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Bledar Sejko

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameBledar Sejko Born10 September 1972 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2012 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Adrian Lulgjuraj) Biography Bledar Sejko, born on February 19, 1971, is an esteemed Albanian guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist.  In the late 1980s, during an era when Communist Albania suppressed pop music, Sejko pioneered one of the nation’s initial pop bands. This group, which also featured artists like Redon Makashi and Elton Deda, navigated the restrictive landscape to produce music clandestinely. Fondly nicknamed “Qepa” (translates to “Onion” in English), Sejko mentored Makashi in guitar and has always been celebrated as a master of the instrument in Albania. Furthermore, he’s credited for founding “Megahertz,” recognized as Albania’s inaugural rock band. Sejko last graced the Festivali i Këngës stage in 1992 with his band, Thunder Way. Their entry, “Legjenda e Heroit” (translates to “The Hero’s Legend”), unfortunately, secured the last position in that edition of the festival. He had graced the Eurovision stage in 2011, accompanying Aurela Gaçe on her track, “Feel the Passion.” He gained international attention when he represented Albania at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, performing “Identitet” alongside Adrian Lulgjuraj. Sejko notes that this song was influenced by motifs from Northern Albania and Chameria.  In 2014, Sejko took part in Festivali I Këngës again, but now as a composer. Jozefina Simoni sang his song “Mendje trazi” and reached a 12th place with it. He started performing with a band called Bledar Sejko & Friends. Entries Identitet (& Adrian Lulgjuraj) Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2013 LanguageAlbanian LyricsEda Sejko MusicBledar Sejko BackingsErgys AbdyliEldi SmajaErdis KrajaErgys Turku Results Semi Points: 31Position: 15Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/3u5Se-vJ6MA?si=YBTCDKUVHUyOMXhV

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Adrian Lulgjuraj

About Quick Facts NameAdrian Lulgjuraj Born19 August 1980 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2015Festivali i Këngës 2012  In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Bledar Sejko) Biography Adrian Lulgjuraj was born on 19 February 1980 in Ulcinj, a town in Montenegro with a significant Albanian population. He has been actively involved in the music scene for many years and has gained a reputation as one of the prominent Albanian artists. Lulgjuraj made his debut in the Albanian music scene in 2010, making appearances on several TV programs and notable music festivals like Top Fest. Competing twice, he consistently reached the finals and garnered multiple times. In 2013, Adrian Lulgjuraj, along with Bledar Sejko, represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden. He got this opportunity because he and Bledar won Festivali i Këngës 54, in December 2015. They performed the song “Identitet”, which is a rock-inspired track. While they showcased a powerful performance, they unfortunately did not qualify for the final.Adrian Lulgjuraj also took part in Festivali i Këngës 56, in December 2015. His self penned song “Jeto de ëndërro” reached the final but did not reach the top-10 of the contest.  Entries Identitet (& Bledar Sejko) Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2013 LanguageAlbania LyricsEda Sejko MusicBledar Sejko BackingsErgys AbdyliEldi SmajaErdis KrajaErgys Turku Results Semi Points: 31Position: 15Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/3u5Se-vJ6MA?si=yy4l6zckg9GO31j0

