Stepping out of the shadows and into the limelight is always a great feeling for any artist, and many over the years have done so in Eurovision, including Tijana Bogicevic (Serbia) and Imri (Israel) from the Kyiv contest. Now, Austria have confirmed their artist, and ORF have decided to promote one of Bulgaria’s recent backing singers as their main artist… it’s Cesár Sampson for Lisbon!
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The performer had previously been a part of the Eurovision experience as one of the Bulgarian backing singers in 2016 and 2017 and as a result already has two top four finishes under his belt.
ORF has also confirmed that the Linz-born singer and producer will have the backing of the team that helped to propel Bulgaria to new heights in the competition, with the songwriting and production crew of “If Love Was A Crime” and “Beautiful Mess” said to be involved in next year’s Austrian entry.
Outside of Eurovision, Sampson has also made a name for himself as a electronic and dance music singer and as a lead performer for acts such as Kruder & Dorfmeister, Sofa Surfers and Louie Austen.
Eberhard Forcher, one of ORF’s main influences on the selection team, has suggested that “with his dark soul voice and a background in both classical gospel and electropop of the present, he has just what he needs to stand out in competition.”
Sampson’s entry for Austria is set to be revealed in February 2018 and will be selected internally.
#YOU can watch Cesár Sampson perform alongside Poli Genova at Eurovision 2016 below (2:44 onwards);
What do #YOU think of the Austrian choice for Lisbon? Are #YOU excited? Share your thoughts with us on our forum HERE or join the discussion below and on social media!
