The Netherlands: Gerard Joling and Edsilia Rombley discuss Eurovision and Waylon

by Roy Knoops 1,140 views

Two Dutch former Eurovision representatives, Gerard Joling and Edsilia Rombley, talked about Eurovision and broadcaster AVROTROS’ choice for Waylon in RTL Late Night.

Gerard Joling (Eurovision 1988) and Edsilia Rombley (Eurovision 1998 and 2007) were guests in the TV-show RTL Late Night, hosted by Umberto Tan, Friday evening 10 November.

The two Dutch artists and former Eurovision participants talked about their experiences in the contest, and of course commented on singer Waylon, who will represent the Netherlands at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, Portugal.

Both artists are very pleased with the choice for Waylon, noting his vocal abilities and familiarity with the stage. Gerard Joling revealed that he also would have liked another chance at Eurovision, and even sent a song to AVROTROS

A return to Eurovision or a song for Waylon?

Gerard Joling confessed that he actually co-wrote a song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, which he subsequently sent to AVROTROS for evaluation. Unfortunately, he missed the deadline for sending in potential songs.

He said that he would have liked to perform the song at Eurovision himself, although he also realizes that he may be too old and may not fit into Eurovision as it is nowadays. However, he could send the song to Waylon, who has stated to be open for songs by other composers.

Nostalgic feelings about Eurovision

Edsilia Rombley tells how her experiences in Eurovision 1998 and 2007 were very different, though she has fond memories of both editions.

In 1998 she was still young, overwhelmed with all the media attention. In 2007 she was more conscious of the event and felt more in control of all matters.

Unlike Gerard Joling, Edsilia Rombley has no plans to partake in the contest for a third time. The contest evokes nostalgic feelings for her.

Both artists are very positive about the contest, which has changed a lot since their respective participations. They laud the contest for bringing artists from so many countries together on the biggest stage on Earth.

About Joling and Rombley

Gerard Joling participated in Eurovision 1988 in Dublin (Ireland), eventually reaching a decent 9th place with his entry Shangri-la, earning 70 points.

Edsilia Rombley partook in the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1998 (Birmingham, United Kingdom) and 2007 (Helsinki, Finland). In 1998 she reached an honourable 4th place with her entry Hemel en aarde (Heaven and Earth), receiving 150 points.

In 2007, Edsilia Rombley unfortunately did not go through to the Grand Final. With her song On top of the world she placed 21st out of 28 participants in the semi-final, receiving 38 points.

Incidentally, Edsilia Rombley is married to composer and producer Tjeerd Oosterhuis (who composed and co-wrote her 2007 Eurovision entry), brother of the 2015 Dutch Eurovision representative, Trijntje Oosterhuis.