Is there a language you’d love to hear more of? Maybe one that used to appear every year, but has now been supplanted by another language (cough English cough)? With no free language rule, it gave the contest a far less generic sound.
In the 21st Centure, we’ve only heard the Finnish language three times. A pity because it’s very expressive. Today’s birthday girl Ann-Christine Nyström, while being of Swedish extraction, preferred to use Finnish. A good job in 1966, although she could have used Swedish instead. Her song was not only her only appearance at Eurovision, but the début of a certain Ossi Runne (né Yrjö Osvald Rundberg). He wrote Ann-Christine’s song, but became an almost permanent fixture as a Finnish conductor until he retired in 1989. Anyway, Ann-Christine had a so-so time in Luxembourg. Neither Finland’s best result, nor its worst. But the English-language title must have helped. Rattopoika may not have had the same ring to it.
Ann-Christine is 77 today.
Hyvää syntymäpäivää, Ann-Christine!