French Attack Sebastien Tellier Over Eurovision Entry

They're not happy...

by Jason Gregory
Thursday, May 22, 2008

French Attack Sebastien Tellier Over Eurovision Entry

Watch Sebastien Tellier - 'Divine'

Sebastien Tellier, France’s entry in the 2008 Eurovision song contest, says he has been attacked by his own country for singing in English.

The musician is due to sing ‘Divine’, which was released this week, at the competition in Belgrade on Saturday (May 24th).

In an interview with the Telegraph, Tellier said that France’s conservatives, including a number of leading politicians, had told him to sing in French.

"The Minister of Culture and the Minister of French Language wrote to me to tell me their position,” he said.

“One side of France is very proud of acts like Air and Daft Punk, who are very popular although they sing in English.

"This side of France was really happy about my nomination, but the traditional part of France, from the old times, said, 'He has to sing in French.'"

Tellier, who believes the song is better in English, said that he had re-recorded the song with two French lines as a “wink to the French people."

What should Tellier have done? Was he right to change the lyrics? Leave a comment and let us know...

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1/2 The defense of la Francophonie is an ongoing matter in France (Whether it is about relations with street languages, new Anglicisms, or with francophon foreign countries. Regarding the Music, First: there is any quota of French songs on radios (40%), then No matter the talent: young french pop-rock bands who deserve to be known of are much better helped by cultural institutions if they sing in french.
~ by Chuck Youfarly 6/1/2008
2/2 Without trying to judge this, it now becomes an obstacle to our openness, to the exportation of ”our famous culture” (old fashion), and we are a Western countries which have one of the most poor level of English (the proof: I type this text french translated by google translator). I would have like to see Sebastien Tellier insulting our minister of culture in his 2 french lines. (Chuck: French in London with a poor English spoken/written) Blog: http://surfinmururoha.spaces.liv
~ by Chuck Youfarly 6/1/2008