Blast from the past: Netherlands 1973

We know a lot about Eurovision; this is knowledge we want to share with you. Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Back to 1973! We will talk about the Dutch entry, “De oude muzikant” by Ben Cramer.

The Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest

It was quite a successful time for The Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest. A victory in 1969, a 6th place in 1971 and a 4th in 1972. A survey among people at Dutch broadcaster NOS learned that the famous duo Mouth & McNeal were favourite to represent the country in the 1973 contest. However, they didn’t want to go. Ben Cramer was 2nd choice. And he said yes!!

Ben Cramer

Bernardus Kramer was born in Amsterdam the 17th of february 1947. His career started with a band called The Sparklings. In 1966 they first performed on television. As Ben Cramer & The Sparklings they had their first huge hit in The Netherlands: “Zai, zai, zai“. This song and his solo single “Dans met mij” (1968) were his greatest hits. Cramer took part in a lot of song contests all over the world. In 1970 he sang the song “Julia” in the Dutch national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1971 he started working together with Pierre Kartner, who also wrote his Eurovision Song. Cramer was a star, but in the early 1980s his stardom began to faint. In 1981 he did another attempt to go to Eurovision. However, his song “Retour” only got 2 points and “Marianne” even ended up with zero points. In the 1990s he started a new career, as a musical star. He played roles in “Evita”, “Chicago”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Aida” and “Chess”.

National final

A circus was the scenery of the national final. Wellknown Dutch artists showed circus acts. In between the songs Ben Cramer sang four songs. The contest took place on february 28 in Carré Theatre in Amsterdam. The four songs were:

1.Kom met me mee, 3rd with 15 points
2.Melodie, 4th with 14 points (Ben co-wrote this song with Hans Blum)
3.Kom Sylvia dans met mij, 2nd with 19 points
4.De oude muzikant, 1st with 62 points

“De oude muzikant” won with a landslide.

De oude muzikant

“De oude muzikant” (the old musician) was a song about an old, forgotten musician who once was a big star in Paris. You can find the lyrics here. The song was written and composed by Pierre Kartner, the man he worked with in those days. Bens performance in Luxembourg knew a lot of struggle. Especially during the general rehearsal, Ben had troubles with the technicians, as he was not happy with the lightning. He stopped the rehearsal, while the entire jury was watching. It can be the reason for his low final score. Rumour has it that the technicians took revenge by giving Ben Cramer lousy exposure on stage.

Note that the musician in the video is composer Pierre Kartner.

 

Final score

Two jury members, one younger than 25 and one of 25+ formed the jury per country. They could both give a song a mark of 1-5, making it 10 per country. Only the jury in Luxembourg (7) and France (6) were a little bit enthousiastic about “De oude muzikant”. With a total of 69 points Ben Cramer only became 14th.

 

