What is your name and where are you from?
Hello everybody. My name is Katja and I'm born and raised in Slovenia, but right now I live in Sweden, which has been my dream for many years.
Tell us something interesting about yourself?
I'm a Nordic schlager fan. Big schlager fan. So big I started learning Scandinavian languages thanks to it. I speak 11 languages otherwise, 4 thanks to Eurovision - Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Russian.
11 languages! Holy moly that is crazy impressive! ~ Aussievision
When did you first get into Eurovision?
I've been into Eurovision since I was a pre-school child. As far as I remember, I watched my first ESC in years between 1993 and 1995. In 1999, I started watching preview videos and in 2003 I became a fan and bought the official CD for the first time and discovered online community and fansites. It's because of Swedish entry from 2003, "Give Me Your Love" by Fame, that I became a fan. Thanks to them, I also discovered Melodifestivalen.
What is your favourite Eurovision and why?
I could say that 2003 is my favourite contest. If we see beyond personal reasons, I think it was a fabulous year with many great songs in many different genres, great winner, charming hosts and spectacular stage, which was a foundation to how the contest would be like in the years to come.
Yes! 2003 for both of us was a big reason we got into Eurovision properly. Great year.
Which Eurovision song:
Is your favourite?
My fav ESC songs are the ones, that mean something to me or that started something new with me. I would say "Neka mi ne svane" by Danijela (my childhood favourite ESC song), "Give Me Your Love" by Fame (for the reasons named above), "In A Moment Like This" by Chanee & N'evergreen (thanks to it I started learning Danish and discovered Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and Danish pop) and "You Are The Only One" by Sergey Lazarev (Sergey is my fav Russian artist and I'd waited for 8 years to see him in ESC and his song helped me, when I went though one of the hardest times of my life).
'In a Moment Like This' is one of my all time favourites as well ~ Mike
Is overrated?
I'm sorry all the Armenians out there, but I really don't get the point of "Not Alone" by Aram mp3. But I love Sirusho and Inga & Anush, I promise!
Was robbed?
Still salty for Sergey not winning. Prob. will be for many years.
I tend to agree, I would have been happy with Dami coming 2nd to Sergey, I think the juries did rob him ~ Dale
Had the best live performance?
Good question. If we're talking vocals only, then "Is It True?" and "Quedate conmigo" are in the mix. If we're talking big stage shows, than "Shady Lady" and "Anti Crisis Girl" are among my favs. If we're talking full package, than I could go a bit cliche and say "Euphoria".
Good way to put it, vocals or staging. Staging of those Ukrainian women in the late 2000s was amazing. Svetlana literally threw everything at that performance.
Did you last play?
"Popular" by Eric Saade (Sweden 2011).
Is your guilty pleasure?
I don't like this term "guilty pleasure" to be honest. It's pretentious and snobby. Listen to whatever you like.
haha fair enough!
Any other interesting honourable mentions?
I like ethno-pop a lot. One of my favs from 2014 is "My Slowianie" by Donatan & Cleo. Shame the juries ranked it so low in the final.
Do you follow the national finals? If so have any songs caught your attention so far this year?
Regularly, I follow my fav selections, like Melfest, DMGP, MGP, Eesti Laul and my own country's NF, EMA. But I try to watch as much as I can.
What do you think of Australia being in Eurovision (you can be honest!)
I was on board in 2015 and I liked Guy Sebastian's song a lot. Then I got annoyed with Dami Im and Isaiah being so overrated with the juries, but now I've made peace with you being here. Welcome to the circus, guys. Make yourselves like home.
What? Juries giving votes to Australia? Never! ha! Well we're glad you've been won over.
What do you think of our artist this year – Jessica Mauboy?
I barely saw her interval act in 2014 as I think RTVSLO ran advets during the broadcast, but I remember that her performance was not received too well among the fandom. Then I discovered her song "Never Gonna Be The Same" through X Factor AU, when then-winner Marlisa sang it together with Jessica and I liked it. But I hope to see Jess with something uptempo in Lisbon, like Pop The Bottle.
We're just surprised anyone outside of Australia saw our version of X Factor.
And finally favourite Australian song – Sea of Flags, Tonight Again, Sound of Silence or Don’t Come Easy?
Tonight Again. Without a doubt.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Life is too short to not watch Eurovision.
Indeed! Katja, it's been a pleasure thank you so much for your time.