Tweet
Elnur Huseynov and Samir Javadzadeh: “We will not participate in Eurovision Song Contest any more” - PHOTOSESSION
[ 13 Jun 2008 13:55 ]
Let Azerbaijanis not believe in rumours on us
Baku. Ulkar Gasimova–APA. Azerbaijani singers Elnur Huseynov and Samir Javadzadeh, who represented Azerbaijan in Eurovision 2008 Song Contest, gave an interview to APA exclusively
-Is 8th place successful for Azerbaijan, which participated in the contest for the first time?
Elnur Huseynov: Of course, it is not only our success, but whole Azerbaijan. We think that we will be among first trio.
Samir Javadzadeh: 8th place is not bad for the first time. Azerbaijan has been represented for the first time within 53 years. Our music is at high level, because Azerbaijan takes the 8th place for the first time. Azerbaijanis living in other countries supported us very much. All Europe believed in that we would take the place among first five. Everybody knows that this is political contest.
-How were you met in Azerbaijan? Have you been awarded any prize?
Samir Javadzadeh: We had 5-moth trainings for the contest. We expressed our gratitude to Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Youth and Sport Ministry. As prize, we have not been awarded yet.
Do you expect honorary title?
Elnur Huseynov: We have been promised to give honorary title, when we left for the contest. We are expecting it as well.
-They say that Eurovision attaches more importance to show ….
Elnur Huseynov: Everything is important in this contest. There should be the best performance and show.
Samir Javadzadeh: We had performance among 43 countries. Everybody remembers our performance.
Which country you thought to be your rival?
Elnur Huseynov: Ukrainian singer Ani Lorak was our rival. Though Greece, Armenia and Ukraine made same performances, Ani Lorak was superior in voice, appearance and experience. We think to invite Moldovan singer Geta Burlacu and give a concert with her.
-Were you satisfied with support of Azerbaijanis?
Samir Javadzadeh: We were satisfied very much. We were informed that all Azerbaijanis celebrated it, when we gained license to final. It was not difficult for Azerbaijani singer, who will represent Azerbaijan in the contest. We were responsible for all difficulties. Govhar Hasanzadeh supported us very much there.
-Did breaking of evil’s throne in the first training of semi-final influence on your main performance?
Samir Javadzadeh: The throne had to be broken after mugham. We included breaking of throne in the performance. We break the throne to see the result. There were rumours after it. But it was not so. I fell before semi–final very badly. But it was not occurred during the breaking of throne. I could not sleep at night because of my pain.
-They say that the wings of angel were broken …..
Elnur Huseynov: Wings of angel was 15kg. I pray to Allah let me not fall whilst acting with these wings. I think about good performance in semi-final and final. I was anxiety about the wings. My wings were broken in semi final and they were bent in final. I have waist pain since 12 year-old. The wings should be opened at the end of the performance. But we were afraid of causing problem.
-You have more anxiety in semi final …. Your voices were trembling ….
Samir Javadzadeh: Of course, we were anxious, because of final.
-How was the position of Armenian singer on you?
Elnur Huseynov: We think about our work. We attached no importance to them. We did not think to stay in hotel with Armenians. But they laughed at us, sang songs while passing by us. Our flag was hung in hotel. They hung their flag after seeing our flag in hotel. They took their flag. But our flag was stayed there till the next week.
-How do you think that Azerbaijan moved back 4 stages from Armenia?
Elnur Huseynov: We were shaken by it. Representatives of all countries considered our performance stronger than their ones. Armenia has participateds in the contest for three times. Azerbaijan will not face such problem next year. Our country has collected enough information about the contest.
Samir Javadzadeh: This fact saddened us very much. I am from Karabakh and the fact saddened me very much.
They are our enemies even it is the contest. We couldn’t abate until the morning after the finals. Govhar Hasanzadeh, Yashar Bakhish, Elnur and me – we all were crying. It is true, Armenia didn’t hit even top tens during its first performance in the contest. From this perspective we are higher than them. They perfectly understood that we left them behind.
-Armenian web-sites published materials about you and introduce you as sexual minorities…
Elnur Huseynov: We were informed about it in Belgrade. It is their nationalist character because they are Armenians. They have to show their discourtesy. They don’t leave us in peace even in their countries.
Samir Javadzadeh: The main goal of Armenian was to irritate and to tackle us. Armenians teased our guys during a dinner, but the silenced later.
