Estonia’s pick for the Eurovision song contest has sparked outrage in Italy, with the southern European nation calling on organisers to scrap the tune.
Rapper Tommy Cash, who is representing Estonia in this year’s international song competition in May, has been picked to perform ‘Espresso Macchiato’ – with its lyrics mocking Italians through stereotypes.
The song features exaggerated Italian phrases, references to the country’s coffee culture and also pokes fun at its history with the mafia.
‘Ciao bella, I’m Tomaso, addicted to tobacco. Mi like mi coffee very importante’, he sings in the first verse.
He goes onto sing: ‘Mi money numeroso, I work around the clocko. That’s why I’m sweating like a mafioso’ and: ‘Life is like spaghetti, it’s hard until you make it’.
Italian media has slammed the song as a ‘clear provocation’, after Cash performed the song for the first time on Saturday, where he appeared drinking coffee out of an espresso cup.
Meanwhile, Italian consumer association Codacons has clapped back at Cash, lodging an appeal to the European Broadcasting Union questioning if ‘it’s appropriate to allow a song that offends a country and en entire community’ to be included in the contest, which will be held in Basel this year.
‘Notwithstanding the freedom of artistic expression that must characterise events such as Eurovision, we cannot help but raise doubts about the inclusion of a song that is offensive to a plurality of individuals in a competition followed by audiences all over the world,’ Codacons said in a statement.
Estonian rapper Tommy Cash is under fire for his entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, as his song depicts Italian stereotypes
The lyrics of Cash’s song ‘Espresso Macchiato’ imply that Italians are coffee-drinking, spaghetti-eating mafiosi
‘Ciao bella, I’m Tomaso, addicted to tobacco’, the song’s lyrics say
Italian Senate Vice President Gian Marco Centinaio went even further, calling for the song to be disqualified from Eurovision 2025.
‘We cannot allow a song that reinforces negative stereotypes about our country to compete in such a major international event’, he protested.
Despite the controversy, some Italians have embraced the song, with one writing on social media: ‘As an Italian I am amused but also confused but also offended but also honoured.’
Another wrote: ‘No stresso, no stresso, don’t need to be depresso’ – as an Italian, I think I’m going to get this tattooed.’
Cash won the Eesti Laul, Estonia’s Eurovision selection process, on Saturday and will represent the country in the upcoming competition.
The annual event started as a talent competition of seven European nations in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1956.
It’s known for glamorous acts competing for glory as a bit of harmless, camp and innocent fun, but at the same time, Eurovision is rarely without drama.
Accusations of block voting and politics have long marred the show, as have rows over including countries such as Azerbaijan and Israel, which aren’t really in Europe at all.
This year’s international song contest will be held in Basel in May
Estonian rapper and singer Tommy Cash performs on stage during the 31st edition of the Sonar festival in Barcelona, Spain, 15 June 2024
Last year’s competition was infamously overshadowed by controversy, as several acts appeared to make anti-war statements in the midst of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian demonstrators attempted to storm the Malmo Arena in Sweden in protest of Israel’s presence in the contest.
Israel’s representative Eden Golan was forced to change her song to remove what were thought to be allusions to the October 7 attacks.
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Publish date : 2025-02-21 00:44:00
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