Sweden: OPA [Interview]

In escXtra’s latest Melodifestivalen interview, we were lucky enough to speak to débutants OPA about their music style, their name and their entry!

escXtra: Hi guys! Firstly, how did you form as a band and what is the meaning of your band name? I assume it’s the Greek word for “Come on” (Sv: “Heja”), like their 2010 Eurovision entry.

OPA: Well, we first started playing together in 2008 due to a musical production of Zorba the Greek in our home town. The theatre restaurant then arranged a musical evening where we participated. Our debut went very well so we continued playing together.

Like you said, “opa” means “come on” but the word has got several meanings and it can be used in many different contexts. We had “come on” in mind, though.

X: What kind of music do you usually perform?

O: We started out playing traditional Greek music but lately we´ve been playing our own material. The foundation of the music is still Greek but we’ve also added several other elements as pop music and even Swedish folk. The music is actually a mix of many different genres.

X: What can we expect from your entry “Allting blir bra igen” and what does the title mean?

O: The song is melodic, easy in its structure and honest. It’s a Swedish-Greek hybrid that speaks from the heart. “Allting blir bra igen” means “Everything will be fine again”.

X: What is your favourite Melodifestivalen entry?

O: Carola’s songs are generally good and well performed.

X: If the Swedish public vote you through to the final of Melodifestivalen at Globen, how would that feel?

O: It would feel fantastic and unreal.

X: Is there an album on the way? What can we expect from it?

O: Yes, we’ve just finished recording our songs and you can expect an album sometime in March, we think. The album is very melodic and we think that the music makes a very personal statement.

You can see the band’s début single “Himmelskt” (“Heavenly”) below:

X: Finally, do you have a message for our readers at escXtra?

We sincerely hope to reach you all with our music. We’re looking forward to playing for you sometime in the future.

escXtra would like to thank Michael Sideridis, OPA’s composer and band member, for answering our questions as well as Thomas Wallén for his assistance.