Strazdas
Encyclopedia
"Strazdas" was the Lithuania
n entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999
, performed in Samogitian dialect of the Lithuanian
by Aistė Smilgevičiūtė
.
The song is significant for being performed in a dialect of Lithuanian, particularly as the so-called "Free Language Rule" had been introduced prior to this Contest, allowing entries to be performed in any language at all – with most countries opting from this point onwards to perform in English. Lithuania's earlier entry, "Lopšinė mylimai
", had been performed in Lithuanian
at the 1994 Contest
and failed to record a point.
The song itself is also in a different style to the up-tempo dance music
-influenced style rising to prominence at the Contest at the time, being something of a cross between a ballad and a folk song
. Aistė describes the song of the titular song-thrush, saying that it was complaining about having cold feet, which were responsible for its song.
The song was performed first on the night, preceding Belgium
's Vanessa Chinitor
with "Like The Wind
". At the close of voting, it had received 13 points, placing 20th in a field of 23 – Lithuania's first points in Eurovision history.
Despite the poor result, the song has achieved a level of fame by being referenced in half of the name of a leading Contest-related website – the "Diggiloo Thrush". This was after a merger of two Eurovision lyrics websites, one called Diggiloo (named after the Swedish song in 1984) and the other called The Songthrush, hence the name of the newer site.
Due to the poor result, Lithuania was not invited to return for the 2000 Contest
, but took part as a "passive participant" by broadcasting the Contest while not entering. Thus, it was invited to return the next year. The song was therefore succeeded as Lithuanian representative
at the 2001 Contest
by Skamp
with "You Got Style
".
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999
Eurovision Song Contest 1999
The Eurovision Song Contest 1999 was the 44th Eurovision Song Contest, held on 29 May 1999 in Jerusalem, Israel after Dana International won the contest the previous year in the United Kingdom. The venue for the contest was the International Convention Center...
, performed in Samogitian dialect of the Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
by Aistė Smilgevičiūtė
Aiste Smilgeviciute
Aistė Smilgevičiūtė is a Lithuanian singer. She performs folk music, jazz, pop rock and other kinds of alternative music. Since 1996 Aistė has been a member of the music band "Skylė"...
.
The song is significant for being performed in a dialect of Lithuanian, particularly as the so-called "Free Language Rule" had been introduced prior to this Contest, allowing entries to be performed in any language at all – with most countries opting from this point onwards to perform in English. Lithuania's earlier entry, "Lopšinė mylimai
Lopšine Mylimai
"Lopšinė mylimai" was the Lithuanian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, performed in Lithuanian by Ovidijus Vyšniauskas...
", had been performed in Lithuanian
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
at the 1994 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 1994
The Eurovision Song Contest 1994 was the 39th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 30 April 1994 in the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. The presenters were Cynthia Ní Mhurchú and Gerry Ryan. The pair hosted the evening in French, English and Irish...
and failed to record a point.
The song itself is also in a different style to the up-tempo dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
-influenced style rising to prominence at the Contest at the time, being something of a cross between a ballad and a folk song
Daina (Lithuania)
Daina is the traditional name of vocal folk music in the Baltic languages, and is preserved in Lithuania and Latvia. Lithuanian dainas are often noted not only for their mythological content, but also for relating historical events....
. Aistė describes the song of the titular song-thrush, saying that it was complaining about having cold feet, which were responsible for its song.
The song was performed first on the night, preceding Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
's Vanessa Chinitor
Vanessa Chinitor
Vanessa Chinitor is a Belgian singer, best known outside Belgium for her participation in the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest.- Early career :...
with "Like The Wind
Like the Wind
"Like the Wind" was the Belgian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999, performed in English by Vanessa Chinitor. This was only the second time that Belgium had entered a song entirely in English, the first being Dream Express' "A Million in One, Two, Three" back in 1977.The song was performed...
". At the close of voting, it had received 13 points, placing 20th in a field of 23 – Lithuania's first points in Eurovision history.
Despite the poor result, the song has achieved a level of fame by being referenced in half of the name of a leading Contest-related website – the "Diggiloo Thrush". This was after a merger of two Eurovision lyrics websites, one called Diggiloo (named after the Swedish song in 1984) and the other called The Songthrush, hence the name of the newer site.
Due to the poor result, Lithuania was not invited to return for the 2000 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2000
The Eurovision Song Contest 2000 was the 45th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 13 May 2000 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, following Charlotte Nilsson's victory in Jerusalem the previous year. It was the first time since 1996 that the contest was held on mainland Europe. The...
, but took part as a "passive participant" by broadcasting the Contest while not entering. Thus, it was invited to return the next year. The song was therefore succeeded as Lithuanian representative
Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest
Lithuania has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 11 times, debuting at the 1994 contest. After Ovidijus Vyšniauskas finished last without a single point Lithuania withdrew from the contest, not returning until the 1999 contest, where Aistė Smilgevičiūtė sang "Strazdas", a song in the...
at the 2001 Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2001
The Eurovision Song Contest 2001 was the 46th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 12 May 2001 in the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was the first time in 36 years that Denmark hosted the Eurovision Song Contest, thanks to the Olsen Brothers' win the previous year in Stockholm...
by Skamp
SKAMP
-About SKAMP:SKAMP blends pop, rock, Hip Hop, and reggae genres into a unique alternative sound. Skamp rose to fame in Lithuania in May 1998, with a cover of George Gershwin's Summertime. The song was an instant success in Lithuania and they have gone on to release 6 studio albums. The members have...
with "You Got Style
You Got Style
"You Got Style" was the Lithuanian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001, performed in English and Lithuanian by SKAMP.The song is an up-tempo track with hip-hop influences. The bulk of the lyrics are performed by Irish-born Erica Quinn Jennings in English and sung from the perspective of a...
".