Switzerland

Rykka

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameChristina Maria Rieder Born13 March 1986 Nationality🇨🇦 Canadian National SelectionDie Entscheidungsshow 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongThe Last Of Our Kind (2016) Biography Rykka, originally named Christina Maria Rieder, was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. At the age of 15, they began taking guitar lessons and started performing at local community festivals. While attending Vancouver Community College for a two-year program, Christina also studied voice under Paula Kremer and frequently played music on the streets of Granville Island in Vancouver. In 2009, they relocated to Toronto to record their third independent album called “Straight Line” under the stage name “Christina Maria.” This album was produced with the assistance of Canadian producers David Baxter, Russel Broom, and Ryan Guldemond from Mother Mother. The album “Straight Line” was released in Switzerland by Little Jig Records in 2010. Rykka stayed in Switzerland and Germany, performing at various venues and even appearing on the popular German television channel “Sat.1 Frühstücksfernsehen,” which has an average viewership of 1 million people. They were also nominated for the Demotape Clinic at M4Music in Switzerland. In 2012, Rykka released their album “Kodiak,” which marked a significant shift in their musical career as they formally changed their stage name from Christina Maria to Rykka. The record was produced by Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother, engineered by Shawn Penner, mixed by Warne Livesey, and mastered by Andy VanDette. It was released in Switzerland by Little Jig Records. Their fourth studio album, also titled “Kodiak,” was released in Canada in 2013 under Vissen Record, following its release in Switzerland the previous year. In the same year, Rykka won $100,000 in BC’s Peak Performance Project. Rykka had the opportunity to perform at BC’s well-known Squamish Valley Music Festival in 2014, opening for We Are the City, who were also winners of the Peak Performance Project. In 2016, they represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “The Last of Our Kind,” which they co-wrote with Jeff Dawson, Mike James, and Warne Livesey. Unfortunately, they placed last in the second semifinal of Eurovision 2016. The follow up of the Eurovision song was “Bad Boy”, which came out on 8 July 2016. On 4 November, their album “Beatitudes” was released. It was followed by a tour through both Canada and Switzerland. In January 2017 a video for the song “Runnin’ away” was released. In November another one, “Youth is wasted” was released. Rykka also participated in several songwriting sessions. Since 2018 Rykka formed a duo, Goldschatz, together with Timothy Jaromir. Their first single “Thick as theives” was released on 28 September of that year. Rykka performed with Goldschatz mainly in Switzerland. After the COVID19 lockdowns, Rykka released a new song on 26 March 2021: “Dreams/Death”. In November of the same year they released a follow up, “Louder”. In the same month, Goldschatz released a Christmas EP. It was also the year that they came out as bisexual and non binary, using the pronouns they and them. Rykka launched a project, where she announced being an astronaut artist going to Mars. The project was called Olympus Mons and contained videos, put online in September 2022. Entries The Last Of Our Kind Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsChristina Maria RiederMike JamesJeff DawsonWarne Livesey MusicChristina Maria RiederMike JamesJeff DawsonWarne Livesey BackingsBrandy ButlerTanja DanknerNyssina Swerissen Results Semi Points: 28Position: 18Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/96ENe3EYBE0

