Czechia

Marta Jandová

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameMarta Verner-Jandová Born13 April 1974 Nationality🇨🇿 Czech National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongHope Never Dies (with Václav Noid Bárta, 2015) Biography Marta Verner (born April 13, 1974, in Prague), formerly known as Jandová, is a Czech singer known primarily for her work in the German band Die Happy. In the Czech Republic, she sings as a solo artist. Life Marta Verner was born as the daughter of Petr and Jana Jandová. Her father is the frontman of the band Olympic. She studied at the Czechoslovak Academy of Trade, Dr. Edvard Beneš, focusing on languages. During her studies, she spent a year studying abroad in the United States, shortly after her mother passed away from cancer when Marta was seventeen. A few years later, her older brother Petr also succumbed to the same illness. In the 1990s, Marta Jandová first appeared as a singer in the Czech Republic, often performing together with Petr Janda on television. She had the opportunity to perform with her band on Czech TV 2 before achieving major success in Germany. In 1998, she performed with her backing band at the Český Slavík awards. Her first musical in the Czech Republic was Daniel Landa’s “Krysař” in 1996, where she alternated in the lead role of Agnes with Lucie Bílá. At the age of 19, after not being accepted into university, the aspiring singer met Thorsten Mewes (guitarist of Die Happy) in Prague and originally went to Germany with him for a year to learn another language and gain new experiences. After a few weeks of living with Thorsten’s parents, she accepted the position of vocalist in his rock band Die Happy, initially as a hobby. Between 1993 and 1999, before Die Happy signed a recording contract with Sony BMG in Germany, she held several jobs, including working in a tea shop, washing dishes, distributing flyers, working as a secretary, and providing security at concerts. After signing the contract, she began to fully support herself through singing. The band’s first breakthrough album was titled “Supersonic Speed” and achieved success in Germany. Marta lived in Germany for sixteen years, first in Ulm and then mostly in Hamburg. The band’s rehearsal space was located in Berlin. The singer returned to the Czech Republic in the spring of 2009. She landed the leading role of Mona Lisa in the musical of the same name at the Broadway Theatre. In addition, she accepted an offer to join the jury of the historic first season of Česko Slovenská SuperStar, where she was voted the most sympathetic judge by the audience. In 2010, she appeared in the leading female role of Dorothy in the musical “Kat Mydlář,” the role of Evelína in the musical “Baron Prášil,” and the role of Sonia in the musical “Ať žije rokenrol.” That same year, she also served on the jury of the German singing competition “PopStars” and hosted her own music program called “NeoMusic: Wanted” once a week on German television channel ZDF, focusing on live music performances. In 2012, the series “Gympl s (r)učením omezeným” began airing, in which Jandová played the role of teacher Jana “Džajna” Pelnerová. This role was very popular among viewers, and thanks to this series, Marta Jandová and Ondřej Brzobohatý became great friends. Jandová also made guest appearances in one episode of the series “Doktoři z Počátků” and the show “Ordinace v růžové zahradě.” She was then invited to be a judge on the show “Hlas Česko Slovenska” (The Voice of Czech Republic and Slovakia), alongside Dara Rolins, Josef Vojtek, Majk Spirit, and Michal David. Another project for Marta Jandová is “Rocksymphony” with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra in Zlín. Since 2014, their performances have been repeated with great success. In 2018, the project continued as “Rocksymphony 2.” Her musical partner for this project was Václav Noid Bárta. At the beginning of 2015, Marta Jandová was chosen by Czech Television (prompted by viewers) to represent the Czech Republic at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, together with Václav Noid Bárta. They performed the ballad “Hope Never Dies,” which achieved a better result than any previous Czech delegation. In 2015, Jandová served as a judge on “Česko Slovenská SuperStar.” In 2016, she appeared on the show “Tvoje tvář má známý hlas 2” (Your Face Sounds Familiar 2), where she transformed into Beyoncé, CeeLo Green, and her father, Petr Janda. In 2018, Marta Jandová celebrated the 25th anniversary of her German band Die Happy with an acoustic tour in Germany. The final concert took place in Prague at the end of October. During this time, she also joined the judging panel of “Česko Slovensko má talent” (Czechoslovakia’s Got Talent). Finally, in the autumn, she fulfilled her dream and released her first solo album titled “Barvy” (Colors). In 2019 she teamed up with Pavoll Callt for the song “Nechat vítr vát”, the theme song of the Avon March. She teamed up with Václav Noid Bárta again in September 2020 to record the song and video “Barvy zeme”. In 2021, Marta took part in the show Tvoje tvář má známý hlas (Your voice sounds familiar). After COVID19 she was finally able to perform again with Die Happy in September 2021. She also teamed up with Marek Ztraceny for a concert together. In October 2022, she was part of a tribute concert for Miro Žbirka, who passed away the year before. Entries Hope Never Dies (& Václav Noid Bárta) Country🇨🇿 Czechia Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsTereza Šoralová MusicVáclav Noid Bárta Backings– Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/SLz6VeSPXjA

