It’s been seventeen years since Mike Spiteri won the right to represent Malta in the Eurovision with his song Keep Me In Mind. Yet, he remembers the moment that his name was called out – and all the exciting, if nerve-wracking moments that followed until he sang his heart out in Dublin in front of thousands – as though it was yesterday.
“I'm quite an emotional person, so I remember what was going through my mind rather what was happening around me. Luckily, this emotional side didn’t hinder me at all, neither when I was competing for the right to represent Malta nor on the night of the contest itself. I felt that everything was in control. All those times I had participated in other festivals, I can tell you that all the experience really paid off. A certain amount of international experience also helped prepare me for what to expect,” Mike remembers.
Of course, by the time he got to that Dublin stage Mike had already built quite a name for himself and not just in Malta. He believes that it was this experience, coupled with his strong belief in his song, that helped him pull off such a memorable performance.
“When you’re there you have to remember that Malta is the priority, not yourself. At the top of my mind I had one thing: making sure my country got the best representation possible.”
But aren’t the Maltese guilty of over-hyping the event to such an extent that it has become much more important than it deserves to be? Mike agrees to a certain extent. However, he adds that we have to take into consideration that there are very few artists who actually manage to sign up contracts within the music industry. The Eurovision presents such a window of opportunity, no matter how small.
“Not that the Eurovision is a guarantee of this. Some names managed to emerge out of the contest with massive hits: Abba, Celine Dion, Cliff Richard and Johnny Logan, to name a few. But to a certain extent these were already successful in their own right. Thus, for instance, even though Malta has managed to get some very good placings in the past years, these placings didn’t translate into the kind of international, big-time contracts that many singers are after.”
When it comes to defining that “typical Eurovision style”, Mike believes that there is only one thing that can lead to success and this is that your song has something to sell and has good potential for market revenue.
“It’s not a question of style, but of sales potential. Take the group Lordi, for instance. I'm sure that many of you are humming their winning song right now as you read this text. This is the kind of market appeal I’m talking about. Now compare it to last year’s winning song from Azerbaijan. Does it have that same potential? Well, how many of you can hum the song? Probably no-one, except for the locals back home.”
Mike mentions the song Could It Be, interpreted by Paul Giordimaina and Georgina, as one of his favourite Maltese entries from the past. Hard Rock Halellujah, by the above mentioned Lordi, is another Eurovision favourite of his.
“I actually had the opportunity to meet them and to have a chat with them. I must admit that the four “lovely and ugly” monsters had a great song and managed to build up an amazing atmosphere. Something else I remember about them? They smelt bad too!”
One phenomenon that recurs every year on the front of the national contest is the way that a number of familiar names re-present themselves for the contest despite not having made it in previous years. Shouldn’t they make way for others?
“No, a hundred times no. If you have a good song, with the right vibe and energy, why should you make room for others? Participation is open to everyone and everyone has something to contribute. Why should someone decide that I cannot take part again, simply because I’ve already won the local festival? Should this, or the fact I have no hair, make me incompatible with whatever the judges are after? Of course not,” he says emphatically.
As a parting shot of advice for this year’s contestants, Mike has the following words:
“Try to gain as much experience as possible, through meeting other artists and even making contact with foreign artistic associations that can lead to new opportunities for you! And if you get to go to Azerbaijan, enjoy the night because the festival itself is great fun - though I have to admit that nowadays it’s become more of a Karaoke-ville, than a real festival. It certainly can’t be compared to real music festivals like Rock Werchter, Glastonbury or Montreux Jazz Festival, for instance!”
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