Duos

Shkodra Elektronike represents Albania

The duo Shkodra Elektronike has won the Albanian national selection Festivali i Këngës. So, Shkodra Elektronike represents Albania. After two years of seperated selecions, the winner of this years contest is also the Eurovision participant. Beatriçe Gjergji and Lekë Gjeloshi, who form the duo, also wrote the song. It is not yet known whether the song will be sung in Albanian or in English. Shkodra Elektronike, “Zjerm”, 143 Elvana Gjata, “Karnaval”, 135 Alis, “Mjegull”, 57 Vesa Smolica, “Lutem”, 54 Djemtë e Detit, “Larg”, 37 Lorenc Hasrama, “Frymë”, 37 Ardit Çuni, “Amanë”, 26 Orgesa Zaimi, “I parë”, 21 Jet, “Gjälle”, 11 Gjergj Kaçinari, “Larg Jetës Pa Ty”, 11 Algert Sala, “Bosh”, 7 Kejsi Jazhxhi, “Kur Bota Hesht”, 5 Mal Retkoceri, “Antihero”, 5 Nita Latifi, “Zemrës”, 1 Stine, “E këshim Nis”, 0

Milaan

About Quick Facts NameMilan Nikolić Born02 July 1979 Nationality🇷🇸 Serbian National SelectionBeovizija 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongCipela (& Marko Kon, 2009) Biography Milan Nikolić was born on July 2, 1979, in Svetozarevo, Serbia. He is a Serbian accordion player. Milan began playing the accordion when he was seven years old. He finished elementary school in Svilajnac. Later, he attended music school in Pančevo, where he completed both lower and secondary levels. He continued his education at the music academy in Paris, where he graduated. In 2009, Milan Nikolić, together with singer Marko Kon, represented Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest. For this occasion, he used the name Milaan. They won Serbia’s national selection competition, Beovizija 2009, with their song “Cipela”. At Eurovision in Moscow, they performed in the second semi-final. They placed 10th in their group and did not advance to the final. Milan Nikolić was an early supporter of the Balkan Beat music style in Serbia. His work was featured in international music collections alongside artists like Goran Bregović and Boban Marković. Later, Milan chose to explore a different genre. He formed the Barakuda Band and recorded the song “Poziv na čekanju” (“Call on Hold”) in the pop music style. Milan is still performing with the Barakuda Band. Entries Cipela (& Marko Kon) Country🇷🇸 Serbia Year2009 LanguageSerbian LyricsAleksandar Milanović KobacMarko Kon MusicAleksandar Milanović KobacMarko KonMilan Nikolić BackingsLjubiša DinčićJovan SejnjanovićIgor KneževićKatarina Gromilić Results Semi Points: 60Position: 10Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/F70grsPVtrw?si=9Gh288zErgsSQgmW

Marko Kon

About Quick Facts NameMarko Kon Born20 April 1972 Nationality🇷🇸 Serbian National SelectionBeovizija 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongCipela (& Milaan, 2009) Biography Marko Kon (* April 20, 1972) is a Serbian composer, screenwriter, arranger, producer, and singer. By 2009, Kon had written over 800 pop songs. He also provided background vocals for more than 1,000 recordings. In 2006, he co-wrote the song “Crazy Summer Dance”. The song was performed by Flamingosi and Luis at Beovizija 2006. He also co-produced the song “I Love You Forever” for Montenegro at Eurovision 2008. In 2009, Marko Kon and Milan Nikolić (Milaan) competed in Beovizija, Serbia’s national selection for Eurovision. Their song “Cipela” was chosen as the winner. On May 14, 2009, Kon and Nikolić performed in the second Eurovision semifinal in Moscow. They finished in 10th place. However, they did not qualify for the final. The jury selected another song. In November of the same year, Marko teamed up with Zikinoj Sarenici for the song “Rakija”. Marko Kon kept on working for others. In 2012, a.o. Flamingosi and Sofijaz came out with new work. In 2013 they were joined by Željko & Lubee Game. When Flamingosi split up Ognjen Amidžić, half of the duo, still kept on working with Marko. In 2014, he released the single “Pozitiva”. In 2017, Marko featured in Ognjens song “Prevara” and in 2018 they released “Kisela bombona”, along with Predrag Popović and Gazda Paja. Also in 2014 Marko featured in “Noci u gradu”, a Mirjana Radmilović song. In 2022, Marko Kon wrote two songs for Beovizija, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest: Vasco didn’t make it to the final with “Znaš li”, Angellina however was 4th with “Origami”. Entries Cipela (& Milaan) Country🇷🇸 Serbia Year2022 LanguageSerbian LyricsAleksandar Milanović KobacMarko Kon MusicAleksandar Milanović KobacMarko KonMilan Nikolić BackingsLjubiša DinčićJovan SejnjanovićIgor KneževićKatarina Gromilić Results Semi Points: 60Position: 10Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/F70grsPVtrw?si=rMWZ7WyYYv46D9z9

