The United States has confirmed its entry into Russia’s response to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Singer Brandon Howard, known by his stage name B. Howard, will be taking part in next’s month’s Intervision competition in Moscow.
In a post on Telegram, organisers said his music ‘transcends borders and unites cultures’ as they announced his participation.
Howard’s mother Miki Howard is a successful singer in her own right, having been managed by Joe Jackson in the 1980s.
The musician is yet to address the news on social media ahead of the revived competition, which was first held between 1965 and 1980 in then-communist Czechoslovakia.
Now, Russian President Vladimir Putin is bringing the contest back with his Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko in place as chairman of the organising committee.
The decision to reboot the event comes after Russia was banned from Eurovision, which will take place in Vienna next year, following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Other nations set to take part includes Cuba, Qatar, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Venezuela, Serbia and Kazakhstan.
On Wednesday, the first official press conference for Intervision took place at the press centre of TASS, Russia’s state-owned media agency.
Alexander Zhuravsk, Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Public Projects, told media: ‘We have invited participants from more than 20 countries from BRICS, CIS, Latin America, Asia, and Africa, as well as from the USA, to show through the prism of music how rich and diverse the world is.
‘Intervision is not a political initiative, but a cultural and public one. And we believe that Intervision will become a real celebration of the cultural code of each participating country.’
Back in December 2022, Eurovision executive supervisor Martin Österdahl admitted banning Russia was a hard decision to make.
He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme at the time: ‘When you look back in time, you see that the Eurovision song contest is like a logbook of what has happened in Europe, what the trends have been in Europe.
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‘But, also, what is the kind of mood and sentiment of Europe, and what is the social context of Europe at the time.
‘When we say we are not political, what we always should stand up for are the basic and ultimate values of democracy. Everyone is right to be who they are.’
Earlier that year, the Europian Broadcasting Union announced ‘no Russian act’ would participate in the contest.
They said in a statement: ‘The decision reflects concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute.
‘Before making this decision the EBU took time to consult widely among its membership. The EBU is an apolitical member organisation of broadcasters committed to upholding the values of public service.
‘We remain dedicated to protecting the values of a cultural competition which promotes international exchange and understanding, brings audiences together, celebrates diversity through music and unites Europe on one stage.’
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