Last week, we reported that Switzerland decided to drop its televised national final and will instead use internal selection to pick its 2019 representative. From today until August 30, Switzerland’s Italian language broadcaster (RSI) is accepting song submissions.
Modern songs with a clear message
RSI is calling for songs that are modern, with international appeal and with a strong message that is at the same time clear and understandable. Those interested in submitting an entry have until August 30 and need to submit the following material to the broadcaster:
- Audio file of the complete song (music and voice) in mp3 or wav format
- Audio file of the basic song only in mp3 or wav format
- The lyrics of the song in word format, text only or pdf
- The biography in word format, text only or pdf
- Copy of a personal document (passport or ID card) in pdf or jpg format
- 1 recent photo in pdf or jpg format
No more Die Entscheidungsshow
For the first time since 2011, Switzerland decided to let go of its televised national final Die Grosse Entscheidungsshow and use internal selection. Instead a 120 member jury will be used to select their 2019 entry. The jury will be made of 100 selected members of the public and 20 industry experts. The two juries will have equal 50/50 say in the outcome.
In cooperation with Digame, a 100-member public panel will be put together according to selected criteria. Those interested in being a public jury member will be able to apply at the end of August. The 20-member international expert jury will be made up of former members of the respective countries’ juries.
Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest
Switzerland was one of the countries that competed in the very first Eurovision in 1956. They were also the first winners with Lys Assia’s “Refrain”. They also won the contest in 1988 with Celine Dion’s “Ne partez pas sans moi.” Since the introduction of the semi-finals, Switzerland struggled to make the final and only managed to qualify for the grand final on four occasions, most recently in 2014. It also placed last in their semi-final in three occasions. In Lisbon, the sibling duo Zibbz represented Switzerland with their entry “Stones”. Despite their powerful performance, they only placed 13th in semi-final 1, failing to make the final.
Do you think Switzerland can turn their fortunes around and qualify for the grand final in Israel? What is your favorite Swiss entry so far? Who would you like to see win the Swiss ticket for Israel?
Let us know in the comments below or on social media @ESCXTRA.
