Samuel Tobias: “My song is full of emotions and everyone will find themselves in one way or another” (Swiss candidate – Interview)

ESC+Plus has talked to Samuel Tobias, SRF candidate of the Swiss national selection for 2016. The next step in his Eurovision adventure will be the “Expert Check” on December 6th, where he will be fighting for a place at final with the song “Asking Me Why”.

E+: Hello Samuel! First of all, thank you so much for your time.

S: Hello Antonio, I’m happy to do this interview with you.

E+: Can you tell us about you, your musical career and important achievements?

S: I’m 33 years old and live in the beautiful city Zurich. When I was 7 years old, I started singing in different choirs and achieved a lot of experience during the years. I always wanted to become a singer. Now I mostly work on stage as an actor and sing on stage and in different music productions.

E+: What impelled you to take part in the Swiss national selection for Eurovision 2016?

S: Some very good friends of mine did participate in the last couple of years, so I was very close to the pre-selections of Switzerland. When I was working with Christian (composer) we talked about the ESC, so we decided to do this Song together. I always wanted to be a part of this event.

E+: How did you feel when you knew you had qualified for the next phase of the competition?

S: Well, I was really excited! I did everything humanly possible to make my song public and I’m very happy and honored to be already a part of it. For me it’s a totally new experience.

E+: How are you preparing your performance at the “Expert Check” round?

S: I think the biggest part is already done. The song itself. We were working very intensely before we finalized it and sent it to the preselections. My song is a ballade, so I will not make to much of a show out of it. It has to live from the music and the intensity of emotions.

E+: What it would mean for you to represent Switzerland?

S: I’m very proud of being Swiss. Of course there are some politic issues, like in so many other countries, but to represent Switzerland would mean the world to me. I want to bring people together, to listen to each other, to become this vision of a Europe we dream of.

E+: Can you tell us about your song “Asking Me Why”? What is the story behind the lyrics?

S: My song is about love which is unconditionally given, but set into question cause of fear to be dismissed, while one yearns to allow it.

E+: Why do you think your song has to be selected for Stockholm?

S: There are some very good songs in competition, but it’s always about the taste. My song is full of emotions and everyone will find themselves in one way or another. It has a great potential, so I think people will notice.

E+: Have you thought about your stage performance for Expert Check and national final?

S: Of course I did. Since the Expert Check is already in about one week I will keep it simple. My song doesn’t need much of movement. For the Expert Check Christian (composer) will join me and support me on the piano. For the national final I will add a lot of light effects and some projections. I will also have a grand piano and a cello on my side.

E+: What is your opinion about the last Swiss representatives in Eurovision?

S: Unfortunately, we were not really successful in the last years. I liked Sinplus with the song “Unbreakable” and I also liked Mélanie Renée’s “Time to Shine”. We have really good songs in Switzerland, but it’s always difficult to choose exactly the right one for an event like this.

E+: Besides Eurovision, what are your plans for the next year?

S: At the beginning of the year I will be performing in “Hotel Victoria” in Chur and St. Moritz. Around this time should also be the release of the new album from Venus & Mars. Then my plan would be to go to Thailand for a couple of weeks before I hopefully will be participating in Stockholm.

E: Finally, can you send a message for our readers and Eurovision fans?

S: I’m really excited to be a part of this show and hope to see you all around. This event is about freedom, tolerance and connection of different countries. For me music is peace! So please enjoy all this great music. Who ever will be in Stockholm, I’m happy to be a part of it and I will support everyone. Thank you for believing in me.

Samuel Tobias is taking part in the Swiss national selection for Eurovision 2016, . You can listen the song below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vwE6l6gkQg

You can follow Samuel Tobias on his Official Website and Official Page in Facebook