Special - Vladimir Graic: "I’m a player who loves to play hard matches" | Eurovision Song Contest News - 2008 Belgrade, Serbia 

He is the creator of the most recent of the 52 Eurovision song Contest winners. He has already won his country's national final twice and now he ia attempting it for the third one. He is Vladimir Graic and he loves to play hard matches. Vladimir aka Graja spoke to esctoday.com about Zavet, the song he has entered Beovizija 2008 with and the Beauty Queens, the ladies that will be performing it.

You already have a Eurovision trophy on your desk. What more can you expect now? (a second victrory, I guess :-)

Ha! First we need to win Beovizija 2008 and that will be hard as hell. But I’m a player who loves to play hard matches. That’s where the adrenaline rises. Just there you can see who belongs where.

How are you planning to achieve that?

The victory is, of course, a goal, but not an imperative. It is also good to make a hit after the festival itself. And that counts too. Mare and me, we made a great song that touches you and makes you shiver. And that gives us the reason to believe in success.

Do you think is it possible to win Eurovision two times in a row?

Everything’s possible in life if you strongly believe and if you are persistent enough. As I said, we have an excellent song, high class performers, Gorčin Stojanović, the man responsible for Serbia’s staging in Helsinki as well. We will see. We will fight till the end.

 

What kind of a song have you written for the Beauty Queens? Can you tell us some things about it? The style, the concept? Where did you get your inspiration for it?

The song is titled Zavet (Vow). It starts as a ballad, and then takes a whole different, unexpected course. There are some strange turnovers. The melody is rich. It carries the beauty of our Balkan area, but still has a clean European form.

The theme is universal, amorous, but with a double meaning, because love is not just to love a person. One can love a country or its part, especially if its “far and unspeakable” as the song says. Zavet sends the message of peace and love through the symbol of  the white dove but also it encourages people not  to raise the white flag which is the symbol of capitulation, but always to have faith and hope that one day two hearts will merge again into one. And that is “the function in ashes”, that faith that smoulders when everything seems lost and impossible.

Tell us how did your cooperation with the Beauty Queens start, what did you see in them?

Our colaboration started almost a year ago, after the victory of Molitva at our national competition for Eurovision Song Contest. We were supposed to choose five girls that will follow Marija Serifovic in Helsinki. I chose the  five of them since they were already established as great vocalists. Some of them I didn’t even know back then. During the rehearsals and our stay in Finland I recognized wonderful persons, full of pure energy. Shortly after the victory we made a deal to form a band and start serious work.

I can asure you, there is no greater music potential in Serbia than five of them!

 

How has the victory of Molitva in Helsinki influenced your life, both personally and professionally?

Few things have changed. I’m the same Graja I was before. I have same friends, same interests. I work hard, more than before, I think. Serbia is a strange country where success is not forgiven. There were lots of mean comments after the victory. I’m on “target” to lots of people and everybody is just waiting for the first wrong move. But I’m relaxed as before and I don’t care about those people.

How would you compare your cooperation with Marija Serifovic to that with the Beauty Queens?

I did only one single song for Marija and our cooperation lasted just a couple of months. We hardly met even though we were worked  pretty well together. With Beauty Queens, Mare and I have become friends and we have great fun while workingthe . The atmosphere in studio is totally relaxed which is good for creative inspiration. We are joking and laughing all the time, for 9 months already!

Are you ready for Beovizija?

Absolutely! There’s a huge festival experience behind me. I know what to expect and I’m ready for that. I enjoy every challenge. Especially when you have a winning team. I won Beovizija two times in a row, first time with Flamingosi, then with Marija. Maybe it’s too optimistic to hope for the third triumph but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t give my best.