Liverpool Live: something is happening at the betting odds

The day with the most rehearsals continue. Eight more countries rehearsed today, only 20 minutes each. That means we can inform you if there were major changes in the act. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Switzerland Remo Forrer performs in his black jacket and black plastic pants again. It seems there are not many changes since the last performance: Remo with his four dancers, who at a moment wrap him in long ribbons. It is something that reminds us of Sertab (2003) and the late Toše Proeski (2004). Switzerland is currently number 13 in the betting odds, so the final doesn’t seem far away for Remo. Israel The Israeli act is one where a lot happens. She and her dancers are standing in front of a bunch of squares. The dancers bring their hands to their heads, to depict the horn of a unicorn. And of course there is a lot of fireworks in this performance. Israel is currently number 7 at the betting odds. Definitely an entry to look up to, Noa can do very well. Moldova There seem to be no changes in the Moldovan entry: Pasha Parfeni is, in his second Eurovision performance, still surrounded by two backing vocals with a horn, made out of their hair. Two guys accompany them playing the drums. Moldova is currently number 20 at the betting odds. But with a 6th place in the odds for the first semifinal it feels pretty safe for Pasha. Sweden And than there is the other returning participant from 2012, Loreen. Of course there are no changes in the performance, as everything was already there way before the rehearsals… as always in Sweden. All the eyes are at Sweden at this moment, as she leads at the bookmakers. But note that there is something going on: she has now 42% chance of winning, while the runner up has 23%. They are coming closer to eachother. Azerbaijan What we didn’t hear from the first rehearsals but what we know now: the performance of Azerbaijan on screen starts in black and white. Later it fades to colour. It seems to fit to the combination of sixties-like music and rap. However, Azerbaijan is at this moment number 32 at the betting odds. So far that doesn’t give the twins much hope for a place in the final. Czechia Finally a country were there have been some changes: Czechia. The Vesna ladies have altered their hairstyle. During the opening verse, there is some intricate hair choreography, and their braids have become notably longer and weightier than they were on Monday. At this moment Czechia is number 11 at the bookies. The Netherlands We don’t know if there are any changes in the performance of The Netherlands. The people of eurovision.tv say they got goosebumps of the intimate performance Mia and Dion gave. When they are singing the camera turns around them. That seems to work. The bookmakers seem to be more positive about The Netherlands than they were, with currently an 18th place. However, they are 11th at the specified list for the 1st semifinal. Finland The last one is Finland with the same energetic performance we saw Monday. Today a video went viral where Käärijä dances on the music of “Tattoo”, Loreen’s song. At the betting odds something is happening. Finland is coming closer and closer to the first place. Yesterday they had 18% winning chance, now it is already 24%. That might make Finland a serious contender for the victory. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

