MaltaMedia.com

After finishing in third place in 1998 and second place in 2005 in the Eurovision Song Contest, Maltese singer Chiara is hoping to go one better this year and win the ultimate prize with her 2009 entry What If We.

The European Broadcasting Union reports that just as with her two previous attempts in the Eurovision Song Contest, Chiara is again completely alone on stage, with the only instrument being her powerful voice. The LED backdrop is an underwater scene.

As expected, the vocals were very strong and competent and the rehearsals passed successfully without event. The overall performance is simplistic without any gimmicks or distractions, leaving Chiara herself to sell the song with her charm, charisma and vocal prowess.

Chiara also gave her first press conference where she welcomed everyone by saying that she had missed them in the four years since her last participation in Kyiv in 2005. Chiara didn’t rule out the possibility that even if she did win in Moscow, she still may come back again as she loves the competition so much.

When asked about her first rehearsal, Chiara added “I was a bit afraid the first time I sang it today, the stage is very slippery, i’m always afraid I may fall on stage. It was good today, but I will still improve before the night”.

Another journalist asked Chiara about her victory in the Maltese national selection, and how emotional it was for her. Chiara said “As some of you may know, my father died a few months ago, and it’s still very fresh in my mind. It was different in Malta as I was singing with all of my family there, so the emotions were higher there than here now”.

The team were asked about the staging for the song, and the graphics on the LED screens. Producer Munro Forbes took the question and said “We were surprised about the backdrop, we don’t think it was suitable, an underwater sequence with an Atlantis style setting doesn’t suit the lyrics of the song, so we had a long discussion afterwards and it will be changed and completely different the next time you see Chiara rehearse.”

Chiara ended the press conference by saying that she felt that What If We is the strongest of her three Eurovision Song Contest attempts to date, the EBU report concluded.

For more details, news and views on Malta’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest visit EurovisionMalta.com