A few hours after taking part in the Eurovision final, in which she finished 16th, Quebec native La Zarra took to social media to express her pride at having represented France and thanked her admirers. The singer also explained that the honor hand she raised when announcing her results was actually just a gesture to show her disappointment.
Posted at 8:35am. Updated at 8:35am
“I wanted to tell you that the gesture I made in the Green Room, which everyone on social media is picking up on, is absolutely not contempt or insult. And that’s by no means a middle finger,” La Zarra wrote in an Instagram story after his Eurovision appearance.
“It’s a gesture of disappointment on my part, meaning ‘whatever’, which translates to ‘so be it.’ No more and no less. No intention to shock or provoke. I apologize if this has been misinterpreted. »
After finishing 16th in the final, a very disappointing result, the Montreal native was featured on screen. In front of the hundred million viewers who watched the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday, she held her middle finger down with her open hand and raised it again, a gesture that many interpreted as a middle finger. The sequence, taken up by many Internet users on social networks, sparked controversy.
In an interview on BFMTV, La Zarra also said that she has a dual culture (she is of Moroccan origin) and that it’s more of a sign that we shake hands among friends. The “toz” (derived from the Arabic word “fart”) is indeed a popular gesture symbolizing rejection or despair.
The controversy surrounding his gesture took up a lot of space on social networks after the Eurovision Song Contest was broadcast. However, La Zarra wanted to express his pride in having sung his play Obvious for France. “I wanted to thank you for your valuable support! I am [fière] have [représenté] France and the entire French-speaking world! Thanks to Europe and all fans around the world,” she also wrote in her story.
Finally, she congratulated the singer Loreen and Sweden, who won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday.
SCREENSHOT FROM LA ZARRA’S INSTAGRAM
Screenshot of La Zarra’s story