Eurovision Fan of the Week
Passports Please: We’re traveling the world again to meet our newest fan of the week.
This time it’s off to Switzerland: winner of the very first Eurovision Song Contest and home of 18-year-old Luka (@officeluka)!
It quickly becomes apparent that this trilingual apprentice loves himself as a Euro banger! That makes his pick for the all-time favorite contest winner all the more intriguing…
Luka, welcome to Aussievision! Tell us about your fine self.
Hello! Thank you, it’s an honor! My name is Lukas and I am 18 years old. I was born and raised in Switzerland and still live here! My parents are ethnic Romanians originally from eastern Serbia. I grew up trilingual (German, Serbian and Romanian) and even then music played a big role in my life. I am currently doing a commercial apprenticeship and will continue my studies in the summer. In my free time I enjoy listening to music, drawing, learning languages and stroking my two dogs!
~Luka, we REQUIRE pictures of these dogs! names? races? <3 (brand)
How and when did you discover Eurovision?
My parents actually thought it was very interesting to watch when Serbia and Montenegro debuted back in 2004, so it’s started to be a tradition ever since! Even though I don’t remember Eurovision 2004, I definitely remember dancing to My Number One when Greece won 2005! I even begged my parents to download it on all kinds of streaming platforms, so we even ended up playing it repeatedly in our car, haha!
Who is your favorite Eurovision appearance and why?
I see that the difficult questions are already beginning, because it is difficult to say! I choose Cyprus’ entry from 2018, “Fuego”. it had excellent staging and was spectacular to watch.
Who was your 2021 winner? What made them the best?
My 2021 winner was Bulgaria. Victoria and her team poured all their emotions into “Growing up is being old”, with deep meaning and beautiful melodic composition. I was on a mental roller coaster back then and this song was a huge support for me, which is why it will always have this special meaning for me.
It’s still early, but are there any highlights in 2022? I notice a Spanish flag on your Twitter profile…
Oh absolutely! I’m in love with Chanel’s ‘SloMo’, it’s definitely my kind of music – and I don’t think I need to mention her performance. It’s hard to say as this year feels so different. I can’t even guess who will qualify and how well the entries will do. But considering how much they are loved by the fandom, I would say that Greece, Italy, Spain and Sweden are big contenders for the trophy this year.
Which Swiss artist would you like to see in the Eurovision Song Contest and why? What’s one song of yours that you think shows what you could do in the competition?
Quite simply, I would like to see Stefanie Heinzmann. She has a great voice and great songs too. My favorite song of hers is ‘Shadows’, it’s such a feel good song. I’m not sure how well she would be received by the non-Swiss crowd, but she’s one of the bigger Swiss names I’d say.
Which national final are you most looking forward to? What makes it special?
Well, the national finals season is now over, but what I was most looking forward to was Benidorm Fest in Spain and Pesma za Evroviziju in Serbia. Spain caught my attention after listening to their entries and liking most of them. I used to watch Beovizija, Serbia’s previous selection, so it was like continuing the tradition of watching the national selection.
~Benifest didn’t disappoint, did it? Great songs, great staging and lots of drama! I wanted Rigoberta to get the nod but Chanel will do pretty well in May I think! (Mark)
If you could only pick three performances to encourage new people to watch Eurovision, what would they be?
Phew, I’ll use Måneskin’s “Zitti e Buoni”, Jamala’s “1944” and Chanel’s “SloMo” to show the variety of music!
All right, for the next few questions, tell us what comes to mind first. Which Eurovision song:
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Is the best winner?
My personal favorite is “Ne partez pas sans moi” by Celine Dion (and no – it’s not because I’m Swiss!) -
Has the best live singing?
I’m going to Jamala. Her performance in 2016 was flawless in my opinion and her win more than deserved.~Luka… you know this is an Australian Eurovision site right? You know who Jamala could beat home, don’t you…? you are a brave man (Mark)
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Is your favorite Australian contribution so far?
Montaigne’s ‘Don’t Break Me’, it’s my second at Eurovision 2020. What a great entry! -
Was robbed?
There have been a few robberies, but I’ll go to Albania’s 2019 entry, “Ktheju tokës”.
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Is your guilty pleasure?
Cyprus’ 2006 entry “Why Angels Cry” by Annet Artani. It is a powerful masterpiece that has been stolen. -
Is your favorite national final song (that didn’t make it to the Eurovision Song Contest)?
Another difficult question as we get great songs every year. Currently it is Serbia’s “Origami” by Angellina from this year’s selection. It’s an absolute catchy tune and such a catchy tune.
We know you love Eurovision. But is there anything about Eurovision that you do NOT like? Or something you would change?
No, I don’t think I want to change anything now.
American Song Contest: Interested? will you follow
It’s pretty interesting to have another spinoff, but I don’t know what to expect from it. I could take a look though.
Thank you for your time Luke! Have fun at Eurovision 2022!