Ahead of the French selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin, Eurovision France : C’est vous qui décidez, we are thrilled to get know the contestants a bit more. The first artist we have the pleasure to ask some questions today is Saam!
Saam is a French singer who is also a dental surgeon, just like Amir who represented France in 2016. One thing that definitely symbolises Saam is his big SMILE. And we will compete to represent France at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 with his song “Il est où ?”. But enough introduction, let’s get to the interview which starts with one answer for two questions, what a talented speaker!
Hello Saam, thank you very much for interviewing with us! Can you tell us a bit more about why you chose to participate in Eurovision France : C’est vous qui décidez and how your song was born?
I must admit I question myself watching us live in a hurry. We were so crazy when we were kids, today it sucks all the time. One thing is clear: we have lost our child’s soul, our joy of living due to our ever more frantic rhythms of life! Admittedly, we all have the TGV Max subscription (editor’s note: it’s a French thing about trains), the networks and 5G… BUT a paradox arises: by thinking of saving time, wouldn’t we have lost it in the end? How about we stop for a moment? What if we just took a break to listen to each other and get to know each other?
My name is Saam, and I am a young singer-songwriter from Lille. In life I am also a dental surgeon. My life has been a long struggle: my father left home when I was little, I was raised by my mother and my grandmother, my mother fought all her life to meet the needs of family when she found herself unemployed, divorced, with 3 dependent children…
And what was my best weapon in all of this? My SMILE. A smile that allowed me to become stronger, to keep the positive side of things even when what I was going through should have pulled me down… I always struggled to find the words to say what I felt deep inside… (maybe it’s my scientific side?!) But music was a driving force and freed me from this weight. From my adolescence, while I play the recorder like all middle school students in France, and one day my teacher came to me and told me something very important: I have a musical ear! Music then becomes my best ally, and above all a means of expression. Alone, I learn the guitar and keep all my artistic freedom.
That’s very deep and soulful. Your song “Il est où ?” certainly reflects what you’ve been though in your life, but what message would you like to deliver to the world through it?
When I lost my grandmother a few years ago, I decided to pay tribute to her in song with my title “Mémère” and things accelerated. I was convinced in my heart of it: Mémère continued to guide me, to carry me, to give me the strength to write songs and try to realize my ultimate dream: that of singing my music and moving my audience. Today, if I am a candidate to represent France at Eurovision, it is undoubtedly to convey a very specific message. At the moment there is a lot of talk about a virus that is spreading (too) fast and which is negative and dangerous. I would like to transmit a positive and equally contagious virus: the smile! I would keep people finding a form of candor! And above all, I would like to transmit this universal message, which transcends borders and language barriers!
And what a beautiful message we all need to hear! As for the big night, which is the 5th of March, how are you preparing yourself , and what can we expect from you and your performance?
Regarding the big night, I’m super excited to be there! I’m just going to go there, my goal will be to sing with my heart in order to touch people since the common thread of my songs is emotion ❤️
We cannot wait to see you perform on Saturday March 5 in Eurovision France : C’est vous qui décidez. And one final question: what is your ultimate favorite Eurovision song ever?
I’d say Waterloo by ABBA (Sweden 1974) 😍❤️ This song marked the Eurovision Song Contest history.
I would like to thank you once again very much for your time, and on behalf of the whole team, we wish you the very best for the big night!
What do #YOU think of Saam’s song “Il est où ?”? Let us know on social media @ESCUnited, on our discord, or on our forum page!
