2014

Tijana Dapčević

About Quick Facts NameTijana Dapčević Born03 February 1976 Nationality🇲🇰 North Macedonian National SelectionBeovizija 2023Beovizija 2022Internal selection 2014Nacionalen Evrosong 2005Skopje Fest 2002Skopje Fest 1996 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongTo The Sky (2014) Biography Tijana Dapčević, born Todevska in Skopje on February 3, 1976, is a pop singer and cello professor of Macedonian-Serbian heritage. In 1999, Tijana graduated from the Faculty of Music Arts in Skopje. Tijana’s musical journey has been marked by numerous festival appearances. Her early career started in the mid-90s with performances at Makfest in Štip, where she sang “Ostavi me” in 1995 and “Za tebe živeam” in 1996. She performed at the Sunčane Skale in Herceg Novi, singing “Stepski vuk” in 2001. The next year was a turning point for her when she became the winner of the festival in Herceg Novi with the song “Izgrev”. Her successful trajectory continued, securing the 3rd place at the Budva festival in 2004 with the song “Ne daj” and winning the festival in Budva in 2005 with the song “Sve je isto samo njega nema”. In 2006, she made a mark at the Beovizija with the song “Grekh” and also won the radio festival with the song “Julijana”. Tijana’s career further soared in the following years. She clinched the 2nd place at the Vrnjačka Banja festival in 2007 with the song “Plamen stare ljubavi”. She sang the Song of the Mediterranean in Budva in 2008 with “Pogrešan čovek” and in 2014, she became the winner of the Spring in Belgrade festival with the group Vocal 5, performing the song “Kišobran”. She represented Macedonia at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 with the song “To the sky”. She also graced the Children’s Belgrade Spring and Evergreen festivals in 2019 with the songs “Guske i pljuske” and “Glavo luda” respectively. In the recent years, she participated in the Serbian final for the Eurovision Song Contest twice with the songs “Ljubi, ljubi doveka” in 2022 and “Mamim” in 2023. In the same year, she performed at the Children’s Belgrade Spring festival with the song “Da brinemo o vodi”. Over her music career, Tijana has released several albums, starting with “Kao da…” in 2001, followed by “Negativ” in 2002, “Zemlja mojih snova” in 2004, “Žuta minuta” in 2007, and “Muzika” in 2010. In addition to singing, Tijana has also lent her voice to several dubbed animated films. In 2003, she worked on “SpongeBob SquarePants”, in 2014 on “Rio 2”, and in 2017 on “Coco”. She continued dubbing for “Tajne avanture mačaka”, “Hotel Transylvania 3: Odmor počinje”, and “Peter Rabbit” in 2018. More recently in 2022, she worked on “Red Panda” and the “Little Mermaid” movie from 2023. Entries To The Sky Country🇲🇰 North Macedonia Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsElena Risteska IvanovaDarko Dimitrov MusicDarko DimitrovLazar Cvetkoski BackingsDimitar AndonovskiNikola PerevskiTamara Todevska Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/2BqLPMF8Xdc

