Europe's Living a Celebration

Summary

"Europe's Living a Celebration" is a song recorded by Spanish singer Rosa, written by Toni and Xasqui Ten. It represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, held in Tallinn.

"Europe's Living a Celebration"
Single by Rosa
from the album Rosa
LanguageSpanish
Released13 March 2002
GenreLatin pop
Length2:53
LabelVale Music
Composer(s)Toni Ten
Lyricist(s)Xasqui Ten
Producer(s)
  • Toni Ten
  • Xasqui Ten
Rosa singles chronology
"Europe's Living a Celebration"
(2002)
"A solas con mi corazón"
(2002)
Eurovision Song Contest 2002 entry
Country
Artist(s)
As
Rosa
Language
Composer(s)
Toni Ten
Lyricist(s)
Xasqui Ten
Finals performance
Final result
7th
Final points
81
Entry chronology
◄ "Dile que la quiero" (2001)
"Dime" (2003) ►

Background edit

Conception edit

"Europe's Living a Celebration" is a song written by composer Toni Ten and lyricist Xasqui Ten. Despite the English-language title, the lyrics are in Spanish, with the exception of one verse of the chorus.[1]

Eurovision edit

Between 25 February and 11 March 2002, Televisión Española (TVE) produced a national final to select its song and performer for the following Eurovision Song Contest in which the top three finishers –Rosa, David Bisbal, and David Bustamante– from the first season of Operación Triunfo competed with three songs each.[2] "Europe's Living a Celebration" sung by Rosa won the competition so it became the Spanish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, to be held in Tallinn, Estonia.[3][4]

On 25 May 2002, the Eurovision Song Contest was held at the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn hosted by Eesti Televisioon (ETV), and broadcast live throughout the continent. In the introduction of the show, the hosts connected live via satellite –among others– to the Municipal Sports Palace of Granada –Rosa's hometown–, which was packed with a large audience cheering her on.[a] Rosa performed "Europe's Living a Celebration" fifth on the night –accompanied by Bisbal, Bustamante, Chenoa, Gisela, and Geno [es] as backing singers–,[5] preceded by Greece's "S.A.G.A.P.O." by Michalis Rakintzis, and followed by Croatia's "Everything I Want" by Vesna Pisarović.[6]

At the close of voting, it had received 81 points, placing seventh in a field of twenty-four.[7] The voting sequence was followed in Spain by an average of 14.38 million viewers, which represented an 86.2% share, becoming the most watched space in the country of the entire decade.[8] The entire show, with an average of 12.7 million viewers and an 80.4% share, is the most watched Eurovision in Spain since reliable audience measurements began to be made in 1992.[9] The song was succeeded as Spanish entry at the 2003 contest by "Dime" by Beth.[10]

Aftermath edit

Bewteen 4 April and 4 June 2002, Rosa along with all the Operación Triunfo participants went on tour, giving twenty-eight concerts throughout Spain attended by more than half a million people, in which she sang "Europe's Living a Celebration" as one of the main numbers.[11] The concert on 1 June in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid before more than sixty thousand people was broadcast nationwide by TVE the following day.[12] "Europe's Living a Celebration" became a major hit in the summer of 2002 in Spain.[13] The documentary film OT: la película [es], summarizing the lives of the participants during the tour, opened on 20 September in more than 300 movie theaters,[14] and premiered on TVE on 30 December.[15]

On 31 March 2015, Rosa performed the song in the Eurovision sixtieth anniversary show Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits held in London.[b][17] On 31 October 2016, Rosa performed the song –accompanied again by Bisbal, Bustamante, Chenoa, Gisela, and Geno as backing singers– in the OT: El reencuentro anniversary concert held in the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, and broadcast live nationwide by TVE.[18]

Chart history edit

The album Operación Triunfo: Eurovisión that included the studio versions of the nine songs of the national final, released on 22 February 2002 in Spain, was certified platinum (100,000 copies). The album Operación Triunfo: Gala Eurovisión that included the live versions of the nine songs recorded in the national final, released on 26 February 2002, was certified 4× platinum. "Europe's Living a Celebration" was also included in Rosa's first studio album Rosa was certified 5× platinum.[19]

Single charts (2002) Peak
position
Spain (Los 40)[20] 1

Legacy edit

Other performances edit

  • María Isabel performed the song in the show Europasión, aired on La 1 of Televisión Española on 21 May 2008 to choose by popular vote the best song that Spain has sent to Eurovision.[21]

Impersonations edit

  • In the ninth episode of the second season of Tu cara me suena aired on 26 November 2012 on Antena 3, Daniel Diges impersonated Rosa singing "Europe's Living a Celebration" replicating her performance at Eurovision.[22]

References edit

  1. ^ TVE broadcast from there a pre- and post-Eurovision show to support Rosa, and the public there was watching the contest on a big screen.
  2. ^ She performed "Europe's Living a Celebration" in a medley with other three Spanish entries: "La, la, la", "Vivo cantando", and "Eres tú".[16]

References edit

  1. ^ "Spain 2002 - "Europe's Living a Celebration"". The Diggiloo Thrush.
  2. ^ "Rosa, Bisbal y Bustamante interpretarán las 9 canciones candidatas a representarnos en Eurovisión". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 23 February 2002.
  3. ^ Lillo, Jesús (12 March 2002). "Rosa representará a España en el Festival de Eurovisión". ABC (in Spanish).
  4. ^ ""Europe's Living a Celebration" at the official Eurovision Song Contest site". Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Europe's Living a Celebration". eurovision-spain.com. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Eurovision Song Contest 2002". Eurovision Song Contest. 25 May 2002. ETV / EBU.
  7. ^ "Official Eurovision Song Contest 2002 scoreboard". Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Los programas más vistos de los últimos 10 años". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 19 April 2003.
  9. ^ "Casi cinco millones de espectadores vieron en La 1 la final de Eurovisión en la que volvió a ganar Loreen". El País (in Spanish). 14 May 2023.
  10. ^ ""Dime" at the official Eurovision Song Contest site". Eurovision Song Contest. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  11. ^ "Más de medio millón de fanes en los conciertos de OT". El Mundo (in Spanish). 4 June 2002.
  12. ^ "Triunfal apoteosis de Rosa y sus compañeros en el Bernabéu". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2 June 2002.
  13. ^ Moral, Selene (11 June 2018). "Las canciones del verano de los años 2000 (de 2000 a 2003)". Los 40 (in Spanish).
  14. ^ "«OT. La película» se estrena en 300 cines españoles". El Mundo (in Spanish). 21 September 2002.
  15. ^ "TVE-1 emitirá "OT, la película" el 30 de diciembre, tres meses después de su estreno en cine". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 23 December 2002.
  16. ^ Rosa López - Spanish Eurovision Medley at Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits on YouTube
  17. ^ "Eurovision Song Contest's Greatest Hits". Eurovision Song Contest. 3 April 2015. BBC / EBU. Retrieved 3 April 2015.
  18. ^ "Rosa López canta 'Europe's living a celebration'". RTVE. 1 November 2016.
  19. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959-2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 8480486392.
  20. ^ "Lista LOS40 18 de mayo de 2002". Los 40 (in Spanish). 18 May 2002.
  21. ^ ""Bailar pegados", elegida mejor canción española de Eurovisión". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 22 May 2008.
  22. ^ "Daniel Diges imita a Rosa López". Antena 3 (in Spanish). 27 November 2012.

External links edit

  • "Europe's Living a Celebration" at Discogs (list of releases)