COLETTE DÉREAL, TÉLÉ MONTE CARLO BEFORE SÉVERINE

Colette Deréal & Jean-Claude Pascal

Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco, in Ligurian Principatu de Mùnegu, is a sovereign city-state, country, and microstate on the French Riviera in Western Europe.

The Grandma loves small countries because she was born in one of them and she considers that as small is your country better attention it has with its inhabitants. Tina Picotes, one of The Grandma's best friends, was born in Monaco and they share their experiences living in these rich microstates full of history and diversity. Today, they have been talking about the participation of Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest along its history. Tina has talked about two especial singers, Colette Deréal and Séverine. The first died on a day like today in 1988 and the second won this Contest representing Monaco for the first and only time.  

The Grandma considers that talking about them is a good way to pay homage and remember them.

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Colette Deréal, born Colette Denise de Glarélial; 22 September 1927-12 April 1988) was a French actress and singer.

In 1961, Deréal represented Monaco in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, with the song Allons, allons les enfants. Deréal finished joint tenth place with the Finnish entry Valoa ikkunassa sung by Laila Kinnunen and the Dutch entry Wat een dag sung by Greetje Kauffeld, receiving six points.

Allons, allons les enfants was the Monegasque entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in French by French singer Colette Deréal.

The song is a call from Deréal to the children of the world to get out of the towns and into the wider world to celebrate the joys of Spring. She sings that this is the only way for them to truly live.

The song was performed second on the night, following Spain's Conchita Bautista with Estando contigo and preceding Austria's Jimmy Makulis with Sehnsucht. At the close of voting, it had received 6 points, placing 10th in a field of 16.

It was succeeded as Monegasque representative at the 1962 Contest by François Deguelt with Dis rien.

More information: Eurovision

Allons les enfants, aujourd'hui la vie est belle
Il faut sur le champ qu'on répande la nouvelle
Une belle page blanche, toute blanche, s'ouvre maintenant
C'est le jour du printemps.

Let's go children, today life is beautiful
On the field they just have to spread the news
A beautiful white page, all white, is opened now
It's the day of spring.

Colette Deréal

Monaco has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 24 times since its debut in 1959.

The country's only win in the contest came in 1971 when Séverine performed Un banc, un arbre, une rue. In 1972, Monaco was expected to host the contest, but declined. Until now, Monaco is the only microstate which has won the contest.

Monaco finished last at its first contest in 1959 before achieving three top three results in the 1960s. Two of these were achieved by François Deguelt, who finished third in 1960 and second in 1962. Romuald also finished third in 1964.

Severine's victory in 1971 was the first of five top four results in eight years.

The others were achieved by Romauld, who returned to place fourth in 1974, Mary Christy who was third in 1976, Michèle Torr, fourth in 1977 and Caline & Olivier Toussaint who were fourth in 1978. After participating in 1979, Monaco was absent from the contest for 25 years.

Séverine won Eurovision in 1971

Monaco is the only country to have internally selected all of their participants. While some countries organise televised national finals, it is believed that TMC does not have enough money to organise national finals.

Monaco returned to the contest for three years from 2004 to 2006 but failed to qualify for the final on all three occasions.

The Monegasque broadcaster then withdrew from the contest, stating that regional voting patterns in the contest have effectively given Monaco no chance of qualifying for the final.

Monaco participated in the contest 21 times between its debut in 1959 and 1979. Afterwards the country withdrew from the contest for financial reasons. It only returned in 2004, 25 years after its last participation. It withdrew again in 2007, after failing to qualify for the final for three consecutive years.

Monaco won the contest in 1971, with the song Un banc, un arbre, une rue, performed by Séverine.

The Monegasque victory is rather particular in the history of Eurovision as neither the songwriter, the singer, nor director were from the country they represented, something which also was the case with four of Luxembourg’s five victories.

Séverine even declared to journalists that she had never set foot in Monaco, forgetting that the video-clip was filmed there. Séverine's producer was dishonest with her and stole her prize, thus she never got paid for her victory, even after suing him. Nevertheless, the singer is still a great fan of the contest.

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Monaco's next best placing is second place, which it has achieved once in 1962. It has placed third three times, in 1960, 1964 and 1976; and last twice, in 1959 and 1966.

Monaco is among the eight countries which finished last on their first participation, the others being Austria, Portugal, Malta, Turkey, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and San Marino.

Monaco never organised the contest. After winning in 1971, the country decided to organise the 1972 contest as an open-air show, setting the date in June rather than early spring. However, because of a lack of funds and material, Télé Monte Carlo sought help from the French public broadcaster, ORTF, which accepted to organise the contest.

Because TMC wanted the show to be held in Monaco while ORTF wanted it in France, negotiations never succeeded. Monaco left it up to the EBU. The EBU asked Spain and Germany, who respectively finished second and third at the 1971 contest, but the countries were not interested in organising the 1972 contest. It was eventually organised by the BBC in Edinburgh.

Séverine won Eurovision in 1971

Monaco was absent from the contest between 1980 and 2003, before returning for three years from 2004–2006, but Maryon (2004), Lise Darly (2005) and Séverine Ferrer (2006) all failed to progress from the semi-finals. TMC broadcast the 2007 contest, opening the way for participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. However, TMC decided against it.

The EBU announced they would work harder to bring Monaco back into the Contest in 2010 alongside other lapsed participants.

TMC programs no longer revolve around the principality. As TF1 Group being the biggest competitor to the French public channels, it is very unlikely that TMC will again broadcast the contest. When TMC did so between 2004 and 2006, its audience was much smaller than the one of the French public channel. In those years, it was the government and the municipality of Monaco who chose the contestant and funded the delegation, while it is usually the responsibility of a broadcaster or a producer.

Due to the country's very small size, all Monaco's entrants came from outside the principality, although French-born Minouche Barelli, who represented the principality in 1967, shared her time between Paris and Monaco, acquired Monegasque citizenship in 2002, and died in the principality on 20 February 2004 at the age of 56.

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Séverine (born Josiane Grizeau; 10 October 1948, Paris) is a French singer.

Séverine won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1971 for Monaco, performing Un banc, un arbre, une rue with music by Jean-Pierre Bourtayre and words by Yves Dessca. It was recorded in English as Chance In Time, in German as Mach die Augen zu (und wünsch dir einen Traum) and Italian as Il posto.

The original French version made #9 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1971, whereas the English version, released on CBS rather than Philips, did not chart. The song charted highly in most other European markets.

Séverine had further success in France and Germany, but never again on an international scale.

Séverine made two further attempts at winning the Eurovision Song Contest, participating in the German national finals of 1975 and 1982. Neither song won. She accompanied Monaco's delegation to the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.

More information: Escextra

Un jour ou l'autre il faut partir
Pour se construire un avenir, un avenir
Et see'est l'inoubliable instant
Où l'on rend ses habits d'enfant, d'enfant.
 

One day or another we have to leave
To build a future, a future
And it's the unforgettable instant
When we return our child clothes, child clothes.
 

Séverine