The rehearsals continue with the 2nd rehearsal of 15 countries. The countries now have only 20 minutes to rehearse. 11.30 – 11.50 Norway11.55 – 12.15 Malta12.20 – 12.40 Serbia12.45 – 13.05 Latvia13.10 – 13.30 Portugal13.35 – 13.55 Ireland15.00 – 15.20 Croatia15.25 – 15.45 Switzerland15.50 – 16.10 Israel16.15 – 16.35 Moldova16.40 – 17.00 Sweden17.05 – 17.25 Azerbaijan17.30 – 17.50 Czechia17.55 – 18.15 The Netherlands18.20 – 18.40 Finland

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule day 2

Today is already the 2nd day of the rehearsals. What to expect today? After Sweden, we have another favourite in the contest today: Finland. But there is more: 11.30-12.00 Israel12.10-12.40 Azerbaijan12.50-13.20 Czechia13.30-14.00 The Netherlands15.10-15.40 Finland15.50-16.20 Denmark16.30-17.00 Armenia17.10-17.40 Romania17.50-18.20 Belgium18.30-19.00 Cyprus

Vesna

© EBU/Chloe Hashemi About Quick Facts Members Patricie FuxováBára ŠůstkováOlesya OchepovskáMarkéta VedralováTereza ČepkováTanita Yankovová Founded2016 Nationality🇨🇿 Czech National SelectionESCZ 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongMy sister’s crown (2023) Biography Vesna is an alternative music band with strong folklore features. It consists of singer, composer and lyricist Patricie Fuxová, violinist and vocalist Bára Šůstková, keyboardist Olesya Ochepovská, drummer Markéta Vedralová and bassist Tereza Čepková. The band was founded in 2016 by Patricia Fuxová. She got the idea to found an all-female group that would celebrate femininity and Slavism while studying at the conservatory. Together with her, Vesna was formed in the beginning by violinist Bára Šůstková, flutist Andrea Šulcová and Tanita Yankovová, whom she met at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague. The first song released was “Morana” in 2017, named after the goddess of winter and death, which they recorded in collaboration with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra; other singles were “Mokoš”, “Vesna” and “Živa”, named after the goddesses of autumn, spring and summer. In 2018, Šulcová and Yankovová left the group, who were replaced by pianist Olesya Ochepovská and drummer Markéta Vedralová. In November, they released their debut album “Pátá Bohyně” with 13 songs. With this album, the group was nominated in the Discovery of the Year category in the Anděl 2018 music award. 2019–⁠2022In June 2019, the group released the song “Bílá laň” in collaboration with Věra Martinová. In July the song “Bečva”, named after the river of the same name in collaboration with singer Zuzana Smatanova. On November 18, they released the song “Don’t Forget”; in the fall of 2019, the group organized its first club tour in the Czech Republic and Slovakia called #MyaVy. During the covid-19 pandemic, the group worked on a new album called “Anima”. It was released in October 2020, containing 11 songs; on the record, the band focused on animal archetypes, the symbolism of the night sky, the female body, self-perception or balancing the male-female worlds. The group was chosen as one of the five participants in the final selection, from which emerged the performer who will represent Czechia at Eurovision in 2023. The group entered the competition with the song “My Sister’s Crown” and clearly won the national final; domestic and foreign fans and spectators decided it in a vote. In Liverpool, they represented Czechia and reached the final. They earned a 10th place in the final. Entries My Sister’s Crown Country🇨🇿 Czechia Year2023 LanguageEnglishUkrainianCzechBulgarian Lyrics Patricie Kaňok FuxováTanita YankovaKateryna Vatchenko MusicPatricie Kaňok FuxováTanita YankovaKateryna Vatchenko Backings– Results Semi Points: 110Position: 4Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 129Position: 10Running order: 14 https://youtu.be/ag8qxpvTTy0

