Eurovision 2016 was a message to women that they can do what they want, even when pregnant – Ira Losco

Ira Losco was not expecting to perform at the Eurovision while pregnant when she decided to give the competition a second shot, but neither did she think it wasn’t possible.

Losco was a guest on Xtra Sajf, hosted by Saviour Balzan, where she discussed the Eurovision, her career and motherhood, among other subjects.

“I wanted to send a message that women can do whatever they want, even when they are pregnant,” Losco said of her 2016 shot at the Eurovision.

Having found out a week or two before the national final, Losco admitted that her pregnancy had complicated matters.

“It was a beautiful thing that happened at a moment that wasn’t ideal,” she said, adding that she couldn’t pull out at the last minute out of fear of disappointing the many people who were supporting her. “At the same time, I also wanted to give it a shot.”  

She said that while it was somewhat of a dilemma, there had been many before her who had performed pregnant.

Both Beyonce and Serena Williams had performed pregnant in the past, she said, adding that most women in Malta still went to work practically till the eve of them giving birth.

Moreover, she stressed that women in Malta needed to break away from the perception that they only had one role in life and that it was mainly the woman that was responsible for a couple’s child.

On the Eurovision performance itself, Losco said that the artistic director that worked on her performance was not her “favourite”.

“I liked the end result, but it could have been better,” she said. “I could have been more energetic on stage.”

Losco started her musical career with the band Tiara but her popularity shot up after she placed second in the 2002 Eurovision.

Despite the exposure that the competition gave her, she said it was nothing like it  is today. “Today record labels all over the world look at the competition and have an interest in it, it wasn’t necessarily the case back then.”

In fact, she said record labels wouldn’t immediately offer her a contract, because she was still associated with the Eurovision, and that it was only after a year that she signed her first deal.

Over the years, Losco said she has continually worked to improve her singing and the way she performs. She stressed that in order to be a professional musician, one needed dedication, as well as the help of professional support.

She recalled how her current manager Howard Keith Debono had approached her after the 2002 Eurovision and has supported her ever since, especially during those moments where she might have thought of giving up.

She said while there were people, like Howard, who believed in her talent, others would doubt it, and say that she had just been lucky.

“You hear it once, you hear it twice and when you keep hearing it you start to believe it,” she said.

Despite this, she said that with time, going abroad and performing with other established artists, gave her a better sense of perspective.

“They see you as their peer, and that’s when I realised that I was doing something right.”