Austria/Editorial – When I saw the picture I said (very politically incorrect) “Yikes“, when I saw a performance I said “Oh… well…” and when I saw more I said “She will go to Eurovision for Austria“. Conchita Wurst is a fictional character and has come to fame through the recent Austrian casting show “Die Große Chance” in which she came 6th, despite having won the second semi-final. Wurst (German for sausage) is a woman with a beard, which is exotic enough, but when you hear her sing it’s even more surprising.
Her real name is Tom Neuwirth, a shop window decorator who made it (as himself) to the final of the 2007 version of Starmania (He had his coming out during the show). In the final he was beat by no other than Nadine Beiler, who represented Austria this year in Düsseldorf. The Kronenzeitung suggests that the Eurovision application as Conchita Wurst may be an attempt of Neuwirth’s at revenge.
In the casting show Conchita Wurst surprised judges and audience alike with her powerful (certainly for a man) and emotional performances of Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” and Michael Jackson’s “I’ll be there”. Her performances even caused standing ovations and before the final she was one of the favourites (having won the second semi-final). In the final she only came 6th but her popularity is still considerable and makes her one of the favourites to win the Austrian national final.
I don’t know what it is but I find her absolutely fascinating. The mixture of joke entry and satire on the one hand and real, genuine emotion and a good voice on the other hand is very interesting and she has more that captivates me than Dana International or other travesty acts ever had. She would certainly be a novelty to Eurovision, which has seen almost anything else by now. Imagine her on the stage in Baku! I certainly can!
Here are some of her performances:
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This is the original song “Unbreakable” from the final of the casting show. It was released after September 1 and may thus be her national final entry!
Source= Kronenzeitung; Image= Die große Chance
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One big difference between Conchita and Dana: Conchita sounds great live :p
absolutely!!! And she sings ballads ^^ not stupid Eurotrash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aEK5jNKcMRQ#! Conchita in her Tom period :p
Uhh, I think this… person… really wants so show us that voice is more important than looks in Eurovision ^^ Well good luck to him/her.
She has so beatiful eyes… what is that wurst thing in her name
She is great vocally but I dont see her having a chance in the greater Europe if she wins Austrians NF.. I dont think Europe is ready for her yet!
If Europe was ready for Dana in 1999… it should be ready for Conchita in 2012… But actually I have to wait for the song *blush* and the other songs in the national final… This is only based on personality and voice…. And I’m always the first to say it’s a SONG contest… she captivated me… ^^
yes but Dana was a woman, Conchita is woman but look male too.. The dramaqueen from Denmark 2007 came to my mind, thats the reason I wrote it
Din pacate imi pare rau sa recunoisc ca da, batrana si prea conservatoarea Europa, nu este pregatita pentru un asa talent.Pacat!!!!
Succes, bafta si numai fericire sa ai in viata, Conchita!!!!
Eu te iubesc!!!!
She reminds me of the bulgarian Azis
By the way, the third song here, “Unbreakable” is really good and it seems it’s not a cover, but an original song of hers (correct me if I’m wrong). Could she sing this song in the national final? That would do great in ESC.
Yes, it’s nice. I hope it’s her preselection song.
Brilliant! Go for it Austria and I hope you win
Conchita has a very good voice. Now I hope that the song will be equally good.
im confused :O lol is it a man, women, transexual or drag queen????
just a drag i think
Asta are importanta????
Este CONCHITA!!!!
Este frumoasa fizic si frumusetea sufleteasca i se vede in frumosii ei ochi!!!!
Bravo, Conchy!!!
squeeky,nasal voice,not much of a singer
I understand everything, and that somebody think she sings great, i think totally opposite, it’s clear falsetto, but OK! Because we have seen 101 times singers who can’t sing in ESC.. The thing I don’t understand is why she has beard! It’s horrible!
Yes, sometimes it is falsetto. But what is wrong with falsetto? It is one of several singing techniques, and not necessarily a bad one. In fact, it can be used quite effectively imo. Whether one personally likes it or not is a completely different thing of course.
Sorry but quality music and singing can’t be based on falsetto at all, in opera falsetto is forbidden and considered as a mistake…in traditional singing (Serbian f.e.) it’s also not allowed…
Perhaps I don’t mind because my formative years in pop music were those in which Jimmy Sommerville was HUGE.
And what about the countertenors which are very important in baroque opera?
Yeah male falsetto is allowed in opera in rare occasions… but I know about it, it’s considered as a mistake in classical music..and traditional singing especially..
Toggie don’t interrupt me, I’m, writing mail for you!! lol
OK, I will get off your back then because I am waiting for your mail. My excel file is waiting too …
That is because traditional cultures do not like gender trouble, I guess …
Falsetto is not only about gender troubles (it just sometimes sounds like that)… there is a male and female falsetto…it’s considered as a mistake in traditional singing and also in the opera..
Rock usually uses falsetto..
And all other contestants this year are horrible! Pfffff..
last year was great!!
Will any entry be like Charlee – “Good to be bad”? :-**
I love Conchita’s voice. It’s not the best (and Anggun’s is better for confirmed acts thus far), but that combined with the mixture of novelty that comes with Conchita would lead to a likely qualification for Austria. However, I hope that “Unbreakable” isn’t Conchita’s song. It’s slightly dull and very reminiscent of a slightly-better version of Nadine’s ballad from 2011. In other words, it’s very average, as a song. I’d love to see Conchita bring a better ballad than that and not have to elevate the song with her voice.
His image may be somewhat off-putting, but the song anf its live performance is what counts in my book.
I love his facial expressions! (especially in I’ll be there!)
don’t say he, him or his – it’s a she !!!
Great voice!
But there will be a VERY awkward conversation between parents and their children if….the person goes to Baku. For example “Mommy, why does that lady have beard?” and so it shall begin.
ce problema ai si tu????
Eurovisionul nu este pentru copii.
Du-te Conchita si fa-i praf pe toti!!!! in 2013!!!
Anul acesta ai fost nedreptatita, succes pt 2013!!!
I think it would be rather good and topical if Austria sent her to represent austria in a country such as Azerbaijan, I think it will be a greta message to the azeri’s that you shouldnt be predujist to bi, transgender, gay or lesibans the title of the song is also very meaninggul that is what I am I think there is a deeprer personal message behind the lyrics and if think the azeris/Belarusians/serbians/russians/georgians should pay atention to this entry, it would be a listen learned, we live in a modern, civilised society today and I think its time some countrys moved on from homophia and predujism. Good Luck Conchita from the UK!
great* meaningful* *deeper
Why is this article comparing Dana to Conchita? Conchita is a drag character, Dana is transgender. I’m not sure what makes Dana a “travesty act”.