|
Exclusive interview
for the 'Kdam Eurovision' site
with the Israeli entrant Tal Sondak.
23 - 4 - 2001
Participated in making this interview:
Asaf Gefen and Adar Openheim.
On the left:
Tal Sondak and Adar Openheim.
|
At the following Saturday, the 12th of May, the Eurovision Song Contest is about to take place for the 46th time.
Song number 5 will be the song representing Israel, “N Davar” (Never Mind) performed by Tal Sondak. The song was written by Shimrit Or especially for 24 years old Sondak, and was composed by Yair Klinger, who had already composed 12 songs for the Israei Kdam final, but never yet (untill now) succeeded in entering the contest.
Tal is studying psycology and eldery homes managing at the Tel-Aviv University and he agreed to spend an afternoon with us especially for this exclusive interview.
We met at a restaurant in the city of Herzelia for a conversation, which turned out to be very interesting, with a person who has a very different stance from many others.
“A young man, at the beginning of his career. A person who loves to sing; is conneced to music and wants to succeed in the biggest possible way.”
- And how does psycology gets inside all this?
“I like doing many things. I have all my life infront of me and I’m tasting as much as I can.”
- How did you get to the Eurovision idea?
“I’m working with Yair Klinger, who decided to invest in me. One day he offered me to try and participate in the Kdam Eurovision… We turned to Shimrit Or, who heard my life story and wrote a song who will fit me, my feelings and the ideas both of us are trying to deliver.”
Shimrit Or is the one who wrote “Hallelujah” for the contest in 1979 which won first prize.
- The rhythm of the song had been changed from the original version performed in the Kdam Eurovision. It was published that Shimrit was very angry for the change.
“Shimrit wrote the words for the song and no one had changed it. Yair is the one who composed the song and he decided we should change the rhythm. The Kdam is over, and we are now in the European league, which we have to face. The new change gives the song a stronger and sharpener sense."
“In the contest, it’s not a clip standing on the stage, but the man who is singing the song.”
- What’s your motto in life?
“To be real, modest and adamant in what I’m doing. I’m a person who is not talking about himself, I can be in a company without people even knowing I’m there at all. You have to believe in what you do in order to succeed.”
When Tal was 13 years old he was diagnosed with a very rare and fatal disease – apelastic amnesia. Tal was hospitalizes in the cancer department (there is no permanent department to treat these cases because they are so rare) and was treated with cortisone over two and a half years.
The doctors who treated Tal were helpless and Tal’s family decided to treat him with a new medicine brought especially from the United States. This treatment has 30% of success while the other 70% are fatal. Another kid who was hopitalized with Tal also had to took this medicine. Tal’s life was saved but the other kid had passed away.
“No one can beat me so easily. I passed quite a few tough things in my life and I had reached many achievements with difficulties and hard work.
I believe in the power of a man’s personality. I havn’t won the fight against the disease because of the medicine… It’s the soul who won. It’s not very easy to go to school when your face is inflated, but I stayed optimistic and I see things differently today; I’m more sensitive to things today and I have my feet attached to the ground.
It’s all but a song contest. It’s important to me that my personality will pass through the screen to all those millions watching… I’m not going to dance Salsa and scream, neither will I use any gimmicks… I’m very real and at the end - it will succeed”
- Almost everyone is singing in English or at least adding one or two verses in the international language. Aren’t we missing something singing in Hebrew?
“I havn’t thought about it. Of course there will be an English version of the song. What’s important in a song is the melody, and if it’s good, it would remain even when the song is over.
We are coming with a strong song that grows towards the end. Even if people won’t understand the words – it will get into them; This song has something which says – stop for a second and listen. not only that the song is good, but it’s the truth that is standing inside it. I’m about to go on the stage and sing and not to imitate Ricky Martin. Lots of feelings are getting out in those three minutes. I’m singing out of myself and out of the country I’m representing… We are going to say to the world that we’re going to find the golden lane and that we will turn what they think is bad to good, we will console all the hearts of this world. With all the troubles that we have – we see the good.
It’s very important to me that people will try to join with me in those minutes on stage, join the optimism and the consolation. The song is not giving up, like I didn’t. Even when I was close to death, I managed to find the righ path… “and the known tune is coming back…”, there are always solutions, and even “if it seems that all the way is in vain” – It is not true, the solution is out there. If they will listen – we will win or at least succeed.”
- You’re quite relaxed considering the fact that you’re going to perform in front of 300 million people.
“Look, this contest tells something to everone who deals with music. We’re talking about a very big music competition which advantage is the huge exposure you get. It’s almost the only chance, especially for someone who’s coming from Israel. I didn’t think I will win the kdam and was happy that a lot of unfamiliar artists are taking part in it because it’s so difficult to succeed.
When Michal Amdurski got 10 points from the audience at home, Yair told me – “You won!”. I wasn’t really listening, I was somewhere else…
We are a group of youngsters (Tal will perform with five backing singers: Miri, Zemer, Tali, Jackie and Yakir), we aren’t coming to performe like a group of arrogants. We are true people that are coming to the stage with an Israel anthem and I hope I will be very exited on stage. As much as I will be more exited, the show will be better and more real, because it will fit the song. It’s good if it won’t be precise, the naturalism is important. A shivery voice is fitting this song. The energy and adrenaline from the audience will pass the message that the lyrics are trying to deliver.
You will feel it on the stage. I’m representing israel out of pain and pride, with tears in my eyes… It’s very important to me. I really want to succeed.”
- Which position will satisfy you?
“First. We deserve it. It’s a pity it’s over after only three minutes. Why won’t they let me sing four songs?”
- The outfits and standing will be the same like the Kdam?
No, we changed the outfits as well as the standing and photography. They will be much more impressive and will pass our strength as a nation and my strength as a person, that’s what we hope.
Tal had told us more about the show, and we can assure you that it is going to be very impressive. Of course we promised not to tell, but we can only say, and that’s a quote from Tal: “Maccabi Tel-Aviv is playing the previous evening in the final four. Maybe we’ll go celebrating twice in the square this week”.
“It’s a pity they can’t understand the words, but there is a spark in it which sounds excellent in Hebrew. Sometimes you hear a song in a foreign language and you think it’s cool, you don’t understand how, but the song just gets to you.”
- What do you think about the songs in the competition?
“There are good songs and it’s very gladdening. In the last few years, there weren’t any high class songs, and it’s fun that there is a true rivalry.”
Tal has two more sisters; one smaller and one bigger then him. He thinks his parents are the most important figures in his life. Twice in his life he had competed in children song festivals and twice took first place. He loves romantic music which touches the heart.
At the army, Tal was an educational guide and it was the same time when he broke up with his three years girlfriend. Today he’s single.
- The big day is getting closer. How do you prepare yourself for the event?
“I believe I’ll get it just on the plane. We are having rehearsals on the song, but not with a lot of pressure or very frequent. It’s like a matriculation exam – It’s not good to learn two days before it…. So we don’t have a rehearsal histeria."
- Song number five. Will someone remember us towards the votings?
“The patience in the contest is very short. If you hear a song that you don’t like, you hardly hear it. We are coming with something different that gets into the heart, that will be remembered, especially with those who don’t have patience to hear all the songs.”
So that’s it, it’s time to hold our fingers and hope for the best, like in the lyrics:
“because this song is comforting the hearts
Never giving up and finding ways
Coming and turning the bad into good
And the old familiar tune is coming back
Never mind, Never mind, Never mind”