Anggun Cipta Sasmi, the Indonesian-born beauty who represented France at Eurovision 2012, recently sat down with the BBC’s Mishal Husain to discuss her heritage, her rise to prominence and her experiences at Eurovision. As ever, Anggun is well-spoken, intelligent and honest—the same qualities she demonstrated for our readers at Eurovision in Concert and at the London Eurovision Party.

In the interview, which you can watch below, she dodges some rather aggressive questions from Mishal. The BBC presenter suggests it was embarrassing to finish 22nd, and that Anggun and her team did something wrong. Anggun bats that nonsense away. “I don’t think we made a mistake,” she says, adding that rankings don’t matter with music. “I never thought of music as a competition. For me, who can say this song is better than that one. It’s a personal sensitivity.”

“Even when I was there, us artists we were high-fiving each other, having drinks, listening to music. The competition was more between the countries, the delegations…The fact that there were really hardcore Eurovision fans. I underestimated the whole thing.”

The Eurovision questions being around 13:26 in the video below.

56 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
vladimir
vladimir
11 years ago

smart woman…

nabko
nabko
11 years ago

@viescy yeaah that lyric remembered and simple 🙂 and catchy

viescy
viescy
11 years ago

@nabko hahahhaha… you still remember lyric that song until now 🙂 love this song too

reant
reant
11 years ago

@jefrey still my favorite eurovision’s song.. love intro this song

Jefrey
Jefrey
11 years ago

Look Echo You and I voted as 2012 best Single world wide
http://www.yorkshiretimes.co.uk/marticle.php?id=3526

Congratulation Anggun

nabko
nabko
11 years ago

in my dream..in my dream, in my heart, in my mind… there’s you and i..

jeunesse
jeunesse
11 years ago

Un moment dans le concert elle? a dit des gens veulent me prendre en photo préparer les cméras 1,2,3 PFF …

sean dee
sean dee
11 years ago

angguuuuunnn….so long time when you get to concert again at new york???

Anggun
Anggun
11 years ago

My name is Anggun. I’m 15 years old. I remember when I was in elementary school, my teacher called me Anggun C Sasmi, I’m so happy. She’s my favorite singer, my inspiration. One of my favorite song is Anak Putih Abu-Abu. For me, that song is too old but I like it. Good to see her back to Indonesia. Okay, nice to know you all. I love your comments. greetings from Indonesia 🙂

michael
michael
11 years ago

waaww anggun on bbc 🙂

boelies
boelies
11 years ago

love her english accent

sugie
sugie
11 years ago

to: anggun

i like your song, because you send massage? about love for nice or soft hard

rinai
rinai
11 years ago

Anggun said the song was autobiographical. It’s about her? journey and love to her country 🙂

Deban
Deban
11 years ago

@ Wiwi, I disagree. The staging made the song more palatable. It had strong fashion, acrobatic, homo-erotic elements. Without a shadow of doubt, Anguun can sing and she exudes star quality from every pore. If there’s one thing France got right in 2012, it was the video and the production elements. The weakest link was the song itself. ‘Echo’ just didn’t measure up!

alexis
alexis
11 years ago

I’ve been listening to Anggun songs since 1998. & they never get me bored! They’ve been verified for years. This is crazy!
She has the best songs & voice for? my? ear & heart!

dhanpuzil
dhanpuzil
11 years ago

i still remember i watched Anggun’s music video on my local tv when i was still in elementary school. now im 24. time flies so fast,? and now she is so popular overseas. well done

franco lamberti
franco lamberti
11 years ago

quando? una donna non è solo donna ma Femmina
ditemi dove è andato a finire? un fenomeno del genere!

johan
johan
11 years ago

SUBLISSIME PRESTATION d’Anggun qui? méritée telelment mieux que cette sévère 22e position !!! pour une fois qu’une artiste été motivé à présenter une prestation alliant mise en scène, visuel, et chanson rythmée, et bien non ca ne plais toujours pas !!!! grrrrrrrr …. MERCI MILLE FOIS A TOI ANGGUN pour ses 3min de pure bonheurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!

