YEREVAN (Armenianow) — Armenia has changed the title of its Eurovision 2015 entry, the Song Contest’s official website said.
Originally, the song unveiled last week and performed by the band, Genealogy, was titled “Don’t Deny”. Turkish and Azeri fans and media alleged Armenia was promoting a “political message” promoting the recognition of the Armenian Genocide on the year marking the centennial of the 1915 massacres.
“The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) Reference Group took notice of Armenian Public TV’s (AMPTV) request to change the title of their entry for the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest into “Face The Shadow”, after having submitted the song formally to the competition,” it said.
“The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the ESC Reference Group welcome AMPTV’s request to change the title of the song in order to take away any suggestion of political intent behind the song,” it said, quoting Gohar Gasparyan, the head of the Armenian Delegation, as saying on behalf of AMPTV that it was done “to strengthen the concept of an anthem of peace, love and unity”.
Armenia will take part in the first Semi-Final of the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest on 19th of May.
