Omar Naber represented Slovenia in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev with the song “Stop”. Ever since then, Omar has successfully released three albums, with songs from every of them becoming big hits in Slovenia. He took part in EMA twice after his performance in Eurovision, and is now set to take part again this Saturday, hoping that he will once again get the Slovenian ticket for the Eurovision stage, in Copenhagen.
We spoke to Omar about his Eurovision memories from Kiev, as well as his new song in EMA, and his performance this Saturday night. Check out what he told us in the following interview:
escXtra: Hi Omar! First of all, thank you for taking your time out for doing this interview. Tell us, how did you decide to enter EMA once again?
Omar: Actually I was invited, and I could never turn down such an invitation.
X: Can you tell us a little bit about your song, “I won’t give up”? You wrote it yourself, if I’m not wrong?
O: Yes, I write most of my songs myself, so “I won’t give up” is one of them, both music and lyrics. The song is very dynamic, from pure minimalism and intimacy to a flaming chorus. It’s actually my typical style, with a little modern and serious twist, and I think the song would do excellent on Eurovision.
X: We all know you represented Slovenia back in 2005. How was your experience in Kiev?
O: I absolutely loved Kiev. It was life changing actually, I was literally thrown from the streets straight to Eurovision, that bumped me out a bit, I was very young. I won a national talent show and it was my prize. But I’m still very thankful for that experience, that’s where my music career actually started. And I’d gladly repeat it ๐
X: What’s the nicest memory that Eurovision brings back to you?
O: Those three minutes on the stage, definitely. I love performing, and I could never get enough of it, it’s just what I love the most.
X: Can you tell us a little bit about your stage performance, how is everything going to look like on the 8th of March?
O: The performance is going to be quite simple, as I want to keep the focus on the song itself. I don’t want to have too many distractions to it, as the song is good enough to win, and I intend to win ๐ I have no idea what the outcome with results will be, but I will be hoping for the best. I will just say that performance is going to be simple and hopefully effective. I want to keep the rest as a secret ๐
X: How are you preparing for EMA?
O: I wanted this to be a secret, but I guess I can tell you that four beautiful girls will be on stage with me. And they will not be dancing ๐
X: You are the most experienced Eurovision participant in EMA this year, seeing as you took part in EMA three times before, and you are the only one to have represented your country as a soloist. Do you think this gives you an advantage?
O: I have no idea. I am not to bothered by that, as it could be both an advantage and a disadvantage. I don’t even want to think about it too much, as I want to keep my focus on the song and the performance. It’s very hart to say how this will affect on the results, but let’s hope it is an advantage ๐
X: Your all time favourite Eurovision song is…? (apart from your own, obviously ๐ )
O: Insieme by Toto Cotugno ๐
X: And finally, do you have a message for all your fans, and for all the readers of escXtra.com?
O: To all my fans, my new album is out soon, both in Slovenian and English version, I guarantee this will be the best album so far.
And to the readers of escXtra.com, I have this strange feeling Eurovison is soon going to be what it once was, a festival with the best music of Europe. So you better never miss it! ๐ Haha I know you won’t, but just in case ๐
X: Thank you very much Omar, and we wish you the best of luck in EMA!
You can follow Omar on his official Facebook page, and his Twitter. While we’re waiting for his entry “I won’t give up” to be available, why not remind ourselves of his Eurovision performance from 2005 – “Stop”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIQx34t9O4Y
