Straight into interview with my Bycycling reporter Robert goes American born Slovenian represent Hannah Mancini. The chatty lady tells us how she ended up from LA to Slovenia and how it is. She does also some serious name dropping. Talks about Slovenian music business. And has her husband turned into an Eurovision maniac?! And how Slovenian does she feel actually? And who would she like to grace the Eurovision stage for Slovenia again? Read it all here:
Thank you Hannah for this interview. You're an American woman singing for Slovenia. How on earth did you end up there?
I married a Slovenian man! Actually he lived in the States when I met him. I always loved the idea of living in Europe and it was kinda perfect as I met an European man! And he always wanted to come to Europe, his parents emigrated when he was a small child so eventually when the opportunity came, he had a good business thing happening there and also I had some music contacts in Amsterdam and in the UK and... we just decided to go ahead and give it a try! We went to Slovenia because he has family there and I'm so much enjoying the European, Slovenian lifestyle there as I came from Los Angeles....
It's funny because most people who want to break through they go the other way round.... they go to LA to make it....
Yeah! I did that, too. I moved there when I was 19 and lived there for some years and at that point I had done there quite a lot, singing backing vocals for great artists, touring, music television, you know all kind of band performances, even working on an album for Universal, so I really had a good time there but I also got some good contacts in Europe so I was very interested.... So it was a good opportunity for both of us. My husband had this business opportunity, the economy was going down there before it went bad here in Europe, too... Before we moved he had been going back and forth for about a year with this business and investiment thing he had. It took me about a year to come here, before I could make up my mind! Before I decided to give it a try and I could always come back to the States if I didn't work out...
So for you it was always clear that you wanted to continue in music business there, too?
Yes. I still have the drive to do things and it was a bit of a compromise also for our marriage. He has always been very supportive in my career as I support him, and we wanted to see if I could get something going in Europe, too. Plus I loved Europe and wanted to live in Europe!
And the idea that you had of living in Europe, did it come true? is it like you thought it'd be?
Yes! When I was little my parents actually lived some time in Switzerland and ever since I've had this....
But do you like it as much as you dreamed...
Yes, yes of course! I mean I knew what I was getting into as I had visited so much before so when we finally decided to try it out I was pretty much aware what to expect. And it all has worked out quite well! I really enjoy it here!
You mentioned you were backing vocalist for some big artists....
Yes, I did backing vocals for big Latin artist Luis Miguel, he's huge in the Latin world, sold about 60 million albums, did Sanremo festival (2nd in 1985 with Toto Cutugno penned song, Ed.note). Also Christina Aguilera on her album for Disney. I did another album for Luis Miguel and Disney, and I also did three world tours with him. I was also in an American show band and we toured all over the States and Mexico and opened shows for Sheryl Crow, Seal and you know, different artist. That was really a lot of fun. I also did a lot of music for televion, like Discovery Channel and stuff like that. I was a working singer. I went and did my thing. I did quite well!
Let's talk about your singing career in Slovenia. What are you achievements there so far?
Funny enough, when I moved to Slovenia I never even thought about Slovenia as an option as I knew it was a very small country with a small market, I just didn't know what it could offer in terms of producers and anything. But quite soon I noticed there was quite an interesting music scene happening! And I was approached by people pretty much right away, maybe because I was American and I started making contacts, performing with different bands having fun and it kinda evolved into a band I started wiriting original songs with and I recorded a song in Slovenian which I was told one couldn't even tell I was English speaker as I had a very good prononciation of Slovenian. That was followed by three other radio singles that all were moderate hits, one was really big, the othet two pretty good. All were dance music, disco. With a housy feeling which is my favorite. Then I was asked to participate in EMA 2011, the national selection. I didn't win, Maja Keuc did but the song became a really big radio hit that year.
And now we come to present. How it was you who was internally selected for Slovenia this year?
Actually I think they were looking for 3-4 singers within the music industry and the chose me over those other 3 because maybe they liked my style of music, I'm a songwriter, I wrote a good song and they liked it. It was very exciting!
You didn't have to think twice?
NO! Ha ha
Since you are American you maybe didn't know Eurovision when you came to Europe, or did you?
I did! Yes, absolutely! I did! I've heard about it since I was a little kid. When I was a kid I was very much into everything music; musicals, shows... I had heard about Eurovision. I knew it about ABBA, Céline Dion.... Katrina & The Waves, those are all big in America and I had heard about it. I didn't know everything about it but was familiar with it. I didn't actually watch or follow it until I moved to Europe.
What you hope to gain in a long run by your participation?
I think Eurovision is overall an excellent platform for an artist because it gives you such a wide range of exposure and it's also so much fun. It's so great all these artists come togerher to represent their countries and share this big experience. It seems just one big crazy good time!
And do you feel Slovenian at the moment?
Yeah! Absolutely I do! I feel very Slovenian! Because it's my home now. My husband is Slovenian, I have Slovenian friends. My roots are American but I have taken in so much, it's definately my home now.
Do you have some Eurovision favorites?
Last year it was obviously Loreen. I really thought it's such a fantastic song! it was something really original and different both the song and performance. That's my favorite Eurovision song since I moved here. But my Slovenian favorite is a bit older one: Sestre! I love Sestre and their song. I had actually an opportunity to perform that song with them in a show recently! They are very good friends of mine.
How is your song received in Slovenia?
It's overall very very positive. Some people were at first a bit like What's this?! We don't get to vote?! as there was no national final for the very first time. I've been told by people who know the local scene better that they expected there to be more negativity actually. Now there's a lot of support.
Great! Who is your biggest fan? And who influenced you the most?
Hmm... I have to say my husband, he has always been sooo supportive. I don't think there ae so many guys who can deal with a partner in the music industry. An artist with ups and downs, so many unpredictable things happening all the time....
Is he also critizing you if things didn't go as well as planned?
Yes, ha ha ha, YES! Even in a very bad way, like Ýou are lousy! and such... Actually I've been surprised how involved he's been in this Eurovision thing as he has been always supportive but now he's been really all over the place, checking the internet the other songs and commenting them like Oh, that's a strong one and Did you see what they did? You guys must make sure you are up to that! and so on, ha ha ha. It's so funny, ha ha ha! But it's very constructive! It's not at all in an annoying way...
How do you see your semifinal, there are a lot of ballads this year...
Yeah, there are! I hope it will be an advance to us, we are also placed among ballads in the set so I hope it will translate into something positive, we'll see you know. At the moment I don't honesty have any concret feeling about anything. No one feels totally safe. Maybe Denmark does, ha ha ha!
We have also seen countries that were number one in polls and bookmakers not making the final...
Yes! It totally happens! And then countries you had no idea end up doing really really well and so. I have definately learned to keep everything open because you don't know what's going to happen and just do my best.
Right. last question: Who would you like to see for Slovenia in Eurovision 2014?
I would actually like to see Maja Keuc again. There are also a couple of artists that could do really well if they only had a suitable song, a song that fits them and their voice, it's very important. That is also something very original, catchy and fresh. But I think she would be a great choice for Slovenia again!
Thank you Hannah for this interview and good luck next Tuesday! See you in the final!
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