Portugal’s The Black Mamba will sing “Love Is On My Side” during the second semi-final of Eurovision 2021. The band have explained that their song is inspired by a sex worker they met in Amsterdam. She told the group that despite all the troubles in her life, love was always on her side.
The Black Mamba have no idea what’s happened to her since. So the, Amsterdam-based newspaper Het Parool has decided to find out and launch a search for the unnamed woman.
Dutch newspaper launches search for the sex worker that inspired The Black Mamba’s “Love Is On My Side”
The Portuguese group met the woman in 2018 while on tour in the Dutch capital. During their stay, they resided in a small hotel in the Red Light District of Amsterdam.
Lead singer Pedro Tatanka tried to recall how they met the song’s protagonist to newspaper Het Parool:
“She said that she once was a young lady with dreams, but that her life had gone a different road than expected. She had gotten addicted and ended up in sex work.”
“She told us that excluding everything, she had always felt that the love was on her side. She came from Eastern Europe, sadly, I can’t recall which country exactly. She was already of an older age. Her story went back to Portugal with us and now through Eurovision back to the Netherlands.”
The group also use the story in their Eurovision 2021 stage act. The LED features an artistic interpretation of the woman walking through Amsterdam. In the graphics on display, the classic architecture of the Dutch capital is also clearly visible.
“[The hologram] is that exact woman, but when she is younger. We would like to meet her personally to tell her what her story did with us.”
The Black Mamba told Het Parool that they hope that she will notice the article.
It has been quite a while since I saw such a ridiculous discussion here in wiwibloggs. The story is great. If the past people would have taken this prude and dishonest atitude, half of the word literature, music and painting would not even exist today. Black Mamba are talking about real life stories, addressing real issues that matter, leaving even a glimpse of hope, and not the same little fat girl turn women empowerment story or ‘we are all in this together’ bull.
This is so crass. She never asked for this.
did you talked with her??
She could come forward at any stage if she wanted to. Her choice. She hasn’t so leave her alone.
this is getting even more exploitative……
The newspaper’s commitment is that, if they found the lady, they would only introduce her to the band, The Black Mamba.
People, did you even listen the story ?!
She was an old Lady in 2018… Who knows if she is still Alive!!!
Most people commenting here know absolutely nothing about the massive presence of people that live on the margins of what society defines as the “norm” in all art expressions (painting, performance art, photography, cinema, contemporary dance…) and how outcasts and misfits have inspired art since, well, Art has a name. Please educate yourselves. You can start by having a look at the massive work of Nan Goldin, and I’m quoting the most obvious example, one that actually deals with the issue of exposure and the ethics behind it. There’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in being a sex worker,… Read more »
Wrong.
LOL.
in the modern era, marginalised people should be given platforms to speak for themselves… not having someone speak on their behalf without their consent.
This! Just… this!
There’s no need for such a drama. The woman that told The Black Mamba her story was because she wanted to be listened. They problaby were nice with her (for a change) and she told them her story. If the newspaper wants to find her, let them try. If she wants to appear she will do, if don’t no one will know. But if she wants, this could be probably the best present she ever received. Being recognised in a song that will play in the major music event of the world!
Finally! Some wisdom and common sense. Thank you for you comment.
We don’t know how her physical or mental health is today and we don’t know if the newspaper will care.
Would you care about the physical or mental health of the person in question if she was not a sex worker? Let’s say that the song was about a woman selling flowers in Amsterdam. Would you? If not, then you are just assuming that sex workers are more prone to be physically and mentally “sick”. And that kind of misconception and prejudice is way more harmful than whatever motivations the newspaper (or the artists, for that matter) may have. I don’t honestly think that having a newspaper searching for a woman/source of inspiration of a song is really necessary; yes,… Read more »
If that woman selling flowers became a drug addict, and was forced to sell her body… then yes, I would care.
It’s pointless. Alaska clearly thinks that an addict selling her body is having the time of her life and waiting to be recognised.
