BERLIN ¨C Germany on Saturday withdrew its contender for next year¡¯s Eurovision song contest following a backlash from critics who accuse the R&B artist of using anti-Semitic and homophobic slurs in his songs.
Xavier Naidoo, a singer of Indian and African heritage whose albums have sold millions, was selected as Germany¡¯s candidate by public broadcaster ARD on Thursday, but the uproar in newspapers and social media prompted a swift change of heart.
¡°Xavier Naidoo is a wonderful singer who isn¡¯t racist or homophobic in my view,¡± ARD executive Thomas Schreiber said in a statement. ¡°It was clear that he is someone who polarizes but the ferocity of the reactions surprised us. We misjudged.¡±
Top-selling newspaper Bild questioned the choice of Naidoo on its front page on Friday. Anetta Kahane, founder of well-known anti-racism group the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, described his selection as ¡°problematic.¡±
Reacting to the decision to withdraw his nomination, the 44-year-old musician said on Facebook it was ¡°okay for me¡± and stressed that ARD had urged him to compete in the first place.
Earlier in the week he rejected criticism of his nomination, saying he represented a Germany that was ¡°open to the world¡± and tolerant of different religions and lifestyles.
Naidoo¡¯s 2012 song ¡°Wo sind¡± (Where Are) was widely criticized in Germany for lyrics that linked homosexuals and pedophiles.
When Germany marked the 25th anniversary of reunification last year, he appeared at a rally of the Reichsbuerger group, which wants a German Reich based on pre-World War II borders.
In another song released after the 2008 financial crisis, Naidoo refers to the German-Jewish Rothschild banking family as ¡°Baron Deadschild¡± and uses the word ¡°schmock,¡± a derogatory term in Yiddish.
Scandal and political controversy are common at the Eurovision song contest, a kitsch mix of pop and geopolitics that is watched by millions in Europe and beyond.
Germany, which came last in this year¡¯s competition with zero points, will name a new contender as soon as possible, Schreiber from ARD said.
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