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Stoyan Yankoulov

About Quick Facts NameStoyan Yankoulov Born10 September 1966 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionInternal selection 2022Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2022 Turin2013 Malmö2007 Helsinki SongIntention (2022, Intelligent Music Project)Samo Shiampioni (2013, with Elitsa Todorova)Water (2007, with Elitsa Todorova) Biography Stoyan Yankulov was born on September 10, 1966, in the town of Elin Pelin, Sofia region. At the age of eight, he began piano lessons. At the same time, he showed interest in percussion instruments. From an early age, he was already the basis of musical groups as a drummer. In Sofia, he graduated from the “Lyubomir Pipkov” music school, and then the “Pancho Vladigerov” State Music Academy specializing in percussion instruments. He was admitted to the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio. Yankulov plays with rock and jazz groups, folklore ensembles, jazz-rock, and fusion groups. He has performed in Bulgaria, Finland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey, the USA, Canada, Japan, and Russia. Stoyan Yankulov has presented Bulgarian cultural heritage in front of the presidents of Bulgaria, Greece, Armenia, Hungary, His Highness Prince Albert, the King and Queen of Sweden, Koichiro Matsuura – UNESCO, and OSCE ministers. He participated in projects with Bobby McFerrin, Okay Temiz, Cornel Horvat, Carlo Ritzo, Arabel Karayan, Enver Izmailov, as well as with Theodosii Spassov, Ivo Papazov, Milcho Leviev, Simeon Shterev, Yildiz Ibrahimova, Anatoli Vapirov, and Petar Ralchev. In a duet with Elitsa Todorova, Yankulov ranked an impressive 5th place in the Eurovision Song Contest’s final in 2007 in Finland. Together with the Wladigeroff Brothers, Stoyan gave a jazz concert in April 2011 in Montreal, Canada. In 2013, he and Elitsa Todorova were again chosen to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Out of three songs, the song “Kisnet” was chosen. However, due to a copyright issue with the composer of the song, it was withdrawn and replaced by “Samo Shiampioni”. Unfortunately, Elitsa and Stoyan didn’t manage to reach the final. In December, Yankoulov performed at the Bulgarian festival MoMental.  In 2014, Stoyan teamed up with the fusion Jazz Band Zone C for a couple of performances and recordings. In October of the same year he worked together with the Classic FM Orchestra and a month later with the Black Sea Quartet. Stoyan Yankoulov also joined the Intelligent Music Project. At the end of 2021 it was announced that Intelligent Music Project would participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin. The band sang the song “Intention”. Unfortunately, the group did not make it to the final. Entries Intention (Intelligent Music Project) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2022 LanguageEnglish LyricsMilen VrabevskiMD MusicMilen VrabevskiMD Backings– Results Semi Points: 29Position: 16Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/EwZTI5AoTg4?si=ZTNgdNfyl9Q1C2Zw Samo Shiampioni (with Elitsa Todorova) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2013 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev MusicElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev BackingsDesislava GeorgievaBilyana SokolovaBiserka Danova-PilarskaVenci Venc’ Results Semi Points: 45Position: 12Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cb46Mhy_mCI?si=W7vdlU5LmBd16nD1 Water (with Elitsa Todorova) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2007 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa Todorova MusicElitsa TodorovaStoyan Yankoulov Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 6Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 157Position: 5Running order: 21 https://youtu.be/CVO3mEj8Udo?si=AbtLJDRFxjrfHVDo