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Eurovision 2026

Vienna 12 points: from a huge table to 7,000 crystals

  Day four of first rehearsals at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Vienna. The final eight countries of Semi-Final 2 step onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage for the very first time today, Tuesday 5 May. First rehearsals remain closed to press; three approved images per country will be published approximately 24 hours after each performance. The official Eurovision subreddit is providing live descriptions throughout the day. Eurovision Universe sought additional detail through national broadcaster coverage, social media, and press reports. All five countries below compete in Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, May 14. 🇨🇾 Cyprus — Antigoni, “Jalla” Running order: 8 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:00–09:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May Antigoni has been promising she would dance on the table. This morning at the Wiener Stadthalle she delivered  in a way nobody quite anticipated. The centrepiece of the staging is a table of extraordinary scale: large enough for all four dancers to join Antigoni on top of it, large enough to function as a full catwalk, and large enough that the chairs do not go beside it but on it. This choreography is tight and deliberate. The dancers even work with plates. And the whole setup directly brings to life the song’s most iconic lyric. It is a reference with Eurovision history behind it: Ivi Adamou danced on a table for Cyprus at Baku 2012, but the 2026 version operates on an entirely different scale. The table itself has a table runner made from an LED strip, which comes into its own during the “you want more?” section of the song. From there, Antigoni steps off the table and onto the catwalk with a purposeful strut, before the staging closes out with fire and pyrotechnics more commonly associated with rock entries than Mediterranean pop. The backdrop features giant ancient pillars lit in blue. Antigoni wears a short white beaded dress. Staging is by Sacha Jean-Baptiste, whose Eurovision credits include “Fuego” (Cyprus 2018) and the 2023 winner “Tattoo” for Sweden. Antigoni Buxton, 29, is a British-Cypriot singer-songwriter from North London who gained wider recognition after Love Island UK in 2022. CyBC selected her internally in November 2025. “Jalla”, meaning “more” in the Cypriot dialect, was co-written with Charalambous Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Claydee, Paris Kalpos, and Trey Qua. Cyprus competes 8th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / CyBC / Eurovoix / Instagram @antigoni 🇱🇻 Latvia — Atvara, “Ēnā” Running order: 9 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:40–10:10 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Latvia’s first Vienna rehearsal delivers a scaled-up version of the performance that won Supernova 2026 in February. If the subreddit’s reporters are to be believed, it translates powerfully to the larger Wiener Stadthalle stage. Atvara completed three full run-throughs of “Ēnā.” The core concept remains unchanged: an intimate, atmospheric performance built around the song’s cinematic ballad structure and Atvara’s vocal. What has changed is the detail. Atvara is wearing a newly designed gown decorated with sparkling stones. They now extend further down the side and along her left arm. Speaking to Latvian broadcaster LSM ahead of Vienna, Atvara confirmed that the team had worked to adapt the Supernova concept to the Eurovision scale. They refined technical elements while leaving the core performance intact. Her stylist Inna Bertāne described the new dress in Latvian press as a deliberate step up. Atvara rose to prominence on TikTok via her debut single “Pie Manis Tveries” and later sold out 22 solo shows in Latvia in 2025. She won Supernova on 14 February, taking both the jury and public votes. Latvia competes 9th in Semi-Final 1. Sources: LSM / Supernova / Latvian Radio / Instagram @atvara.liene 🇩🇰 Denmark — Søren Torpegaard Lund, “Før vi går hjem” Running order: 10 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 10:20–10:50 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The Melodi Grand Prix staging has arrived in Vienna completely intact, and apparently quite literally so. The box that defined Søren’s breakthrough performance in Frederikshavn was not dismantled and rebuilt for the Wiener Stadthalle; it was shipped as-is. When something works that well, you don’t take risks with it. That said, what is inside the box has been elevated for Eurovision. Søren opens in black leather trousers and an aquamarine silk chiffon shirt, before ripping it off mid-performance. The singer than reveals a sparkly black mesh top underneath. The outfit reveal lands as a proper moment. Inside the box, red tube lights illuminate and intensify as the performance builds, so that by the second chorus the whole structure is radiating heat, matching the choreography. This has been noticeably scaled up from the national final, particularly the thrusting during the first verse. When Søren finally steps out of the box towards the end of the song, a storm takes over the stage floor and the backdrop behind him. The respite is brief: the graphics transform into blazing fire for the final twenty seconds.  Søren Torpegaard Lund, 27, is a trained musical theatre actor who graduated from the Danish Stage Arts School and played Tony in West Side Story at the Copenhagen Opera House in 2021–22. He co-wrote “Før vi går hjem” with Clara Sofie Fabricius, Thomas Meilstrup, and Valdemar Littauer Bendixen, winning Melodi Grand Prix on 14 February with both the jury and public votes. Denmark competes 10th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / DR / ESC Insight / Instagram @sorentorpegaardlund 🇦🇺 Australia — Delta Goodrem, “Eclipse” Running order: 11 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 11:00–11:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The biggest name in this year’s contest steps onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage and, by all accounts, does not disappoint. Delta Goodrem’s first Vienna rehearsal for “Eclipse” is a significant production. The staging is developed by Black Skull Creative, the team behind the entire Liverpool 2023 contest, alongside creative director Paul Clarke. It is described as one of the most technically ambitious performances in Vienna this year. The concept tracks a journey from a moon world into a sun world, culminating in a

