Interview to Federica Falzon - Malta's representative in JESC 2014

“No dream is out of reach, if you just believe”

OGAE RoW Latin America: Hello Federica, it is a pleasure for us to have this opportunity and know a little more about you, we want to congratulate you for your great performance with a great song.

Federica:Thank you.

O.R.L.A.: Who is Federica Falzon? How were your beginnings in music?

Federica: I come from Malta and I am only eleven years old. I started singing by coincidence just three years ago.   My music teacher coincidentally happened to hear me sing during the school lunch hour while I was playing with other fellow students in the school yard.   I must have really impressed him as he insisted with my parents to take me to vocal lessons. 

At first I started singing as a hobby and I went to karaoke pubs with my grandpa. From there I started taking singing lessons where I preferred to sing country music and Rod Stewart’s songs which I still like a lot.  Just two years ago my parents approached La Voix Academy, and the vocal coach Gillian Attard, who is still my actual vocal coach, was overwhelmed with the power of my voice.  She immediately realised that I was not another singer, but my voice had the qualities of a soprano.  At the time I did not know what a soprano was. But now I certainly do.  I am totally in love with opera singing.

O.R.L.A.: How did you live the days before JESC in Malta?

Federica:Those were extremely busy days, between school and rehearsals!  The rehearsals were pretty intensive and included daily breathing technique exercises, vocal lessons, diction, body language and I had training with in ear monitors as it was the first time I used them.  I enjoyed it loads, especially being surrounded by the members of the Maltese JESC Delegation, persons who I know they really care for me.

O.R.L.A.: What was your reaction when you knew you'd have the responsibility to represent Malta as a host?

Federica: The news came as a flash right after winning the popular Italian contest “Ti Lascio Una Canzone” on Rai, the Italian national TV. I was honoured for having been given the task to represent my country in such a prominent yearly event. I will treasure such an honour and experience for the rest of my life.  I was thrilled to say the least by the amazing support I had in the arena from those present for the show. That’s the pro of carrying your country’s flag on home soil.

O.R.L.A.: What does ‘’Diamonds’’ mean to you and what do you feel when you sing it?

Federica: ''Diamonds'' means much to me. Besides that I really like this song as it is my favorite genre, pop opera, Diamonds means a lot as I have helped with the lyrics myself and it was something new to me. It’s different from when you sing a cover, I was there when the song was created.  I can say I am part of it and it is part of who I am. When I sing Diamonds, I feel that I am in world of my own for those few minutes. 

Diamonds carries a very special meaning.  The message is in the lyrics “No dream is out of reach, if you just believe”.

O.R.L.A.: You are the first singer who brings an opera style song, how was the song writing process and promotion of the song?

Federica: First the composer Elton Zarb, together with my vocal coach Gillian Attard prepared the music.  The music was written especially to fit my voice. Then Matt Muxu and I spent time thinking what the music conveys.  We both agreed that the composition was very precious, so we decided to work on Diamonds.  I was inspired by the lyrics on my classroom wall and that is how the story came about. We changed quite a few versions, eighteen in all, until we were all satisfied with the final song. 

The song is complemented by a stunning video clip.  The video which was recently shot in Malta, is about this ambitious imaginative girl who reaches her visions. The style is surreal, abstract and creative. It takes place in two different locations.  The first location shows Federica in a white room.  This room represents the girl’s mind.  The second location is at the beach; the place where the girl is looking for her dreams.

The song and the video use diamonds as a metaphor to suggest that no dream is out of reach as long as one believes in one’s own dreams.

In terms of promotion, we used iTunes, the web, YouTube and social media to reach beyond our shores.  It was really pretty easy as we could see the hits and the views on the YouTube video growing immensely fast!

O.R.L.A.: Did you or your team ever have doubts to present a different proposal in Junior Eurovision?

Federica: No, we had no doubts even though we knew it was unusual to go to JESC with an opera-pop song but that was the fun of it. We dared to be different and we are very happy with the result achieved. I hope other kids will appreciate this genre of music.  I am aware that this is not Pop or RnB, but I am proud to be different.

O.R.L.A.: Your song was one of the most beloved ‘’Latino Eurofans’’, would you like to expand your career to our continent someday?

Federica: Ohhh that’s my dream!  It would be a great accomplishment if I could travel to Latin America to discover this part of the world and to also perform and bring joy to all the Latino fans.  I am really fond of Latin America as my maternal great grandfather happens to be born in Brazil, therefore it is without doubt that I have a great admiration for the Latinos.

O.R.L.A.: Do you have in mind to continue in music and represent Malta in Eurovision?

Federica: I am still very young to decide, I will be weighing all options and the opportunities that may come along. As the saying goes “never say never!”  One thing that I am sure of is that music will always be part of my life.

Federica, thank you very much for your time and please send greetings to all the people that are Reading about you in the Americas.

Federica: I dream to come and perform in Latin America, especially in Brazil.  My maternal grandfather is Brazilian.  I would really love to discover my roots and this part of my family.   I am also in touch with a great number of supporting fans from this side of the world and I must admit, my character really matches with all the Latino friends that I have made on my facebook.

Visit my official fan page at www.facebook.com/Federica.Falzon.Official

Thank you for following me.

Federica reached the 4th place in JESC 2014 with ''Diamonds''