Giudi is a Czech musician and artist who combines music with fashion, art and performance in her work. The media often describes her as a genre-fluid artist. She also often collaborates with world-class musicians from classical to glitch. However, she can be classified in the realm of Alt Pop and Deep Pop. She is currently working on her debut album and is also heading to the Eurovision 2022 international contest next year, which is why we decided to support her and publish this interview.
Next year you will be taking part in the international Eurovision Song Contest. What message or concept are you going there with?
I will participate with the song Jezinky. There's definitely an awakening spirituality associated with it, just in connection with feminine energy. But my dancers are not only cisgender women, but also queer and non-binary people. This is a kind of core, an essence from which the overall concept and what we want to bring to Eurovision is formed. Awakening spirituality through pop music. Awakening empathy through music. The awakening of society through important and overlooked topics.
What are your biggest fears about being in Eurovision?
I'm not downright scared in the context of performing. It's a contest of a huge format with a high viewership, which has a big transnational reach. And therefore I am fully aware of the responsibility over everything I do, what I say and how I would represent the Czech Republic in a cultural context if I advance. And since I draw on our cultural roots and mythology in my composition, I feel that I can bring a piece of our country to the world. I approach it as a natural process. Everything I do comes from within me, from honesty, maybe even from a slight naivety, but I feel it's meant to be.
Why do you like Czech mythology, what attracts you to it?
It's something I grew up on. There are a lot of interesting stories and metaphors in Czech mythology that can be applied to today and are still timeless. Or you can take inspiration from them and adapt them a little bit to your vision, which is what I did in the song Jezinky.
Tell us about your creative team. How many people do you have and what specifically do they help you with?
I consider my creative team to be everyone who helps me create. From music, to PR, to music videos or styling. It's definitely my regular producer from the US, Nic Cooligde. My manager from London, Paul from Minimal Surface Label. Then there's the art director* and my right hand man JaCobra, with whom we create photos, visuals, music videos, put together styling, performance and social media ideas. I also often collaborate with makeup artist Koki and choreographer Monina Nevrla. My 3D Avatar was created in collaboration with Italian artist Hardmetacore and Zil Vostal from GizmoLab studio. Creative nails are by DancingPuma. I'm also happy to support and give visibility to emerging Czech designers who make sustainable clothing. For the Eurovision national round we have teamed up with brands Overall Office and Odivi. Casting for music videos is often arranged by New Aliens Agency. The production is handled by the amazing Sofia Veselá and Katya Novakova and many other talented people, videographers, stylists and more.
Which of the contemporary visual artists is closest to your expression?
I like the work of Lukáš Musil, also Valentýna Janů or also Dante Daniel Hartl.
How do you feel about your time in the Czech Republic? Do you feel supported by local media, music events or radio stations?
Artists working in the alternative and underground scene are one big community. The harder part is getting your alternative approach into the mainstream media. I experience that a lot, unfortunately. There are a lot of completely unnecessary limits that the mainstream media and radio have invented and still cling to. They're not responding to current trends, they're not responding to the shifting music scene and I think that's a great shame.
What do you think makes you stand out compared to other female singers in the context of the Czech scene?
I don't like to compare myself. I believe that if everyone is honest and has a pure intention, they can create amazing and original things and find exactly what makes them different from others. And we do that in a natural way. I feel that my strongest points lie in spirituality, thoughtfulness of concepts and not respecting the rules of classical song construction.
How can your fans support you to advance and represent the Czech Republic in Eurovision?
You can vote directly on the Eurovision website until 15 December only. I would be very grateful for your support.