Next Time

About Quick Facts MembersMartin FilipovskiStefan Filipovski Founded2008 Nationality🇲🇰 North Macedonian National SelectionSkopje Fest 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongNešto što ke okane (2009) Biography Next Time is a rock band from Skopje, North Macedonia. The group is made up of twin brothers Martin and Stefan Filipovski. Stefan is the lead singer, and Martin plays guitar and sings backup. Early Years (2008–2012): Starting Out and Eurovision Next Time began in 2008 after signing with Plan B Production. Before this, they performed at children’s festivals as a small garage band. They were discovered by Jovan Jovanov, a composer and songwriter, who helped them release their first song, Ne veruvam vo tebe (I Don’t Believe in You), in May 2008. The song became a big hit in Macedonia, and they also made their first music video for it. The band won several awards in music festivals that year, including “Summer Hit of the Year” and “Best New Artist.” Their song Bez tebe tivko umiram (I’m Slowly Dying Without You) earned them second place at MakFest, a popular Macedonian music festival. In December 2008, they released their first album, Next Time, featuring 13 songs. Two were bonus tracks in other languages: one in English (Why Did You Go) and one Italian song (Caruso). In February 2009, they won the Macedonian Eurovision selection competition with their song Nešto što ke ostane (Something That Will Remain). They performed at Eurovision in Moscow but didn’t advance past the semi-finals. Later that year, they held a concert in Skopje. Second Album (2012–2014): Na krajot na denot The band released their second album, Na krajot na denot (At the End of the Day), in 2012. They made a music video for their song Lice od raj (A Face of Paradise), which featured a modern storyline and was filmed in different locations in Skopje. After this album, the duo took a break from music. In 2018, they returned to the stage for the Edna ljubov (One Love) festival, performing in North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Recent Work (2022–Present): Majka and Tours In 2022, they released their third album, Majka (Mother), which took them eight years to complete. In 2023, they toured Australia for the first time, performing in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. They continued their Australian tour in 2024, giving concerts in even more cities. Entries Nešto što ke okane Country🇲🇰 North Macedonia Year2009 LanguageMacedonian LyricsElvir Mekić MusicDamjan LazarovJovan Jovanov BackingsGoran MihajlovskiMario StankovićDamjan LazarovJovan Jovanov Results Semi Points: 45Position: 10Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/TNCN2bU5qKE?si=wTNrFgzUK6x09tqT