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Eurovision 2026
Martijn

Vienna 12 points: from a huge table to 7,000 crystals

  Day four of first rehearsals at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest is underway in Vienna. The final eight countries of Semi-Final 2 step onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage for the very first time today, Tuesday 5 May. First rehearsals remain closed to press; three approved images per country will be published approximately 24 hours after each performance. The official Eurovision subreddit is providing live descriptions throughout the day. Eurovision Universe sought additional detail through national broadcaster coverage, social media, and press reports. All five countries below compete in Semi-Final 2 on Thursday, May 14. 🇨🇾 Cyprus — Antigoni, “Jalla” Running order: 8 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:00–09:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May Antigoni has been promising she would dance on the table. This morning at the Wiener Stadthalle she delivered  in a way nobody quite anticipated. The centrepiece of the staging is a table of extraordinary scale: large enough for all four dancers to join Antigoni on top of it, large enough to function as a full catwalk, and large enough that the chairs do not go beside it but on it. This choreography is tight and deliberate. The dancers even work with plates. And the whole setup directly brings to life the song’s most iconic lyric. It is a reference with Eurovision history behind it: Ivi Adamou danced on a table for Cyprus at Baku 2012, but the 2026 version operates on an entirely different scale. The table itself has a table runner made from an LED strip, which comes into its own during the “you want more?” section of the song. From there, Antigoni steps off the table and onto the catwalk with a purposeful strut, before the staging closes out with fire and pyrotechnics more commonly associated with rock entries than Mediterranean pop. The backdrop features giant ancient pillars lit in blue. Antigoni wears a short white beaded dress. Staging is by Sacha Jean-Baptiste, whose Eurovision credits include “Fuego” (Cyprus 2018) and the 2023 winner “Tattoo” for Sweden. Antigoni Buxton, 29, is a British-Cypriot singer-songwriter from North London who gained wider recognition after Love Island UK in 2022. CyBC selected her internally in November 2025. “Jalla”, meaning “more” in the Cypriot dialect, was co-written with Charalambous Kallona, Connor Mullally-Knight, Demetris Nikolaou, Claydee, Paris Kalpos, and Trey Qua. Cyprus competes 8th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / CyBC / Eurovoix / Instagram @antigoni 🇱🇻 Latvia — Atvara, “Ēnā” Running order: 9 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 09:40–10:10 CEST | Second rehearsal: 8 May Latvia’s first Vienna rehearsal delivers a scaled-up version of the performance that won Supernova 2026 in February. If the subreddit’s reporters are to be believed, it translates powerfully to the larger Wiener Stadthalle stage. Atvara completed three full run-throughs of “Ēnā.” The core concept remains unchanged: an intimate, atmospheric performance built around the song’s cinematic ballad structure and Atvara’s vocal. What has changed is the detail. Atvara is wearing a newly designed gown decorated with sparkling stones. They now extend further down the side and along her left arm. Speaking to Latvian broadcaster LSM ahead of Vienna, Atvara confirmed that the team had worked to adapt the Supernova concept to the Eurovision scale. They refined technical elements while leaving the core performance intact. Her stylist Inna Bertāne described the new dress in Latvian press as a deliberate step up. Atvara rose to prominence on TikTok via her debut single “Pie Manis Tveries” and later sold out 22 solo shows in Latvia in 2025. She won Supernova on 14 February, taking both the jury and public votes. Latvia competes 9th in Semi-Final 1. Sources: LSM / Supernova / Latvian Radio / Instagram @atvara.liene 🇩🇰 Denmark — Søren Torpegaard Lund, “Før vi går hjem” Running order: 10 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 10:20–10:50 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The Melodi Grand Prix staging has arrived in Vienna completely intact, and apparently quite literally so. The box that defined Søren’s breakthrough performance in Frederikshavn was not dismantled and rebuilt for the Wiener Stadthalle; it was shipped as-is. When something works that well, you don’t take risks with it. That said, what is inside the box has been elevated for Eurovision. Søren opens in black leather trousers and an aquamarine silk chiffon shirt, before ripping it off mid-performance. The singer than reveals a sparkly black mesh top underneath. The outfit reveal lands as a proper moment. Inside the box, red tube lights illuminate and intensify as the performance builds, so that by the second chorus the whole structure is radiating heat, matching the choreography. This has been noticeably scaled up from the national final, particularly the thrusting during the first verse. When Søren finally steps out of the box towards the end of the song, a storm takes over the stage floor and the backdrop behind him. The respite is brief: the graphics transform into blazing fire for the final twenty seconds.  Søren Torpegaard Lund, 27, is a trained musical theatre actor who graduated from the Danish Stage Arts School and played Tony in West Side Story at the Copenhagen Opera House in 2021–22. He co-wrote “Før vi går hjem” with Clara Sofie Fabricius, Thomas Meilstrup, and Valdemar Littauer Bendixen, winning Melodi Grand Prix on 14 February with both the jury and public votes. Denmark competes 10th in Semi-Final 2. Sources: r/eurovision live thread / DR / ESC Insight / Instagram @sorentorpegaardlund 🇦🇺 Australia — Delta Goodrem, “Eclipse” Running order: 11 | Rehearsal: 5 May, 11:00–11:30 CEST | Second rehearsal: 9 May The biggest name in this year’s contest steps onto the Wiener Stadthalle stage and, by all accounts, does not disappoint. Delta Goodrem’s first Vienna rehearsal for “Eclipse” is a significant production. The staging is developed by Black Skull Creative, the team behind the entire Liverpool 2023 contest, alongside creative director Paul Clarke. It is described as one of the most technically ambitious performances in Vienna this year. The concept tracks a journey from a moon world into a sun world, culminating in a

Read More »
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