ESC+Plus has talked to Nadya, finalist of this year’s Swiss national selection for Eurovision. The singer will perform “The Fire In The Sky” in the final show set to take place on February 5th.
ESC+Plus: Hello! First of all, thank you so much for your time and congratulations on having been selected to take part in the Swiss national selection for Eurovision 2017!
Nadya: Thank you very much, it’s a great pleasure!
ESC+Plus: Can you tell us about you, your musical career and important achievements?
Nadya: Well, my musical journey pretty much started the day I was born and since then I haven’t stopped singing :P. My whole life so far has been about music. I’ve had my first performance when I was four years old, I started playing the piano when I was six and taking singing lessons when I was ten. The thing is, that the bigger part of my vocal education was classical music and opera. In June 2017 I will finish my masters degree in classical singing and my minor degree in jazz. And on top of that I am currently working on my debut album, which will be a mix of many different styles, mainly Soul, Pop and R&B. I always need variety, I love to experiment with my voice and the songs that I write. Versatility is very important to me and not only in music! Anyway when it comes to achievements, I have won several classical singing competitions and I guess my greatest achievement so far was to get to the final of the Swiss version of “Got Talent”. But I feel like it’s time for me to explore the music industry with my own sound, with my own songs and really give the world a piece of my soul :).
ESC+Plus: What impelled you to take part in the Swiss national final for ESC 2017?
Nadya: As I said, I participated in the Swiss version of “Got Talent” and one guy named Ricardo Sanz saw me on TV and wrote me a message. We got together and now he’s my producer! He wrote the song and when he heard my voice, he thought it would work out perfectly :). I feel like this song has such a strong message that I and for sure many other people can identify with and I really want to share it with as many people as possible. And I think that the Eurovision is an excellent platform to do so!
ESC+Plus: How did you feel when you knew you had qualified for the final? Did you expect it?
Nadya: Of course I was hoping to get to the final but I really didn’t know who else was participating and in music it’s also always a question of taste! So as much as I am happy about qualifying, I wouldn’t dare to expect it :D.
ESC+Plus: What would it mean to you to represent Switzerland?
Nadya: It would mean the world to me! The Grand Final will take place in Kiev and as my mother is from Ukraine, it would just feel amazing to participate for Switzerland, the country I call my home, in Ukraine, a country where my roots lie.
And of course it would be an honour to sing on a stage so rich in tradition that never ceases to be so eagerly anticipated!
ESC+Plus: Can you tell us about your song? What is the story behind the lyrics?
Nadya: Generally speaking, the song is about the ongoing battle between good and evil. It’s a song that raises a bunch of questions without giving any concrete answers. It’s supposed to make people think. “The fire in the sky” can basically mean anything, from a great memory through to a traumatic event like war for example. I personally want to use this song to raise awareness of how quickly everything can change and how thankful we should be for what we have and also not to give up in times that are less easy. And of course of how necessary the balance between good and evil is! As long as we are unable to harmonise both of these sides in ourselves, we won’t be at peace with our own minds. We will be vulnerable to people who want to take advantage of our indecisiveness and as we won’t be strong enough to recognise their intentions and fight them off, we will believe them and become their puppets. So if you ask me, without the balance within ourselves, there will be no peace in this world. That’s why I think the message of this song is so important to hear and understand. To create confidence and tolerance and to fight ignorance as a result of fear.
ESC+Plus: Why do you think your song has to be selected for Kiev? What are you strengths to reach the top in the competition?
Nadya: Nature has given me the greatest gift I could have possibly asked for: my voice. And when you have the voice, you can make people listen. I got this gift and I want to give something back, so I want to use this “power” (:P) for a good cause. I want to make Europe and the world hear the message that this song conveys. And maybe, just maybe, something in this world could change for the better :).
ESC+Plus: Have you thought about your performance for the Swiss final?
Nadya: Ooooooh yes! I’m thinking about that a lot and I really want to create a magical moment between the audience and me! But I won’t talk about the details ;).
ESC+Plus: Do you usually watch Eurovision? What is your favorite song in the history of the competition?
Nadya: I do watch the Eurovision almost every year but my favourite song and also my favourite contestant ever was Jamala with “1944”. The first time I saw her on stage was when she participated in the “New Wave” competition, which she won. Her energy is remarkable and I would really love to meet her and see if she also has this incredible aura off stage. I also think that the meaning of her song was beautifully reflected in the music. It was very bold and minimalistic, yet unbelievably strong at the same time. I really love it :D.
ESC+Plus: If you could choose a Eurovision former participant to sing along with, who would it be?
Nadya: Obviously Jamala! (really, I’m a huge fan :P)
ESC+Plus: Finally, can you send a message for our readers and Eurovision fans?
Nadya: Dear readers, dear fans,
I am extremely excited to perform for you and to have as many magical moments with you as possible! You are such a beautiful and strong audience, every single one of you! It will be an honour to exchange this amazing energy with you and I am really looking forward to the 5th of February 😀
I hope you will vote for me so the world can be witness of the magic that we create together!