Blast from the past: Austria 1976

We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1976, when Waterloo and Robinson represented Austria with the song My Little World. Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest Austria started participating in 1957. Their first victory came in 1966, when Udo Jürgens won with Merci Cherie. It was his third consecutive participation. After that, Austria did not make it to the top-3 again for decades. In 2014 this changed, when Conchita Wurst gained the trophy with her Rise Like a Phoenix. In 2018 there was another top-3 place for Austria: Cesár Sampson even won the jury voting with Nobody But You. With Teya and Salena (Who The Hell Is Edgar?) last year and Kaleen (We Will Rave) this year, Austria reached the final. Almost returning My Little World was, as far as we know, selected internally. But in 2004, Waterloo and Robinson took part in the national selection again. Their song You Can Change the World was 2nd. After the national competition, Waterloo and Robinson, sued the winning group Tie Break. They said that the song Du Bist was too long (over three minutes) and copied the song Für Dich by German singer Yvonne Catterfield. However, the lawsuit was rejected for legal reasons. ORF, the TV broadcaster, said that the small time over the limit wasn’t enough to disqualify the song and promised to shorten it to three minutes for the Eurovision Song Contest. So no return at Eurovision for Waterloo and Robinson. Waterloo and Robinson Waterloo & Robinson is a pop music duo from Austria. The group consists of Hans Kreuzmayr (Waterloo) and Josef Krassnitzer (Robinson). Beginning Hans and Josef met in 1969 when Hans was looking for someone to help design displays for his boutique. Both were already playing in local bands. They decided to make music together. At their early shows, they were called The Edward Brothers. In 1971, they entered a music competition and came in third place with their song Du Kannst Sehen (a song about a blind girl). After that, they had hits with songs like Lili’s Haus, Baby Blue (their first big hit in Europe), and Hollywood, a worldwide hit. In 1974, Baby Blue and Hollywood took turns being number 1 and 2 on the Ö3 chart. Eurovision and Wild Land The duo represented Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. They finished in 5th place with their song My Little World. In 1978, they filmed a movie called Wild Land in Kenya, and they also released an album with the same name. Germany Their popularity grew in Germany, but in Austria, their songs didn’t get as much attention. In 1979, they released Do You Remember Marianne, which became a hit in Germany but not in Austria. They appeared on many popular TV shows in Germany but started having disagreements due to their declining success in Austria. This led to their split in 1981. After the split After the split, Waterloo continued his solo career with songs like Im Land das Ewigkeit Heißt and other hits. Robinson also released some solo music and helped produce music for young artists, but he stayed out of the spotlight. Waterloo took part in the Austrian national selections for Eurovision twice as a soloist: in 1983 and in 1990. After about ten years, they tried working together again and performed concerts in 1989 and 1990. They both kept doing solo projects as well. Robinson went on an “Unplugged Tour,” and Waterloo spent time on a Native American reservation in North America. This experience influenced his later music, and he released albums with Native American themes like Tales of the Sun, Moon and Stars, Apaches’ Land, and Indio. While promoting Indio, Waterloo was playing Winnetou at a festival, where he met his current wife, Andrea. Nowadays Their concerts now include both their old hits from the 1970s and newer songs with Native American influences. In 2002, they released a new version of the Opus hit Live Is Life, which became a hit in Austria. In 2004, they placed second in the Austrian selection for the Eurovision Song Contest with their song You Can Change the World. Waterloo released a solo CD in 2005 for his 60th birthday, and a Christmas CD in 2006. Robinson also worked on solo projects during this time. They were still touring together at that point. In 2007, they decided to focus only on their solo work for live shows. In 2015, they reunited for a short time to perform at special events and on TV for the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Vienna. My Little World My Little World is a song performed by the Austrian pop duo Waterloo & Robinson. The song was composed by Gerhard Heinz, who is known for his work in film scores and pop music, while the lyrics were written by Peter Orthofer. The track was selected to represent Austria in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1976. At Eurovision, which was held in The Hague, The Netherlands, My Little World was performed as Austria’s entry. The duo delivered a heartfelt and melodic performance that resonated with both the jury and the audience. The song, with its catchy tune and reflective lyrics, stood out during the competition. Ultimately, My Little World scored 80 points in the contest and finished in 5th place, a strong result for Austria. The song was well-received and helped further establish Waterloo & Robinson’s career both in Austria and internationally. Their Eurovision appearance cemented their reputation as one of the country’s leading pop acts during the 1970s.

