Extra Nena was the last representative for Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1992. She talked to Ivana Sto�ic and Miroslav Luburic of OGAE Serbia about her her own participation, the contest in general and her latest album Samo tvoja.

Here we are back in Belgrade and it’s taken a long time to get here. We’re lucky today as we have Extra Nena who was the last person to represent Yugoslavia in 1992.

Yes, in Malmö in 1992.

So thank you for coming along. The first thing that we wanted to ask is where did your name Extra Nena come from?

From Group Extra Nena. There was a group called Extra Nena before. I was the singer with it and after it dismantled, I just took the name. The people wanted that I be Extra Nena.

So is your name Nena?

No, Sne�ana Berić. My friends call me Nena, as a nickname.

So,there isa new CD out.

Today’s the first day of my new CD with pop music, with other songs, Eurovision song from 1992 and songs from festivals including Beovizija 2003 & 2004 and Feras 2005 & 2006. It includes Ljubim te pesmama which means I kiss you through my songs.

What memories do you have of Malmö?

Lovely memories because of the friendship of all the time during the competition. The wish from my childhood was to be in Eurovision. When I was little, a young girl, I wanted to be in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Which songs did you like from early on?

Maybe those Spanish girls, Azúcar Moreno with Bandido. When I’ve been in Malmö, Johnny Logan won with the lovely lady, I don’t know her name.

Why me? by Linda Martin? Did you like that song?

So, so.

Your song is still very popular.

Ha, ha! Our political and economic situation was not good for a victory then. It was a bad time for us.

It was very difficult wasn’t it? Terry Wogan, the British commentator, said “This is the song from Yugoslavia and it should get some sympathy votes” because there was a war at the time. So how did that affect your work at the time?

It was very difficult for me but I survived because sometimes I’m in my academy of art and culture and sometimes I’m singing my lovely songs with the audience, so I survived. I’m an assistant of the academy of culture and arts – I teach the subject culture and media, management of culture and Eurovision arts.

So would you do Eurovision again?

A younger generation is coming, so…

But this year, some of them were older than ever before!

Yes, I know, but in my country, … it’s different.

But you still look very young!

OK, I’m still young of course but maybe things will change.

But the experiencedhave proved.

Yes, good voice, experience, good song – it’s the best for Eurovision

What do you think makes a good winner?

A good song, voice and style.

What were the feelings here when Serbia didn’t enter the Contest – from 1993 to 2004?

People were more into politics than culture in those years. Now everyone is standing back to do some business and the culture and this is great. I hope that the time when culture and music were not first place are behind us because music is a magical and cosmical thing. It’s a world map of the world.