Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga became an unexpected hit on Netflix last year, filling the void left by the contest’s cancellation. The breakaway star of the film was undoubtedly the “Play Jaja Ding Dong Guy”, A.K.A. Olaf Yohansson, who has now been confirmed as the Icelandic spokesperson for Eurovision 2021!
This week, the Icelandic broadcaster RUV has revealed that Olaf Yohansson, played by Hannes Óli Ágústsson, will reveal the country’s jury votes during the 2021 Grand Final. As Olaf, Hannes is best known for his scene-stealing role in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. He became a popular meme with his obsession of Fire Saga’s “Jaja Ding Dong”, heckling the band for it to be played whenever they played a gig in the film.
“This is really becoming thing”
In an interview via the NetflixFilm account on Twitter last year, he shared some opinions on this breakout performance and had the following to say on “Jaja Ding Dong” itself.
I’ve actually gotten quite tired of the tune
He swiftly followed it up with this:
But that’s my life. Yes I am aware of [its popularity]. It has become a meme. The funny thing is when the movie was released, I was on holiday with my family on the outskirts of Iceland. And then I started getting messages from my friends… So yeah, after a few days I realised, ‘This is really becoming a thing. And then when I saw the movie, I said, ‘Oh, okay. I can see how this can become a thing’.
This line has had so much impact in Iceland that crowds have even heckled real life musicians to play Ja Ja Ding Dong at their gigs! This of course has been helped by the popularity of the film, and its award-nominated soundtrack. Last summer, a ‘Jaja Ding Dong’ bar opened alongside Húsavík Cape Hotel!
Are you excited to see Olaf at the Grand Final? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify and YouTube to see our reactions to the news in the run up to Rotterdam!
