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Slovenia : Meet lead singer Martina

05 March 2009 at 21:15 CET

Eurovision.tv : Congratulations on your victory in the Slovenian EMA selection. This will be the fourth time you have taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest. Can you tell our readers a little more about your previous experiences?

Martina : "Firstly thankyou for the congratualtions. It is good to return to the Eurovision Song Contest. When I entered the competition for the first time in 2003, as a backing vocalist for Claudia Beni on the Croatian entry, I thought it would be my first and last time there. It actually turned out to be just the beginning!. This is one of the most positive things about being a backing singer, you can switch projects, even switch countries and show up each year in this beautiful event. I was backing singer also for Alenka Gotar in 2007 for Slovenia in Helsinki and again for Stefan Filipovic for Montenegro in Belgrade last year in 2008."

Eurovision.tv : You clearly have fallen in love with taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest. What makes it so appealing to you to try again each year? What makes the event special in your eyes?.

Martina : "The contest has it's own special charm. I admired it since I was a little girl, the shiny stage, the singers, the dresses, everything!. After actually participating in the event, I began to admire the people engaged in the project and the high level of professionalism, the conditions on stage, the sound, the whole organisation and of course most of all the fans. They thrilled me, they live the whole thing so fully. They know everything about the performers. They even knew my name and I wasn't the lead singer! I like all of the love they carry around,it's just something you don't see every day. Their positive energy is so contageous."

Eurovision.tv : You have worked with the composer of Love Symphony,  Andrej Babic before of course, with the Croatian entry in 2003 and Slovenian entry in 2007. How did you start working together? Do you work on other projects also?

Martina : "I was lucky to meet Andrej Babic. We live in the same town in Croatia, and we used to sing in the same group Putokazi. We have actually been working together for years. He is such a talented composer, and is a true Eurovision Song Contest fan! He asked me to be the vocalist with Quartissimo on the song he wrote for the Slovenian EMA selection Love Symphony. I accepted the invitation and luckily we won the competition."

Eurovision.tv : As you mentioned, your previous three experiences in the contest have been as backing singer. What differences will you make if any in your approach to the task in Moscow now that you will be lead vocalist?

Martina : "My role in this song is very demanding. The lead melody is very high, and the best preparation for singing it is to sleep properly as much as I can, and avoid any areas where people are smoking."

Eurovision.tv : In Helsinki and Belgrade, you were seen at the Euroclub on most evenings with your fellow backing singers wearing the t shirts saying We Dance All Night Long, and indeed you did dance all night long! Will you have to give up this enjoyable social part of the experience considering your role in Moscow as lead vocalist this time around?

Martina : "Ha ha, first of all I should say that I will miss my girls who danced all night long with me in Helsinki and Belgrade!. I will definitely be there in Euroclub this year, although not as often as when we were in Finland, but you will see me there, no doubt about it."

Eurovision.tv : Do you have a particular favourite experience from your three experiences at the contest to date, or a particular favourite year?

Martina : "Each participation was different and special in it's own way, because of the countries we represented. The organisation of the delegations was different from the others, the song types were different, singers were different, and so were our roles. I cannot say that I preferred one above the other. It's a bit like asking a mother which one of her children she loves more!. It's fair to say that I enjoyed every participation, every song we sang, and all of our preparations as we did it with all of our hearts."

Eurovision.tv : Has working as a backing vocalist in previous contests opened up doors for you from a work point of view back home in Croatia? What other projects are you involved with during the rest of the year?

Martina : "Yes, after my first contest in 2003 in Latvia, my career as a backing vocalist took a huge step forward in Croatia. Today I am working with some of the biggest and greatest singers in my country, including some of those who have taken part in the Eurovision Song Contest too. For example Tereza Kesovija, Severina, Doris, Vanna, Maja Blagdan, Toni Cetinski and Vesna Pisarovic. I sing on national television every week as part of the orchestra on shows such as Singing With The Stars, Dancing With The Stars etc. I'm also a vocalist in a recording studio as well."

Eurovision.tv : Finally, do you have any plans to promote Love Symphony in the build up to Moscow outside of Slovenia? Are you planning any changes to the performance we saw when you won the EMA festival in Slovenia?

Martina : "We have been presenting Love Symphony in Sarajevo and Amsterdam to date. As for the other things, such as styling, choreography, changes of performance, I still don't know. The broadcaster RTVSLO is still deciding and choosing the right people. Unfortunately, there is a recession happening in Slovenia too, so our budget is limited and we cannot expect an expensive production. We will see the plans soon and I hope that they will please everyone."

Eurovision.tv would like to thank Martina for her time in completing the interview and wish Slovenia the best of luck in the Second Semi Final of the Europes favourite TV show on Thursday 14th May.

Watch Martina and Quartissimo performing the 2009 Slovenian entry Love Symphony