Sweden is continuing their national selection Melodifestivalen on Saturday. As the artists prepare for the second heat of national final to take place on Saturday February 10th, Jazzi speaks to C-Joe. He is vying to represent Sweden in Eurovision with the song “Ahumma”
Hi C-Joe, I would just like to start things off by asking you to introduce yourself?
I go by the name C-Joe, am an afrobeats & afropop artist, born in Sierra Leone & raised in Sweden, Gävle. On the 10th of February I will be participating in “Melodifestivalen” in Gothenburg with a song call “Ahumma”
Before we continue, let’s start with a quick icebreaker by just asking if there is one thing about yourself that not many people know about?
Monday to Friday I work as a social worker at the social service. Apart from Swedish, I speak three other languages fluently.
For newer Eurovision fans, this will be the first time they will get to know you, could you please tell us a bit more about yourself?
I got introduced to music around 2005/2006. I was in a group called G-force. Since 2017 I have been a solo artist, releasing music in Swedish, English & Krio. I have collaborated with artists from Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Nigeria & ofcourse Sweden. I have also toured in multiple countries.
Let’s move on to Eurovision. Can I start off by asking, what made you want to participate in the Swedish selection?
I have always aspired to perform in melodifestivalen & the eurovision. What made me want to participate is the song “Ahumma”. When I made the song it felt like a melodifestivalen & a eurovision song because of the message, arrangement of the song & I felt like more people needed to hear it.
You will be participating with the song “Ahumma”, what the song is about and what would you like the audience to feel when listening to it?
The song is about togetherness, happiness and also exercising inner peace. I want the audience to feel happy, have a peaceful mind & be able to enjoy the three minutes of the song with us on stage.
What would going to Eurovision and represent Sweden mean to you?
It would mean a lot to me to represent Sweden in this prestige competition & being that this genre is relatively new, it would be a joyful moment to represent Sweden. To be honest words cannot express the joyful thought of me representing Sweden.
Asking more about Eurovision, what is your earliest memory of the competition and what is your favourite Eurovision song (from Sweden or from another country).
I have several memories like the year 2015 when Måns Zelmerlöw won the Eurovision, another memory is in 2016 when Justin Timberlake performed & ofcourse Loreen’s victories
When I am sending this, we are only a few weeks away from your heat in this year’s Melodifestivalen. How are the preparations going for that?
So far so good, things are going as planned. Rehearsal, costumes fittings meeting amazing people and am loving every moment of it.
What would it mean for you to make the Melodifestivalen final?
A dream come true, and it will just confirm my intuition about the song and the message behind it.
You have been releasing music since 2017, is there any parts of your discography that fans waiting to hear “Ahumma” for the first time should check out?
Yeah definitely go checks my other songs that i have released since then , we have “Tomato”, “No other girl”, Love on the dance floor” & “Money”.
You have roots from Sierra Leone, is there any influences from there in your music? Or in your Melodifestivalen entry?
Yes my music is influenced by my background. I normally go with the tag “Sierra Leone spirit with Swedish creativity” and that is felt throughout “Ahumma”.
Last question – what is one thing that you have learnt from taking part in the national final, that you will take with you going forward?
To be present in the moment , enjoy every moment throughout the process. And also believe in yourself
Thank you for this opportunity, and good luck in Melodifestivalen 2024, Is there anything you would like to say to the International viewers over at That Eurovision Site?
Looking forward to seeing most of you at the Eurovision and hopefully the song “Ahumma” and its message makes an impact on you. Thank you all.
Who is C-Joe
C-Joe is an artist who specialises in Afro-pop. Originally born in Sierra Leone, but raised in Sweden most his life, C-Joe takes inspiration from both his birth country and the country he now calls home. C-Joe has been releasing music since 2017. In his musical career C-Joe has released music in a variety of different languages. His most recent release before Melodifestivalen was his 2023 single “Money”.
Sweden’s Eurovision Journey
In 1958, Sweden made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest, with Alice Babs representing them with the song “Lilla stjärna” which placed fourth. Since their debut, the Scandinavian nation has managed to win seven times (1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015 and 2023).
In 2023, Loreen returned to represent Sweden, who won the 2012 edition of the competition. She competed with the song “Tattoo”, which managed to qualify for the Grand Final, and placed 1st with 583 points. Loreen won the jury vote, accruing 340 points from the jury, earning an additional 243 points from the televote. This now means Sweden matches Ireland for the record of most wins in Eurovision history.
Are you excited to hear C-Joe’s Melodifestivalen entry this weekend? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Magnus Liam Karlsson/ SVT for Melodifestivalen 2024
Rory Gannon