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Elitsa Todorova

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameElitsa Todorova Born02 September 1977 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionBŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2013 Malmö 2007 Helsinki  SongSamo Shiampioni (2013, with Stoyan Yankoulov)Water (2007, with Stoyan Yankoulov) Biography Elitsa Todorova is a Bulgarian folk singer, percussionist, music producer, and inventor. She was born in Varna, Bulgaria, on September 2nd 1977.  As a child, she spent 7 years with her parents in Africa.  She graduated from the Dobri Hristov Music School in Varna with a specialty in Percussion instruments. She then completed her studies at the Filip Kutev Music School in Kotel with a specialty in folk singing. Later, she graduated from the Pancho Vladigerov State Music Academy in Sofia, specializing in percussion instruments. She is a soloist of the Varna Ensemble and the choir Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria. In 2003, together with her partner Stoyan Yankoulov, considered one of the most innovative Bulgarian percussionists, they started the Drumboy project. Among the instruments she plays are the tarambuka, drum set, maracas, claves, pendaris, shepherd bells, streamers, lustra, and guiro. Todorova uses traditional percussion instruments in an unconventional way, blending authentic folklore with jazz, drum and bass, classical, and ethnic music with a lot of improvisation. In 2005, she received the Golden Phenomenon award for exceptional achievements in the field of vocal and instrumental art and the presentation of Bulgarian culture worldwide. In February 2007, Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov won the right to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision 2007 with their song “Water”. They qualified for the competition’s final, and osecured fifth place in the final ranking. In 2008, the BNT team and Lili Ivanova invited Elitsa and Stoyan to remake Ivanova’s song “Panairi” with Elitsa’s folkloric voice, bagpipes, and percussion instruments. In 2009, she created the “Stihia” (Element) comic along with Daniel Atanasov, dedicated to the elements of water, earth, fire, wind. Its premiere presentation was in concerts in Tokyo, Japan, accompanied by the environmental campaign “Keep the Earth clean”! Together with 2,000 Bulgarians in national costumes, she represented Bulgarian culture at the World Cultural Music Festival at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in 2011. In her performance, she introduced a unique drum patented in her name – “Cosmic Tree from Bulgaria”. In 2012, Elitsa Todorova created an instrument called “Bulgaria’s Olympic Drum”. She has performed in 40 countries, showcasing Bulgarian folklore and culture. Along with Stoyan Yankoulov, they have performed for notable figures such as Princess Victoria, the King and Queen of Sweden, Pope John Paul II, Prince Albert II of Monaco, presidents of all Balkan countries, Dmitry Medvedev and Todor Zhivkov. On May 24, 2011, at the UN headquarters, the singer participated in a joint concert with soloists from all Slavic countries. In 2013, she and Stoyan Yankoulov were again chosen to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Out of three songs, the song “Kisnet” was chosen. However, due to a copyright issue with the composer of the song, it was withdrawn and replaced by “Samo Shiampioni”. Unfortunately, Elitsa and Stoyan didn’t manage to reach the final. From 2013 to 2017, she participated in a trio consisting of Elitsa Todorova (voice and percussion), Martin and Kristian Pishtolski (drums and voice) on tours in Bulgaria and Europe. In 2017, Elitsa sang and played with 101 bagpipes at the first international Devin festival and at the “Bells” monument. She has worked for many years with the daughter of the world-renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan. In 2021, she released her illustrated biography book “With Rhythm and Love”. In 2022 she re-released the album “Water” with new versions of the songs. She also released a new single, “Sharena gayda”, in duet with Nancy Ivaylova. She also was awarded the Dostoyna Varnenka (Preserve the Woman) Award 2022. She also did masterclasses and shows with children, to make them familiar with traditional music. In 2023 her musical album “Svetlina” was released. Meanwhile, Elitsa was a member of the jury of the dance competition “Be A Star”. Entries Samo Shiampioni (& Stoyan Yankoulov) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2013 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev MusicElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev BackingsDesislava GeorgievaBilyana SokolovaBiserka Danova-PilarskaVenci Venc’ Results Semi Points: 45Position: 12Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cb46Mhy_mCI?si=PoUjkIYNE20STVas Water (& Stoyan Yankoulov) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2007 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa Todorova MusicElitsa TodorovaStoyan Yankoulov Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 6Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 157Position: 5Running order: 21 https://youtu.be/CVO3mEj8Udo?si=R7avcgiYzk_gH9bk

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Sophie Gelovani

About Quick Facts NameSopho Gelovani Born31 March 1983 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionGeorgian final 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Nodi Tatishvili) Biography Sopo Gelovani (born March 21, 1983 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR) is a Georgian pop singer. She completed her studies in Spanish at the Ilya Chavchavadze State University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages. She also graduated from the Zakaria Paliashvili State Conservatory, specializing in operatic singing.  Since 2000, she has participated in numerous international competitions in countries like Moldova, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, earning many awards and recognitions. In 2005, she returned from the “Slavianski Bazaar” competition with an award. In 2008, while in Moscow, Russia, she was honored as the best female performer of romance songs. In 2009, she became involved in the community project “Jesotarita”.  She gained fame in Georgia as a participant in the casting show Geostar, the Georgian version of Pop Idol. In 2010, she made it to the final and finished second overall.  In 2012, she took part in an international festival in Germany, where artists from around the world performed. The festival was dedicated to campaigns against violence and racism. She released a music video for her song “Khorumi”. In December 2012, the Georgian broadcaster SSM decided that Gelovani, along with Nodi Tatishvili, should compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö. They chose the song “Waterfall” by Euphoria’s composer Thomas G:son. Gelovani and Tatishvili reached the ESC final with the song and finished in 15th place. Also in 2013, alongside Nodiko Tatishvili, she represented Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest. They reached the final and were awarded the international press’s choice award for their song “Waterfall”. In 2014, she and Nodiko Tatishvili won the main nomination for Song of the Year for their song “Waterfall” at the Golden Wave awards ceremony organized by Radio Holding Fortuna. In 2017, she participated in the show “Dancing with the stars”. She also secured first place in the project “10+10” (representing Armenia and Ukraine). She took part in another project named “Two Stars”. Sopho and Nodi Tatishvili hosted the Georgian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017. In November of the same year she released the song “France Tango”. It was followed a month later by “ase arasdrots…”. In November 2018 her song and video “Gadamrie” were released. In 2019, Sopho won the Golden Wave award by Radio Holding Fortuna for best radio song. It was for the song “Cold hands”. A new video, “L’amour” was released in March 2020. Together with Nodi Tatishvili she recorded the song “Sad imalebi”, which was released in July 2023. Entries Waterfall (& Nodi Tatishvili) Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:son MusicThomas G:sonErik Bernholm BackingsMartin KagemarkJohanna BeijbomLisette Vares Uhlmann Results Semi Points: 63Position: 10Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 50Position: 15Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/-n3mwx0vQDE?si=vr8e33RXumGNxa0n

