In the run-up to Eurovision, escXtra.com decided it was time to put a spotlight on the people behind the songs: the composers and lyricists. In our fourth interview we spoke to the lyricist behind the Sammarinese entry Maybe: Mauro Balestri! Read what he had to say below!
escXtra.com: Hey Mauro! First of all, congratulations on having a song in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest!
Mauro: Thanks, it’s another great opportunity for me and for everybody!
X: On your website, you write that you’ve had an artistic vision on the world, mainly inspired by your grandparents and uncle. Could you introduce us to your vision?
M: I think that the world we can see and touch it’s just the appearence of another world, made of more thin substance, that we can contact with our emotions and feelings as happens with some songs and discover that a more light and full life it’s Always possible… Maybe!.
X: You consider lyrics to be a very important element in a song. Do you think people underestimate how important lyrics can be?
M: Yes, the words are the structure of the mind, any language resound with attidudes and related thoughts. Everybody would like a better world that we can start to build it inside ourself and then manifest it outside starting by the words. With a sentence we can kill or revive someone, not the body but the soul of course and this is the base of creativity! Every word has a big power, specially when it is supported by music, so musicians has a big responsability towards the audience, they can contribuite to push people to the nothing or to the glory of life!
X: You reduced the amount of live performances as a drummer to make room to write songs for other artists. Don’t you ever miss performing a lot?
M: Yes sometimes I miss the fun of live performace of the past, but life Always offer something else and who know in the future? Maybe… I can start again.
X: How do you look back on 2013 as a Eurovision? Fans were loving your entry, you came 2nd in the fan voting (OGAE), and yet, it didn’t work out in Malmö, how does that feel?
M: First of all I want to get the opportunity to say a really greatful thank you to everybody who loved our song Crisalide last year. It was quite painful don’t have the opportunity to show this song to a bigger audience in the final and I don’t say this just for us, but for the song in itself. When you write something that work the song just after is published do not belong anymore to you but to everybody that loves it and this is the most important thing at the end, that someone let the song in their heart… this is forever and not just one night.
X: A common comment we heard last year was that Valentina should sing in Italian, because that was more natural for her. This year though, she’ll be singing in English. Why was that decision made?
M: Just to let the lyrics undestandable by most people as possible. There is an italian version of Maybe as well in the last cd record of Valentina, I invite who loves to hear Valentina sing in Italian to find it.
X: Your homepage states that you and Ralph Siegel wrote the song back in August 2012. Did you ever consider to send it in for Eurovision 2013?
M: In August 2012 we wrote Crisalide, I specified it in my web site because the recall with the last year butterfly logo could make someone think that we was inspired by the logo, but we wrote the song much earlier. Maybe was wrote in the summer 2013.
X: Talking about Ralph Siegel: he’s the composer with the most Eurovision entries, he’s been in Eurovision for 40 years now. How is it to work with him?
M: It’s a pleasure an honour to work with Ralph. He has an extraordinary contagious passion in composing songs and a big experience, we work very well together.
X: Finally, I’d like to thank you very much for this interview! Do you have a message for the readers of escXtra.com?
M: Thanks to you! My message?… leave to the reality to be something different… and it simply so will!
escXtra would like to thank Mauro Balestri for taking the time to speak to us ahead of the contest in Copenhagen. You can listen to San Marino’s entry, Maybe, below!
