http://users.pandora.be/diggiloo/pic/1977/fr1.jpg

Country: France
Year: 1977
Title: L'oiseau et l'enfant
Title in English: The bird and the child
Performed by: Marie-Myriam
Lyrics: Joe Gracy
Music: Jean-Paul Cara
Points: 136
Ranking: 1st

It has been thirty years now since France last won the ESC. The last time was in Wembley for the ESC 1977. The road to that year's contest was bumpy as a strike in the BBC had it postponed from March to May, the month where nowadays the ESC takes place and the organization endured many technical problems. Nevertheless the BBC was able to produce a great event hosted by Angela Rippon with one of the best sets of songs of the decade. 18 countries took place, the same number as 1976 but with Sweden returning after a one-year absence and Yugoslavia withdrawing (wouldn't return until 1981). The language option rule that was stated in 1973 was dropped, meaning all countries had to sing again on their native language(s). However Germany and Belgium had already chosen songs in English before the rule was changed and were allowed to sing in English anyway.

http://www.ndrtv.de/grandprix/images/mariemiryam_1977.jpg

The French song "L'oiseau et l'enfant" was the last to performed. 20 year-old Marie-Myriam, dressed in orange, gave a heartfelt performance of the song that gave France its fifth ESC victory, 15 points ahead of UK's "Rock Bottom" by Lynsey de Paul and Mike Moran.
All countries gave points to France:
12 - Germany, Switzerland, Finland
10 - Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Israel and Italy
8 - Netherlands
7 - Austria, Greece
6 - Sweden, United Kingdom
5 - Portugal
4 - Monaco, Belgium
3 - Norway

Marie-Myriam was born in 1957 in Braga, Portugal with the name Maria Micaela Lopes. Her family moved to Zaire soon after her birth before settling down in France when she was 8. She started off her career when her song in 1976 when her song "Ma Colombe" was a huge hit in Quebec. (Celine Dion would sing it to Pope John Paul II when he visted Canada in 1983). Following her ESC victory she a had a million-seller with "L'oiseau et l'enfant" and has been recording and performing ever since. There's a new gerates hits album coming up soon. While working as singer, she also owns a restaurant in Paris and ESC fans can usually see her giving the points of France in the ESC votings.

http://esckaz.com/2006/DSC_0434.jpg



http://www.eurovisioncovers.co.uk/f77.jpg

Very simple song but so heartwarming and joyful, that it's hard to hate it.

 

10 points