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Xavier Naidoo to represent Germany in Stockholm

19 November 2015 at 06:00 CET
Xavier Naidoo NDR/Alexander Laljak
One of Germany's most successful artists has been internally chosen represent his country in the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest: Xavier Naidoo. Some of the most renowned songwriters and producers have been asked to prepare songs for him, the six best out of which will be presented in a national final on February 18th. The entry which Xavier Naidoo will sing on stage in Stockholm will be picked by the German TV viewers.

With 20 years of stage experience, all of his albums going gold or platinum, and several TV awards, Xavier Naidoo is undoubtedly on of the biggest stars of the German music scene. In 2016, he will add another items to his long list of achievements: He will represent Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest.

"Unser Song für Xavier" on February 18th

The song Xavier Naidoo will sing on stage in Stockholm has not been chosen yet - this important task remains for the German TV viewers. On February 18th, he will present six songs in a live show on the public TV channel Das Erste.

Three music experts, including Germany's latest Eurovision Song Contest winner Lena, will give their opinions on the songs during the show, but in the end, televoting will solely decide on the winning entry.

The best German composers and producers have been asked to submit their songs, with no restrictions on the language of the lyrics - they can be in German but also in English, for example. The six songs for the national final will be picked by a jury consisting of music experts on December 15th, with the involvement of Xavier Naidoo. 

After December 16th, the songs will be presented to students of film and art academies in order to prepare staging concepts for the performances. These ideas, too, will be used in the live show.

About Xavier Naidoo

Xavier Naidoo has shaped German pop music for two decades. His albums sold millions in Germany, they topped the charts for weeks, and they all reached gold or platinum status. Their success extends to Austria and Switzerland. His song Dieser Weg was the official sound track for the German national team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and thus was one of the most played songs of that year.

But Xavier Naidoo is not only a very successful musician - he also won several TV prizes. Currently he is touring Germany with his band Die Söhne Mannheims, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the group. 

"Xavier Naidoo is an exceptional artist, who has been well-known in the German music business for more than 20 years. This is why we decided to directly select him. The fact that Xavier has agreed to represent Germany in Stockholm is, at the same time, an obligation for us to create the best possible conditions for his performance. For that reason we have changed the selection procedure this year: We ask Germany's best producers and composers to write for Xavier. And by cooperating with students of film and art academia, we want to encourage young and creative people to develop staging and performance concepts for the Eurovision Song Contest. The success of Lena, Loreen and Måns Zelmerlöw have shown that not only the personality of the singers and the power of the songs play a key role in the voting but also the staging of the acts. I am happy about Xavier's commitment and courage to take part in this and about his trust in us. I am looking forward to exciting months ahead of us", explains Thomas Schreiber, entertainment coordinator of the German public broadcaster ARD.