In the heady years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, there were many changes in Europe that were seen as symbols of the Cold War’s end. There was nuclear disarmament, NATO enlargement and accession to the European Union. But the most musical change was the extension of the Eurovision Song Contest from West to East.
Until 1992, countries on the Eastern side of the iron curtain were forbidden from participating in the West’s indulgent festival of kitsch. (The one exception was Yugoslavia, where Tito’s break with Moscow allowed his country to participate).
For a while the Eastern Bloc countries did have …read more
Source: European Voice
