| Eurovision Song Contest News - 2009 Moscow, Russia 

Jan Castricum

Hi !

I'm Jan, I'm 50 years old and bookkeeping is what I do for a living. I also work at several regional radiostations, making my own shows. I also am a coach for new radiocollegues .
I discovered Eurovision in 1980, when it was broadcasted in the Netherlands on TV but also on the radio in stereo ! In the 80's I participated in a popquiz on national radio. It was the dutch preselection for the european popquiz !!! I became 3rd in the preselection. The host of that preselection was Willem van Beusekom, he became a personal friend of mine ! Willem has been the commentator for the ESC from 1987 until now. 2005 was his last job ! Unfortunately Willem died in May 2006.
I represented the OLON (the organisation of local radiostations in the Netherlands) 7 times at the ESC.
(That was between 1991 en 1998) I had to make impressions, interviews, etc. etc.
Every regional and local radiostation could ask for material from me. It was a very nice time and I made a lot of friends.

The ESC nowadays is too big, I'm afraid. I love the years when there were only 20 countries and a live orchestra ! I still recall how Mrs. Einstein got the audience and the orchestra totally wild during the rehearsals ! These girls were so good to work with !!
The finest couple I worked with was Ruth Jacott and her partner Humphrey Campbell. Love them !!

I never make pictures of myself with a eurovision artists, but I made an exception for Dulce Pontes back in 1991. Such a lovely girl ! Now she is the most famous singer in Portugal !!

Well, my friends, I still follow the ESC, but the last years every song had to be wild, with a lot of dance and a lot of drums ! Am I too old for the gig now ? Neeehhh.... 2006 proved that a beautiful ballad from Bosnia went to # 2 and that Texas Lightning were topping the charts all over Middle Europe, so..
Even Brian Kennedy did very well ! The Russian "act" was impressing. And Lordi ? Well, back in the 70-s (yes, I am that old) we all liked Alice Cooper with his "horror" act, so what's new ? Oh.. yeah.. Grunt !

I am NOT a fan of the junior competition. It should be stopped immediately. Let children be children and don't let them compete. Competition enough when they grow up !

I think there should be a competition for newcomers and for established singers, like they did at the San Remo contest.

In february I had an interview with Edsilia for the OLON. This interview has been sent to 300 radiostations in the Netherlands !!!