Vilija Matačiūnaitė

About Quick Facts Namevilija matačiūnaitė Born24 June 1986 Nationality🇱🇹 Lithuanian National SelectionPabandom iš naujo! 2022“Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2017“Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2014“Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2005“Eurovizijos” dainų konkurso nacionalinė atranka 2004 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongAttention (2014) Biography Vilija Matačiūnaitė is a Lithuanian singer, actress and songwriter. She was born on June 24, 1986 in Vilnius. From childhood, she trained her voice at several schools and from several teachers. At the age of 16, she formed a group and recorded several songs. She sang in the groups Cordage and Corner. In 2002, she participated in the Latvian TV music competition Fizz Superstar. In 2004, she participated in the Eurovision national final for the first time with the group Sugarfree. In the same year she placed second at the international song contest Amber Star in Jūrmala with the dance group Keep Distance. In 2005, Vilija participated in the national selection of the Eurovision Song Contest with the same dance group and with the song “Oh my God” made it to the Lithuanian final, where she took 7th place. In the summer of 2005, she participated in the festival – contest Draugų veidai in Moldova. She was admitted to university, but postponed her studies due to the musical project Kelias į žvaigždes, where she took second place. After the reality show, Vilija signed a contract with LNK, which obliged her to belong to this tv station until 2008. In 2006, she spent the first half of the year touring Lithuania with concerts of gratitude with members of the Kelias į žvaigždes show. The same year, Vilija released her debut solo album “Mylėk”. She worked at the “Lietus” radio station and co-hosted the show Širdelės. In 2007, Vilija triumphed in the National Music League Midsummer battle. She participated in the international reality show Hello, Jurmala!. In 2008 she participated in the LNK musical show Žvaigždžių duetai 2, where she took 4th place. On May 24, 2008, the premiere of the rock opera Prisikėlęs took place. Vilija played the role of Mary Magdalene. In the LNK TV show Mano žvaigždė, Vilija was awarded the title/figurine of “My Most Athletic Star”. In 2009, she participated in the concert “The Power of Love – Bite Land” in Juodkrantė. For a while, Vilija could not sing due to vocal cord disease, but she successfully recovered, continued her studies of pop music at Vilnius College, and filmed a Lithuanian series Mano mylimas prieše, where she played one of the main roles. Vilija and her partner Artur Bajor participate in the project Kviečiu šokti. Vilija also participates in the LNK music project Lietuvos Daina, where Lithuanian evergreens are performed. Vilija started the year 2011 with a new manager Martynas Tyla and announced that she was going to0 participate in the national final for the Eurovision contest. She was supposed to sing the song “Dreams” but later withdrew from the competition due to technical difficulties. She participated in the LNK music project Žvaigždžių duetai and reached the semifinals. At the end of January, Vilija recorded the song “Pasiekti žvaigždes danguje”, Vilija released a radio single with a club-style song “Gonna Get All” with DJ Funky M. She also participated in the international festival Golden Talent 2011 in Georgia. At the end of March, Vilija formed the group Round-A-Sound. Vilija and the Group Round-A-Sound performed at the annual festival “Gatvės muzikos diena”. In 2013 Vilija participated in the LRT music project Auksinis balsas, where the most famous Lithuanian performers will compete for the golden voice title. She won the contest. Vilija hosted of the music project Romeo and Juliet. Vilija also performed the role of Juliet in the rock opera Romeo and Juliet. On October 16, she introduced a new single “Beautiful Love”. In 2014, Vilija participated in the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. Vilija created the song “Attention” specifically for Eurovision, with which she is vying for Eurovision. On March 1, she won the contest. Unfortunately, she didn’t reach the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2015, Vilija took a break and was out of sight for a while. In the fall, she released a single “Meilės debesy”. Vilija also recorded a song with rapper Medonas called “Tuo tikiu”. Vilija participated in the LRT music project Vario audra, where orchestras compete, she was one of their captains. In 2017, she participated in the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “I See the Lights”, but did not pass the first stage of selection. Vilija became a participant in the BTV show Muzikinis iššūkis, where every week the participants change partners and have to perform a different song. Vilija made it to the final with only one performance, when she performed Justė Arlauskaitė’s song “Po mano oda” with Neringa Nekrašiūtė. Vilija and Neringa’s duet won based on the viewers’ decision. In 2022, she participated in the national selection “Pabandom iš naujo!” with the song “101”. She made it to the semi-finals, where she placed sixth and did not qualify for the final. Entries Attention Country🇱🇹 Lithuania Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsVilija Matačiūnaitė MusicViktoras VaupšasVilija Matačiūnaitė BackingsEglė GadeikytėAlgė MatekūnaitėLina Žilinskaitė DancersŠarūnas Kirdeikis Results Semi Points: 36Position: 11Running order: 2 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/qOGEtw7tmik

