BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/05/2008

Interview: Eurovision.tv meets Ruslan Alehno

by Marco Brey

In between his rehearsals, Ruslan Alehno, the singer representing Belarus in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest, found some time to talk to Eurovision.tv. Read more about his career and the story behind the official video clip for his song Hasta La Vista in our exclusive interview!

Tonight, you will perform in the Second Semi-Final of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. Are you satisfied with how your rehearsals went, and do you intend to change anything for the live show?

Ruslan Alehno: "Yes, all rehearsals went fine. We did the last ones with our costumes, with props and pyrotechnics, and everything looked great. We still had to work on the choreography, but for now, we are satisfied. We will do our best to represent our country in a professional way and to reach the Final."

What do the shining baubles on stage stand for? Do they symbolise something?

Ruslan Alehno: "They stand for the whole universe."

The official video clip for your song Hasta La Vista looked very professional. Can you tell us how it was prepared?

Ruslan Alehno: "Thank you for your compliment. The video material for the clip was recorded in Kyiv, Ukraine. It took us two days to film everything, and all recording was done at night. There were loads of funny and interesting moments! The great team and the director, with whom I have been cooperating already many times, have all contributed to the outcome. The scene which I remember most notably was the rain scene. We filmed it early in the morning, in February, at temperatures below zero! The weather was just horrible and we were freezing, but the atmosphere and our mood were fantastic. I'm more than happy that the video clip turned out so well."

Do you have any plans to use this video clip for the international market?

Ruslan Alehno: "Yes, of course. Why not."

Your song talks about the end of a relationship. Did you experience a story like that in your personal life?

Ruslan Alehno: "Of course. When I was sixteen, I fell in love with a girl, and I even wrote songs for her. This was ten years ago, but the story keeps repeating itself. And it's being repeated in my song, too. When your love is gone, you say Hasta La Vista, even if your heart says something else. But you just have to move on, to find your real love."

You are well-known in both Russia and Belarus. Where do you feel more at home, and where do you see your future career?

Ruslan Alehno: "I spend most of my time in Russia, because I have signed contracts and I have to be there for concerts, performances, et cetera. But the place where I feel at home is, and will always be, Belarus. I always go there with great pleasure, and I can relax there."

Have you ever recorded or performed music in Belarusian language?

Ruslan Alehno: "Yes, on my first album, there were three songs in Belarusian language. My second album includes one song in Belarusian. It's my mother tongue, I could never exclude it from my repertoire."

What are your expectations for tonight and for Saturday? Which result would make you happy?

Ruslan Alehno: "My goal is to participate and to win. I will do my best to achieve the victory and to bring the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest to Belarus. I will do everything that depends on me."

Eurovision.tv thanks Ruslan Alehno for taking his time for this interview and wishes him the best of luck for tonight's Semi-Final.

Watch Ruslan Alehno perform S Druzyami, the winning song of the 2007 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, together with the winner Alexey Zhigalkovich, and his solo song Kupalinka, which is in Belarusian language. Another clip shows some backstage footage, which was shot by the Belarusian delegation.

Source:

http://www.eurovision.tv/page/interviews-2008?id=1072

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