Aysel Teymurzadeh

About Quick Facts NameAysel Teymurzadeh Born25 April 1989 Nationality🇦🇿 Azerbaijani National Selectioninternal selection 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongAlways (& Arash, 2009) Biography Aysel Teymurzadeh Aysel Teymurzadeh (Azerbaijani: Aysel Məhəmməd qızı Teymurzadə; born April 25, 1989, Baku) is an Azerbaijani pop and R&B singer. Biography Aysel was born in Baku, the youngest of three daughters to a journalist father and a university professor mother. Aysel began singing at the age of four and developed a passion for the piano early on. She graduated from the Intellect Lyceum in Baku and attended Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas, during the 2005-2006 academic year. Shortly after arriving in the United States, she joined the local choir and started training for young vocalists’ competitions. While in the U.S., Aysel won three gold medals at contests held at Southern Arkansas University and the University of Texas at Austin. In 2005, she participated in Season 4 of the national song contest Yeni Ulduz (“New Star”). As of January 2009, she was majoring in International Relations at the Azerbaijan University of Languages. Eurovision In January 2009, Aysel was selected internally by İTV to represent Azerbaijan in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia, alongside Iranian-Swedish singer Arash with the song “Always.” On May 16, 2009, Aysel and Arash finished third with 207 points. Aysel and Arash won the 4th Annual ESC Radio Awards in the Best Group category. After Eurovision On May 28, 2009, Aysel announced a European tour with Arash, performing in countries such as Sweden, Greece, and Russia. She also starred in a high-profile TV commercial for Danone yogurts, which aired on Azerbaijani and Georgian TV channels. In 2012, Aysel was one of five musicians from Azerbaijan chosen as jurors for the Danish national selection of the 2012 Eurovision contestant. In December 2022, Aysel made a comeback and released a new single: “Yeni il”. In July 2023 a follow up came, in Russian: “Voploshcheniye mechty”. She also served as the spokesperson for the Azerbaijani jury at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, while she was also involved in the national selection as a member of the selection committee. Personal Life In 2012, Aysel married Murad Adigozalov, the 39-year-old director of the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Society and a divorced father of two children. Following her marriage, Aysel reportedly planned to leave the big stage and only perform at official events. The couple has three children: two sons born in 2012 and 2016, and a daughter born in 2014. Entries Always (& Arash) Country🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsArash LabafRobert UhlmannElin WrethovAnderz Wrethov MusicArash LabafRobert UhlmannJohan BejerholmMarcus EnglöfAlex Papaconstantinou Backings? Dancers??? Results Semi Points: 180Position: 2Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: 207Position: 3Running order: 11 https://youtu.be/J0qdRqY_3HM?si=FAod2E8VcBbI7bOU

Igor Cukrov

About Quick Facts NameIgor Cukrov Born06 June 1984 Nationality🇭🇷 Croatian National SelectionDORA 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongLijepa tena (& Andrea, 2009) Biography Igor Cukrov, born on June 6, 1984, is a Croatian singer-songwriter, musician, and television personality. From an early age, Igor showed a strong interest in music. In 1991, he won first prize in Moj prvi nastup, a competition led by Remi Kazinotti. Two years later, in 1993, he won first prize for the first voice of “Pojišan” school and secured third place among all schools in Split. In 1994, Igor participated in the children’s version of the Split Festival, singing “Mali vrabac.” His talent continued to shine, and in 2003 he won the first prize for the first voice of Šibenik-Knin County. By 2007, he performed at the Split Festival with his single “Duša mi je bili kamen” and earned a prize for the best debutant. He also gained valuable experience as a tenor with the a cappella Cambi singers. Igor gained significant media attention in 2008 when he participated in Operacija trijumf, the Balkan version of Endemol’s talent show Star Academy. The show, which began on September 29, 2008, featured young talents from the former SFR Yugoslavia. Igor impressed audiences with his diverse repertoire, singing opera songs like “Con te partirò” by Andrea Bocelli and rock songs like “Angie” by the Rolling Stones and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith. Although he was expelled on the 13th gala event, judge Tonči Huljić later stated that Igor’s expulsion was an injustice. After Operacija trijumf, Igor aimed to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. He teamed up with Andrea Šušnjara and performed the song “Lijepa Tena,” written by Tonči Huljić. The song won the Croatian final, Dora, on February 28, 2008, and qualified for the Eurovision final from the second semi-final. The song finished in 18th place. In 2009, Igor released several singles, including “Mjesečar” and “Nebesa” (with Magazin). He continued to perform at various festivals, such as the Pjesma Mediterana in Budva, Montenegro, where he sang “Moja draga” in 2010. That same year, he also released “Prolij vino po meni” at the CMC festival Vodice. In 2011, he released the singles “Caca moj” and “Fali mi” under Hit Records, along with “Haljina na pruge.” In 2012, Igor performed “Dalmaciju minjat se ne može” at the Trogir fest and “Ajdemo jube” at the Splitski festival. He achieved third place at the Ohridski festival in Macedonia with “Korak po korak” in 2013 and released “Slučajno” featuring Ana Duderija-Šucur. In 2015, Igor continued to make waves with “Kraj mene si ti” featuring Bojan Delic at the Festival Suncane Skale in Montenegro. He also won first place at the Trogir festival with “Prida bi se mandolini.” His other notable singles include “Treba li mi netko kao ti” in 2010, “Za one što su kao mi” at the CMC festival Vodice in 2012, “Znaes li” at the Skopje fest in Macedonia in 2013, and “Sanjaj Hrvatska” at the CMC festival Vodice in 2013. Igor released “Jedna duša jedno tilo” in 2014 and “Jedino ti znaš me va dušu” in 2015 at the MiK – Melodije Istre i Kvarnera. In 2015, he also released “Volio sam cure” at the CMC festival Vodice and “E moj admirale” at the Splitski festival. In 2016, he released “Daruj sreću novim ljudima” under Hit Records, followed by “Da te zagrlim” in 2017. His most recent single, “Svoj na svome,” a collaboration with Mile Perkov, was featured at the CMC festival Vodice in 2022. Entries Lijepa Tena (& Andrea) Country🇭🇷 Croatia Year2009 LanguageCroatian LyricsVjekoslava Huljić MusicTonči Huljić BackingsIvana ČabrajaJelena MajićSanja JukićKarmen Matković Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13 (backup jury qualifier)Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 45Position: 18 Running order: 5 https://youtu.be/jdLct2IqcLA?si=64z93hEYKaWmrV8G