I don’t agree with much of what you’ve written either.
Hey wiwibloggs, are you only approving comments that show disapproval and (even more) negativity towards the woman in question? I have a comment posted one hour ago that tries to give some insight on the presence of certain themes in art, which is still awaiting for approval. I haven’t written anything that might be considered disrespectful, unlike many unfortunate comments that I have read so far in this section… Some clarity on the criteria behind the “curating” of comments on this site would be pretty much needed at this point. Thank you.
Leave her alone! Sex workers deserve the same privacy as any other worker. If the song was about a cashier in Zara or a hotel receptionist it would be considered creepy… why doesn’t the same apply to a sex worker?
Yes
Most people commenting here know absolutely nothing about the massive presence of people that live on the margins of what society defines as the “norm” (being drug addicts, HIV+ people, sex workers, etc.) in all art expressions (painting, performance art, photography, cinema, contemporary dance…) and how outcasts and misfits have inspired art since, well, Art has a name. Please educate yourselves. You can start by having a look at the massive work of Nan Goldin, and I’m quoting the most obvious example, one that actually deals with the issue of exposure and the ethics behind it. There’s absolutely nothing to… Read more »
Inb4 it turns out they made it up
That would be the best outcome.
I could even hear your finger waving and head a shaking!
Please stop… this is the real world , not ‘Pretty Woman’.
What happened to the accusations of plagiarism of the song ?
Never heard of them
Leave her alone.
Well, if she’s a junky prostitute, she’s perhaps in coffin. And even if she’s not I’m not sure does she wants to tell whole world how she sunk so low. It’s pretty disgusting and she might be shamed. That’s from one hand. From the other hand, she can earn money from papers. Maybe, this few euros will be a ticket to a better life for her. Of course, if she wouldn’t buy herself a hit, and pass from O.D.
Whats wrong with you? Honestly.
Me? I’m absolutely okay. Just find the whole story disinspiring. What’s romantic into prostitution and drug addiction, seriously? I’ve got two heroin addicts parents , it’s absolutely not funny or interesting. And for Heaven’s sake why we should tolerate it? Junkies are brainless liars with absence of morality. I’m junkyphobic and the stories like this one are cringeworthy.
That’s not what the song is about. Even with all her problems, she was still optimistic. That’s what the song is about.
how are half of my comments “under review” and comments like this are perfectly ok
Your lack of empathy with other people is truly sad. Please don’t undress it in public – it’s pitiful and quite worrying that you choose to do so.
Dumbest idea ever. If she was an older addicted sex worker, she’s probably dead and if she’s not and still doing that what’s the reason to put her in the spotlight? Or if by some miracle she quit it, does she need tabloids to remind her of her past?
Sincerely…. who cares?
It’s starting to feel invasive—this was an issue I always had with the song when they explained this inspiration for the lyrics—while her story is nothing to feel shameful about, at the same time she may not want this attention or have her life story projected to a potential audience of 300 million.
I mean if she gets found she can just say ‘I don’t want my name or picture in the newspaper’.
If it was the 90s, that would be fine—but newspapers are well past their primacy.
The chances of finding someone who worked in that industry in 2018 is highly unlikely. The only way they find her is if she comes forward herself and if she does then i guess she doesnt mind people knowing her story.
I have no idea how big red district in Amsterdam is, but if they find the small hotel BM stayed in, it can’t be that hard to canvass the area and ask the prostitutes to spill their guts about older colleagues. 3 years is not ice age, she may still be there.
The question is if she’s happy with her story being made so public, cause it’s not like BM asked her about that before turning it into a song.
Trust me, 3 years for a addict working in the sex industry is a lifetime!!!!
If you say so
Really what? That it would not be so hard to find her (if she’s alive)? Or that other prostitutes would gladly poke the journalists in the right direction? Or that she may heave dreaded the fact they made a song about her?
Uau, if they find her it would be massive