Former ESC Winner Nicole: "It Will Probably Be a Neck-and-Neck Race"
For today's final in Basel, the singer predicts in an APA interview: "The odds are quite good for Austria. It will probably be a neck-and-neck race." The 60-year-old has one hope: "That a song wins that touches my heart."
She has often missed that in recent years: "It has become loud, shrill, pompous, and the pursuit of effects is unsurpassable." Nicole did not know that this year's starters for Germany come from Austria: "But maybe the combination is not so bad!"
The artist still remembers her victory in British Harrogate clearly: "The evening was brilliant, the Falklands War (between Argentina and the United Kingdom, ed.) broke out a week before the ESC, along with the Cold War and the arms race. I sang 'A Little Peace' from the hearts of the people."
Number 1 Before Paul McCartney
During the rehearsals for the Song Contest, Paul McCartney released his album "Tug Of War." Nicole was also invited to the album presentation, and in the end, she was given the album on cassette. She was particularly taken with "Ebony & Ivory," the duet by McCartney with Stevie Wonder. "The song has almost the same message as 'A Little Peace.' That touched me so much. A week later, 'A Little Peace' was number one on 'Top Of The Pops' and 'Ebony & Ivory' was number two," Nicole smiles.
Suddenly being at the top at 17 "was, of course, overwhelming. When you win something like that, everything collapses over you," says Nicole. "But I've been making music since I was four years old, did ten years of classical ballet, had accordion and guitar lessons, and performed on various stages. Then came this success. I still wanted to finish high school. I pulled through, even though I wasn't in school for six weeks after the Song Contest. I did my homework on the plane on the way to a TV show. I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it."
Nicole won the Song Contest for Germany in 1982
Being constantly compared to "A Little Peace" is something she understands: "When Usain Bolt becomes the Olympic champion in the 100 meters, people might expect an even better time at the World Championships. But that doesn't matter. Dieter Thomas Heck once said, this song will be an eternally resonating business card of mine and will remain so. He is right. When the name Nicole is mentioned, everyone thinks of 'A Little Peace' and Nicole with a guitar on the stool. And the message endures."
Nicole's current album is named after her current tour "Carpe Diem": "I say: Friends, enjoy every day! You don't know what tomorrow holds and whether fate is your friend," is the singer's call, who not too long ago overcame a serious illness. Her songs have messages, does she actually feel comfortable in the Schlager drawer? "If you define Schlager as feel-good music, then I have never only made Schlager. So what am I? I would most like to be described as a chanson-oriented pop Schlager singer. That would cover everything."
One of the new songs is titled "I Congratulate Myself" and is penned by Heinz Rudolf Kunze. It is important to sometimes pause and be aware of one's achievements, Nicole emphasizes: "Many think: higher, faster, further. They forget about their health, are not aware of what they have already achieved - and that sometimes you are allowed to take a breather. I congratulate myself not in the sense of arrogance, on the contrary, I am simply proud of what I have achieved in over four decades. In doing so, I have never forgotten to look through the spotlight and maintain my grounding."
(The conversation was conducted by Wolfgang Hauptmann/APA)
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.