April 9, 2024

🇱🇻 Road To Malmö: Latvia

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Latvia. Dons Artūrs Šingirejs, famously known as Dons, is a celebrated Latvian singer and songwriter born on April 10, 1984. From his humble beginnings on a reality show in 2003, Dons quickly rose to fame, releasing eight solo albums and winning numerous awards. His music has captivated audiences, earning him five Song of the Year awards at the Latvijas Radio’s Muzikālās Banka and two Best Pop Album titles for his works “Varanasi” (2014) and “Tūrists” (2020). His album “Lelle” (2008) was acclaimed as the Best Rock Album, and “Signāls” (2013) was nominated for Best Pop-Rock Album. Dons has also made notable attempts to represent Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest, finally securing his chance in 2024 with the English single “Hollow.” Beginning his career with a duet album after participating in Talantu Fabrikā, Dons has explored his musical talents in both English and Latvian, solidifying his place as a significant figure in Latvian music. Supernova Since 2015, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in Latvia is called Supernova. This year, it started with a semifinal. Out of 15 songs, 10 were chosen to participate in the final. A jury and televoters selected the song together; both had Dons as their favourite. Among the participants was one former Eurovision singer: Agnese Rakovska, who was the singer of Triana Park. The group represented Latvia in 2017. Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest Latvia entered the Eurovision Song Contest in 2000. The band Brainstorm debuted with a 3rd place with the song “My star”. It didn’t take long before the country won. In 2002, Marie N took the trophy to Latvia with her song “I wanna”. In 2005, it was time for top-5 again with Walters & Kazha. The last few years, Latvia seems to have lost it. The last time, the country reached the final, was in 2016. No less than six entries didn’t make it to the final. Let’s hope Dons is gonna change that. Marie N The Bookmakers Currently, Latvia is 22nd in the odds for winning the Eurovision Song Contest. Not bad! However, in the odds for surviving the 2nd semifinal, the country has a 12th place. Let’s hope for a place in the final for Latvia, finally. The song And this is the song:

🇦🇲 Road To Malmö: Armenia

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Armenia. Ladaniva Ladaniva is a special band from Lille, France, known for its unique world music. The group was created by Zhaklin Baghdasaryan and Louis Thomas. Zhaklin was born in Armenia in 1997 and moved to France in 2014. She’s been singing since she was a kid. Louis, born in Lille in 1987, comes from a family of musicians and is a talented jazz artist. They met in 2018 during a music session in Lille and formed Ladaniva in 2019. Their music is inspired by sounds from around the world, like the Balkans, Maloya, and Armenian traditions. The name “Ladaniva” comes from an old Russian car, the Lada Niva. They became popular during the 2020 lockdown with videos that got a lot of love online. In 2023, they put out their first album with [PIAS]. Armenian Language The Armenian language is a unique and ancient language spoken by millions of people, mainly in Armenia and in communities around the world. It’s part of the Indo-European family, which means it’s distantly related to languages like English, Spanish, and Russian, but it stands out because it has its own branch in this family tree. Armenian has its own alphabet, invented by a scholar named Mesrop Mashtots in the 5th century. This was a big deal because it helped preserve the country’s culture and literature. Armenian is split into two main types: Eastern Armenian, which is spoken in Armenia, and Western Armenian, used by Armenians in other countries. Even though it’s old, Armenian is very much alive, changing over time and used in books, music, and on the internet. It’s a language with a rich history, connecting people to their heritage and to each other. Armenia in the Eurovision Song Contest Ladaniva provides the 16th Armenian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. They started participating in 2006, when André represented the country. “Without your love” was an instant success with an 8th place in the Eurovision final. Armenia reached the top-5 twice, both with a 4th place. In 2008 it was Sirusho‘s “Qele Qele”, in 2014 Aram mp3‘s “Not alone”. The latter was the number 1 at the bookmakers for a long time. We can not speak about Armenian Eurovision history without mentioning Rosa Linn and her “Snap”. In the Grand Final of 2022 she reached a 20th place only. Thanks to TikTok “Snap” became a worldwide hit and one of the most viewed Eurovision songs ever. The Bookmakers Currently, Armenia is 17th in the odds to win the Eurovision Song Contest. The country is 5th in the odds to reach the final this year. Conclusion: it is safe to say that Armenia might do well in the contest again. The Song And this is the song: