Iceland: “We all feel like we own a bit of Svala”

The Icelandic commentator at the Eurovision Song Contest explained the popularity of their artist for 2017. “Because we all know Svala since she was a child, people in Iceland all feel like they own a bit of her,” says Gisli Marteinn Baldursson.

Team ESC Daily followed Svala today, after you (our readers) requested us to do so on our daily poll on Facebook and Twitter. Keep voting on those polls, let us know which countries you are interested in!

Svala has been a familair face in the Icelandic music industry since she performed as a kid singer in a tv commercial. She has had international success in the United States, so it was a surprise that she wanted to take part at Eurovision. “People cheered a bit when the news got out that she wanted to take part,” Gisli explains.

Svala not influenced by her father to follow him at Eurovision

But the connection to Eurovision is not hard to make. In 1995, the father of Svala also took part in the contest. Iceland was represented by Bo Halldórsson, with the song “Núna”, which placed 15th of the 23 entries.

“My father influenced me in a musical way, but not the decision to go to Eurovision. Actually, that was the idea of my husband,” Svala tells us. You can see it in the country report we made on Iceland.