Mira Awad

About Quick Facts NameMira Anwar Awad Born11 June 1975 Nationality🇮🇱 Israeli National SelectionKdam 2009Kdam 2005 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongThere must be another way (& Noa) Biography Mira Anwar Awad is an Arab-Israeli singer, actress, TV host, composer, songwriter, and political activist. BiographyMira Awad was born on June 11, 1975, and grew up in the village of Rama in Israel. Her father, an Arab-Christian, is a family doctor, while her mother, a Bulgarian-Christian, specializes in Slavic languages. They met when her father was studying medicine in Bulgaria. Awad also identifies as Palestinian and is a graduate of the Rimon School of Music. Career Early Music Career At 16, Awad started her music career as the lead singer of the band “Samana,” which sang Western rock in Arabic. During the early 2000s, she hosted Zap L’Rishon on Channel 1 and participated in Festigal in 2002, performing the song “Tze El HaMasa,” which placed sixth. In 2005, she was part of Idan Raichel’s album “Mi’Ma’amakim,” singing the Arabic song “Azini”, which she wrote. That same year, Awad competed in the Kdam Eurovision with the song “Zman,” which came last. Eurovision and Albums 2009 marked a significant year as Awad, alongside Achinoam Nini, was chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. They sang “There Must Be Another Way”, a song about peace and coexistence, finishing in 16th place. Awad was the first Arab to represent Israel in Eurovision. In August of that year, she and Nini received an award from the Mayor of Lourdes in France. June 2009 saw the release of her first album, “Bahlawan”, featuring songs in Arabic and English, produced by guitarist Amos Ever-Hadani. A joint album with Nini, “There Must Be Another Way,” was also released, including Eurovision songs and a cover of the Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out.” Awad was named Arabic Singer of the Year by Kol Yisrael in 2009, with her album winning Album of the Year. She composed music for the Arabic solo performance “Not Noah’s Ark,” directed by actor Norman Issa, and won an award for Best Music at the Masrahid Arabic Solo Performance Festival. A recording contract with Sony followed in 2010, leading to the release of three international albums, starting with the first in 2011. “All My Faces,” her second album, produced by Sony and Carlos Jean, was released in April 2011. That same year, Awad performed at the Medal of Freedom ceremony in Philadelphia, where Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to Tony Blair. She also performed with Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli at Masada. Collaborations and New Projects Awad collaborated once again with Idan Raichel in 2013, singing “Ana Ana Wa’anta Anta,” meaning “I am I and you are you” on his album “Reva L’sheva.” In June of that year, she sang “Through Fire and Water” with the Israeli metal band Orphaned Land on their album “All Is One.” Theater Career After completing her studies at “Rimon,” Awad began acting in theater in 1998. She gained fame in 2002 for her role as Eliza Doolittle in the musical “My Fair Lady” at the Cameri Theater, alongside Oded Kotler as Professor Higgins. Her theatrical career continued with roles in the musical play “Another Place and a Foreign City” in 2006 and “This Great Sea” at the Cameri Theater in 2007. Awad was selected to join the “Excellence in Culture Fund” as a theater actress in 2008. Television and Film Awad’s television career includes hosting the program “Shvil HaSipurim” on Educational Television in 2003. From 2007 to 2013, she acted in the comedy series Arab Labor on Channel 2, playing Amal, a feminist Arab lawyer. She participated in the fifth season of the reality show Dancing with the Stars on Channel 2 in 2010. From 2012 to 2013, Awad co-hosted the TV show Achla Yom on Educational Television with fashion designer Yuval Caspin. She also appeared in the film Farewell Baghdad (directed by Nissim Dayan, based on the book by Eli Amir), released in 2014. In April 2014, Awad took part in the TEDxHIT-Interaction event, discussing walking a fine line between opposites (Acrobat – Bahlawan). Early 2019 saw the broadcast of the TV series “Muna” on Kan 11, created by Awad, for which she won the Shulamit Aloni Award in 2021. Personal Life Awad married Costa Mogilevich, an Israeli of Ukrainian-Jewish descent, in December 2013. The couple currently lives in London. Political Activity Awad ran for the Tel Aviv-Jaffa City Council in the 2008 municipal elections with the City for All party and is part of the Expanded Faction Forum guiding the party’s council members. She supported the Hadash party in the Israeli Knesset elections in 2009 and is a member of the Public Council of the New Israel Fund. Entries There must be another way (& Noa) Country🇮🇱 Israel Year2009 LanguageEnglishHebrewArabic LyricsGil DorAchinoam NiniMira Awad MusicGil DorAchinoam NiniMira Awad BackingsGil Dor?? Results Semi Points: 75Position: 7Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 53Position: 16Running order: 2 https://youtu.be/bBTQFOkFZw8?si=ObDFCvUvJBnWcXzh

