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Host: One more star, Alexander Rybak, the winner of Eurovision Song Contest, has also found time to meet us.
The interview with the singer is in the following chapter.
Radio host: Alexander Rybak, please welcome! Good afternoon, Alexander!
A: Hello! You see, here I am, suddenly...
H: I can say that Alexander is very punctual. They promised us at 2pm, and at 2pm Alexander has already been at the studio.
A: Yes, I ran in at 2pm.
H: Alexander, here is the first question. People of Russian origin, lets say also of Belorussian origin, who live in Europe sometimes just have such an interesting situation with names,
that in Russia one calls them for example: Sasha, Shurik, and so on. But what do your parents call you?
A: The same way: Sasha, Soushka (bagel, dry bread-ring), Zajka (bunny) H: Soushka?
A: Well, I think it's not under any rules yet.
H: Well, the question is: You are a musical family. But was your love for music absolutely sincere since your childhood? Or maybe all this began, so to say, with a stick?
So to say, if we are a musical family, then you have to play too. Weren't there any protests? That "I don't want to be a musician, I want to be a firefighter!"
A: Of course there were some protests. I cried like all other children. I think that everybody is the same. In childhood you want to play games, to walk, and parents understand if you have a talent or not.
I... I really like to think that if I had no talent for violin or piano I am sure that my parents wouldn't force me to play.
H: Let's continue the topic of Russia, because you are involved in Russian show business. Do you feel like a part of Russian and Belorussian show business, or an all-over-European one?
A: No. One can say it's both my biggest problem and my greatest happiness... H: You don't feel like this?
A: ...that I feel just like A European, and I know that, for example in Norway they say to me: "Why Odo you sometimes sing sad songs? Generally we don't come to your concerts to listen to sad ballads."
I just sing one sad song, and everybody immediately says: "Why have you done that?" They don't understand those Russian roots, that we like nostalgia. If we are sad we don't try to hide that.
On the contrary, we start to listen to the saddest song, and cry and cry. So Norwegians never understand this side of me.
And in Russia, for example, people won't understand that I refuse to drink ***. For example on parties: "Well, don't you respect us?"
Well, no, I respect you. But namely, because of that I want to communicate with you and not to...fall asleep on the sofa! So since I respect you I won't drink.
So in Russia people say: "Well, you, Alexander, are not Russian for sure, not ours" In Norway they also say: "Well, Alexander, you are not ours"
So they always send me to different countries and everybody invites me for concerts. And when I am on stage I am suddenly now their "own".
And then they understand that I have such a mix of different cultures. But I consider myself very lucky, because now I have the most interesting things from every culture, and I enjoy it.
H: When do you write songs? I can tell about myself - I thought up all my programs in the shower. Honestly, I can stand 40 minutes in the shower and think everything up. Is there such a place or situation...?
A: In your soul or in your shower? ( It's Alex's joke, Russian words sounds similar but with different emphasis)
H: In the shower, the water is flowing... A: Ah, in the shower!
H: I know that somebody does it in WC or somewhere else...
A: Well, it means you have a very good shower. H: With music by the way, I like it A: Interesting
H: And where do you write? On train or on plane...?
A: It doesn't matter to me. I have new melodies all the time. Well, I just live in such a country where there are fjords, mountains. So I am inspired there all the time.
And the main thing for me, is first to find a beautiful melody. Mostly I drop those melodies because I try, try, and think "Well, I am inspired, and that's enough. Lets go further."
And sometimes there is a melody that get stuck in my head and I need to write some chords.
And what I really like is to use my education to make interesting chords for this melody, to make arrangement for strings and for winds.
That's what I like the most - not just writing a melody but... One can say that I get inspired from children. I like so much to work with children.
A: I wish you all the most important things - a lot, a lot of health and the most important- to sleep well. With sleep it will be a very good life.