Only 2 days left until the final of Eurovision Song Project in Cyprus, and Hovig took the time to talk to us. He participates in the Cypriot selection with the dynamic ballad Stone In A River. Will he be the one to defend the colours of Cyprus in Vienna?
We found Hovig among his preparations for the live final show of Eurovision Song Project that will be held on Sunday in Nikosia. Fortunately he had a little time to talk to us.
- You became famous through your participation in the talent show, Greece X Factor, do you regret your participation there or has that helped you in your career?
Hovig: Of course i don’t regret my participation in the greek X-factor! I believe that talent shows are a modern way to promote yourself and your talent in a fast way. Participating in such a big show has the benefit of ‘exposing’ your talent to a large audience. The tricky part is that television is the strongest mean of promotion and publicity so it has to be used wisely and carefully. In the X factor I met some important people from the music industry in Greece, I learned a lot of things from the people there, and overall I had a great time! I made memories and friendships that i will always keep.
- Your song is titled "Stone In A River", what is it about?
Hovig: Stone In A River is a dynamic ballad written by Argyro Christodoulides. Argyro happens to be one of the first people who believed in my talent. When I was 17 I was about to release a CD and Argyro wrote some songs for me. Stone In A River was one of those songs, however we never released it! This year while I was performing on a greek island, I was looking through some old demos, and came across Stone In A River. I felt exactly what I had felt when I first heard the song back then. This means that I realised the song is not out of age, or rather that it is a classic. Good songs in my opinion are like wines, they get better and better as time passes by. So I contacted Argyro and asked her if she would be interested in competing in the Eurovision Song Contest, and here we are.
Now the song is not just another love song. It is about people. It is a song that questions and challenges you to think and act as an individuals, breaking out from the masses and not to drift by like a blind believer. Argyro wrote the lyrics after the London bombings back in 2005, when she was a student there. What is awkward is that 10 years later, the song’s idea is still so relevant today and feels fresh. I believe everyone can relate to the song, no matter nationality, age, sex, religion. It is a song for the whole of Europe! I hope my performance touches the listeners heart and make them feel exactly what I feel every time I listen to the song.
- Your song is a ballad, what will you do to make it stand out in the final?
Hovig: I believe that Eurovision is a song contest. Even though it is a huge television event, we have seen that in recent past, good meaningful songs that are direct to the audience have had good chances in making it to the finals. Presenting a show is good, but its not always the reason to do well. I am not only thinking about the eyesight part of this. My aim is to touch people’s heart. If I manage to do that with my performance, I believe my country will then stand a good chance to make it to the final. I believe Stone In A River is a song that people should listen to, it is one of those songs that will make a difference inside the listener.
- Cyprus usually doesn’t quallify for the final in Eurovision, has never won and it is 10 years since they last time reached the top10 in the contest. Do you think that your song can make the difference this year for your country? Why do you think people should vote for you?
Hovig: I am not the one to assess or say why our previous participations didn’t have the luck to go better in the results, however I have to say we do try to get better every year. In general, as a country we do develop and achieve to meet European Standards, regardless our rather small size.
In many cases Cyprus has been in the media the last few years for all the wrong reasons, but Eurovision is a chance for us to say we may be small, but we matter – and we care about Europe. Sending a song that has a deep and honest meaning that everyone could relate to and regain hope through it, is one of the reasons I think people should vote for me.
- Which question that I didn’t ask you, would you like to ask yourself and what will the answer be?
Hovig: I would just like to take the opportunity here and thank my whole team and the people around me for making this happen and their support!
You can watch Stone In A River, Hovig’s candidate song in the Cypriot Eurovision Final below and EuroVisionary would like to wish him the best of luck on Sunday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1fgPdrA3MA&sns=fb
