Interview With Paolo Meneguzzi

Kostas :Your first known appearance is your victory at Vina Del Mar Festival.How did a young artist like you at that time feel!?

PAOLO: I felt very well when I won Viña del Mar Festival with my song “Aria” in 1996, although at the beginning, I was a little confused because of the magnitude of the manifestation. But I promptly understood that it could be a big occasion to promote myself and my music. Infact after my winnings I had the possibility to release my first album…and starting to be known in South America and in a second time in Europe, too.

Kostas: Participating in Sanremo Song Festival from 2001 till 2008 ,don’t you think that Italy should return in Eurovision Song Contest.?

PAOLO: Yes I do, although Sanremo Festival is very different to the Eurovision Song Contest. I believe that Italy should return to ESC. Participating and working to ESC is a great opportunity for any singer, as this is an important contest with many international artists.

Kostas: Let’s say that Switzerland wasn’t that successful lately in the contest. Do you think you can do the difference and what are supposed to see in Belgrade from your entry?

PAOLO: I think so!Hehe! I’ll present a very melodic song that, in my opinion, immediately strikes people’s hearts… I hope that mixing good feeling with Italian lyric will hopefully be appreciated by the ESC audience.

Kostas: How could you describe Paolo in his everyday life?

PAOLO: I’m a normal guy who lives his life in a very simple way just doing things (as singing) that make me feel good and happy. I always try not to exasperate anything I do, I think it’s very important putting love and passion in everything you want to “create” in relationship as well as in career. Presently, music takes most of my time and often my job is very challenging but I deeply love it.

Kostas: What does music mean to you and where are your music influences come from?

PAOLO: Music is my life, and I feel it in my veins, I used to say that I never draw the line in my songs, it means I dislike to put limits to my music. My songs are inspired by different kind of music, such as R’NB , Pop and Rock and I admire singers like Madonna, Robbie William and Beatles.

Kostas: Are there any singers that you admire most and you would like to perform with them in the future?

PAOLO: I performed some “important” duet with Nate James and Tony Hadley on the occasion of Sanremo Festival but I’d like to sing a duet with Leona Lewis… J maybe someday.

Kostas: Time to play a little game. From a scale of 1 to 5 rank the following according to your likes and explain us why:

a. Music

b. Friends

c. Love

d. Trips

e. Fans

PAOLO:

MUSIC: 5 à As I told you before, my life is based on Music and it influences everything in my whole existence. I started to love it when I was a child and I grew this passion through the years, it supports and helps me both in good and especially in bad times.

LOVE – FRIENDS – FANS: 5 à they have all the same importance to me, “Love” may be expressed in many different ways, I consider friendship one of them; I couldn’t live without my friends, they give me force and support and I put and pretend sincerity in all my friendships.

My fans are another important part of my life, without them, I wouldn’t be what I am. They are very close to me thanks to their big participation and support in so many different ways, they are writing letters, e-mails, they follow me to my performances. I love them. J

TRAVEL: 3 à I have always been living in Switzerland but I often travelled. But unfortunately just for business reasons which makes it different to visit the sites I would like to see. I toured through South America as well as Europe and I’d like to discover much more about foreign cultures, maybe someday… I have the double nacionality both Italian and Swiss, that’s why I have a great affection towards Italy… My song are in Italian, it’s the language which runs through my veins.

Kostas: What does love mean to you?

PAOLO: Love is everywhere and without love people coudn’t live. Hehe

Kostas: Your song for Belgrade is “Era Stupendo”. What does this song mean to you?

PAOLO: “Era Stupendo” wants to be a sort of “pslam” for freedom, simplicity and an invitation to return to simple things/feelings of our lifes; We should more often remind ourselves that we are very lucky.

Kostas: You are participating in the 2nd Semifinal. How could you promote your song in those countries that compete in the same semifinal with you and is there any chance to see you some time in Greece too?

PAOLO: I love that it is the people who vote and logically decide everything, however, I hope that the votes given won’t neither depend on nacionalities nor on prejudice.

I’ll try to promote my song in the same way I used to do with my former songs: I’ll approach ESC with humility and I hope that the audience will appreciate “era stupendo”.

I love Greece and I’d love to come an visit you all. Much to my regret, at present we haven’t planned anything in your country! I take this interview as an opportunity to say to all the Greek People “CIAO A TUTTA LA GRECIA and please vote me!”

Kostas: Thank You Paolo Meneguzzi!