#SHOWBIZ: Camp, tuk-tuks and soaring vocals: Carmelle triumphs at debut Eurovision Song Contest Asia

BANGKOK: A 19-year-old Filipino pop star named Carmelle took home the crown at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia on November 14. The night was filled with powerful ballads, pop-dance hits, and dazzling pyrotechnics as part of the unique Asian take on the Eurovision tradition. Carmelle's performance of Sobra-Sobra (Too Much) celebrated strong women, and she claimed the title over hosts Thailand and Vietnam.

The event, which organizers hope will breathe new life into Eurovision, featured contestants from eleven countries, including Malaysia, Laos, Nepal, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. While the audience in Bangkok was initially small, the energy was immense, with fans from around the world enthusiastically supporting the international performers.

Carmelle expressed her genuine excitement about the experience, describing it as more of a concert than a competition, and thanked the Philippines for inspiring her to participate. Despite tight budgets, the spectacular staging relied on smoke, flares, and eye-catching visuals, with contestants using multicolored tuk-tuks, the iconic symbol of Bangkok, to make their stage entrances.

The Asia edition of Eurovision was organized by commercial television and featured mostly well-known local performers, with some having unusual backgrounds. Eurovision, the world's largest televised live music event, draws 131 million viewers annually and has launched the careers of global superstars like ABBA and Celine Dion. However, its future in Asia remains uncertain, as the region's most populous area with over 4.6 billion people has seen mixed reactions to the new competition.