Up third today is the host country – the Netherlands, who are being represented by Jeangu Macrooy. Jeangu will be singing the song ‘Birth of a New Age’ in this year’s competition.
What did we make of the Netherlands’ rehearsal?
It starts off with a close up shot of Jeangu and two of his backing singers singing with him. One of his four backing singers includes his twin brother! Jeangu is pretty much note perfect throughout the entire rehearsal! WE see the lyrics of the Sranan Tongo line translated in English on the back drop on the occasions he sings them, the line translates to ‘You can’t break me’. There is points throughout the performance that Jeangu and his dancers do some traditional tribal dancing and the colours on he backdrop are all colours of the rainbow with the English line on the backdrop. This performance really feels like a celebration of Jeangu’s heritage which makes it quite moving. We also see that Jeangu and his dancers are wearing Blue,Silver and Red colours of the dutch flag.
Now, what does the team make of the Netherlands’ rehearsal?
Rory: This is some pretty powerful staging from the Netherlands, and given the subject matter – this is exactly what it needed. Jeangu sounded as if he was holding back for adlibs, but that is entirely justified as singers need to protect their voices. I adored this staging – it really does give a message of warmth and positivity in the midst of all the chaos. The translation of the Sranan Tongo on the backdrop can all put an end to all the insensitive “broccoli” jokes too. I love this
Jazzi: This radiates warmth and positivity through out the entire performance, while Jeangu is happy he also has a look of passion in his eyes like he wants you to stand up and take notice. This performance is so celebratory. This will stand out on final night and deserves to do well. I just hope the public and commentators at home do take the message of this performance seriously.
Rosie: What a stunning performance from Jeangu, who is truly the heart and soul of this song. His voice is wonderful to listen to, and he sounds perfect live. There are elements of this performance I love – the breaking through of colour at the final chorus, the dancing, the outfits and their symbolism, but I worry that it’s almost lost some of its clarity in connection to its inspiration in the process. It’s celebratory and beautiful, and I love it, but I fear that the lack of a clear message for casual viewers who might not pay attention to the lyrics or find out anything else about the performance could be to the detriment of the song and lead to it not being taken as seriously as it should be. It’s a very disappointing thing to have to say, but I really hope that those who will be guiding the viewers on the night as commentators get that message across instead and allow the performance to be subtle rather than misinterpreted entirely
What do you think of Jeangu’s first rehearsal? Let us know in the comments below or at social media. Don’t forget to follow ‘THAT Eurovision Site’ over at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
News Source: EBU/ That Eurovision Site
Photo Source: Rinse Fokkema
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