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Nodi Tatishvili

About Quick Facts NameNodiko Tatishvili Born05 November 1986 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionInternal selection 2013Georgian national final 2009 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Sophie Gelovani) Biography Nodiko Tatishvili is a Georgian singer. He was born in Tbilisi on 5 November 1986.   Nodiko made his debut performance at the Tbilisi Great Concert Hall at the tender age of six, taking the stage as a soloist with a children’s ensemble. By the time he turned eight, he had clinched the title at a national contest. A year later, at nine, he performed with the Iveria ensemble in the musical “Two Dwarfs.” During his voice’s transition phase, Nodiko was involved in the TV project “School of Nutsa,” leading him to collaborate with renowned composers and musicians subsequently. Between 2005 to 2009, he graced various prestigious music festivals and events. In 2009, his talent shone through when he emerged as the winner of the popular Georgian TV show Geostar, earning him the title of GEOSTAR 2009 (akin to Pop Idol 2009). He also took part in the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. His song “No Sun Where You Are Near” didn’t enter the top-3. In 2013, alongside Sopho Gelovani, he proudly represented Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden. They reached the Grand Final and ended up in 15th place there. In 2014 he took part in the show Two Stars, along with Gogola Kalandadze. He also took part in Dancing With The Stars. In 2015, Nodiko won an award for Best Pop Song Of The Year. He also started working as a coach for The Voice Georgia for one season. In December 2016 his new song “Color Day” was released. In 2017, he and Sopho Gelovani hosted the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. He did concerts in Germany and Greece. At the Radio Holding Fortuna Music Awards he was chosen Best Male Artist of the year. On 22 March 2018, Nodiko’s new album “Nodiko Tatishvili” was released. And again one of his songs got a Golden Wave award for Song Of The Year for “Once In The Rainy City”. In December he released a new video “I’ve Been Dreaming”. Half a year later, the video won a Golden Wave award for best video. In 2019, Nodiko teamed up with a band, The Five, for his live performances. With the song “Don’t stop” he won the TV Show in January 2020. In June of the same year he released a new song, “siqvarulis gemi”, followed in February 2021 by “Gemshvidobebi”. In July, the song “Guls” was released. Entries Waterfall (& Sophie Gelovani) Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:son MusicErik BernholmThomas G:son BackingsMartin KagemarkJohanna BeijbomLisette Vares Uhlmann Results Semi Points: 63Position: 10Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 50Position: 15Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/-n3mwx0vQDE

