Eric PAPILAYA (performer)

The child of an Indonesian father and an Austrian mother, Eric PAPILAYA was born on June 9, 1978 in Vöcklabruck and grew up in Laakirchen. In late autumn 2006 Eric had managed to become one of the finalists among 2,486 competitors for the successful ORF „Starmania” format, and was the only „Starmaniac” to sing his own composition during one of the shows (a ballad called Alles, Was Du Bist. The stage is his elixir of life: At the early age of 15, Eric PAPILAYA founded the band Milk. It is obvious that Eric, born in Upper Austria, doesn’t fit into any clichés, he’s just too versatile to match a stereotype.

In late autumn 2006, as Eric and his wide stylistic range captured the attention of Austrian TV viewers, a critic wrote that „when Eric enters the stage, the sun rises”. The artist, age 28, had managed to become one of the finalists among 2,486 competitors for the successful ORF „Starmania” format, and was the only „Starmaniac” to sing his own composition during one of the shows (a ballad called Alles, Was Du Bist).

The stage is his elixir of life: At the early age of 15, Eric PAPILAYA founded the band MILK, whose music style he jokingly describes as “a mixture between Jamiroquai and the Söhne Mannheims”. It is obvious that Eric, born in Upper Austria, doesn’t fit into any clichés, he’s just too versatile to match a stereotype.

„I stayed with Milk until Starmania, that is, for 13 years. That is quite a long time. Most of the time, we played songs we wrote ourselves. We even released our own CD’s” says Eric. Moreover, he sang with Streetlife, a cover band that became popular in Austria with dozens of appearances every year: “We played a programme ranging from Robbie Williams to Bon Jovi,” says Eric. Which artists have influenced him personally? „Sammy Davis Jr., and also Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, just to name two.” Among today’s stars who dominate international charts, he is most impressed by US artist Kelly CLARKSON.

The child of an Indonesian father and an Austrian mother, Eric PAPILAYA was born on June 9, 1978 in Vöcklabruck and grew up in Laakirchen. After finishing school, he studied graphic design and has been living in Vienna for several years now. „Naturally, during the years of working as a graphic designer, I always dreamed of being able to make a living out of music,” admits Eric, a singer, a guitarist, and an entertainer for whom the doors to the music industry are now wide open.

The fact that the Austrian contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest is also the official Life Ball song represents an important sign and an additional personal motivation for Eric: “Tolerance for marginal groups and a pro-life approach are two of the messages of Life Ball. Due to the colour of my skin, I often experienced and had to fight against intolerance myself.”

Therefore, Get A Life - Get Alive is both a personal and a universal plea. As Eric exclaims, “I’ve completely internalized the pro-life statement of my song for Helsinki, and its message is also the motto by which I live my life: Don’t let yourself be dragged down by the things that happen around you or in the world, never take anything for granted, and seize every opportunity. The song totally strikes a chord with me and has an amazing drive to it.”

On May 10, Eric will be singing „I’ve got a vision in mind, I’m doing my time … Open your mind to a better life” to an audience of millions watching the Eurovision Song Contest. At the same time, these words will be his personal pledge.
“In simple words, the message of Get A Life - Get Alive is you can sleep when you’re dead,” he explains with a laugh. But don’t worry, nobody will think of sleep when listening to such a powerful rock tune anyway.

Greg USEK (composer)

Greg USEK’s career began in the late eighties, when he first felt called to produce music. In the mid-nineties, he began experimenting with electronic music. USEK has always been open to new inputs, and his ability to combine the best elements of glamorous pop with so-called underground music has earned him a reputation as a brilliant crossover producer.

His first worldwide release as a music engineer and co-producer was the remix of Tina Turner’s When The Heartache Is Over. The international breakthrough came in 2000, when he and his partner producer Sergio Flores were given the opportunity to produce Kylie Minogue’s comeback single Spinning Around. The single became a worldwide success, climbing to number one in the UK charts. Soon followed remixes for Tom Jones & Heather Small, Enrique Iglesias, Gloria Gaynor, Atomic Kitten, Vanessa Amorosi and several other artists, helping to consolidate USEK’s status as an internationally acknowledged producer.

Total Touch (songwriter)

Songwriter Austin HOWARD can look back at a long and international successful career.

HOWARD, a singer, producer, and songwriter founded his band Ellis, Beggs & Howard in 1987. The band received a Diamond Award for „Best New Group” for its first album „Homelands” (featuring the hits Big Bubbles, No Troubles and Where Did Tomorrow Go?). After leaving the band, Austin HOWARD continued to work with international artists, recently with Joss Stone on her hugely successful Mind, Body and Soul album. Austin is currently developing new entertainment programmes for the BBC.

Participant: Eric PAPILAYA
Song: Get A Life - Get Alive
Writer: Austin HOWARD
Composer: Greg USEK
Broadcaster: ORF
National selection: Internal selection

(106 votes, average: 2.95 out of 5)

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