Friday, March 29

“It is certain that we are going to be among the top ten, but uncertainty also counts”


Julia Varela gives voice on TVE to the Eurovision Song Contest. / TVE

Julia Varela | Journalist

Gives voice on TVE to the Eurovision Song Contest, which tonight celebrates its first semifinal

For the seventh consecutive year, the journalist Julia Varela (Pontevedra, 40 years old) is in charge, together with Tony Aguilar, of the Eurovision broadcasts for TVE. The RNE afternoon announcer (‘Tarde lo que late’) will be the female voice of the first semifinal of the festival, which will be broadcast tonight from 9:00 p.m. on La 1 from Turin, in which it will be decided which ten countries advance to the final on Saturday. The Spanish representative, Chanel, already has her place guaranteed for being part of the so-called ‘big five’.

-What do you feel when the month of Eurovision arrives?

-This is my seventh year in Eurovision and always, when these dates arrive, I feel like a kind of halfway point in the year. I have certain nerves, but with the passage of time I have already naturalized it. The ‘eurofans’ already say it often: the year begins and ends with Eurovision.

-Each year is it different?

-There are things in common, of course, especially for my job, which is as a commentator and is similar to other years. There is a preparation work, a script, but it is clear that each year the gala is different. Each country impregnates its style in Eurovision and does it in its own way.

-Eurovision changes a lot from one country to another?

-In what is important, no. Eurovision, as an organization, advises the countries when it comes to scripting and staging the galas. The dynamics of the contest is always the same, but each interval of each gala depends on the country that tries to impregnate its style, with its culture and folklore. But the Eurovision organization is supervising everything, because it has to be a program where there is emotion.

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-He told Chanel at the farewell that commentators from other countries told him that Spain was very well positioned.

-What I notice, from comments from other colleagues that come to me, such as Portugal or Germany, is that they like the song. They make you want to move and dance and print a lot of joy and fun. It is a very complete performance. This year, Eurovision has no other choreography as good. That is valued and people like the subject. Each one will defend their own, but in general the comments are positive between the countries.

-Do you dare to predict a position for Chanel?

-I think it is certain that we are among the top ten. The algorithm says between fourth and ninth place. The bets, at this point and after the rehearsals, have placed Chanel in fifth place. I don’t think it’s risky to say that we’re going to be in the top ten and that would be good for Spain. Entering the ‘top ten’ would be very positive, but you also have to take into account the uncertainty of the contest. That’s the nice thing, that sometimes there are surprises.

-We will not be setting very high expectations, right?

-The bookmakers do tend to get quite right. I also don’t like to tune up too much until I see the rehearsals and the artists on stage. I know that a song works when I see it there, from the booth. In Eurovision it usually happens that many songs, which arrive with high expectations, then deflate with rehearsals and others, more discreet, are that dark horse that suddenly surprises. She happened to Conchita Wurst. We’re going to wait.

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Italy and Ukraine, favorites

-How is the day to day in the Eurovision week?

-The work of the commentators began yesterday, Monday, rehearsal day for the first semifinal. They give us the data and tell us how the program is going to be. The commentators also rehearse with a script, which we have done since Madrid, but that we are perfecting there. And the next day, more rehearsals, the semi-finals and the final. It is a non stop. I almost never see the city I go to, I take a little walk but I don’t rest at all, because there are three very big galas.

-Since when have you been listening to the Eurovision songs?

-When the festival ends, we take a few months off and then we start again. At the beginning of the year the finals of each country begin and we are very aware of everything, because that way you already know a little about what you are going to face and what you are going to comment on. Eurovision is a year-round job and more for television.

-What is your favorite song this year?

-Spain, of course. I also really like the song of Italy and Ukraine, which is first in the bets and this year has everything to win due to the war situation in the country. Televoting can help you. I also like Sweden and the UK, and I think there will be surprises when the moment of truth arrives on stage.

– Do you think that the war in Ukraine can sneak into the festival in some way?

-Eurovision is not a political festival. Russia is expelled by the war, but it is inevitable that the contest will not be affected by an invasion that is at the gates of Europe. It’s going to sneak in, because Eurovision was born precisely as a response to World War II.

-Eurofan is born or made?

-I think it’s done. I watched Eurovision since I was a child, but to become a eurofan you have to document yourself and you have to live the festival all year round.

-During your work on the broadcast, do you have time to go to the bathroom or snack on something, for example?

-Normally, television booths are elevated on scaffolding or areas with two flights of stairs. During the live gala it is very difficult to go to the bathroom. And we don’t eat anything for dinner, we only eat a little before or after. With emotion we are not hungry. For the commentators, it’s three super-intense hours.

-And do you take care of your voice in a special way?

-I try to sleep quite well and drink a lot of water, to stay hydrated. I try not to go to the Eurovision parties because the voice makes a lot of effort and it is the work tool we have. If you run out of voice, how am I going to comment?


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