Amir Haddad or simply Amir is an Israeli-French singer and songwriter of Tunisian and Moroccan-Spanish Jewish parents. He was a finalist in The Voice France as part of Team Jenifer finishing third in the competition. He will represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song "J'ai cherché". What he said specifically to our website read here:
How do you feel about representing France at Eurovision?
– It’s an amazing chance for me. I was not prepared for this. It was a big, big surprise when they proposed me to do this and I hope that I will bring pride to my country.
– Oh, I hope so. Tell us more about your song. What is the message?
– The message in the song ia that every person can find something in this life that makes them happy, that makes them feel better and stop the fear. And I found that in music. Because I was not a musician until two years ago. I was a dentist before. And music gave me a lot of happiness in my life. And I’m very happy to wake up in the morning and be an artist. And I think that every person has something that gives them happiness, you just need to search for it and when you find it, everything is changing. So in the video of the song we have a boy that is finding it in dancing and we have a girl that is finding it in taekwondo which is a martial art. And for others it can be love, it can be art, cooking, sports, fashion. Everyone should look for this thing and when they find it, their life is going to change for the better.
– Why did you choose “J'ai cherché” as the title of the song?
– Because it means "I’ve been looking for”and this is exactly what is going on in the song. I’ve been looking for something that makes me happy. So this is why it’s called “J'ai cherché”.
– What will make you stand out in Stockholm?
– I hope that my song will make me stand out because I think I have a lot of luck to sing this beautiful song. I love this song.
– What are the three most interesting aspects about your entry?
– The three most interesting aspects? I think it’s a very positive song first of all. Second of all it’s a special song that I wrote for my album. It was not written for Eurovision but the french delegation asked me if I wanted to present it for Eurovision and I was very, very happy so I said yes. But this song was first in my album, on the french radio, it’s a famous song in France before it became a song for Eurovision. So this is the second thing that I think it’s different and special. And the third thing is that I’m very lucky to sing a song about my life and what I’m feeling, what I’ve been through in front of two hundred and fifty million people. This is amazing.
– Have you considered what would be your performance on the stage? Can you give us more information?
– Unfortunately, this is a surprise but we are working on something very, very modern and I want it to be elegant… As elegant as possible.
– Oh, the french way. So, what inspires you?
– Thank you. Well I think vacations give me a lot of time to relax and think about the future. I’m also very inspired during the weekends because I’m not at work and then I have my mind that starts traveling and thinking about ideas.
– What else do you enjoy doing except music?
– I love sports, computers and smartphones. I am very very geeky. And I love watching TV series a lot. Also, going to restaurants with friends, having fun.
– Which other musician would you like to record a song with?
– Um, I think I would love to sing with Ed Sheeran or Elton John.
– Are you going to promote your song abroad? Would you like to come to Bulgaria?
– Definitely! I would love to come to Bulgaria. I’ve never been there. I have always loved your football team. I think Hristo Stoichkov is from Bulgaria. Am I right?
– Yes, that’s right.
– And I have a dream to go there because I’ve never been there and it’s an interesting part of Europe that I would like to discover. And it may be very soon because during the promotion of my song abroad we might come to Bulgatia too. Who knows.
– We are waiting for you.
– Thank you so much, this is adorable. I appreciate it.
– What would you like to say to your Bulgarian fans? We love your song.
– Well, people from Bulgaria, I would like to thank you very much for the support. It’s a dream come true for me to see that people from different countries are listening to this song and I hope that it inspires you and puts a smile on your face even for a moment. This is what I’m hoping for.
You can hear "J'ai cherché" here:
Photo by Renaud Corlouër