004142/http://sites.zonien.be/chris_vandenabeele/ . 28 August 2007 . 2023-11-23 . Belgian Eurovision Union.
  10. Web site: Stockholm 2000–Eurovision Song Contest . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210102233622/https://eurovision.tv/event/stockholm-2000 . 2 January 2021 . 16 October 2021 . eurovision.tv . European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
  11. Web site: Rules of the 45th Eurovision Song Contest, 2000 . 12 April 2021 . European Broadcasting Union.
  12. Web site: Eurovision Song Contest 2000 Details . 2022-08-08 . Myledbury.co.uk.
  13. Web site: Final of Stockholm 2000 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210410194017/https://eurovision.tv/event/stockholm-2000/final . 10 April 2021 . 10 April 2021 . Eurovision Song Contest.
  14. News: 13 May 2000 . Televisie Zaterdag . 32 . . 29 November 2022.
  15. News: Moors . Karel . 12 May 2000 . Anja Daems en André Vermeulen presenteren Songfestival . nl . . live . 29 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221129144655/https://www.gva.be/cnt/oid87028 . 29 November 2022.
  16. News: Legrand . Dominique . 13 May 2000 . Envie de vivre l'Eurovision? . fr . . live . 29 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221129145719/https://www.lesoir.be/art/d-20000513-W2T6XH . 29 November 2022.
  17. http://www.esc-history.com/details.asp?key=876 ESC History – Belgium 2000
  18. Web site: Results of the Final of Stockholm 2000 . European Broadcasting Union . 10 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210410201635/https://eurovision.tv/event/stockholm-2000/final/results/belgium . 10 April 2021 . live.