Today we head East to the beautiful land of Moldova for the 12th contribution in our series of the 2014 ESCToday Eurovision interviews. We land in  Chisinau where we catch up with the 2014 Moldovan Eurovision representative Cristina Scarlat, who speaks to us about her forthcoming Eurovision participation, song and herself.

Hi Cristina! Congratulations on the honour of representing Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest  this year!  How does it feel to be singing for your country on the world stage?

Thank you very much! You know, I have realized that every time when I have to answer to this question, my feelings change. Or, better said they grow bigger. It feels incredible to have such an opportunity, it really is a dream come true. I am deeply honoured and I know that I will give my best on the stage from Copenhagen because I have the support that I need from my beloved country. I am also very flattered because of all the international support, thanks all!

Are you a Eurovision fan? (If so: do you have any favourite Eurovision songs?)

I am a huge fan of Eurovision, I consider it a very important Song Contest as it brings the countries of Europe together from a cultural and artistic point of view. Last year I admired the performances of Anouk and Emmelie de Forest…and in 2010, my favourite was Israel’s song.

You will be singing Wild soul in Copenhagen, a song written by your very talented niece, Lidia Scarlat.  Please tell us a little about the family connection.

I am truly blessed with a wonderful family and I guess that music runs in the blood of each member of the Scarlat family J Lidia is very talented and creative, hardworking and perseverant. I was very impressed by the complexity of the message after having read the lyrics of the song but I wasn’t surprised as I did not expect anything less from my amazing niece. Lidia always goes beyond the trivial and Wild soul is the latest proof.

We’d love to hear more about your song!  What is the story behind Wild soul?

Wild soul is a motivational song that goes deep into questions about the meaning of life. At a moment or another, we are all passing through emotional storms but we should not lose hope that better days are ought to come. I believe that it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said that with a new day come new strengths and new thoughts.  The message of the song is to overcome all dark corners of our spirit and let our wild soul act freely.

You are an experienced singer and an accomplished musician, having competed in many festivals, winning prizes for your work.  What advice would you give to the young fans who would like a career in the music industry?

 I guess there would be three important things. Firstly, believe in your dream! If you can visualize it, then you are one step away from achieving it. Big goals are never easily achieved. And finally, enjoy the journey!

You are also a lead singer of the Presidential Orchestra in Moldova.  How important is this to you?

It makes me feel very official, the Presidential Orchestra is part of the Ministry of Defense and the Army, so I also underwent army training to be part of the Orchestra. It was a very unusual experience.

Music has always been a big part of your life. Who influenced your passion for music whilst you were growing up? Did any particular artist have an impact or influence on you?

I listened to a lot of music throughout my life and I think every song I ever heard influence who I am as a musician. I live music which has beautiful lyrics, powerful voices and inspires passion.

Which are your favourite musical acts currently? What kind of music do you listen to in your free time?

I listen to my children singing! They’re my favourite musical act.

You are a mother to two beautiful children: will they be watching  their mother perform in Copenhagen? J

Of course they will. They are my strength and my luck. Without them I wouldn’t have gone that far. When I came back home after winning the national finals, my daughter ran to me saying: “Mommy, you are a Queen!”

Where did you get your dress from? – the one you wore at the 2014 Moldovan national final?

My dress was designed by the talented Janna Berezovskaya and it received a lot of positive feedback. Me and Janna will work on a different dress for Copenhagen, but it will anyway be something special! Wait and see for yourself on May 6th!

Moldova has yet to win Eurovision.  What can Moldova offer to people as a Eurovision host country?

As a Eurovision host country, Moldova would be discovered as it genuinely is: a small country with beautiful traditions, warm hearted people and delicious food and wine.

Would you like to say anything to your fans at ESCToday.com?

Thank you for all your support! Believe in your dreams and do not look for happiness anywhere else but inside your wild souls!

ESCToday.com would like to thank Cristina Scarlat, her management and TRM for this interview. We would like to wish Cristina and Moldova the best of luck at the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen.