We had a great opportunity to talk with the talented duo Angy Sciacqua and Rafaela Teixeira Fernandes, who are participating with their song “Drop” in Luxembourgish National selection for Eurovision 2024
ES: Hello Angy and Rafa Ela. We welcome back Luxembourg to Eurovision! Are you from Luxembourg originally?
Rafa Ela: I’m Portuguese but, I was born here in Luxembourg.
Angy: I am from Belgium. I’m Belgian and I’m Italian too.
ES: How do you feel to be competing in the first Luxembourgish selection after 30 years of absence?
Angy: It’s an honour for us to be a part of it, it’s history!
ES: Yes exactly, how do you feel to be in history?
Angy: After 30 years we are part of it, I will never imagine that actually! So we are very proud, excited and we embrace that moment.
Rafa Ela: There are so many emotions, it’s a big honour for us, it’s a dream, a dream to after 30 years of being absence, our little country is finally back! And we can show the world what Luxembourg really is and what musically we can provide to the world. That’s such a big honor and an opportunity for us as artists too.
ES: You both have a great experience as a soloists in the music competitions before – Angy participated in The Voice of Belgium 2013 and Rafa Ela won Luxembourg’s Next Popstar in 2016. How did you decide to be a duo?
Rafa Ela: Actually we didn’t decide, it was the production that took the decision to put us together, but we are so happy that this happened. It was a surprise for us also because we are solo singers, we have our own careers in the past. For us it was also a challenge to work together for a song and for such a big, big show at this big moment. But we instantly clicked on stage, as we rehearsed at the first time.
Angy: I proposed the song. I’m the songwriter and I could propose a song with my team. I would never imagine to share the song. And when production asked me, would you share the song, to do it like a duo or trio maybe, I said – yes, why not. It’s a risk because you never know with whom are you gonna sing. But it was a match on stage, we met just 20 minutes before, try the song and magic has happened.
Rafa Ela: Actually we were a trio before the audition. With us was one of the finalists – Krick.
Angy: We rehearsed together, worked on the choreography. But now Krick has her song, we have our song – so nobody looses and we are happy like this.
ES: So producers call different good artists, suggest songs and see how well it works together?
Rafa Ela: Yes, and for me it was a long journey, I have been in this process for seven months since it started. I candidate myself for the category solo singer, but I didn’t have my own song. Then about 20 producers from around the world wanted to work with me and I had to choose which ones would be the best for me. I also was one week in Sweden to work with two producers for two songs.
It was a lot of work in the last seven months, I proposed seven songs and the “Drop” was the last song. But I’m so happy that it happened like this because I really can relate a lot to this song, it’s really story of my life too. I had a difficult past with bullying and it’s a fighting song, so for me it was the perfect match. And we became sisters in just one month, we have the feeling that we know each other for more than a year.
ES: Angy, you are one of composers of the song, and who are the others?
Angy: Yes, I and the others are Martin Kleveland and Siv Marit Egseth, they are Norwegian. It’s been two years that I’m working on my next album with them. And this song is very special for me because we wrote it for a potential Eurovision song. I wrote this song at the lowest part of my life. It was a down period and I had to express myself. So it means a lot to me that the song means a lot to Rafa Ela. And everybody can feel that song, because the message is very strong for everyone who wants to feel that straight. Even if the past is really difficult, no matter what situation it is, but you just embrace the journey and it’s makes the person that you are today!
ES: Yes it’s a very powerful message! And that’s great that even such hard moments give you inspiration and you can translate it into your songs and explain this experience to people and give them power. And the song doesn’t sound depressive, it sounds powerful.
Have you both dreamed to go to Eurovision before? Are you Eurovision fans?
Rafa Ela: I’m the crazy person about Eurovision! It has been a tradition in my family – we all come together in may to watch Eurovision. It started with my grandparents – they always supported Portugal, because Luxembourg wasn’t there. I never missed Eurovision and I always dreamed of it.
And when they announced that Luxembourg would be back I just had tears in my eyes. And my family were immediately said: it is your moment, you have to try! And that’s the moment that I’ve been waiting for my whole life to just be part of this and make my grandparents also proud, because unfortunately my grandparents from Luxembourg are not here anymore, but I think they are watching from up there and they would be so proud of me to be part of this. To be now a finalist it’s such a big honor for me and such a big dream, my childhood dream!
Angy: I don’t even have words to describe what it is for me. I would never imagine that I could be a part of it, when watched Eurovision. I’m a show girl – I love to perform, I love the stage, but I would never imagine to be here today, which is a half dream come true. Because it’s just a part of the way, we’re not presenting Luxembourg yet – that’s the whole.
And actually my husband sent my songs to auditions, and I didn’t even know it, so it was a surprise for me when I received that email, saying – you selected for the cast, so it was a real surprise for me! And now we embrace that moment and leave it every step with happiness and gratefulness.
ES: Do you have your favourite Eurovision songs?
Rafa Ela: Oh, there are so many! I have a lot of favorite songs that were not winners songs and that goes with the feeling, if I have this click moment where I get this goosebumps and it doesn’t matter if it’s a dancy song or ballad. To name a few: I really loved Bulgaria Equinox “Bones”, just today listen to this actually before I went in here. And then you have a lot of songs – you have “Arcade” from Netherlands – I love that song, just that powerful moment with the piano, it’s amazing! Eleni Foureira with Fuego – I loved it also, it was such a diva song. And then to go back of course ABBA – we can never forget about them. And I also love it was Greece with “My Number One” by Helena Paparizou – I love that song. But there are so many: Australia with “Sound of Silence” Polina with “Million Voices”, “Soldi” from Italy – there are so many!
For me it’s just the emotions of Europe – the world just stops, Europe stops at that moment and everyone at the time is united by music. And nothing else matters at that moment, music the only thing that matters, everyone gathers together their passion and that’s it, the rest is forgotten!
ES: Such beautiful words and we as Eurovision fans understand you so much!
And what do you think about other songs from the Luxembourgish selection? Do you have some favourite or feel like concurrents maybe?
Angy: All songs are very-very good! So it’s gonna be hard for the public and the jury. I couldn’t choose and there’s a reason why – everybody is good. So no, no favorite, everybody has his place to defend for Luxembourg.
Rafa Ela: And all candidates became a family, there is no competitiveness there, we are not fighting and the winner will represent everybody – they will be will be the representative for all of us. Unfortunately the music industry in Luxembourg is not that big as in other countries, so it means so much for all of us, no matter who, it will be the person that will stand up for us, for everyone here in Luxembourg. And being here is a half of victory. Now Luxembourg is the spotlight, we know that and after 30 years it’s break moment. So it’s such a win already to be part of it again and to have this opportunity to be one of the finalists. And I’m just happy that Luxembourg is back that I have a chance to see my country come back. I never imagined that I would be able to really see Luxembourg coming back and to be part of it.
ES: Yes that’s great, welcome back to Eurovision Luxembourg! We and all Eurovision fans are extremely happy to see you back!
Listen to Angy & Rafa Ela’s song “Drop”
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