{"id":62083,"date":"2015-04-13T10:03:10","date_gmt":"2015-04-13T14:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"\/news\/?p=62083"},"modified":"2015-04-13T16:02:19","modified_gmt":"2015-04-13T20:02:19","slug":"life-week-band-comprised-men-syndrome-headed-eurovision-finals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/life-week-band-comprised-men-syndrome-headed-eurovision-finals\/","title":{"rendered":"Life of the Week: Band comprised of men with Down syndrome headed to Eurovision finals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This year, for the first time ever, a punk rock band will be featured on stage at Europe\u2019s Eurovision, a hugely popular song competition celebrating its 60th year. But that\u2019s not the only first. The members of this band, PKN, have Down syndrome and autism, making them the first band of their kind to make it to the semi-finals of this contest.<\/p>\n

The band uses their music to raise awareness for Down syndrome, as well as other mental disabilities. After beating out the competition in the Finland semi-finals, they\u2019ll be taking their message to an even larger audience. First they\u2019ll participate in the European semi-finals May 19 to 21, and are favored to make it to the finale set for May 23.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery person with a disability ought to be braver,\u201d singer Kari Aalto told Finnish broadcaster YLE. \u201cHe or she should themselves say what they want and do not want.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a message they want the world to hear, and one which they shared in the 2013 documentary, “The Punk Syndrome.” Bassist Sami Helle told The Guardian<\/a> that they don\u2019t want people to vote for their band out of pity. But with 5 to 1 odds<\/a>, PKN shouldn\u2019t have to worry about anyone voting for them on sympathy. They are the third favorite to win with their song, \u201cI Always Have To\u201d about the mundane tasks of everyday life.<\/p>\n

\"PKN

PKN traveling on a bus.<\/p><\/div>\n

But\u00a0while this band is up on stage having fun, they\u2019re also confronting and defying long-held prejudices about people with Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are rebelling against society in different ways…” Helle told The Guardian. \u201cWe are changing attitudes somewhat, a lot of people are coming to our gigs and we have a lot of fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

And they\u2019re likely to have even more fans after they make their Eurovision debut. If you can\u2019t make it to Eurovision, check out PKN in the trailer for\u00a0The Punk Syndrome<\/a>,<\/em> where you can watch them celebrate their first record.<\/p>\n

Editor’s Note: To check out previous Life of the Week articles, go here:<\/em><\/p>\n