Anna Rossinelli

About Quick Facts NameAnna Rossinelli Born20 April 1987 Nationality🇨🇭 Swiss National SelectionDie grosse Entscheidungs Show 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongIn Love For A While (2011) Biography Anna Rossinelli is a Swiss singer-songwriter, best known for representing Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011. Rossinelli was born on April 20, 1987, in Basel, Switzerland. She developed an interest in music from an early age and began her career as a street musician, performing in various Swiss cities. In 2011, Rossinelli was chosen to represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf, Germany, with the song “In Love for a While.” This song was her debut single, and the positive, upbeat track caught the attention of Eurovision viewers. Rossinelli and her band managed to qualify for the final round of the competition, marking Switzerland’s first entry into the Eurovision finals since 2006. They ultimately finished in 25th place out of 26, but the exposure helped Rossinelli gain a larger following. Following Eurovision, Rossinelli and her band, which includes musicians Georg Dillier and Manuel Meisel, released their debut album, “Bon Voyage,” in 2011. The album was successful in Switzerland and led to several successful follow-up albums, including “Marylou” in 2013, which reached number one on the Swiss Albums Chart, and “Marylou Two” in 2014. The single “Shine In The Light” was used by Swiss Television, SRF, as the official song for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. In 2015, Anna Rossinelli released a new album, “Takes Two To Tango”. The album was recorded in the USA. The first single from the album was “Bang Bang Bang”, followed in 2016 by “Broken Hearted”. In October of that year, the single “Speechless” came out. On 5 October 2018, after a long time in studio and playing festivals, Anna and her band released a new single: “Hold Your Head Up”. The song reached the Swiss charts. The song was a teaser from the new album “White Garden” that was released in January 2019. In the 2020 season Anna Rossinelli became one of the coaches in The Voice Switzerland. At the same time she released a brand new single, “Without A Parachute”, the title track of the movie Jagdzeit. In April of the same year she feautured in the song “Victoria Line” of the Swiss band Pegasus. This song reached the 19th place in the Swiss charts. It was in May 2021 when a new single, “Forevermore”, was released. It was followed in October by “Somebody Like You”. In November of that year she made her debut as an actress: she was a police officer in the TV-series Tschugger. In 2023 she was part of the tv-show Sing Mein Song Schweiz. One of the songs she sang was Peter Reber’s “Djambo Djambo“. On February 1st 2023 Rossinelli signed a contract with Sony Music Switzerland. In the same month, their first single at their new label, “Mother” was released, followed by the album with the same name, released in September. “The World Is Yours” was the 2nd single, “I Used To Be Young” the third, followed by “Backstabber”. The 5th one, “Daddy isn’t home” was a personal one for Anna, while her own father passed away quite young. Meanwhile, Anna became a mother herself. Entries In Love For A While Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2011 LanguageEnglish LyricsDavid Klein MusicDavid Klein BackingsGeorg DillierManuel Meisel Results Semi Points: 55Position: 10Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 19Position: 25Running order: 13 https://youtu.be/M03Nx6gHd90?si=S_SowbwnaijMLXCq

Takasa

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersSarah BreiterJonas GygaxKatharina HauriChristoph JakobEmil RamsauerMichel Sterckx Active2012 – 2013 Nationality🇨🇭 Swiss National SelectionDie grosse Entscheidungsshow 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongYou And Me (2013) Biography Takasa was a pop ensemble formed by members of the Bern Salvation Army. They were initially formed to compete in the Swiss preliminary round for the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest. While they started out as Heilsarmee for the qualifiers, they adopted the name Takasa for the main competition in Malmö. Claiming victory with their song “You and Me” during the Swiss national selection for Eurovision, the group secured 37% of public votes in a live telecast by Swiss Television SRF 1 on December 15, 2012. This triumph meant they would represent Switzerland at Malmö’s Song Contest. However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) expressed reservations about the group’s name and uniform being potentially non-compliant. This posed the question of whether they would participate, as the Salvation Army identity and attire were integral to their brand. The EBU hadn’t raised any concerns before the initial stages. Come January 2013, the band declared their intention to compete with a new name and adjusted attire. Their track “You and Me” made its debut on the Swiss charts at the 21st spot on January 6, 2013, remaining there for three weeks. On March 13, 2013, the band revealed a rebrand to Takasa, which means “clean” in Swahili, along with a new white-blue attire. They released a fresh music video for “You and Me” on March 14, 2013, showcasing their trip to Malmö in a vibrant red Fiat 600. Speculation suggested that “Takasa” stood for phrases akin to Prince’s naming style, such as “The artists…” or “The act known as Salvation Army”, but the band dismissed such claims. Ultimately, after performing in the second semi-final of the contest, they didn’t advance to the final. After the Eurovision Song Contest, Takasa kept on performing on several occasions, but the last time they did so was around christmas 2013. Most of the time they performed on the streets of Bern. However, in November 2013 they got the opportunity to perform in the Royal Albert Hall in London. Sarah Breiter was the youngest member of the band at 20, whereas Emil Ramsauer, turning 95 in March 2013, was the eldest. Remarkably, Emil became the most senior musician ever to join the Eurovision stage. The ensemble mourned the loss of their bassist, who passed away at 103, 12 December 2021. Entries You And Me Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsGeorge SchluneggerRoman CamenzindFred Hermann MusicNames Backings– Results Semi Points: 41Position: 13Running order: 16 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/nH34iARVI-s?si=QKNvxIz7-R4xwfNT

