Our friends in Canada keep trying to get in on the act, and who can blame them? One of its daughters even won once, so they, quite rightly, feel they have more claim to the winner’s podium than, say, Malta.
Our Canadian friends have usually represented French-speaking nations, including today’s birthday girl Natasha St-Pier. Our friends in France chose her through an internal selection and, to be fair, she has since spent most of her musical career in Francophone Europe. In 2001, she made the journey to Copenhagen and finished a very creditable fourth, a lone ballad amidst a clutch of quicker-tempoed numbers filling the top places. She even got three maxima, only beaten by the winner and runner-up. And still, France hasn’t had a better finish in over 25 contests. Maybe this type of song is what they should aim for.
Natasha is 40 today.
Bonne annivversaire, Natasha!