Mei Finegold

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameMeital Slominsky Born16 December 1982 Nationality🇮🇱 Israeli National SelectionKdam Eurovision 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongSame Heart (2014) Biography Mei Finegold is an Israeli singer and actress. She served as a soloist in bands such as Dizziak and Adom. As a member of Dizziak, the band performed, among others, at the Arad Festival 2009, and released a single named “Spank”. In 2009, Feingold gained exposure when she participated in the seventh season of the show Kokhav Nolad. She made it to the finals and finished in third place. After her elimination, Mei performed her hit “Ta’am Menta” in the final, with which she had passed the first audition of the season. She released her single in the shortest time. Afterward, she released the singles: “Todah”, “Mah Nishtana”, “Rega Beyam” and “Tamshichi lachalom”. In April 2010, she told in an interview to Channel 2 News that when she was working in her youth in Eilat, she was sexually assaulted. About that, she wrote her song “Mah Nishtana” which was released as a single. The song describes a case of rape of a girl who goes out to have fun, done using a date rape drug. The song caused a public storm following its lyrics and the provocative music video. On July 23, 2010, her first album “Soda Pop” was released. In June 2010, she began to appear in a musical based on the songs of Shlomo Artzi, “Laila Lo Shakhet”. Finegold also won the title “The Cameri’s Discovery of the Year” for her role in the musical. In the summer of 2011, Mei Finegold joined the band Limuzina Express which includes two members of the Mashina band, Michael Benson and Avner Hodorov, and DJ Yaniv Gold. Limuzina Express is a contemporary electro-pop band with an 80s vibe. Limuzina Express opened for Roxette, while Mei Finegold was in the ninth month of her pregnancy, and a few hours after the show, Mei gave birth to her eldest daughter Emily. On August 7, 2012, the song “Timunot”, the first single from Mei Finegold’s second album, which she wrote with Avner Hodorov, and composed herself, was released. The single was played extensively on various radio stations and made it to the Gimel network chart for ten weeks. From the end of 2012, Finegold stars as Rosa, the owner of the Jaffa club, in the renewed production of Kazablan, at the Cameri Theater. For this role, Finegold won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the Israeli Theater Awards for 2012. On January 14, 2013, Finegold released her second single on her way to her second album, “Lehitra’ot Machar”. The single was played extensively on various radio stations and even reached first place in the Gimmel network chart. On January 11, 2014, a committee of the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) chose Finegold to represent Israel in the Eurovision 2014. In February, Finegold recorded three songs, from which the audience choose the song that she would sing in Eurovision. At the end of the vote count, the song “Same Heart” was announced as the one that would represent Israel in Eurovision, after it won 55% of the total votes. On May 8, 2014, she participated in the Eurovision semi-finals, but did not make it to the finals. At the end of 2014, she began participating in the musical “Hair”. From the end of 2016, she played the role of “Fantine” in the musical “Les Misérables”. Starting from the summer of 2017, Finegold performed in the children’s musical show “Gonevi Haneshikot”, together with Uri Banai and the Moran Choir. In 2018, Finegold competed in the musical reality show The Four and was eliminated in the sixth episode. Starting from July 2019, she performed in the musical “Flashdance” at the Tel Aviv Theater. In 2020, Finegold began playing in the musical “Legally Blonde” in the role of Brooke Windham, the fitness trainer. Also in 2020, Mei became a Pilates trainer. During the lockdowns, she did online training. In December of that year, she released a new song and video, “Va ani ha yam”. In 2022, she started playing in the musical Night in Paris, where she played the role of Emily. In 2023 she toured throughout Israel with the Magical Mistery Tour Band. Entries Same Heart Country🇮🇱 Israel Year2014 LanguageEnglishHebrew LyricsRami Talmid MusicRami Talmid Backings– DancersShiran LagzielMarin Teremets Results Semi Points: 19Position: 14Running order: 2 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/acOZVEN5XjE