Noa

About Quick Facts NameAchinoam Nini Born23 June 1969 Nationality🇮🇱 Israeli National SelectionKdam Eurovision 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongThere must be another way (& Mira Awad, 2009) Biography Achinoam Nini (born June 23, 1969), also known as Noa, is an Israeli singer, composer, and left-wing activist. Biography Achinoam Nini was born in Tel Aviv to parents from Bat Yam. Her family moved to New York when she was two years old because her father, a chemical engineer, received a scholarship. She grew up in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, where she attended modern orthodox schools and studied singing and dance. At age 15, she started attending the High School of Performing Arts in New York. She also joined the Riverdale tribe of Tzofim Tzabar Scouts, which strengthened her connection to Hebrew and Israel. During a tour of Israel organized by the Society for the Protection of Nature, she met Asher Barak and fell in love with him. At 17, she returned to Israel alone, intending to stay for about a year. During this time, she studied at the Mae Boyar High School in Jerusalem and lived in a boarding school. She decided to stay in Israel, and after a few years, her parents followed. After completing high school, she served in the IDF’s Northern Command band, where she sang the song “Always 18.” Her early career saw her recording the song “Babel” for the soundtrack of the film “Notre Dame de Paris” by Gerald Pullicino in 1988. The song was in English, French, and Hebrew and became a hit in France in 1989. Achinoam Nini’s acceptance to the Rimon School of Music in 1990 marked a significant turn in her career, where she met guitarist and arranger Gil Dor. They started working together as a musical duo. The duo performed at the international jazz festival in Eilat in 1990. Following this, they released their first album, “Achinoam Nini and Gil Dor Live” in July 1991. Their second album, “Achinoam Nini Gil Dor,” came out in September 1993, featuring songs by Leah Goldberg and Rachel, including the hit “Boi Kala.” Her international career began in 1994 with the album “Noa.” She collaborated with many international artists and performed for Pope John Paul II in 1994 and 2000. Continuing her music journey, she released “Calling” in May 1996, “Achinoam Nini” in April 1997, and “Achinoam Nini and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra” in April 1998. Further albums include “Blue Touches Blue” in March 2000, “Now” in September 2002, and “Noa Live” in October 2005. She explored new sounds with “Napoli-Tel Aviv” in September 2006 and “Genes and Jeans” in March 2008. In 2009, she collaborated with Mira Awad on “There Must Be Another Way.” Chosen to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest in January 2009, she performed the song with Mira Awad in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, finishing in 16th place. The creative journey continued with “Noapolis – Noa Sings Napoli” in February 2011, “Eretz, Shir” in April 2011, “Love Medicine” in June 2014, and “Letters to Bach” in 2019. In 2023, she was selected to perform at the championship celebrations of Napoli. Political Positions Achinoam Nini frequently expresses left-wing political views. She participated in a left-wing demonstration in Jerusalem in May 2010, supporting “one capital for two peoples.” Ahead of the UN session in September 2012, where Palestinians declared statehood, she criticized Netanyahu’s government, saying it did not represent her. She performed at an alternative memorial ceremony for Jewish and Palestinian bereaved families and faced boycotts from right-wing groups. In January 2017, she compared US President Donald Trump to Hitler and called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vulgar and racist. She actively participated in protests against Benjamin Netanyahu and the thirty-seventh Israeli government, which sometimes led to the cancellation of her performances. Nini serves as a board member of the New Israel Fund. After the surprise attack on Israel in October 2023, she was involved in organizing a letter condemning violence against Israeli civilians and calling for humanitarian aid to Gaza. Personal Life Achinoam Nini is married to pediatrician Asher Barak, and they have three children. She has been a vegetarian since 2011. Her sister, Odia Nini, is also a singer-songwriter. Awards In 2006, she was awarded the title of “Knight of the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity” by the President of Italy. In 2019, she received the Shulamit Aloni Lifetime Achievement Award. Entries There must be another way (& Mira Awad) Country🇮🇱 Israel Year2009 LanguageEnglishHebrewArabic LyricsGil DorAchinoam NiniMira Awad MusicGil DorAchinoam NiniMira Awad BackingsGil Dor?? Results Semi Points: 75Position: 7Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 53Position: 16Running order: 2 https://youtu.be/bBTQFOkFZw8?si=acmzkXO5AkmFsjxr

