A picture is worth a thousand words, but a good voice makes you succeed in Eurovision. This year's festival has been marked by the transgression and the beepings to Russia, as much for its homophobic policies as for the situation with Ukraine. But undoubtedly this has been the festival of the Austrian winner Tom Neuwirth, or what is the same as Conchita Wurst. This is not a story of a "One Hit Wonder", it is the story of someone who fought for his dream, year after year and in the end has achieved the deserved recognition.
His story started at 2006 as Thomas Neuwirth, who participated in Starmania, an Austrian television talent show. There he was already in second position and demonstrated the potential of his voice. A year later he joined the boy band craze and founded Jetzt Anders!, a group that barely lasted a year. After training at the Graz School of Fashion in 2011, Tom found the key to creating a unique product: he opted to mix his talent with a groundbreaking image.
The key was Leave your beard and cross-dress. Create a contrast between masculine and feminine, an exquisite wardrobe, a careful and delicate makeup combined with a dark beard. Also use an iconic song like «My heart will go on»By Celine Dion for her performance helped Conchita Wurst win over audiences on Die Grosse Chance. Later, he went from one reality show to another, creating a local fame and the He waited for the scouts to notice him. In 2012 he was second to present himself to Eurovision and it was from the announcement of his 2014 candidacy to represent Austria at this year's festival when everything changed. Belarus and Russia tried to veto it, without realizing that the only thing they did was to make Conchita Wurst and her message bigger and more powerful.
Just when he won the title and upon arrival in Austria his message was even louder and clearer, he described his victory as a message to some politicians, making clear reference to Putin: “Tolerance has no borders and not everyone in Russia has the same views on homosexuality. " «I just want to tell you that, in the end, good always wins and we are unstoppable.«, Declared regarding those who, like her, believe in equality and freedom.
All in all, Conchita Wurst assured that she does not pretend to be an ambassador of tolerance but only to do her bit in a task in which, she said, Fortunately, she is not alone. There are people more powerful than me who could do more. But they gave me this gift. For me it is important, and my obligation as an artist is to work in that sense. ", He declared.
Regarding future plans, she acknowledged being ambitious. "I want the whole world," he jokingly confessed. «My big goal is to win a Grammy. And on the way I will take as much as I can. ». And what he can is not little in the few days of Conchita Wurst's reign, which has already received producer offers of Los Angeles and different invitations to events of the gay pride celebration in various corners of the world.