Cristina Scarlat

About Quick Facts NameCristina Scarlat Born03 March 1981 Nationality🇲🇩 Moldovan National SelectionO Melodie Pentru Europa 2014O Melodie Pentru Europa 2013O Melodie Pentru Europa 2011O Melodie Pentru Europa 2010 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongWild Soul (2014) Biography Cristina Scarlat is a Moldovan singer and songwriter who is best known for representing her country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. She was born on March 3, 1981, in Chișinău, Moldova. Scarlat’s career in music began at a very young age, with an education deeply rooted in the arts. She studied piano and voice at the Ciprian Porumbescu High School in Chișinău. She then furthered her studies at the Moldova State Academy of Music, Theatre, and Fine Arts where she earned a master’s degree in vocal performance and a postgraduate degree in music pedagogy and art management. Throughout her career, Scarlat has actively participated in numerous music competitions. She first tried to represent Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2010 and 2011, but she was unsuccessful. However, in 2014, she won O Melodie Pentru Europa, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with her song “Wild Soul.” This victory gave her the opportunity to represent Moldova at Eurovision in Copenhagen, Denmark. Unfortunately, her performance didn’t qualify for the finals, finishing in 16th place in the first semi-final. The follow up for the Eurovision Song came in September of the same year: “Suspans”. In December she teamed up with Aurel Chirtoaca to record the song “Dragostea vine de sus”. In December 2015, a new song was released, “Pași prin frunze”. In April 2016 she performed at the event Balul de primăvară – Aquarelle in Chișinău. The show “Ego”, which she did in 2019, was a show were she was accompanied by the Philharmonic Proactive Orchestra, with artistic director and principal conductor Mihail Agafița, directed by Daniela Burlaca. She also performed at Balul de primăvară – Aquarelle again. Cristina Scarlat teamed up with Eugen Doga for another performance. In December 2021, Cristina was part of the Festivalul de Romanțe, where she performed with the Foklore Orchestra directed by Petrea Neamțu. A year later she colaborated with the Intact-Art studios to do a fundraising for a girl who needed a surgical intervention on her ears in the USA. Also in December 2022, she performed at the Noroc Fest. In addition to her solo career, Cristina Scarlat held the position of the Head of the Project Management Department at the Ministry of Culture of Moldova, displaying her commitment not just to her personal musical journey, but also to the advancement of Moldovan culture and arts. Entries Wild Soul Country🇲🇩 Moldova Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsLidia Scarlat MusicIvan Akulov Backings– DancersVadim BianchinLilian CarausDragos HioaraEugen Simac Results Semi Points: 13Position: 16Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/l9ZfGttI4P0

Axel Hirsoux

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameAxel Hirsoux Born26 September 1982 Nationality🇧🇪 Belgian National SelectionEurosong 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMother (2014) Biography Axel Hirsoux is a Belgian singer. He was born in Gosselies on the 26th of September, 1982. Axel’s journey in singing contests began in 2001, where he also met his vocal coach, Ness, in 2002. When he was 23, he auditioned for the fifth season of Star Academy in France, where he was almost selected. In 2007, he performed the duet “Vivo per lei” with Hélène Ségara in front of an audience of 1,500. He also performed the musical Notre-Dame de Paris with an amateur group. He participated in the second season of The Voice Belgique in 2013 where he performed Daniel Balavoine’s “Tous les cris les SOS”. He was picked by Quentin Mosimann and Natasha St-Pier, and he decided to join Natasha’s team. However, he was eliminated during the duel rounds. On March 16, 2014, he was the winner of Eurosong, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. Axel Hirsoux secured more than 50% of the audience votes and four times the maximum score of 12 from seven countries’ judges. With 224 points, he was chosen to represent Belgium at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, performing the song “Mother”. He ended up in 14th place out of sixteen participants, not progressing to the final round. He signed a deal with Universal Music Belgium and released a single “Bellissimo” on July 21, 2014. This was a cover of the Italian song “Anche se Fuori È Inverno” by Deborah Iurato, penned by Fiorella Mannoia, which ranked No.1 in Italy. In December 2014, he released the single “Because You Need Me” in duet with Camille. He also performed this title in duet with Suzy, Portugal’s representative at the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, on Portugal’s national RTP channel. While his album was slated for release in June 2015, he announced the end of his partnership with the record label in January. In June 2015, he launched his first French single, “Haut L’humain…”, marking the start of a new collaboration with Gun / Lali Factory. In December of the same year, the song “Après l’hiver” penned by Iza Loris, Sabine Cardinal, and Elias was released. In March 2016, he released another single, “Au plus près de mes rêves”. Like Mégan Giart, another participant of The Voice Belgique, he promoted the national release of Beauty and the Beast by performing the title track “Histoire éternelle”. In May 2017, he appeared on the television show “Les talents chantent l’Eurovision” on RTBF, with Johnny Logan, Sandra Kim, and Tom Dice. He made a comeback in October 2018 with the single “Être aimé”, produced by Pierre Jaconelli for THN International. During the promotion of this song, the singer discussed his weight loss of sixty kilos. In 2019, he performed at the Palais des Sports in Paris in the rock opera Siddhartha. He also performed at the Eurovision related event J’Aime La Vlie in The Netherlands. In 2022, Axel Hirsoux qualified during the talent show The Voice: La Plus Belle Voix, aired on TF1. Entries Mother Country🇧🇪 Country Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsAshley HicklinRafael Artesero MusicAshley HicklinRafael Artesero Backings– DancersIsabelle Beenaert Results Semi Points: 28Position: 14Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/wr3m4ghnq6w