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Freaky Fortune

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersNikolas RaptakisTheophilus Pouzbouris Active2012-2015, 2018 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEurosong 2014 – A Mad Show In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongRise Up (2014, with RiskyKidd) Biography Freaky Fortune was a Greek musical duo that gained significant recognition after their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The members are Nikolas Raptakis and Theofilos Pouzbouris, both of whom hail from Athens, Greece. Nikolas Raptakis was born on April 6, 1991, in Athens. He began his musical journey as a self-taught guitarist and studied Music Technology and Sound Engineering at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete. Known for his distinctive voice and stage presence, Nikolas has always been the frontman of the group. Theofilos Pouzbouris, also born in Athens on October 22, 1991, is a singer, guitarist, and music producer. He graduated from the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering at the University of the Aegean and completed his postgraduate studies in Interactive Media and Performance at the University of York. He began playing classical guitar at the age of 6 and has participated in numerous music contests and festivals throughout his early career. Freaky Fortune formed in 2012 and quickly made a name for themselves by releasing covers of popular songs on YouTube. They eventually caught the attention of the Greek public when they won the Mad Video Music Award for Best Video Clip by a New Artist for their song “Our Destiny,” featuring the vocalist Ivi Adamou. The group’s most notable career milestone was their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Freaky Fortune, along with rapper RiskyKidd, represented Greece with the song “Rise Up.” They performed an energetic rendition of the song with a trampoline on stage. The song made it to the finals, where it placed 20th. In June 2014, the duo teamed up with Nicolas Costa for the song “In A World Without You”. In November of the same year the song “Gi Kai Ouranos” was published, and in 2015 there was a Sam Smith cover, “Lay Me Down”. That was the last song, published by Freaky Fortune. In 2018, Freaky Fortune made a comeback for one time. Together with Tamta they recorded another cover, “Get lucky”. Entries Rise Up (feat. RiskyKidd) Country🇬🇷 Greece Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsNikolas RaptakisTheophilus PouzbourisRiskyKidd MusicRiskyKidd BackingsMihalis ZeisVasilis Manthopoulos DancersArthour Geremyan (trampoline) Results Semi Points: 74Position: 7Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 35Position: 20Running order: 10 https://youtu.be/c9y6A1uXLn8

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Cleo

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameJoanna Krystyna Klepko Born25 June 1983 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Donatan) Biography Joanna Krystyna Klepko (born 25 June 1983), known by her stage name Cleo, is a Polish singer.  Joanna Klepko, known as Cleo, was born in Szczecin and has a twin brother, Piotr. She spent her early years in Warsaw’s Ursynów district. She later graduated from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences with a master’s degree in landscape architecture. During her studies, she lived in Paris for six months. Before her solo career, Cleo sang in a gospel choir called “Soul Connection”. Her first win was in the Polish contest Studio Garaż in the Rhythm and blues category. Cleo has collaborated with artists like Pezet, Onar, Pih, Ramona 23, WSRH, Wet Fingers, and Endefis. In 2011, Cleo showcased her talent in the Polish edition of X Factor. Two years later, she began working with Donatan. Their song “My Słowianie” represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The song finished 14th overall, despite scoring 5th place in the public voting.  In 2015, Cleo participated in the fourth season of Taniec z Gwiazdami  (Dancing with the Stars). She ended up placing third. That same year, Cleo signed with Universal Music Poland and released her first single “Zabiorę Nas”. In 2016, Cleo continued to release music, and in September, she was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award in the “Best Polish Artist” category. In May 2017, she released an updated version of her second album, Bastet, featuring two new songs. Later that year, she confirmed she was working on her third studio album. Throughout 2018 and 2019, Cleo released a series of singles and music videos, including a World Cup support song for the Polish national football team, and she began coaching on The Voice Kids. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic delaying her new album release, she continued to release singles, with her third album, “superNOVA”, finally dropping in September 2020. Cleo has also appeared in advertisements for Media Expert and was named the chain store’s artistic director in 2020. In 2021, she released more singles, including “Kocham” and “Polskie Mexico”, and the latter’s music video racked up 260,000 views in an hour on YouTube. By October, she released another single “Dalej”, featuring Maryla Rodowicz. In 2023, she released a single with the title “Kaminowe usta”. Entries My Słowianie – We are Slavic (& Donatan) Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2014 LanguagePolishEnglish LyricsCleo MusicDonatan BackingsSylwia KlanAnna ŁapińskaAlesia Turonak DancersOla CiupaPaula Tumala Note that Donatan was not on stage! – Results Semi Points: 70Position: 8Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/VJ920cN2HmA

