Thanks to my Finnish friend, Markku, I’m into the Eurovision singing competition this year.

I’m going through the 2012 list and watching each country’s video before I decide on my favorite. Here is Sweden’s entry. I really like the techno beat and I think she has a great voice. Visually, my friend, Andy, said this reminds him of the movie, “Dark Crystal.” I gotta agree.

What is Eurovision? You could call it the European version of American Idol, but that would be totally wrong. Eurovision has been around a lot longer, the songs have to be original and not previously released by the artist, and the contestants can be over 28-years-old. Also, the name is a deceiving. Countries who belong to the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) are eligible, so certain countries outside of Europe can participate, such as Israel.

Another catch is that even though each country sends an artist, if you live in that country, you cannot vote for that artist during the main competition. You can only vote for another country’s contestants.

The national competitions are as huge as Eurovision. They’ve already taken place for 2012 and the finalists are chosen. The competition will take place this year in Baku, Azerbaijan, as they were last year’s winner. The semi-finals are May 22 and 24, and the finale is May 26. Sure wish I could vote, but the U.S. isn’t part of the EBU. Still, it’s fun to watch and see what each country has to offer.