'JJ' Pietsch's Eurovision win sparks pride among Filipinos

Filipinos in the UAE, known - at least in their community - to be doing excellently in their chosen musical and artistic professions or, whose favourite pastime includes weekend videokes-are all praise for the winning performance of "Eurovision 2025" champion, Johannes “JJ” Pietsch, whose home, once-upon-a-time, was Dubai, until his Austrian father and Filipino mother decided to return to Vienna, where he was born on April 29, 2001.

- Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

World Championships of Performing Arts (WCOPA) national director/OFF Broadway UAE artistic director Elipas Sibua, St. Mary’s Filipino Community Choir and Filipino Social Club Chorale assistant conductor Professor Franco Belo, voice teacher/coach Henri Abenis-Macahilo, events & entertainment industry project manager Winnie Orines-Lumbera, and 2025 “Kalayaan at Pag-Ibig” (“Liberty & Love”) musical play lead actor Dr Rommel Pilapil Sergio were able to watch on Sunday, over YouTube, Pietsch’s emotional rendition of “Wasted Love” after the May 17 (Saturday) grand finals in Basel, Switzerland.

The operatic pop English song narrates the personal unrequited love experience of the Vienna State Opera countertenor, co-written with Berlin-based friends Teodoro Spiric and Thomas Turner, according to a YouTube interview with the Austria contestant, in Basel.