From writing songs in her room as a child to performing Snap on one of the world’s biggest stages, Rosa Linn’s road to the Eurovision Song Contest has been one full of unexpected opportunities.
Hailing from the small town of Vanadzor in northern Armenia, Rosa figured that her love of music would just stay between her and her friends. She loved writing and creating melodies, and was even in the running to represent her country at Junior Eurovision, but she was concerned that her pathway to musical success was limited.
“I started making music when I was 11 or 12, in a small town. I had no resources, no connections, no money, I was just a kid with a guitar or piano who really wanted to make music. I had a lot of times when I wanted to give up, since I didn’t see a future. I just went on because I couldn’t not make music!” Rosa Linn said in an interview with Eurovision’s official website.
That’s where the Nvak Foundation and Collective come in. A nonprofit organization and record label started by Armenian-Americans Alex Salibian and Tamar Kaprelian (who represented Armenia at Eurovision 2015 as a member of the group Genealogy), Nvak provides resources to up and coming artists from underrepresented communities. Rosa just happened to be one of their first discoveries:
“They just find talent and songwriters and give them everything they need to make their creations possible. I first met them in 2019 when I was performing with my band. They saw me and asked if I wanted to apply for a summer program in Yerevan. They then started a label, and asked me to join as an artist…and I said ‘of course’!”
Even with the support of Nvak, Rosa knows that she has to be her own biggest advocate and cheerleader, and she urges other budding musicians in her shoes to do the same.
“Odds were against me…my only advice is that if you really feel that you’ve found something that is you, go with it! The universe, the world, God, energy, something will make your dream come true. If you don’t do it, of course you won’t succeed. Work hard, try hard, dream big, and always stay objective about things,” Armenia’s Eurovision entrant said.
Rosa’s song Snap is deeply personal, but it’s a message that probably resonates with many viewers, especially after the past few years.
“I was feeling really down and depressed and anxious because I was going through a lot. These past two years we’ve all been going through a lot! And I just wrote it all out and let it go. In the end I’ve realized that every difficulty is easier to overcome when you love yourself a bit more and take care of yourself, and that’s my main message. Take care of yourselves and read what’s really going on inside yourself. If something’s wrong, you need to deal with that and work to make things better,” she said.
The staging for Snap reflects that same journey of self-discovery and healing, but it also reflects Rosa’s own journey as she grew from a preteen scribbling lyrics in her room to performing in front of millions of viewers around the world.
“It’s about the songwriting process, starting in my room! I can go back in time and show people how I started. It’s also about going through the process and revealing stuff and then it’s a way into my inner world as I get to know myself.,” Rosa added.
Armenia competes in the First Semi Final of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest on Tuesday 10 May.
