The set at a Eurovision Song Contest is always a talking point. In the 21st Century, it’s an eagerly anticipated announcement. How many video screens will it have? Will there be an island stage? Will the fans get equal billing with the performers? It’s all rather exciting.
Cast your mind back to 1983, and there were no LEDs, no pyros, no standing crowd. Just what looked like a huge gas fire. We say this as performers had to make more of their song. Today’s birthday boy Armando António (Capelo Diniz da) Gama. All he had was a piano and a collection of backing singers. There had already been dancing, confetti and opera singers. He just sang. After all, it is a song contest. Anyway, Armando did enough to score off a number of juries, obviously happy to see a good honest song sung, well, honestly. It’s a good thing to see. But would a song like Armando’s cut it in the 21st Century? Well, he might have had help from more than just the world’s biggest gas fire.
Armando is 67 today.
Feliz aniversario, Armando!