1959: "Der k.und k. Kalypso aus Wien" — Ferry Graf

In 1959, Ferry Graf competed in the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson Européene in Cannes with Der k. und k. Kalypso aus Wien (The Royal and Imperial Calypso from Vienna), by Norbert Pawlicki and Günther Leopold. “It [the calypso] must be from Vienna”, sings Graf, putting the Austrian capital at the heart of the song.

However, the theme is not city life but rather historical associations with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as hinted at in the title. Mentions in the lyrics of Brno/Czechoslovakia and Hungary conjure up, on the one hand, the former size and grandeur of the territory. On the other, they are references to a historical period which—unlike Austria’s Nazi past—was seen as more harmless by European audiences. The three Sissi films of 1955-1957 had already shown that the Habsburg Monarchy served well as an appealing backdrop against which Austria could present itself on the international stage.

Other examples of Austrian nation building come through in the music itself. Calypso, a musical style that developed in the historical context of slavery in the Caribbean, is combined with elements of folk music (polka, yodelling) and the waltz (Johann Strauss Jr.’s waltz Wiener Blut op. 354 can be heard).