ANMARY WANTS TO STAY IN BAKU

As soon as she arrived in Baku she sang the Azerbaijani folk song "Sari Gelin" for the people welcoming her at the airport. Greeting the people in Azeri, Latvia's "Eurovision" representative Anmary shared her first impressions of Baku by night as seen from the plane. She shared her impressions and expectations of the competition in more detail later in an interview for our magazine:

- You have already spent some time in Baku; what are your impressions of the city and your expectations of the contest?

- I am very pleased to be in Baku. We have been given a very warm welcome, everyone has been so open, and the Azerbaijani capital is a really beautiful city. I like it so much here that I would happily stay after "Eurovision". There is so much I want to see and I want to meet the people of this city. I will try to learn as much about Azerbaijani culture as I can. From the very beginning Baku gave me the impression of a fairy-tale city. I find everything here so interesting. We've even been to the market. I met one of Azerbaijan's representatives at "Eurovision", Safura Alizada, and we agreed to perform the Azerbaijani song "Sari Gelin" together. We shall be starting a studio recording of this song shortly.

- Your number "Beautiful Song" is lyrical, and at the same time optimistic. How was it created?

- The song is about how a girl is led to her cherished dream where she becomes a singer. We had little time, so we could only do a promotion in Amsterdam.

- How do you like the competition venue Crystal Hall? You've been there, I take it?

- Yes, I have. I was very impressed by the concert hall. Azerbaijan has prepared amazingly for the show, from the fantastic stage to the conference hall and other buildings. Everything is of a very high standard.

- Do you think there will be strong competition at the contest or is there a clear leader, as was the case with Aleksandr Rybak?

- There are many lovely songs and singers with beautiful voices at the Baku contest. The participants have obviously worked hard on their numbers. Those I have heard have simply amazing voices. Everything depends on how the performers convey their emotions and feelings to the audience. It is difficult to pick out any one of the candidates.

- What do you think of the objectivity of the voting of the participating countries? Many people criticize the system in which Balts often vote for Balts, Balkans for Balkans, Scandinavians for Scandinavians, and so on.

- I would not divide the participants up on a regional principle. I love people in general, and I can't split them up on ethnic or any other lines. The fact that many people in Baku know Russian is a very positive thing. This helps to get to know ordinary people. Incidentally, everything is very European in Baku, but at the same time one has a sense of ancient culture. I am very happy to be here.