South Ossetia On Their Minds

The song that’s caused one of the biggest controversies in 54 years of Eurovision history may have a chance of being a hit throughout Europe.

“Don’t Wanna Put In” by Stephane & 3G, which was Georgia’s Eurovision entry until Russia heard it, has been released in the U.K. with other European countries expected to follow.

The act is going on a Europe-wide publicity blitz to take the song to a bigger audience than the 100 million viewers who will tune in this year’s Eurovision, which is being held in Moscow.

“Don’t wanna put in, the negative move, it’s killing the groove,” go the lyrics that made it the first song to be banned from the competition on political grounds.

The song is a very thinly disguised protest against Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and the war in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia last August.

“We are not politicians, but we are patriots; we love our country. When you hear bombs going off in your country you have to say something,” said band member Stefane Mgebrishvili. “This song was our little protest, and we were denied the right to sing it.”

The buzz surrounding the song is spreading on blogs and music-streaming Web sites. About 400,000 people watched the band’s performance on YouTube in the 24 hours after the Georgian public chose it as their Eurovision entry.

“I think it is a shame the EBU [European Broadcasting Union] gave in to pressure from the host country to ban the song,” said Georgian culture minister Nick Rurua. “Our freedom of expression has been shamelessly and grossly violated. We should not be setting artificial boundaries for self-expression.”

Over the last decade, Eurovision has been plagued by accusations of political grandstanding and tactical voting, which last year caused BBC Eurovision host Terry Wogan – the presenter whose sardonic wit has sliced through the tedium of Eurovision voting since the 1970s – to stand down, claiming the show was no longer about music but national prejudices.

Georgia also likely irked the Russians by organising its own song festival in Tbilisi on the same night as Eurovision (May 16), a bid to show national solidarity behind the banned song.

A few critics have reportedly accused the act of having close links with Georgian president Mikhail Saakashvili, with some suggesting his aides may have written the song – an allegation that’s been denied.

“It’s the first time a song has been banned for being too political, even though other nations have got away with it in the past,” said John Kennedy O’Connor, author of the “Eurovision Song Contest: 50th Anniversary Official History.”

“I think Georgia stood a good chance of winning, and the Russians were scared of that.”

He agrees with Georgia’s claim that the EBU gave in to pressure from the Kremlin, pointing out that the 2007 Ukrainian entry, “Lasha Tumbai,” which sounds like “Russia Goodbye” in the local language, had much the same message yet came second in Finland in 2007.

Although 3G minus Stephane – Nini Badurashvili, Tako Gachechiladze and Kristine Imedadze – also attempted, unsuccessfully, to represent Georgia at Eurovision in 2008, they say they will not try again next year.

“Who remembers Eurovision entrants, apart from one or two? They are forgotten after 24 hours,” said Imedadze. “This is a much better opportunity for us – thanks for the publicity, Mr. Putin.”