This year, the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest featured a record breaking twenty languages. Eurovision Ireland will be looking at all the languages that have been performed at the Contest, since 1956, in our latest #AtoZ. Today, we continue the series with Maltese, Martinican Creole and Montenegrin.

Maltese

Maltese is a Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance superstrata. It is the only Semitic language predominantly written in the Latin script. It is spoken by the Maltese people and is the national language of Malta, and is the only official Semitic and Afroasiatic language of the European Union.

Maltese appeared in full, within “Marija l-Maltija”, the Maltese entry for the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest. Joe Grech performed “Marija l-Maltija”, finishing in 18th place with 52 points.

Martinican Creole

Martinican Creole is widely spoken in Martinique which had mixed between French and African languages developed between the white settlers and the slaves from Africa who has settled in the New World. Martinique’s history and its origin were the Arawaks that became the first known inhabitants along with the Carib tribes before the Spanish led by Christopher Columbus arrive in Martinique in 1502 and claimed it for Spain before handing over to the French in 1635 by King Louis XIV of France which affected as the Code Noir which tens of thousands of slaves from Africa were taken to the new French colony of Martinique. The elements of Martinican Creole was mixed with English, Spanish, Portuguese, Indian, African, Amerindian and other ethnic minorities as a mixture of blend like Haitian Creole and Louisiana Creole once the French settlers along with their African slaves became the heart of the French Caribbean. Martinican Creole is a regional language because the island has European, British, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Indians (Tamils), Blacks (Africans), Martinicans, Caribs and others. It is considered part of Overseas France and a European region which became an Overseas département on 19 March 1946. Martinique shares characteristics with both the Caribbean and Latin America as a whole, with various African language that develops Martinican Creole had bring more closely tied to the latter due to its French, Spanish and Latin connections with the black majority.

Martinican Creole appeared in full, within “Monte la riviè”, the French entry for the 1992 Eurovision Song Contest. Kali performed “Monte la riviè”, finishing in 8th place with 73 points.

Montenegrin

Montenegrin is the standard variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Montenegrins. It is the official language of Montenegro. Montenegrin is based on the most widespread dialect of Serbo-Croatian, Shtokavian, more specifically on Eastern Herzegovinian, which is also the basis of Standard Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian.

Montenegrin appeared in full, within “Zauvijek moja”, the Serbia & Montenegrin entry for the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest. No Name performed “Zauvijek moja”, finishing in 7th place with 137 points.

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The Eurovision Community, which Eurovision Ireland are a part of, celebrates diversity through music. Please keep your comments respectful. We will not tolerate racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, body-shaming or any other derogatory or hostile language.

Author: Richard Taylor

Source: Eurovision Ireland, Wikipedia & YouTube/ESC Archives/escLIVEmusic1/EBU