Hersi Matmuja

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameHersjana Matmuja Born01 February 1990 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2014Festivali i Këngës 2013Festivali i Këngës 2012Festivali i Këngës 2011Festivali i Këngës 2007 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongOne Night’s Anger (2014) Biography Hersi Matmuja is an Albanian singer. Born on February 1, 1990, in Kukës, Albania, Hersi displayed an early interest in music. She began her professional music career when she was quite young and by her teens had already gained considerable recognition in the music industry in Albania. She studied at the Artistic Lyceum Jordan Misja in Tirana, after which she went to Italy to study at the Santa Cecilia conservatory in Rome, pursuing a degree in music and specializing in canto. This further honed her musical skills, and she was able to blend her knowledge of classical and popular music in her performances. Hersi Matmuja is most recognized for her participation in Festivali i Këngës, an annual music competition in Albania and one of the longest-running musical events in the country. She participated in this competition several times, first in 2007. Participations followed in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2014, she won the competition with the song “Zemërimi i një nate,” which gave her the opportunity to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest that year. The song was translated into English for the Eurovision Song Contest and performed as “One Night’s Anger.” Beginning in 2015, she started a collaboration with the Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio, contributing to multiple of their productions. Her outstanding performance in the orchestra’s version of Carmen earned her the role of Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, reimagined by the Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio. For two consecutive years, this interpretation of Don Giovanni was performed. In 2018, she voiced the Credo, a religious piece from the Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio, performed at the Panteão Nacional in Lisbon. On the experimental music front, she delved into the contemporary repertoire, particularly the pieces composed by Albanian artist Admir Shkurtaj. In 2016, she was featured in his opera Katër i Radës. Il Naufragio, a chamber opera produced by the Koreja Theater in Lecce. In 2018, she gave a live performance with the Mesimèr Ensemble of music. In 2020, she was part of the inaugural performance of the opera-concert KA. She also took part in the finale of the 40th Valentino Bucchi Composition Competition, performing three of the six final compositions. In 2019, Hersi Matmuja collaborated with Ilaria Fantin. They formed the duo Hana. The duo published their live videos on YouTube. In 2021 they did a tour through Italy. Also in 2021, Hersi released a new song and video, “Kënga çobanit”, which was inspired on the Luma folk tradition. In the same year, she co-organized the Gjallica International Festival, a festival with live music, poetry, workshops and the possibility to buy local products and see something of the area. Entries One Night’s Anger Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsJorgo Papingji MusicGenti Lako BackingsErga HalilajDorian MetohuOlsa PapandiliEdris Kraja Results Semi Points: 22Position: 15Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Ahu_K_Jh2vc