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Donatan

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameWitold Czamara Born02 September 1984 Nationality🇵🇱 Poland National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Cleo) Biography Donatan, born Witold Czamara on September 2, 1984, is a Polish music producer and musician recognized predominantly for his work in the hip-hop and pop genres. Donatan was born in Kraków, Poland, but he spent a significant part of his childhood in Taganrog, Russia. His career in the music industry began in 2002, but his initial works did not gain significant recognition. However, Donatan persevered, and his skills as a producer gradually improved over the years. Donatan’s breakthrough came in 2012 with the release of his album “Równonoc. Słowiańska dusza” (Equinox. Slavic Soul). This album featured collaborations with a variety of Polish rappers and singers, and its blending of hip-hop with traditional Slavic music elements marked a unique musical direction. This album was a major commercial success and significantly boosted Donatan’s popularity in Poland’s music industry. The producer achieved international recognition in 2014 when he, along with singer Cleo, represented Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “My Słowianie” (We Are Slavic). The song, which celebrated Slavic culture and heritage, was a blend of traditional Polish folk music with modern pop and hip-hop elements. The duo finished 14th overall in the competition, marking one of Poland’s best Eurovision results in recent years. In 2015, Donatan teamed up with Maryla Rodowicz. The song “Pełnia” was a success in the Polish charts. Two years later, Donatan scored another hit, “Andromeda”, together with Edyta Górniak.  In June 2018, behind the scenes of a Sunday concert as part of the 55th National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, he allegedly exhibited sexist behavior (grabbing the buttocks) towards singer Edyta Górniak. The incident turned out to be a public scandal in the country, which was reported by most online services. In 2019, Donatan scored two hits again: „Wolę Ciebie wolność” with RL9, Góscinnie and the band Enej, “Dom”, again with Cleo. Entries My Słowianie – We are Slavic (& Cleo) Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2014 LanguagePolishEnglish LyricsCleo MusicDonatan BackingsSylwia KlanAnna ŁapińskaAlesia Turonak DancersOla CiupaPaula Tumala Note that Donatan was not on stage! Results Semi Points: 70Position: 8Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/VJ920cN2HmA

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Paula Seling

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NamePaula Seling Born25 December 1978 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian National SelectionSelecția Națională 2014Selecția Națională 2010Selecția Națională 2008Selecția Națională 2004Selecția Națională 2003Selecția Națională 1998 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen2010 Oslo SongMiracle (2014, with Ovi)Playing With Fire (2010, with Ovi) Biography Paula Seling (b. December 25, 1978, Baia Mare, Romania) is a well-known artist, performer, TV personality, composer and former radio show host. She graduated from High School in, and then from the Higher School of Journalism. She studied singing and piano. Paula is trilingual and speaks, writes and composes in French, English, and Romanian. In addition, she also performs well in Italian. She sang with Al Bano, Anita Doth (lead singer of 2 Unlimited), Tony Hawks and in the opening of concerts held in Romania by Joan Baez, Chick Corea, Michael Bolton, Beyonce. She collaborated with video producer Andreea Păduraru, obtaining an award for one of these collaborations (together with the director) in 2003 on MTV. Seling opened her own production house, Unicorn Records, together with her brother, Paul Seling, and her husband. Paula Seling has released over thirteen albums (including three Christmas albums) and more than twenty singles, including two top-ten hits in the Romanian Top 100, a minor European hit, which entered the charts in Finland and Norway, as well as the UK Singles Chart, and holds a good position on the global popularity chart by Starcount, which ranks artists from around the world. In 1998, Paula Seling took part in Selecția Națională, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, for the first time. The song “Te iubesc” reached a 4th place. In 2003 she reached one place higher with the song “Let’s go”. The song “Perfect” reached a 5th place in 2004, while, together with the band Provincialii, she reached a 3rd place again in 2008. In 2009, she released the music video for the single “Believe” from the album of the same name, which was launched a month earlier, specifically on June 10, at Silver Church. On March 6, 2010 she qualified for the 2010 Eurovision final in Oslo with the song “Playing With Fire together with Ovi.” They secured the third place in the Eurovision 2010 final in Oslo. In 2011, she accepted the invitation of Walt Disney Romania to lend her voice for the first time in an animated film, playing the role of Holley Shiftwell in the movie Cars 2 (the original voice belonging to Emily Mortimer). In 2012, she was chosen by Walt Disney to record the song “My Spirit Flies” (“I Can Really Fly”) for the Pixar Academy Award. In 2014, Paula and Ovi returned to Eurovision, this time with the song “Miracle”. A unique selling point in their act was Paula appearing as a hologram before the real Paula entered the stage. They reached the final again and secured the 12th place in it. In 2015, her new album “Povești De Iarnă” was released. A year later, Paula teamed up with Nicu Alifantis. Together they released the song “Weekend”. Shortly after that, her EP “De dragoste” came out. She also started teaching singing technics to young people in the Scoala de Muzika Paula Seling. Paula Seling teamed up with Ovi again, and with Adrian Enache, to release the album “Duelul Pianelor” in 2017. A year later, her new solo album “Steaua Răsare” was released. The duo teamed up again in January 2022 for the song “See You Again”. On June of the same year, her single “Soare Soare” came out, followed two months later by “Lasă doamne dor”. The song “Toata Lumea Are Un Dor” was released in September. Meanwhile, she worked on a project where she sang a song, “Neuitare”, based on the theme song of Schindlers List, in memory of the Romanian victims of the holocaust. In November 2022, Paula Seling released a new song and video, “Mandru cer senin”. For the folk songs “Ziua-i mare, Seara-i Sfântă” and “La Multi Ani de Sarbatori”, she teamed up with Ion Paladi. As a solo singer she released “Cel Mai Frumos Colind” and “S-a Nascut In Iesle”, all of these songs released in December 2022. In January 2023, Paula’s English song “My sweet and tender beast” was released, beside the English version of “Neuitare”, “I won’t light a candle”. In March “Tu nu vezi cerul” followed, and in the same month “Cer Si Mare Si Pamant”. Paula also played in a musical, “”vrăjitoarea Kera și cele 7 nestemate”. At the concert Potcoava de Aur she won a special award. In June 2023, Paula released a new single, “Noapte Calda”. The song was already written in 2000, but finally she made a video of it, recorded with The Angry Band. In October she released a new song, “Dor In Destin”. On 5 March 2024, Paula released a new single, “Inima Ce Inima Mi-a Dat”. Entries Miracle (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun MusicAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun BackingsJulie LindellLine KrogholmMads StormMarcus Only Results Semi Points: 125Position: 2Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 72Position: 12Running order: 6 https://youtu.be/cAMpVodhiS4 Playing With Fire (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsOvidiu Cernăuţeanu MusicOvidiu Cernăuţeanu BackingsAlexandra CraescuOana Puscatu Results Semi Points: 104Position: 4Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 162Position: 3Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/J9EtMZXeQZw

