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US singer signs on for Russia's answer to Eurovision / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
NYSE - LSE
US singer signs on for Russia's answer to Eurovision
An American R&B artist will take part in Russia's revival of a song contest billed as a rival to Eurovision, which has excluded Russian singers since the Ukraine offensive, organisers said Thursday.
Brandon Howard, known professionally as B. Howard, is mostly famous for his resemblance to Michael Jackson -- sparking media speculation in the past that he was a son of the late pop icon.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered this year a revival of the Intervision Song Contest, which showcased artists from the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc states in the 1960s and 1970s to rival the West.
"Brandon, we hope that your emotional depth and electrifying energy will captivate our audience," contest organisers said in a Telegram post.
"We are looking forward to his brilliant performance at Intervision'25 in Moscow!"
B. Howard, who has around 150,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, will be joined by performers from 21 countries including China, India, South Africa, Serbia, Venezuela, Cuba and former Soviet republics.
It was not clear if his participation was a state-backed or private initiative.
There was no immediate comment on the Intervision participation matter on Howard's social media accounts.
The contest will be held in Moscow on September 20, with organisers promising "unforgettable emotions".
Before the Ukraine offensive launched in February 2022, Russia had taken part in Eurovision since 1994, winning the wildly popular event in 2008.
O. Karlsson--BTZ