Tanja

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameTatjana Mihhailova-Saar Born19 June 1983 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2021Eesti Laul 2019Eesti Laul 2014Eurolaul 2003Eurolaul 2002 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongAmazing (2014) Biography Tatjana Mihhailova, also known as Tanja, is an Estonian pop singer and actress of Russian descent. Born on June 19, 1983, in Kaliningrad, Russia, Tatjana moved to Estonia at a young age. Her passion for music was apparent early on and she began her journey in the entertainment industry as a teenager. In 2002, Tatjana formed the duo Nightlight Duo with fellow musician Jaan Pehk. The group entered the Eurovision Song Contest preliminary competition in Estonia (Eurolaul) in 2002 and 2003, but did not win. In 2004, Tanja, alongside producer and composer Timo Vendt, formed the band Jz Belle. Their self-titled debut album, released that same year, exclusively consisted of cover songs. This was followed by their second album “Teemant” in 2006, from which three singles were launched for radio airplay. Upon concluding the Jz Belle project, Tanja joined Sunday Mood, a band that also featured Timo Vendt and Canadian guitarist Alex Pier Federici. Their English-language album, “Something more”, was released in 2009 and met with considerable success in the Baltic nations. During this time, Tanja also performed in the theatrical show Queen – The Doors of Time at the Vanemuine Theatre in Tartu. She shared the stage with Broadway performer Tony Vincent and Estonian singer Rolf Roosalu. Tanja secured the second place in Laulud tähtedega (Estonian version of Just the Two of Us) during the 2010/2011 season. Tanja released her 6th solo album, “Gemini”, in 2012. Three singles, “Supernatural”, “Sind ootan ikka veel” (featuring Mikk Saar), and “All In My Head”, were released from the album. She also came second in “Laulupealinn” in November 2011. In 2013, she took the third place in the TV show Su nägu kõlab tuttavalt (Your Face Sounds Familiar). In later seasons she became a judge in the show. In 2014, Tatjana, as Tanja, once again represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Amazing”. Her performance, which included a complex dance routine, was praised for its energy and execution but did not advance to the final. In 2015, Tanja released a new album, “Elan päev korraga”, of which “Külmunud maa”, “Elan päev korraga”, “Hääletu peal” and “Kustuta tuled”, were also released on singles. She also performed a lot with 4 man band The Swingers. At the end of the year, she did a Christmas tour together with Mikk Saar, with whom she married in 2016. In 2016, Tanja sang the end song in the Russian version of the movie Lotte and the moonstone secret. Together with her husband, she hosted the Eesti Music Awards 2017. She did a Memory 2017 tour together with Koit Toome, Lauri Liiv, Merili Johanson and Merle Jalakas. In July, she did the comments at an ETV+ Laulu ja Tantsu Pidu. Beside performances with her husband Mikk Saar and with The Swingers, she also performed with her own band. She did a Christmas tour in December 2017 together with Marta Laan and Nele-Liis Vaiksoo. A year later she did the same thing, but with The Swingers. It was with The Swingers that Tanja and Birgit took part in Eestilaul again in 2019. With the song “High Heels In The Neighbourhood” they reached the 7th place in the final. They also took part in the Eesti Muusika Karika (Estonian Music Cup) and reached the semifinals. As a voice actor, Tanja could be heard in the Estonian version of the movie Ugly Dolls. In July, The Swingers came with a single, “Meie siesta”, again with Tanja and Birgit. In November 2019, Tanja released a new solo single, “Kõik”. In September 2020, it was followed by the song “Hurricane”. Two months later, Tanja had a leading role in the musical Nunnad Hoos (Sister Act). And Tanja wrote a book, a biography called “Milles on süüdi taburet?”. In 2021, Tanja took part in Eestilaul again, this time with the song “Best Night Ever”. She reached a 3rd place in the final of Eestilaul. In May of the same year she released another song “Paar sammu veel”. She made a summer tour in 2022, where she sometimes played with her own band, some of the concerts were with the Tallinn Police Orchestra. She also became a member of the jury in Tantsud tähtedega (Dancing with the stars) in 2022. In June 2023, Tanja released a new song, “Millal veel?”. In addition to her music career, Tatjana has also achieved success as an actress. She starred in the Estonian musical drama Georg, based on the life of singer Georg Ots, where she played Ots’ wife. Tatjana’s performance was critically acclaimed, showcasing her versatility as an entertainer. Entries Amazing Country🇪🇪 Estonian Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsTatjana Mihhailova MusicTimo VendtTatjana Mihhailova BackingsMarilin KongoMarvi VallasteKaire Vilgats DancersArgo Liik Results Semi Points: 36Position: 12Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/wi9Q1ufjooE

