Time is counted. This Tuesday, spectators will decide whether Tali, 23, will manage to reach the final and whether she can hope to help Luxembourg win the Eurovision Song Contest once again. After a first rehearsal on the Malmö stage, another took place on Monday, this time in the presence of journalists and fans in the audience.
This is a small taste of what will happen this Tuesday evening, because the press can be as harsh as the spectators who will vote in the semi-final. Is Tali ready to take the Eurovision stage and face millions of spectators? Yes, say her vocal coaches Susanne Georgi and Francesca Aaen. Both know exactly what is important in music competitions. Indeed, they have already mentored countless singers in “The Voice” and Georgi herself once participated in Eurovision for Andorra.
Tali’s vocal coaches, Francesca Aaen (left) and Susanne Georgi. © PHOTO: Sabrina Backes
The two coaches have been working with Tali since the national selection – the Luxembourg song competition. These were weeks of hard work. In retrospect, they see that Tali has made remarkable development. Among other things, because she has gained a lot in perseverance. During the selection, the artist still had to fight against the fact that she was short of breath and that her voice was suffering.
“We did a kind of vocal cardio with Tali. This means, for example, she has to run or do a workout while singing. His breathing has improved a lot,” says Georgi. And then, of course, there is the lifestyle in general. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve been making sure she takes care of herself, gets enough sleep and eats well,” says Aaen.
Tali before her rehearsal, during a last interview. © PHOTO: Sabrina Backes
Tali herself takes a positive look at the last few weeks, as she told us in a final short interview before the rehearsal: “My life is upside down. Until a few months ago, I was working three jobs in New York to pay my rent. On a whim, I took on more gigs to make an extra $200. And now I’m here.” In terms of her career, this Israeli native has nothing to complain about for the moment. Thus, she has recently been signed with a record company and is currently working on a collaboration with French Eurovision participant Slimane.
On Monday, media representatives and bloggers were able to follow the rehearsals from the audience. © PHOTO: Sabrina Backes
But first, rehearsals for the big Eurovision performance were on the agenda. On Monday, media representatives and specialist bloggers visited the stands of the Malmö Arena. However, we had to wait a little before hearing the Luxembourg contribution. Indeed, Tali only appeared at the very end, in 15th place. After a few small acoustic problems, the young woman appeared a little tense, her performance still seeming a little stiff. This may be due to some nervousness. Still, some spectators sang along with her and nodded their heads. Clumsiness can be corrected until Tuesday evening, there are still two rehearsals left.
Maybe it’s an advantage for Tali to be the last one to perform. It can thus remain in the public’s memory. The performance before it, Portugal in this case, is musically very different from hers, so it will probably get noticed. At the national competition, the 23-year-old also performed last and won, which will perhaps bring her good luck again. And let’s not forget: the bonus of returning to Luxembourg after a break of more than three decades should also play a role.
Luxemburger Wort journalist Sabrina Backes covers the Eurovision Song Contest from Malmö.
This article was originally published on the Luxemburger Wort website.
Adaptation: Pascal Mittelberger.
