The producer of “Omaga” has revealed some details about how the song came into being in a recent interview.
While being profiled on the ESCZ Instagram page, producer Filip Viček has told us a little more about the origin story of this year’s entry for the Czech Republic.
This was the first time that Filip and Benny Cristo had worked together. Filip said that working with Benny was an experience “filled with surprises” but that he was a very collaborative and experimental artist who is able to respond positively to feedback and direction.
With regard to the origin of Omaga, Filip revealed that it originated from the very first day that the pair were together.
“He came out of the kitchen and said I need to make a song where I can jump like this And and do like ta-da ta-da and he was trying to explain that to me for 15 minutes, I have it recorded it on my phone. I absolutely could not grasp the rhythm he sang. After these 15 minutes… we finally got it and what came out of it is this [Omaga].”
Filip finished off his interview by saying that he has no idea what to expect from the Eurovision experience, but he’s happy with the song and excited to see what happens.
It’s no surprise that Benny Cristo would find the origins of his song from dance. His 2020 entry Kemama showcased his dancing abilities, as well his performance at the Ukrainian national final Vidbir in the run-up to the cancelled competition. We’ve received some details on what to expect from his 2021 staging already and know that it will feature at least two extra dancers.
Who Is Benny Cristo?
Benny Cristo (born Ben Cristóvão) was born on June 8 1987 in Plzeň in the west of the Czech Republic to Czech and Angolan parents. The singer rose to fame in 2009 after participating in the talent show Superstar, where he was a finalist. Since then, he has released 3 albums, 3 EPs, and numerous singles. His most recent single (before his Eurovision song) “Aleiaio” reached #3 in the Radio Top 100 in the Czech Republic.
Outside of singing, Benny has competed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In 2016, he won a bronze medal in a white belt competition and was also a gold medalist at the Madrid Open Tournament.
Benny was selected to represent the Czech Republic at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest following an online voting round featuring six other artists. He was due to perform his song “Kemama” before the contest’s cancellation.
Source: ESCZ on Instagram // Image Source: Benedikt Renc
Czech Republic In The Eurovision Song Contest
The Czech Republic have achieved their two highest places in the last 2 years, with Mikolas Josef coming 6th in Lisbon 2018 with the song “Lie to Me”. One year later in Tel Aviv, Lake Malawi achieved their second best placing with their entry “Friend of a Friend” coming 11th. Before this, their best placing was Gabriela Gunčíková who came 25th in 2016. This was their first appearance in the grand final despite competing 4 times previously.
