{"id":46234,"date":"2023-04-16T15:48:40","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T14:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ket.brussels\/?p=46234"},"modified":"2023-04-16T15:49:23","modified_gmt":"2023-04-16T14:49:23","slug":"gustaph-about-competing-at-eurovision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ket.brussels\/en\/2023\/04\/16\/gustaph-about-competing-at-eurovision\/","title":{"rendered":"Gustaph about competing at eurovision"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gustaph<\/a> is the Belgian contestant for Belgium at Eurovision<\/a> this year. His song \u201cBecause Of You\u201d is about empowerment. Let\u2019s get to know him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell us a bit about yourself. What has been your journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been working as a singer\/songwriter and producer for over 20 years. I signed my first record deal at the age of 17 and released my first single \u201cGonna Lose You\u201d under the alias Steffen. I scored my first hit and won the award for best debut but I wasn\u2019t pleased artistically, and I felt like I wasn\u2019t taken seriously because I was making Pop Music and was told that I should keep my sexuality a \u201cmystery\u201d not to offend potential fans. It felt like I had to lie about myself to have success. This led me to withdraw from that pop life, and I started focusing on my studies and my career as a musician. In those years I toured with acts such as Zap Mama, Lalalover, and The Pointer Sisters, while also maintaining a career as a studio musician, writer, and producer. In 2009 I decided to make a fresh artistic start under the alias Gustaph, an out and proud artist. I started releasing my own music and started profiling myself in the electronic\/House Scene. This ultimately led me to the Queer Collective Hercules & Love Affair<\/a>, from which I became an active member for six years. I co-wrote and sang on \u201cThe Feast of the Broken Heart\u201d and \u201cOmnion\u201d and toured extensively all over the world with Hercules & Love Affair. After that intense period, I took a breather and started working on my material. This led me to participate in the National Final for Eurovision Belgium and here we are!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are you preparing yourself for Eurovision in Liverpool and how are you feeling?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a crazy but beautiful ride toward Liverpool. So much work goes into the preparation, not only the act but also promotional duties. Getting yourself out there in Europe with interviews, blogs, appearances, and gigs is very important and takes up a lot of time. I thoroughly enjoy it though and I\u2019m very grateful to have been given the chance to represent Belgium. I am also working out, watching what I eat, and limiting my drinking to prepare myself for the performance. I will definitely let it all out once Eurovision is done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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