Introduction

• Participant(s): Rykka
• Song: The Last Of Our Kind
• Writer(s): Rieder/James/Dawson/Livesey
• Composer(s): Rieder/James/Dawson/Livesey
• Broadcaster: SRG RTS SSR 
• Social media: 
• Team review: 

The Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR has arranged a national final called “Die Entscheidungsshow” in the Swiss city Kreuzlingen. This has already been the sixth edition of this format, where an expert jury and televoters can chose the Swiss entry out of ten entries for Eurovision. The lucky winner this time is Rykka, a Canadian singer. 28 years ago another Swiss singer named Céline Dion has sung for Switzerland and won with “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi”. Choosing non-Swiss residents as representative has often been the case in Switzerland, this is allowed as long as one of the composers or lyricists is Swiss.

Rykka, whose real name is Christina Maria Rieder was born in Vancouver, Canada in 1986. She grew up in Canada, but has Swiss-Canadian roots due to her Swiss grandfather. She started to play the guitar in the age of 15 and performed on local festivals as folk artists. Under the name Christina Maria she has recorded three albums. Now she is a singer and songwriter and lives in Zurich and Vancouver. Her new album will be released in autumn and a tour is planned as well.

The Swiss entry “The Last Of Our Kind” is polemic mid-tempo ballad, sung in English. This entry has an unusual rhythm which appears a bit directionless especially in the verse. The melody is lightly replaceable and it will be hard for the TV spectators to remember in this year’s flood of mid-tempo songs sung by women. Unfortunately, this entry will have its difficulties to qualify for the Grand Final.

History

• Debut: 1956
• Participations: 58
• Victories: 2
• Finals: 49
• Top 10: 27
• Chance for Top 10: 47 %

This year Switzerland is taking part for the 58th time in the Eurovision Song Contest. Switzerland is not only one of the founding members of this event it has even won the first contest in history with “Refrain” by Lys Assia in the first year back in 1956. Switzerland has missed out two years 1999 and 2001 due to bad placing in previous years, when the rules were a little bit different and country had to wait a year to re-enter.

Since the Semi Finals have been introduced in 2004, Swiss entries were struggling with the qualification for the Grand Final. Only four times Switzerland has passed the qualification round since 2004. Out of 58 participations, Switzerland could only be in the Grand Final for 49 times. And 27 times Switzerland reached the Top10, so there is a statistically chance of 47% reaching the Top10. The Swiss entries have mostly been sung in French and German language, seldom in Italian or Romansch. Last year’s entry “Time To Shine” by Melanie René did not make it into the Grand Final in Vienna, unfortunately, she came last with four points in the Semi Final.

Probably the most prominent name next to ABBA is Céline Dion, she has been representing Switzerland. The Franco-Canadian singer has won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988 with “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” with only one point ahead to the UK. At that time Céline was an absolute newcomer and she started a world career one year after, when she opened the 1989 ESC in Lausanne with “Where Does My Heart Beat Now”. Nowadays she has her own show in Las Vegas, sells millions of albums and is one of the biggest stars in the world.