ZiBBZ

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts MembersCorinne ‘Co’ GfellerStefan ‘Stee’ Gfeller Founded2008 Nationality???????? Swiss National SelectionDie Entscheidungsshow 2018 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongStones (2018) Biography Co and Stee are brother and sister, born in Zürich but currently living partially in Switzerland, partially in Los Angeles.Corinne ‘Co’ Gfeller (born June 6, 1985) is a Swiss singer / songwriter. She lives in Los Angeles and Switzerland. She completed her training as a musical actress at the Laine Theater Arts School in London. She can be heard on albums by other musicians and in several radio jingles. She has been part of the Gölä Band for over 10 years. In 2021, she released a song in cooperation with rapper Raboose, “1 Narbe meh”. Stefan ‘Stee’ Gfeller (born November 3, 1987) is a Swiss musician / songwriter / producer. He plays rhythm and keyboard instruments and guitar and lives in Los Angeles and Switzerland. From 2003 to 2007 he studied music in Winterthur. Stee works as a drummer / music producer (studio / live) for various other musicians such as Gölä and Bastian Baker. Stee is a member of the punk drum collective ‘street drum corps’.ZiBBZ was founded in 2008. From 2011 to 2015, the band had it’s own weekly reality TV program by the TV station Joiz. Their first album “Ready? Go!” was released in 2013 and reached number 14 in the official Swiss charts. This was followed in 2017 by a second album “It Takes A Village” and reached number 11 in the Swiss charts.In between there followed several single releases, including the song “Children of the Digital”, the video of which was played on MTV USA. In 2018, ZiBBZ represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Stones”. The follow up for this song was the song “RICH” and another single, “Citylights” in 2019. During the first COVID19 lockdown, they participated in the Eurovision Home Concerts. Entries Stones Country???????? Switzerland Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsLaurell BarkerCorinne Gfeller MusicLaurell BarkerCorinne GfellerStefan Gfeller BackingsSabrina KernLaurell BarkerNita Fernandes Results Semi Points: 16Position: 13Running order: 17 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/wJGTVsluHkw

Timebelle

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts MembersMiruna ManescuSamuel ForsterEmanuel Daniel Andriescu Founded2014 Nationality🇨🇭 Swiss (Samuel)🇷🇴 Romanian (Miruna and Emanuel) National SelectionESC 2017 – Die EntscheidungsshowESC 2015 – Die Entscheidungsshow In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongApollo (2017) Biography Timebelle started as a 6 man band. Miruna Manescu was the lead vocalist. Other members were Christoph Siegrist (guitar), Sandor Törok (bass-guitar), Samuel Forster (drums), Rade Mijatovic (accordion) and Emanuel Daniel Andriescu (saxophone, clarinet, piano). The men were students in Bern. They formed the band Imports Ltd. first. Later, they started Timebelle, with Miruna as the singer. The band took part in the 2015 national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. They played the song “Singing about love” and reached the 2nd place. The song was followed by two singles: “Desperado” and “Are you ready?”. On 10 October 2015, the band released an EP called “Desperado”. In December 2016 the band announced they were going to take part in ESC 2017 – Die Entscheidungsshow. The band was now reduced to a trio, with Rade, Sandor and Christoph having left the band. Their song, “Apollo”, won the national selection and represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest, where they did not reach the final. In November of the same year, the band featured in the Soundland track “Come around”. In 2018, the band kept working together with Sounland in a new song, “Heartache”. On 16 November, a video “Tocame” was released, which was a collaboration with Sunstroke Project. A year later, they teamed up with Soundland again for a new song, “Movin’ on”. In May 2019, they were able to perform in the Euroclub in Tel Aviv, where the Eurovision Song Contest was held that year. They also performed at the summer fest in Chisinau, Moldova. A new song, “Black sea”, was released in September. The band teamed up with Alizé Oswald for a new song, “Beautiful people”, which was released in January 2020. In collaboration with Alejandro Reyes, who took part in ESC 2018 – Die Entscheidungsshow, Timebelle released the song “Rapido” in September 2020. A second song with Alejandro, “Barba”, came out a year later. “Dopamina” was a new song by the band in 2021, followed by “About us”, “No se puede” and “No te vayas de aqui”. With Runa and Nosfe they released “Palatul de crom” and “Garsoniera din obor”, a Romanian production. It brought them performances in Romania. Meanwhile, Samuel Forster had left the band, which means that Timebelle was a duo from then on. On 18 March, 2022, Timebelle came up with a new song and video, ” ’96”, followed by “$1” in 2022. Entries Apollo Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2017 LanguageEnglish LyricsElias NäslinNicolas GünthardtAlessandra Günthardt MusicElias NäslinNicolas GünthardtAlessandra Günthardt BackingsTanja DanknerNyssina SwerissenNori Rickenbacher Results Semi Points: 97Position: 12Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/OrNPRfS9Sbg

