At last week�s UK Eurovision Preview Party at The Scala, London, Ruslan Alehno of Belarus gave a stunning performance of his Eurovision entry Hasta La Vista. Before taking the stage Ruslan had a brief conversation with esctoday�s Russell Davies.
Hi Ruslan and Welcome to London.
Thank you very much. It is my first time in London and we are having fun here, it is a very nice city. We have been planning to visit here for a very long time and feels so go to finally be here.
What have you been doing since you arrived in London?
We have been to Madam Tussauds which we liked very such. I have now had my picture taken with lots of famous singers and dancers and Margaret Thatcher!
Last year Dmitry Koldun did very well for Belarus in the contest, finishing in 6th position. Do you feel additional pressure due to this?
Well I am very glad that my really good friend Dmitry Koldun did well last year. He gave a very nice performance and of course Belarus progressed to the final for the very first time; so it makes me feel that I have to do just as well or even better.
How do you plan to present your song on the Eurovision stage in Belgrade?
We hope it will be a very nice and bright performance. I can’t tell you all the secrets right now, but I am sure you will like it.
How many performers will have with you on the stage?
We will have 4 dancers and 1 backing vocalist, actually 3 of the dancers will also be singing backing vocals when they dance.
Apart from the UK, which other countries have you visited for the Hasta La Vista promotional tour?
Well I have visited several courtries including, Montenegro, Macedonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Greece. So quite a lot – we are now in the UK and very happy to be here. It is very funny I now have so many stamps in my passport, that I now need a second passport.
What is your favourite song in this year’s completion?
I like Shady Lady by Ani Lorak very much. This is my favourite song, but I really respect all of the other competitors in the contest.
Ruslan are you a Eurovision fan and if so who favourite artisits from the past?
Yes, I am a fan of Eurovision. I like a lot of the huge stars that have come out of the competition, like Abba, Celine Dion, Toto Cutugno. However, I have to mention that my favourite is a person who is a friend of mine, we nearly have the same same; it is Ruslana from the Ukraine – she impressed me very much with her performance.
Finally, Ruslan, do you have a message to esctoday.com readers?
I wish joy to everyone and I look forward to seeing you all in Belgrade.
