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Who Is Joost Klein? All About The Dutch Eurovision Contestant As He Is Barred From Rehearsals
While the authorities did not reveal many details about the situation, it is speculated an alleged backstage altercation with Israeli contestant Eden Golan caused Klein’s abrupt suspension from Eurovision.
This article includes references to death and violence
Moments away from the grand final show, Eurovision 2024 is plagued with political issues. The latest scenario involves the Netherlands’ representative, Joost Klein, who is barred from the rehearsals by the European Broadcasting Union, leaving his future in the song contest in jeopardy. The EBU has announced that Klein will not perform in the second dress rehearsal while they investigate a backstage “incident.”
While the authorities did not reveal many details about the situation, it is speculated an alleged backstage altercation with Israeli contestant Eden Golan caused Klein’s abrupt suspension from Eurovision, per Billboard.
"While the investigation continues the EBU has decided that Joost Klein will not perform during Dress Rehearsal 2 of the competition which is voted on by juries in the 37 participating countries. His performance from Semi Final 2 will be used instead,” the EBU stated minutes before the jury rehearsal. Israel trails behind the Netherlands in sixth position in the final running order.
Ever since the inclusion of the Israeli contestant, there has been a wave of agitation from a group of public protestors and among the Eurovision contestants as well. Joost Klein was reportedly among the most vocal voices against the nation’s inclusion, per The Sun.
All we know about the Dutch contestant is below:
Who is Joost Klein?
Joost Klein is a rapper, singer, and former YouTuber. He started posting under the channel, EenhoonJoost, meaning Unicorn Joost, in 2018. With eight studio albums released, Klein is known as an accomplished musician, per Radio Times. Two of his albums ranked in the top 10 of the Dutch Album Top 100 charts. He is best known for his hit tracks, Scandinavian Boy, Wachtmuziek, Europa, and Friesenjung. The latter boasts of 100 million global streams on digital platforms.
Born on 10 November 1997, Klein, 26, was raised by his older siblings in a village called Britsum in the Netherlands. At 12, his father died of cancer and his mother passed away the following year due to cardiac arrest in 2011.
Joost Klein represents the Netherlands at Eurovision 2024
Joost Klein is here to fulfill his parents’ dream to see him perform at the Eurovision. "The Eurovision performance will be a full-circle experience, turning sorrow into elation," Joost said of representing his nation at the contest. He is leading Eurovision 2024 with the song Europapa, which pays homage to his late father.
Speaking of his song, the singer explained "Europapa is about an orphan who travels throughout Europe (and beyond) to find himself and tell his story.” The 26-year-old shared that he dedicated it to his father because he passed on to him an “expansive view of the world.”
Ahead of the 11 May final, Joost was suddenly pulled out from the second dress rehearsals while his props were being set up on stage. After the managing director signaled to stop his rehearsal, Israeli contestant Morgan replaced him at the rehearsals, per a report by The Sun.
The Netherlands has been a strong contender at the Eurovision Song Contest since its establishment in 1956. They were one of the seven veteran contestants of the music contest and have won it five times, as recently as 2019.
What is the dispute between the Netherlands’ Joost Klein and Israel’s Eden Golan?
After the second semi-final wrapped on May 9, Thursday, tensions between Klein and Golan were evident during a press media conference. The Dutch participant flashed a red T-shirt on his head, while Golan spoke to the media, as a symbol of protest.
The 20-year-old singer was asked if her presence at Eurovision posed a threat to other contestants and the host nation, Sweden. The singer opted for a diplomatic answer after her moderator advised her she could choose not to answer the question.
However, Klein, sitting adjacent to the Israeli contestant, interjected sternly, “Why not?” Thus, Golan smartly highlighted Eurovision’s slogan of “united by music” and said, “the EBU is taking all safety precautions to make this a safe and united place for everyone, and so I think it's safe for everyone and we wouldn't be here [if not]." The crowd burst into applause with Golan’s answer, per BBC.
Golan’s inclusion at the music event has been entangled with controversy due to her nation being at war. It has also sparked protests by demonstrators in Malmö, Sweden, with many carrying weapons spotted by the police.
The unknown “incident” referred to by the EBU has resulted in the suspension of Joost Klein until further notice.
In an official statement, the EBU made clear that the Eurovision Song Contest is a “non-political music event” and competition between the public service broadcasters listed as EBU members. “It is not a contest between governments,” it highlighted.
EBU has launched a hefty security operation ahead of the Eurovision 2024 final to be held in the Swedish host city. According to The Sun, the Israeli secret service had to fly down to the European nation to aid their security amid terrorist activity threats.
The Eurovision 2024 final will take place at the Malmo Arena on Saturday 11 May.
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