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Bledar Sejko

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameBledar Sejko Born10 September 1972 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2012 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Adrian Lulgjuraj) Biography Bledar Sejko, born on February 19, 1971, is an esteemed Albanian guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist.  In the late 1980s, during an era when Communist Albania suppressed pop music, Sejko pioneered one of the nation’s initial pop bands. This group, which also featured artists like Redon Makashi and Elton Deda, navigated the restrictive landscape to produce music clandestinely. Fondly nicknamed “Qepa” (translates to “Onion” in English), Sejko mentored Makashi in guitar and has always been celebrated as a master of the instrument in Albania. Furthermore, he’s credited for founding “Megahertz,” recognized as Albania’s inaugural rock band. Sejko last graced the Festivali i Këngës stage in 1992 with his band, Thunder Way. Their entry, “Legjenda e Heroit” (translates to “The Hero’s Legend”), unfortunately, secured the last position in that edition of the festival. He had graced the Eurovision stage in 2011, accompanying Aurela Gaçe on her track, “Feel the Passion.” He gained international attention when he represented Albania at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, performing “Identitet” alongside Adrian Lulgjuraj. Sejko notes that this song was influenced by motifs from Northern Albania and Chameria.  In 2014, Sejko took part in Festivali I Këngës again, but now as a composer. Jozefina Simoni sang his song “Mendje trazi” and reached a 12th place with it. He started performing with a band called Bledar Sejko & Friends. Entries Identitet (& Adrian Lulgjuraj) Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2013 LanguageAlbanian LyricsEda Sejko MusicBledar Sejko BackingsErgys AbdyliEldi SmajaErdis KrajaErgys Turku Results Semi Points: 31Position: 15Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/3u5Se-vJ6MA?si=YBTCDKUVHUyOMXhV