Aarzemnieki

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersJöran SteinhauerGuntis VeilandsKatrīna DimantaRaitis Viļumovs Founded2013 Nationality🇩🇪 German (Jöran)🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionDziesma 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCake To Bake (2014) Biography Aarzemnieki, (Foreigners), is a Latvian folk and pop band. The group was first formed in 2013 by Jöran Steinhauer, a German musician who has been living in Latvia. Steinhauer initially gained popularity in Latvia for his viral YouTube video where he performed a farewell song for the Latvian Lats, the currency which was soon to be replaced by the Euro. The line-up of Aarzemnieki included Jöran Steinhauer (lead vocals, guitar), Guntis Veilands (guitar, keyboards), Raitis Viļumovs (percussion), and Katrīna Dimanta (violin). Each member contributes their own unique musical skills to the overall sound and style of the band. Following their initial success on YouTube, Aarzemnieki submitted a song for Latvia’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. To everyone’s surprise, their catchy folk-pop song “Cake to Bake” won the national final, which led to them representing Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Although they didn’t manage to make it to the final, the song was a radio hit in Latvia and got quite a lot of airplay around Europe. After their Eurovision appearance, Aarzemnieki continued to make music and perform throughout Latvia and abroad. The band performed in Setúbal, Portugal, at a Eurovision event in September 2014. Under the name of ZIEMASSVĒTnieKI they presented four Christmas songs in December of the same year. In July 2016 the band released a new single, “Cauri Grobiņai”, now with Jöran, Marcelo Semola, Matthew Medd and Mārtiņš Kits as the band members. A month later, the song “Viktorija” was released. It was followed in December by “Tomēr braucu mājās”. The band provided subtitles in 4 languages at the video of this song. In March 2017, the new song and video “Draugavpils” was released. In June of the same year the band performed together with Fool’s Garden. In the end of the same month, they performed at “J’aime La Vlie”, a Eurovision event in The Netherlands. On the 17th of August 2017 their album “Visi Kopā” was released. Roberts Kits had now joined the band. In 2019 there was only one performance of the band: at the Wine Fest in Sabile. It was the last performance of Aarzemnieki together so far. However, Jöran Steinhauer kept on doing solo projects. Despite their Eurovision experience, they continue to remain a grassroots band, regularly performing at festivals, and local events. Entries Cake To Bake Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2014 LanguageEnglishLatvian LyricsGuntis Veilands MusicGuntis Veilands Backings– Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13Running order: 2 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/h0D1Ya3NBQs

Molly Smitten-Downes

About Quick Facts NameMolly Alice Smitten-Downes Born02 April 1987 Nationality🇬🇧 British National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongChildren Of The Universe (2014) Biography Molly Alice Smitten-Downes, simply known as Molly, is a British singer-songwriter, born on April 2, 1987. Molly’s early life was spent in Anstey, Leicestershire, but she was raised in Rothley and attended Our Lady’s Convent School in Loughborough. Her first stage performances started when she was only eight years old. She pursued her interest in music by studying at Leicester College and the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey. She was associated with the British electronic music ensemble, Stunt. Their collaboration with Sash!, “Raindrops (Encore une fois)”, a mashup of “Raindrops” and “Encore une fois”, earned them recognition in 2008. Molly collaborated with Basshunter, a Swedish producer and singer/songwriter in 2009 for “I Will Learn to Love Again,” which features in his second UK album, Bass Generation. Molly released her acoustic EP, “Fly Away with Me”, on 18 December 2011. Grime artist Marger sampled one of its tracks, “Shadows,” which was subsequently released on iTunes through 360 Records. Her collaborations with Swedish producer Anders Hansson (“Beneath The Lights”) and producer Darren Styles (“Never Forget”) were launched in April 2013 and recorded in 2012 respectively. Molly was honored with the Best Urban/Pop Act at Live and Unsigned in 2012 and won Best Song at the Best of British Unsigned Music Awards in 2013. After earning recognition from BBC Introducing, Molly was approached by Guy Freeman, the executive producer and head of delegation of Eurovision for the BBC. Initially skeptical, she eventually agreed to the proposal of performing a self-composed work on a global platform. On March 3, 2014, Molly’s selection to represent the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 with “Children of the Universe” was announced by the BBC. Molly authored the song, expressing her desire to create music that “dissolves political barriers”. Prior to the contest, she signed a record contract with Warner Music UK on April 1, 2014, and announced the release of “Children of the Universe” on April 28, 2014. Despite being one of the favorites, Molly finished 17th in the Eurovision final on May 10, 2014. Molly was invited to perform at the Glastonbury Festival on June 27, 2014. She was also recognized for her musical achievements at Leicester College with an honorary award on November 1, 2014, where she had completed a performing musician course in 2002. The next year, she collaborated with German DJ and producer Zwette for the track “Rush”, released by Spinnin’ Records and remixed by Sam Feldt. “Beneath the Lights” from her album was sampled by Kanye West’s producer Hudson Mohawke for “Shadows”. She performed at a concert named Laid Bare. She published an acoustic live performance of a new song called “Aeroplane”. After this, she kept on writing songs. In June 2019 she was part of a musical project under the name of Pages. They released an EP called “Beautiful weirdo”. In July 2021 Molly released a new solo song, “Who are you”. Entries Children Of The Universe Country🇬🇧 United Kingdom Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsMolly Smitten-DownesAnders Hansson MusicMolly Smitten-DownesAnders Hansson BackingsVictoria BeaumontKatie HolmesLincoln Jean-MarieSharleen LintonJoe Yoshida (drums) Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 40Position: 17Running order: 26 https://youtu.be/C6w7tmWvm6M