Gipsy.cz

About Quick Facts MembersRadoslav ‘Gipsy’ BangaVojta LavičkaNoemi FialováTibor ŽidaMatěj ČernýOliver Lipenský Active2004-2013 Nationality🇨🇿 Czech National SelectionEurosong 2009Eurosong 2008Eurosong 2007 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongAven Romale (2009) Biography Gipsy.cz was a Czech Romani hip hop group renowned for their innovative fusion of hip hop and traditional Romani music. The band’s lyrics were primarily sung in the Romani language, with some songs featuring Czech and English. They have made significant strides in the music industry, gaining international recognition and acclaim. Early History and Formation: 2004-2008 In 2004, rapper Radovan “Radek” Banga released his solo album “Ya favourite Cd Rom.” Shortly thereafter, he met violinist Vojta Lavička and brothers Jan (upright bass) and Petr Surmaj (guitar and accordion). Together, they formed Gipsy.cz, blending their diverse musical backgrounds to create a unique sound. The band’s rise to fame began in 2006 with the release of their single “Romano Hip Hop,” from their debut album of the same name. This single reached the MTV World Chart Express and was later certified Gold in the Czech Republic. That same year, Gipsy.cz won the Discovery of the Year award at the Anděl Awards, marking their breakthrough into the mainstream music scene. In 2007, Gipsy.cz participated in the Czech national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with their song “Muloland,” finishing in second place. They achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Czech group to perform at the prestigious Glastonbury Festival. Additionally, their song “Jednou” was included in the “Gypsy Groove” compilation album published by Putumayo in 2007. The following year, at the 2008 Český slavík awards, they won the Rising Star of the Year award. With the song “Benga Beat”, they participated in the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest again. In June 2008, they released their second studio album, “Reprezent,” which reached second place on the World Music Chart in Europe and stayed there for four weeks. The album included the controversial song “A na závěr si s námi dejte trochu té Čunárny,” which mocked politician Jiří Čunek known for his anti-Roma comments. To avoid legal issues, Gipsy.cz released an alternate version of the song without the offending lyrics. Eurovision and Continued Success: 2009-2013 In January 2009, Jan and Petr Surmaj left the band. New members joined, including Tomáš Baroš on electric upright bass and Jan Sochor on accordion. This year marked a significant achievement as Gipsy.cz finally succeeded in representing the Czech Republic at the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow with their song “Aven Romale.” Unfortunately, they finished last in the first semi-final without receiving any points. In 2011, Gipsy.cz toured Australia as part of the Karavan Festival and released their third studio album, “Desperado.” This album showcased the band’s ability to blend diverse musical influences while staying true to their Romani roots. Two years later, they issued their fourth record, “Upgrade,” further solidifying their presence in the music industry. That was the last album, released by Gipsy.cz as a group. Throughout their career, Gipsy.cz has received several accolades. They were nominated for the Best Hip Hop Album at the 2005 Anděl Awards. In 2006, they received nominations for Best Album in the World and Best New Artist, winning the latter. Band Members The last lineup of Gipsy.cz included Radoslav Banga aka Gipsy on vocals, Tomáš Baroš on electric upright bass, Jan Sochor on accordion, and Viliam Didiáš on violin. Past members who contributed to the band’s success include Vojta Lavička on violin and vocals, Noemi Fialová on violin and vocals, Tibor Žida on guitar and vocals, Matěj Černý on bass, Oliver Lipenský on drums, and the Surmaj brothers, Petr on guitar and accordion and Jan on electric upright bass. With a discography that includes “Romano Hip Hop” (2006), “Reprezent” (2008), “Desperado” (2011), and “Upgrade” (2013), Gipsy.cz continued to inspire and innovate within the music world. After 2013, Radoslav Banga aka as Gipsy continued solo. Entries Aven Romale Country🇨🇿 Czechia Year2009 LanguageRomaniEnglish LyricsRadoslav ‘Gipsy’ Banga MusicRadoslav ‘Gipsy’ Banga Backings– Results Semi Points: 0Position: 18Running order: 2 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/F39OvgrEEpg?si=hEv9lZXnTrUNYgTo