Back in the 1980s, certain countries could do no right, despite how good their songs were. The thing is, a song that bombed then could do wonders now. And vice versa.
I’ve chosen the song by today’s birthday girl (Ayşe) Ajda Pekkan as a case in point. When she was on stage in Den Haag in 1980, she scored 23 points from three countries (Morocco, Italy and Austria). If she’d been in Kyiv, I’m sure this would have been top 10 at least. And maybe higher. The juries of Europe in 1980 didn’t know what was good for them.
Ajda is 72 today.
Mutlu yıllar, Ajda!