Mélanie René

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameMélanie René Born01 September 1990 Nationality🇨🇭 Swiss National SelectionDie grosse Entscheidungsshow 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongTime To Shine (2015) Biography Melanie René, performing under the stage name Melyz (* September 1, 1990, in Geneva), is a Swiss singer. She was born in Geneva to Mauritian parents. At the age of seven, she started performing at family gatherings and festivities. In 1995, her family moved to the French department of Haute-Savoie. In 2009, she represented Switzerland at the Gregoriu International Festival in the Romanian city of Brăila with a self-composed song titled “Il chante avec les anges”, a tribute to her grandfather, and won the competition. In 2010, she attended the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, England, as well as the Institute of Modern Music in Brighton, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance. On January 31, 2015, she wonthe Swiss national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Die grosse Entscheidungsshow, with her self-written song “Time to shine.” In the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest, Mélanie René finished last, failing to qualify for the final. On January 25, 2018, Mélanie René announced on her Facebook page that she would start a new project after a year of experimentation, associated with a new musical style that she described as “electro-pop with a small alternative side.” Along with this announcement, she revealed her new stage name, Melyz, bidding farewell to her birth name. She had already created her YouTube channel under the same name on August 22, 2017, and released her first music video in the new style, “Dancefloor,” on April 13, 2018. On January 27, 2019, Melyz’ first EP “Don’t Tell On Us” was released. It was followed by a single and video, “Don’t Tell”, on the 1st of March. Within’ a month, the song had 50k views. Due to COVID19, Melyz could only release a new song on November 13 2020. The song was called “Bad together”. In February 2022, Melyz released a new song, “Look at me now”. Entries Song Title Country🇨🇭 Switzerland Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsMélanie René MusicMélanie René BackingsAnissa Condemi MontemouhinIdyl NahlaFlavie Crisinel CheuwaNatacha Karine Montille Results Semi Points: 4Position: 17Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/ya1r_nFHiCQ

Luca Hänni

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameLuca Hänni Born08 October 1994 Nationality???????? Swiss National SelectionInternal selection 2019 In Eurovision2019 Tel Aviv SongShe got me (2019) Biography Luca Hänni is a Swiss singer, songwriter, dancer, model and television personality. Already at a very young age, Luca Hänni got drum lessons. At the age of nine, he learned to play guitar and taught himself playing the piano. He rose to fame in 2012 when he won Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar. His first single “Don’t Think About Me”, was released on May 2, 2012. The single reached gold status in Switzerland after four days and was No. 1 in the charts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Two weeks later, his debut album “My name is Luca” was released. It placed No. 1 in Austria and Switzerland and No. 2 in Germany. The album was awarded gold in Switzerland and Austria. A second single was released called “I will die for you”. A Swiss retail company hired Luca Hänni in June 2012 to promote his men’s underwear brand. Hännis first tour Luca Hänni & Band – Live on Tour started on October 1, 2012. Luca toured through Switzerland, Germany and Austria.In 2013, a second studio album. “Living the dream”, was released. Luca received Kids ’Choice Award as favorite star in Germany, Austria, Switzerland. The third album, “Dance until we die”, was released in 2014. It was a cooperation with the Swiss DJ Christopher S Hännis. The two single releases “I Can’t Get No Sleep” and “Good Time” also reached the charts. In November 2014, the charity song “Only One You” was released in close collaboration with the DKMS (German Bone Marrow Donor Bank).Luca Hänni’s fourth album “When we wake up” was recorded in the USA. In November 2016, Hänni presented his first own men’s fashion collection under the name SVSL. At the end of December 2018, Hänni released his first German-language single “Bei mir,” a duet with Helene Fischer. In 2019, Luca Hänni represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “She got me”. It was a huge succes, getting the 4th place for Switzerland. In spring 2020, Hänni finished third in the 13th season of Let’s Dance with the German professional dancer Christina Luft. In May of the same year he released the single “Diamant”, in June the accompanying music video appeared, in which Luft was the actress. In October 2020 Luca released his first German-language album “110 Karat”. Since November he has been a permanent member of the advice team on the TV show The Masked Singer Switzerland. In November 2020 he also competed in the VOX program Grill den Henssler. At the beginning of April 2021, Hänni released the single “Wo warst Du?”; the same month followed by the single “Durch die Nacht”. In autumn he released the charity single “There for you” in cooperation with the Swiss Music Award. He was also a scout in the TV show Stadt, Land, Talent. In 2022, he released the singles “Warum musstest du gehen” and “Millionär”. Entries She Got Me Country???????? Switzerland Year2019 LanguageEnglish LyricsLaurell BarkerFrazer MacLuca HänniJon HällgrenLukas Hällgren MusicLaurell BarkerFrazer MacLuca HänniJon HällgrenLukas Hällgren BackingsDavid Lei BrandtDaniel AsamoahHannah Levitt-CollinsKeisha Malaika Von ArnoldGreg G. Curtis jr. Results Semi Points: 232Position: 4Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: 364Position: 4Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/8aUYzqAIdoM