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Exclusive London interview
Belarus: "I have to do just as well or better than Koldun"
Hi Ruslan and Welcome to London.
Thank you very much. It is my first time in London and we are having fun here, it is a very nice city. We have been planning to visit here for a very long time and feels so go to finally be here.
What have you been doing since you arrived in London?
We have been to Madam Tussauds which we liked very such. I have now had my picture taken with lots of famous singers and dancers and Margaret Thatcher!
Last year Dmitry Koldun did very well for Belarus in the contest, finishing in 6th position. Do you feel additional pressure due to this?
Well I am very glad that my really good friend Dmitry Koldun did well last year. He gave a very nice performance and of course Belarus progressed to the final for the very first time; so it makes me feel that I have to do just as well or even better.
How do you plan to present your song on the Eurovision stage in Belgrade?
We hope it will be a very nice and bright performance. I can’t tell you all the secrets right now, but I am sure you will like it.
How many performers will have with you on the stage?
We will have 4 dancers and 1 backing vocalist, actually 3 of the dancers will also be singing backing vocals when they dance.
Apart from the UK, which other countries have you visited for the Hasta La Vista promotional tour?
Well I have visited several courtries including, Montenegro, Macedonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Greece. So quite a lot – we are now in the UK and very happy to be here. It is very funny I now have so many stamps in my passport, that I now need a second passport.
What is your favourite song in this year’s completion?
I like Shady Lady by Ani Lorak very much. This is my favourite song, but I really respect all of the other competitors in the contest.
Ruslan are you a Eurovision fan and if so who favourite artisits from the past?
Yes, I am a fan of Eurovision. I like a lot of the huge stars that have come out of the competition, like Abba, Celine Dion, Toto Cutugno. However, I have to mention that my favourite is a person who is a friend of mine, we nearly have the same same; it is Ruslana from the Ukraine – she impressed me very much with her performance.
Finally, Ruslan, do you have a message to esctoday.com readers?
I wish joy to everyone and I look forward to seeing you all in Belgrade.
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Hm... Not such an easy task, is it?
I like the song slightly better than Work Your Magic last year and I think this guy is way better looking than Dimitry Koldun. This song is not one of my absolute favourites, but it's in my top 10.
Sorry Ruslan, I have a feeling you will do so much worse than Koldun. I do not like the song AT ALL.
I LOVE BELARUS AND ITS PEOPLE!
Good luck from everyone here in The United Kingdom.
@candyman
what on earth have you written? "Go back to your country".
That was VERY mean, and I feel sorry for people like you. Insulting someone with no reason just isn't thing which would normal man do.
Pleas please please! I hope he changes the song back to its original Self for mthe COntest... 
, 
Oherwise I aint voting for him...
TIIICV
Go back to your country?
What kind of lame ass insult is that? Belarus may not have picked a good song but they have chosen him to represent them even if he has the charisma of a toothpick. Stop writing shite like that on these pages.
he will fail his ugly and his song is a crap.
go back to your country!
Urk!
Horrible song. I still think Norway will win, this year we also sent a boring supermarket song from our country, but let's see. "Vi ska se, vi ska se...." 
)
Israel is dangerous, I heard from my colleagues in Russia and Ireland that they would vote for Boaz Mauda, hmmm, I also think he is too good.
But nej no never, I think Norway will take it all. Cheers!
It just isn't a song that I would enjoy listening to at all. Compounding that feeling is then having to watch his static performance and this is me being diplomatic.
If this qualified it shall be the end of the neighbour voting arguments because the only way this could qualify is if people are only voting for the country and ignoring the appalling song
This is nosence like when Montenegrin represent said that Marija Serifovic will do, that our diaspora vote for him in semi and help him to be in top 9...hahahahha...but anyway this song is much better then for exemple qela or whatever...
"...Irish and Spanish IF..." - mistake. Sorry.
and I have to add.
Song from Belarus is really OK and it has chanses for qualifing in the final.
- Scottish Eurovision Fan
I agree, this song is very under-rated
By the way, great picture, Belle and the devotions . . . . . .GREAT!! 
I dont understand how can all of you be so cruel?
Are words "bad, silly, crap..." right words to compare song HASTA LA VISTA with??
For the sake of God, what will you say about Estonian, Irish and Spanish song is your reactions for Belarus song are soooo bad and cruel??
I think Koldun's song was a notch better than this one, but I really feel this song is hugely underrated. I think it is among the catchier songs this year and I guess this will easily pass to the final. But he is going to struggle to make the Top 10 in the final I think.
This song is bad not at all comparable to Koldun - dunno what planet he's on.
OK lest be honest, this ain't gonna do as well as Koldun because Koldun was amazing, and his song was great, a true James Bond style song! But this years song isn't as bad as many people are saying, I am really beggining to like it, especially the new mix 
So Good luck to Belarus from the UK!!
.... I am not so sure about that !!!
He can't do better than Koldun but I think that he has a reasonable chance to make it in the FINAL Good luck BELARUS
excuse me? one needs to have guts to say those stuff with a song like this!....
Not to seem like a contrarian, but I rather like the song. I think the original was horrible (the one he performed in Montenegro's selection show), but the revamped one is catchy. I feel like it might squeek in to the finals... even though he is in a harder semi-final draw.
haha that was funny lol
hehe.. he is very optimistic..
It won't happen.
He will land somewhere at the end in the semifinal! 
He's going to be very disappointed if he wants to match Koldun.
I think Pavarotti wouldn't save this song!
Florian, on this one we agree...
Yeah right! Maybe he will get a top ten result in his dreams but in real life, there's no way he will advance to the final! One of the cheapest entries this year!
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