ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND – On January 31st six amazing acts will be presented to the audience of Switzerland one of which will proudly represent the country who won’t he first ever Eurovision Song Contest in its 60th anniversary. In this post we at oikotimes.coma re proud to host an interview with Mélanie René who bids for Vienna with the song “Time To Shine”.
READ OUR SONGS REVIEW & VOTE FOR MÉLANIE
Can you tell us a bit more about your background?
My name is Mélanie René, I’m a 24year old singer songwriter. I have been singing my whole life, coming from a very musical family. The first time I performed on stage was at the age of 7, for a Mauritian carminative soirée. This feeling of freedom and happiness never left me since. I knew from that moment on this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I studied 7 years in a music school in Nyon, Switzerland- Les Ateliers du Funambule, and that is really where I grew as an artist, performer, and songwriter. After high school I decided to study music in the UK, and studied for 4 years in two different universities: ACM (academy of contemporary music) and BIMM (brighton institute of modern music), where I graduated from a few months ago.
How did you end up in the Swiss national selection show?
When I was younger, I used to watch the Eurovision with my mom. Probably like many young girls who aspired to be professional singers I used to think it would be amazing to be able to perform on that stage. This summer, when Eliane Dambre (who is the founder of Les Ateliers du Funambule) listened to ‘Time to Shine’, she fell in love with it and encouraged me to submit it to the Eurovision contest. We submitted the song for the Switzerland Eurosong contest because this country is very close to my heart: I was born in Geneva, I did my first performance there, and I have grown as an artist in this country. It would be an immense honour for me to be able to represent this beautiful country internationally in the Eurovision song contest 2015
What’s the story behind your song?
I wrote “Time to shine” at a time in my life when I realized how much I had grown, both in my personal and musical life. For the first time I felt like I knew where I was going in life, and it made me feel free. It is this feeling of freedom that I tried to portray in my song. It is a constant reminder for me to stay true to who I am, and to what I believe in, even if it means having to walk alone sometimes. ‘Time to shine’ is not about bling bling or glitter, but more about embracing who you are.
With no less than four national languages, how do you explain that Swiss entries are performed in English?
Nowadays English is the international language, used in most European countries. It is what brings us together.Writing in english allows everyone to understand the meaning of the song. Switzerland is a very good example of understanding and respect between the different cantons in their diversity.
What would you be ready to do to win the trophy in Vienna?
I would continue to give it my whole and my best, working night and day if I have to. I want to be able to bring happiness to people, and entertain them through my song and performance.
For foreigners, Switzerland is the country of chocolate, banks, clocks and of course the purple Milka cow. What vision of Switzerland would you like Eurovision viewers to have this year?
Switzerland is such a wonderful country, with its beautiful sight scenes and traditions. I would love to offer the Eurovision viewers a fun, original, multicultural artistic perception of this country.
Honestly, have you ever been ashamed of a Swiss Eurovision entry?
No, never! Every artist had its own style and concept that captivated the audience one way or another. They all worked really hard to get where they did, and I have a lot of respect for that.
we wish Mélanie all the best