-It is interesting that these talks are going on in Azerbaijan now…
Samir Javadzadeh: We were informed that these gossips were published in one of the local newspapers. They don’t think that we are Azerbaijanis and our families live in Azerbaijan. Armenians can write that, but how the Azerbaijani newspaper can publish it? We perfectly understood that we would represent Azerbaijan in Belgrade. Armenians had to do that, because they irritated when they saw us. They saw that our performance was better and therefore they sought ways to blow us.
Elnur Huseynov: If they spread such gossips about the two sons of Azerbaijan, how they will talk about the woman singer going to the next contest? Sirusho was asked at the press-conference that “they say she lives with the son of one well-known person”. She couldn’t answer the question. We ask them but who is your representative, do you know her? No European countries except our enemy country, sabotaged us.
Samir Javadzadeh: These rumors have also spread our country and it disturbs us. We ask to give up spreading these rumors. We had much trouble within half a month. We worked for Azerbaijan, not for ourselves. Sometimes we could not sleep because of these rumors.
-Why did you miss the press conference held after the first semifinal of Eurovision?
Elnur Huseynov: Only two men from each delegation were allowed to participate in the press conference. As Samir and I do not know English well, we needed a translator. That’s why head of the delegation Adil Karimli and Govhar Hasanzadeh participated in the press conference.
-Is it true that you behaved badly in Belgrade? They even say you were punished for this…
Elnur Huseynov: A lot of parties of different states were held in Belgrade. We could not participate in all these parties, as we needed to be calm. If we had gone to the parties we would have suffered from insomnia. The reports that our access to media was prohibited and we were punished are not true. As you see we give interview to you.
Samir Javadzadeh: It is impossible to be loved by everybody. Maybe there is someone who spreads these rumors. We were not banned from anything. We were simply tired and nervous and did not speak for a time.
-Why did you get angry?
Samir Javadzadeh: During the promo-tours we were taken to the places, where it was impossible to be quiet. We were made to sing even when we were ill. It was terrible.
Elnur Huseynov: We did not want to sing in the places, which did not suit the level of Azerbaijan. Ukrainians took us to the bar to sing. We told them that they had no right to present Azerbaijani music in the bar, in the place people drink and entertain. We did not behave badly there. Doesn’t the person who says this think that how we could behave badly if we represented Azerbaijan? Which singer can sing Azerbaijani mugham, music in a bar? Which Azeri singer can bear this? The Ukrainians phoned the head of our delegation and said we did not want to perform. But we did not want the name of Azerbaijan to be mentioned in such places.
Samir Javadzadeh: The presentation was not right. Ukrainians saw that they were weak and that’s’ why criticized us. Seventy percent of the performance was our idea. No one wants to write or speak about it.
Elnur Huseynov: We gave concerts in about 13 countries. Why our performance was in the form of concert only in four of these countries? There were stages where it was impossible for two men to stand on it, but we six men demonstrated show. Even our dresses were not normal by the time we left for Belgrade. We were terrified when we saw our clothes. They were sown wrongly and their size was larger. Along with the delegation we began to seek for fabric there. We bought 40-size shoes in stead of 42-size shoes. We are obliged to say all this, because of the rumors. We tolerated all this for the sake of Azerbaijan, and now we hear rumors about ourselves in our country.
-Why did you avoid from media during this period?
Samir Javadzadeh: We felt ashamed, because we were behind Armenia. We just needed time. We said we would rest for a week and then speak.
-Where were you during the voting in the final? We saw the representatives of all countries except you.
-Samir Javadzadeh: They even say that we went to the hotel after our performance. This is not true. When we were given 12 points for the first time we had gone out to smoke together with soloist of Mor ve otesi group Harun Tekin. We were back after two minutes and saw that our delegation had already been shown. When we were given 12 points for the second time we were there. The members of our delegation had flag in their hands and therefore we were not seen. Should we push aside our flag or members of our delegation? We were applauding at that time. It was filmed.
Elnur Husyenov: We were thinking why we did not have a stylist or a hairdresser while there were so many of them in Azerbaijan. I made first my hairstyle and then Samir’s hairstyle in all rehearsals and semifinal. You see, Day after day was arranged in Ukraine, US and Great Britain, but the best version belonged to Yashar Bakhish and we performed Yashar Bakhish’s version in Eurovision. There are a lot of professionals in our country, why other country is commissioned to do it.
-We heard you were at odds with Dima Bilan…
Samir Javadzadeh: There may only be resentment. We could not go Dima Bilan’s party. It does not mean that we do not like Dima Bilan. We could not go to the party of Turkey, because the press conference finished late. Then we thought that we should not go the party of Russia, as we had missed the party of Turkey. It would have caused much greater resentment. We did not speak that some did not come to our party.