Tomas N’Evergreen

About Quick Facts NameTomas Christiansen Born12 November 1969 Nationality🇩🇰 Danish🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionDansk Melodi Grand Prix 2010Evrovidenie 2009 (Russia) In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongIn A Moment Like This (with Chanée, 2010) Biography Tomas N’evergreen (born Tomas Christiansen on November 12, 1969, in Hadsten) is a Danish pop singer and songwriter. He is best known for winning the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in 2010 with the song “In a Moment Like This,” a duet with the singer Chanée. The song placed fourth at the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. Tomas has been successful in Eastern Europe, especially in Russia. He has had #1 hits and many other top 10 songs with tracks like “Since You’ve Been Gone” and “Everytime (I See Your Smile)” from his debut album “Since You’ve Been Gone” in 2007. The album sold more than 250,000 copies in Russia. He lived in Moscow, and in 2009 he competed in the Russian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “One More Try.” He reached an 11th place. In 2010, Tomas teamed up with Christina Chanée to take part in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. They won with “In A Moment Like This” and became 4th in the Grand Final. More than a year later, in November 2011, Tomas teamed up with Kristina Orbakaite to sing “Tayna Bez Tayn”. It lead him to performing in front of the president of Kazahstan. In the years from 2010, Tomas performed a lot for the Russian TV-channel MuzTV. It brought him in Kazahstan for a 2nd time in 2015. He collaborated with the Kazakh artists A-Studio in that year. He also was nominated for a Muz-TV Award for best song in a strang language in 2015. In 2016, Tomas released a new single, “Pick up the phone”. In 2019 he got the chance to perform in Baku at Zharafest. In September of the same year he was able to perform in Yerevan. In September 2021 a single came out: “We go back”. The song hit the Danish charts. Meanwhile, he also played a role in a Russian tv-series. On New Years Eve 2022/2023 he performed at a concert in Dubai. In July 2023 his new single “I play for you” was released. In 2024, Chanée and N’Evergreen performed in the Euroclub in Malmö during the Eurovision week. Entries In A Moment Like This (& Chanée) Country🇩🇰 Denmark Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:sonHenrik SethssonErik Bernholm MusicThomas G:sonHenrik SethssonErik Bernholm BackingsGry Trampedach JørgensenAnne MurilloJaana VähämäkiMads Enggård Jørgensen Results Semi Points: 101Position: 5Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: 149Position: 4Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/Px2UsvO1lCg?si=qqcnCXL3KXxvoYBX