Lyricist Drago Mislej - Mef dismisses festival win 'scandal' as media fabrication

Drago Mislej, known as Mef, the lyricist behind the winning song "Drugačna je le noč" at the Melodije morje in sonce festival, has responded to media speculation that the victory was orchestrated. Mislej, who has penned numerous popular songs, found himself at the center of a "scandal" that he believes was largely manufactured by the media.

Mislej revealed that he was initially surprised by the win, as he and his duet partner, Marina Martensson, had not intended to compete. He explained that the festival organizer, Andrea Flego, had invited him as a guest artist to celebrate an anniversary, as Mislej had won the festival at least seven times previously. Flego then requested that Mislej write a new song for the occasion, which Mislej agreed to, albeit reluctantly. When asked who would perform it, Flego suggested Mislej himself, leading him to recruit Martensson to sing with him.

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Awards can be stuck somewhere. I have plenty of these plates at home, but what should I do with them? If a song is bad, no award makes it good.

Despite the controversy, Mislej emphasized his authorship of the song, stating, "The song is entirely mine." He acknowledged that he sometimes allows the arranger, Flego, to be credited for the arrangement in exchange for studio and production costs. Mislej also shared a humorous anecdote about a doctor friend who, after reading his book "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," attempted to fly by thinking of anything other than falling, with comical results. He expressed disdain for awards, calling them meaningless if the song itself is poor, and stated that the festival's atmosphere was excellent until the results were announced, after which some attendees left abruptly.

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The song is entirely mine.