A new record set by Switzerland

When you watch Emil Ramsauer prepare to go on stage, you would never guess that he is in fact 95 years old! He is acting sprightly and seems to be enjoying the company of his fellow musicians that are part of Takasa.

The Head of the Swiss Delegation, Sven Sarbach, told Eurovision.tv that no changes were planned for the second rehearsal.

A rock song with a message

On stage, the band members were performing in one line, wearing white shirts. Four band members were playing instruments: an electric guitar, a trombone, a double bass, and a big drum.

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Mostly wide shots were used during the Swiss act, with close-ups mainly on Emil Ramsauer, and on the two lead singers, Christoph Jakob and Sarah Breiter. In the end of the performance, Sarah lay her head on Christoph's shoulder. The message of unity and love expressed by the Swiss entry You And Me was well transmitted with this performance.

"It's like a family"

In the Swiss press conference, the band members were asked to explain the story behind the new band name Takasa. "We got so many proposals - at least 200. I even have some letters at home, handwritten ones. Everybody wanted to bring in their idea. We first had to decide if we wanted to be positive or negative, and we decided for something positive - we didn’t want to be something like the Band without a Brand. So we decided for Swahili, Takasa sounds like Hakuna Matata", Christoph Jakob said.

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Emil Ramsauer was asked by the press conference host to tell the story of his life. "I never thought I would get old like that, and I never thought I would come here. I’m not nervous", he stated. So, what's his secret? "Just live a moderate life. Don’t work too hard. I go to bed at half past nine."

Christoph Jakob added: "It’s like a family, being here together - he could be my grandpa."

When asked how big Eurovision was in Switzerland, he replied: "Most people in Switzerland say: It can’t get worse than last year, so there isn’t that much pressure on us. But we already put enough pressure on ourselves."

He went on to describe the story of Takasa's Eurovision participation: "In the beginning it was just a marketing gag. In one moment though it all took over and became serious. Once we went to the Swiss final in Kreuzlingen it was clear we would like to go further. And I think we are all glad we did it. Today was our second rehearsal, and we all enjoyed it. We can still improve it - be kind to us. It’s a great honour to represent Switzerland."