POLL: Who Will Win Eurovision 2012?

The song contest started in the 1950s, and each country competing is represented by a single singing group or soloist. Because Azerbaijan won last year, Eurovision is being staged in its capital, Baku.
Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim ex-Soviet republic, is to host the grand final of the 57th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday.

Azerbaijan sees the competition as a chance to showcase the country and – flush with cash from oil and gas sales – has spent $60 million on a city facelift intended to show its achievements.

However, activist groups advocating a broad spectrum of issues – from human rights to religion – have also sought to use the occasion to draw attention to their campaigns. Armenia pulled out of the contest in March, underscoring tensions over the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian-backed forces wrested the mainly Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan, from Azeri control after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

William Lee Adams is a writer for Time magazine and editor-in-chief of Wiwibloggs, a site dedicated to covering the Eurovision contest. From Baku, he introduced Morning Edition host Renee Montagne to three of the finalists in the multinational competition.

"Greece takes Eurovision incredibly seriously," says Adams. "And they typically bring the exact same song. It's kind of cheesy. It has an ethno-Greek background. It's upbeat and danceable, and that's what this year's contestant, Eleftheria Eleftheriou, brings."

Ukraine's contestant is half-Congolese, which has caused some controversy. After Gaitana won that country's national final, a right-wing politician was quoted as saying she wasn't "an organic representative of the country." But the country embraced her, says Adams. Her song is called "Be My Guest."

Representing Russia this year is a group of six grandmothers. Their song, "Party for Everybody," tells the story of the babushkas welcoming their grandchildren home. "This song itself is kind of appalling, but Eurovision isn't about the best song," he says. "It's about the best act. And this one comes with attitude and spunk and spirit, and the belief that you can keep on moving no matter how old you are."

Here are some facts about song contest:

– The first contest took place in 1956. It was originally conceived in Monaco by Marcel Bezencon and based on the Italian Sanremo Festival held since 1951. Switzerland won the first contest.

– The Eurovision Song Contest boasts a television audience estimated at around 125 million people each year.

EUROVISION RECORDS:

– Singer Johnny Logan won the contest three times. In 1980 and 1987 he represented Ireland and won both times. In 1992 he wrote Linda Martin's winning entry.

– ABBA is the most successful Eurovision Song Contest winner. The Swedish band won the contest in 1974 with the song "Waterloo".

– The most covered song in the contest is Domenico Mudugno's "Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu," also known as "Volare".

Norway came last most often — in 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1990, 1997, 2001 and 2004. However, they have also won three times — in 1985, 1995 and 2009. Ireland has won seven times, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom five times. Sweden and the Netherlands have won four times.

– Most winning songs were performed in English – songs (mostly) in English won 24 times. French is also popular, with 14 victories. Dutch and Hebrew songs won 3 times each

– Dima Bilan gave Russia its first victory in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 with a rock ballad "Believe."

– More than 1,000 songs already have taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, the song of Ireland's Brian Kennedy was number 1,000. Number 100 was "T'en Va Pas", performed by Esther Ofarim for Switzerland and Luxembourg presented the 500th song in 1986, "L'amour De Ma Vie".

– In 2008 and 2011, a record number of 43 countries participated

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2011:

– Azerbaijan won the 56th Eurovision song contest with the romantic ballad "Running Scared".

– The song was about a love-struck couple and was performed by 21-year-old student Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, 30, a mother-of-two who lived in London. The duo was known as Ell-Nikki.