An Afrikaans singer and gold and platinum entertainer, Manie Jackson, felt special for being recognised internationally.
He was presented with the Eurovision song contest Udo Jürgens award by OGAE Rest of the world – the Jürgens fan club – at B&B Hillfox Market on 21 February.
He performed some of his music to fans before he was presented with the award. “It is very special to get recognition from overseas as well,” he explained.
He continued that he spent most of his career performing country and Afrikaans love songs at the pubs until six years back when his music went national.
“I signed with Select Music which is under Sony International Record Company,” he concluded.
https://youtu.be/MHJgn24Dj4Uarket.
Austrian artist Udo Jürgens won the Eurovision song contest in 1966 with the song Merci Chérie. Austria had only ever won the contest twice in the 60-year history of the contest.
OGAE Rest of the World president, Roy van der Merwe contacted Jürgens before his death and decided to have an award handed out for the best cover of a Jürgens’ song in Afrikaans. Jürgens passed away in December 2014.
Several candidates for the best Jürgens cover were identified and a panel judged the best candidate. Jackson won the award with the song, Leef vir hom.
Jürgens recorded the song in German in 1987 and Bles Bridges covered it in English as Fight for Love and Jackson covered it in Afrikaans in 2015.
“This is a once-off award, never to be repeated now that Udo is no longer with us, explained Van der Merwe. He concluded that many artists earned fame in the music industry through Eurovision.
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