marcaustria1
marcaustria1
11 years ago

my personal eurovision winner
Je t’aime france et anguun

greeting from? austria

learn to rock
learn to rock
11 years ago

amazing experience, she move on for her dream

gozzilac
gozzilac
11 years ago

really hardcore Eurovision fans made her underestimated…

angelo
angelo
11 years ago

my first favorite song at eurovision 2012 echo you and i 🙂

taufan
taufan
11 years ago

@syakeera for judge x factor

syakeera
syakeera
11 years ago

2013 anggun more in asia countries

biayanka
biayanka
11 years ago

hmmmm..she never thought of music as a competition

deedee
deedee
11 years ago

Love you Anggun :))) the golden pearl from the archipelago 🙂

lebbe hans
lebbe hans
11 years ago

agree with you wiwi..Anggun is well-spoken, intelligent and honestm, deserve be UN ambassador

ananta
ananta
11 years ago

@daniel @bosswaniva anggun way back home for Judge Indonesia’s X factor..

abdullah
abdullah
11 years ago

alhamdullilah …anggun be back again after eurovision and old her fans be back too…come again to lebanon, love your french’s song ‘etre une femme’
your lebanon fans

bosswaniva
bosswaniva
11 years ago

@daniel thank you daniel for the lyrics :).. seen her live concert at Sessions West 54th New York in August 1998 it’s very amazing voice : watch?v=pR-ycnIdaH8
in other interview she had to do things that were challenging…America awaits anggun return

daniel
daniel
11 years ago

@bosswaniva a rose in the wind?? yeah this song tell about anggun’s journey for to get her dream and career appropriate with her interview on BBC, this lyric from a rose in the wind : I was born at daybreak / To the road I did take Trembling as the groung shakes / Under my feet Cracked in the stone heat Never ending motion / Way across the ocean Into your devotion / Long have I gone So far from my home What to do with this love that I’m in? I have given you all of my soul Flying… Read more »

joelpetey
joelpetey
11 years ago

Well, that happens a little, but it’s not quite what I meant. I think the results may have been fixed a little.

Even with the neighbour voting, I still don’t believe no-one would have given France a point. Even Spain and Portugal who usually do, or Belgium? and Switzerland who speak French, or Britain who often give France something, or Indonesians living in Europe voting for their corner… seems suspicious. 🙂

shelley valencia
shelley valencia
11 years ago

well she’s french now and? as a singer i agree nationality doesn’t shows the way they sing

ita ling
ita ling
11 years ago

cute woman with pink dress

roberta maggio
roberta maggio
11 years ago

Pocahontas? lady on BBC 🙂

pietro minniti
pietro minniti
11 years ago

I love you Anggun, your voice is simply divine?

Biyand
Biyand
11 years ago

ditemi dove è andato a finire? un fenomeno del genere!

loreent
loreent
11 years ago

BBC presenter as same as preety with anggun

parquet johan
parquet johan
11 years ago

two thumb up to her.. really hard worker woman, she build her careers from the bottom until success now and to be role model for us.

m papa
m papa
11 years ago

Minusta Anggunin viisu on edelleen visuaalisesti se paras. Tuo ilmassa? liehuva kangas on upeannäköinen. Bravo!!

bonaventura
bonaventura
11 years ago

inspirator of ASIAN Singer..^^..Best one of? ASIAN to EUROPE,,Fantastic!!!

rinai
rinai
11 years ago

@rayhan ahhhaaa she speeling other strange language with “wwweeeewww wwweeewww”

nando
nando
11 years ago

@oemar aziz agree europeans don’t know what is called a good music! She? deserved top 5…brazillians love her song

laura gomez
laura gomez
11 years ago

She? was my second favourite to win because the first was Loreen 🙂
Très bien France!!!tojours bien 🙂

bearsca
bearsca
11 years ago

@oemar aziz …yeaa i think too deserve top 5, french’s song is one of my favorite song beside euphoria..The whistling-type sound in the background and the other funky sounds couple so nicely with the acrobatics? and Anggun’s clothers, looks, voice and lyrics. 🙂

oemar aziz
oemar aziz
11 years ago

still don’t believe grand final result for french’s song. Echo ( You and I ) is catchy song and original..deserve top 5 but after that anggun..you get more new fans greeting from Uni Emirate Arab 🙂

pasha
pasha
11 years ago

simply amazing…

ryhan
ryhan
11 years ago

hahaha this woman very funny, she say that “genetic modification” and her tongue expression “wweeeww weeeewww” ..anggun is very inspiring woman to others

eghy john
eghy john
11 years ago

@futado i’m germany ..do you know schiller met anggun concert live 2012 at frankfrut and i’m enjoy it and get first row on top 🙂 , anggun singing ‘always you’ and ‘blind’ acoustic version check it : watch?v=MZp5ZN8shPc

futado
futado
11 years ago

@eghy john yes agree very cool song although i don’t understand with lyrik this song 🙂 and where you come from friend? glad to meet you 🙂