-How was your attitude towards the participants?
Samir Javadzadeh: We became friends with some of the participants. We have known Ani Lorak since March. We participated in the same concert. But she did not greet us even once. We did not know why she did so. We respected her as a woman and greeted her. But then we did not greet her either.
-Is it true that if you were winners you would sponsor an orphan?
Elnur Huseynov: I said it. I thought that if we would win we can improve our financial conditions and I can sponsor one child.
Samir Javadzadeh: I thought that if everything would be OK, I would construct an orphanage, but they expounded our intentions differently.
-What do you wish Azerbaijan’s representative in Eurovision-2009?
Elnur Huseynov: First of all, patience.
Samir Javadzadeh: Don’t believe anyone except God. Believe in yourself and your talent. Don’t believe everyone because those, whom you believe and you are sincere, can move against you tomorrow. If something happens, cast down head and say “OK” and then close the door not to see anyone. We thought that everybody was our friend, but only 8 per cent of 100 were our friends. Do you know who are they? They are those, who misinform the people.
-What do you think the different countries vote for your performance or for the political influence of Azerbaijan?
-Certainly if they didn’t like our performance, they didn’t vote even for the politics too. Our performance was really strong one and they thought that it deserved their votes even from the political point of view.
-Who can represent Azerbaijan in Eurovision-2009?
Samir Javadzadeh: There is no age limitation in this contest. There are many talents in Azerbaijan, who can represent the country in Eurovision-2009 in the high level.
-Do you think to reject wedding performances?
-Believe me. The peoples invite us to their weddings and banquets to show Day After Day composition and ballet program. We received invitations even from Russia. It is not a wedding performance and therefore we can sing it in the weddings, but we will not reject the wed invitations. We just make some break and currently we don’t go to the wedding parties and show-programs.
-Will you raise wedding honoraries?
Elnur Huseynov: Of course, there are some people we show disinterested performance in their parties. It is blameworthiness not to be in the parties, where they want to see their popular singers.
-Does the number of your foes increase after the Eurovision contest?
Samir Javadzadeh: Yes, it does, but I think it encourages us.
Elnur Huseynov: Our foes didn’t change. Indeed it is OK that they are, we don’t want to lose them.
-Are there peoples among your counterparts, who don’t communicate and congratulate you yet?
Samir Javadzadeh: Roya, Zulfiyya Khanbabayeva, Samira, Faig Agayev, Elnur Mammadov, even Ella, who lives in Germany called and congratulated us. No one except them congratulate us. Probably they want to say that they don’t love us. Now we know our friends and lovers.
-What difference did you see on the Eurovision’s stage?
Elnur Huseynov: First of all, we saw levels, standards. All things were different there. If there were some problem during the performance, we could solve them pressing the button.
-Do you think to go to other country?
Elnur Huseynov: We will never change our homeland. We will not do that despite all restrictions. We can do all necessary moves in Azerbaijan. We missed Azerbaijan and our national dishes in Europe. We didn’t find their dishes delicious.
Samir Javadzadeh: Filip Kirkorov came and embraced us after the performance and said “guys, you were the best”.
-What are your future plans?
Samir Javadzadeh: We have new projects with Govhar Hasanzadeh and Rashad Hashimov. We are preparing several new compositions. We intend to show mini-musicals. There are no modern musicals in Azerbaijan. We will perform both solo and duet programs.
-How will you accept second invitation to Eurovision?
Samir Javadzadeh: We will never agree with that. Even they will promise us the first place like Dima Bilan. Journalists asked Dima Bilan after he took the first place that “what will you sing in the next time?” We don’t’ want to hear this question. If Dima Bilan was not sure in his victory, he would never come to the contest for the second time.
Elnur Huseynov: We are not egoists. Our other singers have to test themselves. Dima Bilan is egoist, indeed Sergei Lazarev had to participate this year.
Samir Javadzadeh:There are some people who seek moments to xxxxxle us, but they cannot do that. Those, who spread gossips about us, cannot do that till the end. They will silence at last.
-Your last word…
Samir Javadzadeh: Today all over the Europe say good things about the Azerbaijani singers. Let someone spread gossips about us, but Azerbaijani People, who support us will never believe them. Scandalmongers aim to blow us.
Elnur Huseynov: These talks would never concern us if we will be 40, but we are young and we have future. My girlfriend left me because of these gossips. I ask my people not to believe these talks.
Comment