News • 1 June 2003

Arts Council will not reveal Maltasong’s Eurovision budget

Matthew Vella

Following accusations by singer Lynn Chircop of failing to provide adequate promotion for her Eurovision entry To Dream Again, the Arts Council told MaltaToday it would not reveal details of its marketing expenditure:

"I write to advise that it is not opportune for the Council to publish its accounts," the Arts Council’s Dr Paul Mifsud told MaltaToday, which asked for marketing details for Malta’s 2002 and 2003 Eurovision entries.

"We shall publish our accounts when our books are closed for the current financial year as per Cap 444, which is our enabling law," Dr Mifsud reiterated.

On the other side of the bitter feud of Malta’s Eurovision fiasco, a tired Lynn told MaltaToday she would only reveal her dissatisfaction during a formal press conference.

Her brother Alan believes she has nothing to justify: "Lynn has nothing to answer for except her performance in Latvia. It is Maltasong and the other delegates who should speak about the shortcomings of their promotional exercise."

Alan Chircop said that during the voting in Latvia, Maltasong chairman Charló Bonnici reportedly told Lynn she ‘might have not impressed’ the European audience with her performance. During the after-party, no contact was made between the two.

Temperamental and stubborn were just Lynn Chircop’s quirky attributes before leaving for her ill-fated Latvian performance.

Her saccharine spirit seemed to have dissipated following revelations of her turning down a Mugi design after allegedly paining the fashion designer into forging the perfect dress, and the notorious free-for-all argument between her entourage and Maltasong on the return flight to Malta.

Her brother Alan thinks otherwise:

"She was not given a promo video or adequate promotion. She was not given a performance in the Ukraine, but for two interviews, whilst in Vienna she performed under a tent in a market-place. In Spain, she had to pay for her visa out of her own pocket. She was obviously reimbursed later, but this is certainly no sign of good organisation."

Charló Bonnici, former Maltasong chairman now personal assistant to the Education Minister, said the decision not to produce a music video for Lynn Chircop’s To Dream Again had been taken before Lynn’s victory at the Song for Europe contest.

"Our budget allocation for this year was the same as when Ira Losco was chosen to represent Malta. A music video is not an integral part of the promotion, and the board thought the video had no effect on the number of votes."

Bonnici also said Lynn was ensured extensive promotional tours around Europe:

"In 2002, Ira Losco was flown around ten countries in Europe. Three of these flights were privately-sponsored, the rest were paid by the state. Lynn was sent to seven European countries, and sang in the UK twice, making it a total of eight promotional performances abroad.

"Additionally, Lynn had a larger quantity of CDs produced and distributed than Ira, as well as being the only singer to get a record deal with ZXY, which includes the production and distribution of her CD."

Reacting to songwriters Alfred Zammit’s and Cynthia Sammut’s comments on Super One TV, that they had been "guinea-pigs" in the new Bridge Production deal forged with Maltasong, Bonnici said:

"That’s their opinion. Paul Zammit Cutajar’s re-mastered version of the song was far superior than the original song.”

The chirpy, upbeat To Dream Again however failed to impress the European audience and Chircop’s tragic saunter into Europe’s kitschfest has left her an icon, albeit one that will rekindle memories of one Eurovision we did not deserve.

matthew@maltamag.com