The musical career of Luca Hänni began with an outbreak in 2012: then, at just 17 years old, the Swiss teenager won Deutschland sucht den Superstar, the German version of Pop Idol, started playing drums when he was five years old, followed by classes of piano, guitar and singing. After finishing school, he began his apprenticeship as a bricklayer, a job he also enjoys today.

We had the opportunity to speak with this star of the next Eurovision Song Contest, favorite to give a new victory to Switzerland, this is what he told us:

OGAERLA: Who is Luca for the world of music and what is music for Luca?
LH: Music is my absolute passion and I hope to share it with the world.

OGAERLA: Which words define you as a musician and a person?
LH: I would love to spread some joie de vivre.

OGAERLA: You became known in 2012 after winning the German version of “Idol” (“Deutschland sucht den Superstar”) What vision did you have of music before entering this contest?
LH: Whenever I felt sad or was thinking about something I played music, so it’s kind of a healing and a help to overcome those feelings and that didn’t change until now.

OGAERLA: Since you were a child you felt a connection with music, you played drums and you studied guitar and piano. What inspired you to play these instruments?
LH: Music has always been my passion and I wanted to learn more about it myself, which is the reason I started to play instruments. It is great fun to combine your own singing with an instrument you play by yourself.

OGAERLA: 2012 was a year of great achievements including your first single “Do not Think about Me” which was number one in the charts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, becoming the first Swiss to become number one in German lists after 52 years, how did you cope with this sudden recognition and what did you learn?
LH: I’m so thankful and honored that my music gets this great feedback. My family and friends made sure I could cope with this sudden recognition and I learned so much about the music industry and how it feels to be number one in the charts.

Photo copyright: SRF/Lukas Maeder

OGAERLA: Besides to be a singer, you are a composer, a model, a dancer with a huge charisma. What led you to experience other fields than music?
LH: I love to explore new things in many different fields, which made me enter other industries like fashion.

OGAERLA: What musical genres characterize you and which artists inspire you?
LH: I’m a huge fan of Justin Timberlake. He dances incredibly good and combines dancing and singing in a great way. Ed Sheeran is definitely my idol in singing.

OGAERLA: Is it the first time that you are proposed to represent the Swiss in Eurovision?
LH: In 2017 I already had the pleasure as spokesperson to give points for songs and to judge performances as a juror. As participant at ESC it’s the first time for me.

OGAERLA: Has Eurovision been in your plans or was it until this year that you gave importance to this opportunity?
LH: ESC has always been in my mind. But this year it’s the first time, I really considered to participate. Musicians were invited to submit their songs for the Swiss participation in the “Eurovision Song Contest” in Israel in 2019. I wrote my Eurovision Song “She got me” in a songwriting camp, together with international songwriters and composers.

Photo copyright: SRF/Lukas Maeder

OGAERLA: ”She got me”: what is the story behind the lyrics and what would you like to convey with it?
LH: Every person needs someone who makes them happy and gets the best out of them, that’s what the song means to me.

OGAERLA: How do you imagine your staging for Tel Aviv?
LH: What is for sure: The audience can look forward to a great show with a lot of dancing.

OGAERLA: After knowing your song, Switzerland is positioned within the 10 favorites to win in Israel, do you feel any pressure for this favoritism?
LH: Yes it’s a lot of pressure, but I really like that people enjoy my song and I will do my best to perform as well as I can.

OGAERLA: It would be the third victory for your country, what feelings does that fact give you?
LH: It’s a great feeling, I’m really motivated to give the best that I can at ESC.

In addition to his musical career, Luca also creates clothing for his own fashion brand and merchandising store, posing as a model in front of the camera and publishing his own magazine, Stories. He is also deeply committed to his role as an ambassador for children suffering from epidermolysis bullosa.

Photo copyright: SRF/Lukas Maeder

OGAERLA: Eurovision has a very large number of fans in Latin America, have you visited any of our countries?
LH: Unfortunately I haven’t been yet, but this is definitely on my to do list.

OGAERLA: Do you have plans to bring your music to this continent?
LH: This is a big dream, I will certainly publish my music after the Eurovision Song Contest in other countries.

OGAERLA: Which Latin artists would you like to collaborate with?
LH: There are a lot of artists, with which I would really love to collaborate, like Shakira, Luis Fonsi, Enrique Iglesias for example.

OGAERLA: Finally, a message to the people who are reading this interview.
LH: Hello everyone, I’m so thankful for your support I hope to see you there at the ESC and I would love to visit you and maybe having a concert over there.

He is still realistic. Spending time with family and friends means a lot to him, and he loves nature, especially when he walks his dog Nala, a chihuahua. Luca is also very athletic and is happy to take on challenges like the various Ninja Warrior shows.

Luca will perform in the Second Semifinal on May 16 with the hope of qualifying for the 18th Grand Final in Tel Aviv.

Interview: Christopher Estrada y Alberto Delgado.