Cyprus is choosing their Eurovision 2015 today and one of the acts hoping to fly the Cypriot flag in Vienna is Hovig. He’ll compete with his song Stone In A River. Read what he had to say below!
escXtra.com: Hey Hovig! Thanks for doing this interview. How are you preparing for the final in Cyprus?
Hovig: Hey, thank you for the opportunity you are giving me to talk to your readers. We are actually working really hard and we are very focused to make sure we make the final as good as it can be from every aspect. We are constantly active on to this and we strongly believe in our effort and our song.
X: Could you introduce yourself to us?
H: I am an Armenian born and raised in Cyprus, I am professional singer for about 10 years and for the last couple of years I write my own music. I have collaborations with well-known lyricists and together we give out our songs to fellow singers both upcoming as well as well established singers.
X: Who are your musical idols?
H: Well, the list is never ending. Some artists I have studied in the past are Ray Charles, Billie Joel, Sammy Davis Junior, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson… From the younger generation, Robbie Williams, Michael Bubble, Sam Smith, Emelie Sande, Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake. I love listening to any kind of music, cause every single artist I believe adds up on becoming a better singer.
X: Why did you decide to apply for the national final?
H: Actually this song we were close to publishing it many years before while I was working with Argyro , who was one of the first people to believe in me and my abilities, on a cd we were planning to release when I was 17, the cd was never released but Stone in a river was kept in our demo files. So last summer I was going through my demos and heard it again, right then I contacted Argyro saying we need to sent Stone in a river to Eurovision. Something we noticed with argyro is that this song which is not exactly a love song, after so many years can still be relevant..
X: What can you tell us about your song Stone In A River?
H: The song is a dynamic ballad written by Argyro Christodoulides. She wrote it after witnessing the terrorist attack in London in 2005. It expresses the loneliness one can feel in our world, feeling “betrayed” by humanity itself. This song has a hope inside, a hope that people will stop passively living and a push that will actually stand out and act, feel with their souls and make a difference. People can relate to this song, each one for their own concerns & life path, no matter age, gender, religion or nationality, because in the end we are not alone. Stone in a river really touched me and I sincerely hope with my performance to be able to touch you as well.
X: What’s your favourite kind of food or drink?
H: Well, l am the kind of person that changes opinion every 2 minutes, so I do not create favourites easily. I really do enjoy trying out different cuisines. I find it very exciting to try something for the first time, I don’t always enjoy it but at least I know how to narrow down my favourites list.
X: What’s your favourite place in Cyprus?
H: More like a location, is the Melkonian School , which is located in Nicosia, where I was a student all through high school. just a year before graduation though it closed. However Melkonian was considered one of the best Armenian boarding schools in Europe. Aside the million memories I have from that school, the architecture of it makes it even more overwhelming. A huge school with so much history..
X: Do you watch Eurovision every year?
H: Yes, in fact I remember myself when I was a kid I had a paper in front of me and I used to put my own points to the contestants I liked. 12 points to country A, 10 points to country B etc.
It is a huge competition that became a statute during the years, thanks to its huge audience as well as the efforts by all countries, that is what it makes it each year better and more exciting.
X: Do you have an all time favourite Eurovision song?
H: I have a lot of song that I loved and will love, like the great “Hold Me Now” by the great Johnny Logan and there are other songs that won my attention through their overall staging performance such as “My Number One” by Helena Paparizou and others I just found peculiar enough to win my sympathy like “Fairytale” by Alexander Rybak.
X: Finally, do you have a message for the readers of escXtra.com?
H: I wish from the bottom of my heart they see the best Eurovision of all time this year! Good Luck to all participants. Also to all readers of escXtra.com, pass by my official page and not to lose touch. 🙂
escXtra.com would like to thank Hovig for his time and we’d like to wish him the best of luck in tonight’s Cypriot national final! Watch his song Stone In A River below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1fgPdrA3MA
