Ovi

Ovidiu Cernăuțeanu, known professionally as Ovi Jacobsen or simply Ovi, is a Romanian-Norwegian singer-songwriter, producer, and musician. He was born on August 23, 1974, in Botoșani, Romania.

Ovi began his music career in Romania, releasing several solo albums and singles. In the mid-2000s, he decided to relocate to Norway. This move led to a new chapter in his career, opening up international opportunities for him.

In 2006, Ovi took part in the Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. However, his song “The better side of me” got stuck in the 2nd chance round. In a new attempt in 2009 he did reach the final with his song “Seven seconds”.

Ovi teamed up with Paula Seling again, and with Adrian Enache, to release the album “Duelul Pianelor” in 2017. A year later, her new solo album “Steaua Răsare” was released.

In 2010, Ovi first came to prominence in the Eurovision scene when he represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest, partnering with fellow Romanian artist Paula Seling. The duo performed the song “Playing with Fire”, which proved to be a great success, finishing third in the contest – one of the highest placements for Norway in recent years. This performance also marked the first of several collaborations with Seling.

In 2014, Ovi once again teamed up with Paula Seling to represent Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest. Their song, “Miracle”, managed to make it to the finals and ultimately placed 12th.

Apart from his performances in Eurovision, Ovi is also known for his songwriting and production work. He has penned songs for various artists and contributed to several musical projects in both Romania and Norway. In 2019 for example, he wrote a song for Olivier Kaye. This song, “Right now”, was submitted to the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest and reached an 8th place in the final in Romania.

In 2021, Ovi and others started a cross-country project playing live music. The band is called Popfolklorica. Also, he teamed up again with Paula Seling in January 2022 for the song “See You Again”.

In March 2023, a new single came out for Ovi: “Două geci îmbrățișate”. In 2024 he went to Norway for a songwriting camp. He will also be part of ‘Eurovision on Tour’, performances of artists from the Eurovision Song Contest.