Kaliopi nails her high notes for F.Y.R. Macedonia

Rehearsals have been very easy

Backstage, Kaliopi told us "We came with very little expectations for the first rehearsal, it was good from the beginning here. It's always usually very important to be very patient in the early days but here the rehearsal has started very easy."

She also reflected back to 1996, when having actually won her home national selection with the song Samo Ti, was denied entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo, as she was one of seven songs eliminated in a pre selection process. She said of this "It's better now as things are bigger, and I am 45 and more experienced.".

High notes no problem for Kaliopi

We will have to wait for a while longer until the first dress rehearsals to see the full costumes for Kaliopi and her team. The mood of the song is reflected in the staging. For the soft opening verse, the stage is dark, and as the song builds in to the rock part, the stage lights up and the backdrop is that of a theatre.

There were violinists, representing the soft element of the song, and a drum kit and electric guitars used during the second part of the song as the rock feeling builds.

There are not so many artists who could risk the type of high pitched note that Kaliopi hits towards the end of the song, but she gives complete condifence that this is in fact no risk at all, and seems to effortlessly deliver every time.

New album on the way

Kaliopi and her team came to the press conference area waving flags of F.Y.R.Macedonia, and laid out a large flag on the press conference table.

She was asked about what she expects from her participation in Baku, and commented "I'm always happy for every good performance, for personality. That makes me feel better. I feel so many things when I come here in Baku, but never pressure, because it's very nice to know you are sharing the stage with many other good artists".

Kaliopi introduced her ex husband Romeo Grill and said "He has written so many good songs for my career. When we first met I was just 16 and he said to me Do you like to be a star?. I said yes!."

There are ongoing plans for new material for Kaliopi in collaboration with Romeo. She explains "I plan to record a new album, we have prepared it. It's 12 years since I worked together with Romeo. Our last work together was 1999. Now we are working again, it's a good combination. I only do the singing, he will make for me ten new hits. It's very important to stay in a good relationship with my ex husband!."

When Kaliopi lost her voice

When asked about the meaning of her entry Crno I Belo (Black & White), she said "In our lives it's very important to understand the colour of life. Looking at things with open eyes. Good, bad, sadness, happiness, black or white.I think we can all remember when we were somewhere bad. We can change the black and white, that's what it means."

A journalist asked Kaliopi about when she lost out on participation for the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996. She explained " 1996 was a tough year for me, my husband and I were divorced, a very hard year for me. I made the first song on my own, and won the festival. I won the chance to be the first to represent my country in Oslo at the Eurovision Song contest. My wish was so big to have the chance to be there. I was so disappointed, I went to Switzerland, and all of the stress made me lose my voice. I had to have an operation to save it."