The Common Linnets

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersIlse DelangeWaylon Active2013-2017 Nationality Dutch National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCalm After The Storm (2014) Biography The Common Linnets, a band hailing from the Netherlands, was established in 2013, initially featuring Ilse DeLange and Waylon. DeLange elucidated that the group was formed as a dynamic platform for Dutch musicians to experiment and create country, Americana, and bluegrass music. The band saw a change in lineup when Waylon departed in May 2014 and was replaced by American country artist Jake Etheridge. Their debut album, featuring the song “Calm After the Storm”, secured them a second-place finish in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 – the best performance by the Netherlands since their victory in 1975. The band’s name draws inspiration from the regional nickname ‘heikneuters,’ attributed to individuals from the eastern part of the Netherlands, DeLange and Waylon’s birthplace. This term refers to the songbird ‘kneu’ or common linnet. Credit for this innovative name goes to Dutch designer Rens Dekker, who also designed their album and single artworks. The initial band members were individual country artists, Ilse DeLange and Waylon, with DeLange acknowledged as the founder and leading member. DeLange envisaged the band as a project to facilitate Dutch artists in their musical explorations. Since 2014, the band has been composed of Ilse DeLange, JB Meijers, Jake Etheridge, and Matthew Crosby, who along with Rob Crosby, penned the hit “Calm After The Storm”. Born on May 13, 1977, in Almelo, Netherlands, Ilse DeLange’s musical journey started at the tender age of 8. Her talents were showcased in regional and national talent shows in Hilversum, followed by a musical partnership with guitarist Joop Liefland. Waylon, born on April 20, 1980, in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, adopted his stage name in honor of his idol, Waylon Jennings. After their Eurovision success, the band embarked on a promotional tour. The noticeable absence of Waylon sparked speculations of him leaving the band. On his official Facebook page, Waylon revealed that the unexpected success of the band led him to focus on his album releasing in September 2014. JB Meijers, born on June 10, 1972, in Delft, Netherlands, joined the band after his stint with Dutch indie bands Charmin’ Children, Shine, and Supersub. Besides playing with De Dijk, Eboman, and Acda & De Munnik, he also worked as a producer. Jake Etheridge, born on April 25, 1988, in Columbia, South Carolina, joined the band post-Waylon’s departure. Before joining, he had gained recognition for his online song uploads. Matthew Crosby, born on May 21, 1981, in Columbia, South Carolina, was an accomplished actor in New York City and had previously performed with the band “The Easy Tells”. The band represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, with the song “Calm After the Storm”. The Common Linnets won the 2014 Buma Cultuur Pop Award and the 2015 Echo Awards for Best International Newcomer Act. Their second studio album ‘II’ was released in 2015. The album became a Gold disc. In november 2015, the band toured throughout Germany and Austria. They received an award for best an award at Radio 538 for best live performance. In 2016 the band played at Eurosonic Noorderslag. They went to Sweden to perform in Douwe Bob‘s pub in Stockholm, during the Eurovision week. In June, they did a UK tour, in November they went back to Germany. Also in 2017, the band kept on performing. After that, Ilse Delange, JB Meijers and Matthew Crosby had solo projects. In 2019, Ilse Delange was a coach at the Eurovision Song Contest for Duncan Laurence, who won the contest. Entries Calm After The Storm Country🇳🇱 The Netherlands Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge MusicIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge BackingsBart VergoossenJB MeijersMartijn Van Agt Results Semi Points: 150Position: 1Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 238Position: 2Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/4ggBPAm5XLA