This article forms part of the OnEurope archive and was originally published on oneurope.co.uk. It has been permanently migrated to oneurope.net, the official home of OnEurope.
Romania was always a song with a message. Take a song about a subject close to people’s hearts, especially in the UK – migration in this instance – and turn it right around on its head to show the other side of the story.
More specifically, “De la capăt” (“All Over Again”) is about the children left behind when Romanian parents go abroad to find work. Voltaj presented the song as part of its “All Over Again” campaign, drawing attention to the emotional consequences of labour migration rather than simply making a general statement about people moving from one country to another.
The preview video does that, and the stage show will do that too. It uses footage from Calea Dunării, Sabin Dorohoi’s short film about a boy in a Romanian village trying to reconnect with his parents, who are working in Vienna.
There’s lots of symbolism here, with the preview video playing in the background, including some of the political messages flashed up on the screen, the child getting to his parents who wanted to give him a better life and then, just to emphasise the point, there are suitcases on stage too.
At the rehearsals in Vienna, the staging added black-and-white lighting, children and family imagery, maps and migration references on the LED backdrop. It is a very engaging performance from Voltaj, led by Călin Goia, who sing this song with the conviction it deserves. The Romanian/English mix seems to be working a treat: the song keeps its connection with Romanian listeners while making its message more accessible across Europe.
The point is not that every Romanian abroad fits somebody else’s stereotype. Voltaj’s message is aimed at the migrant workers and families involved, and at the children who are left at home while their parents try to give them a better life. That makes the British political debate around migration relevant context, but it is not really the song’s subject.
I wouldn’t call Nigel Farage though and ask him for his thoughts on Eastern European policy during this three minutes.
Update: With the benefit of hindsight, Romania qualified from the first semi-final in fifth place on 19 May 2015, with 89 points. Voltaj then finished 15th in the grand final on 23 May, scoring 35 points and performing 20th in the running order.