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Adrian Lulgjuraj

About Quick Facts NameAdrian Lulgjuraj Born19 August 1980 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2015Festivali i Këngës 2012  In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Bledar Sejko) Biography Adrian Lulgjuraj was born on 19 February 1980 in Ulcinj, a town in Montenegro with a significant Albanian population. He has been actively involved in the music scene for many years and has gained a reputation as one of the prominent Albanian artists. Lulgjuraj made his debut in the Albanian music scene in 2010, making appearances on several TV programs and notable music festivals like Top Fest. Competing twice, he consistently reached the finals and garnered multiple times. In 2013, Adrian Lulgjuraj, along with Bledar Sejko, represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden. He got this opportunity because he and Bledar won Festivali i Këngës 54, in December 2015. They performed the song “Identitet”, which is a rock-inspired track. While they showcased a powerful performance, they unfortunately did not qualify for the final.Adrian Lulgjuraj also took part in Festivali i Këngës 56, in December 2015. His self penned song “Jeto de ëndërro” reached the final but did not reach the top-10 of the contest.  Entries Identitet (& Bledar Sejko) Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2013 LanguageAlbania LyricsEda Sejko MusicBledar Sejko BackingsErgys AbdyliEldi SmajaErdis KrajaErgys Turku Results Semi Points: 31Position: 15Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/3u5Se-vJ6MA?si=yy4l6zckg9GO31j0

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Stoyan Yankoulov

About Quick Facts NameStoyan Yankoulov Born10 September 1966 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionInternal selection 2022Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2022 Turin2013 Malmö2007 Helsinki SongIntention (2022, Intelligent Music Project)Samo Shiampioni (2013, with Elitsa Todorova)Water (2007, with Elitsa Todorova) Biography Stoyan Yankulov was born on September 10, 1966, in the town of Elin Pelin, Sofia region. At the age of eight, he began piano lessons. At the same time, he showed interest in percussion instruments. From an early age, he was already the basis of musical groups as a drummer. In Sofia, he graduated from the “Lyubomir Pipkov” music school, and then the “Pancho Vladigerov” State Music Academy specializing in percussion instruments. He was admitted to the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio. Yankulov plays with rock and jazz groups, folklore ensembles, jazz-rock, and fusion groups. He has performed in Bulgaria, Finland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey, the USA, Canada, Japan, and Russia. Stoyan Yankulov has presented Bulgarian cultural heritage in front of the presidents of Bulgaria, Greece, Armenia, Hungary, His Highness Prince Albert, the King and Queen of Sweden, Koichiro Matsuura – UNESCO, and OSCE ministers. He participated in projects with Bobby McFerrin, Okay Temiz, Cornel Horvat, Carlo Ritzo, Arabel Karayan, Enver Izmailov, as well as with Theodosii Spassov, Ivo Papazov, Milcho Leviev, Simeon Shterev, Yildiz Ibrahimova, Anatoli Vapirov, and Petar Ralchev. In a duet with Elitsa Todorova, Yankulov ranked an impressive 5th place in the Eurovision Song Contest’s final in 2007 in Finland. Together with the Wladigeroff Brothers, Stoyan gave a jazz concert in April 2011 in Montreal, Canada. In 2013, he and Elitsa Todorova were again chosen to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Out of three songs, the song “Kisnet” was chosen. However, due to a copyright issue with the composer of the song, it was withdrawn and replaced by “Samo Shiampioni”. Unfortunately, Elitsa and Stoyan didn’t manage to reach the final. In December, Yankoulov performed at the Bulgarian festival MoMental.  In 2014, Stoyan teamed up with the fusion Jazz Band Zone C for a couple of performances and recordings. In October of the same year he worked together with the Classic FM Orchestra and a month later with the Black Sea Quartet. Stoyan Yankoulov also joined the Intelligent Music Project. At the end of 2021 it was announced that Intelligent Music Project would participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin. The band sang the song “Intention”. Unfortunately, the group did not make it to the final. Entries Intention (Intelligent Music Project) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2022 LanguageEnglish LyricsMilen VrabevskiMD MusicMilen VrabevskiMD Backings– Results Semi Points: 29Position: 16Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/EwZTI5AoTg4?si=ZTNgdNfyl9Q1C2Zw Samo Shiampioni (with Elitsa Todorova) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2013 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev MusicElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev BackingsDesislava GeorgievaBilyana SokolovaBiserka Danova-PilarskaVenci Venc’ Results Semi Points: 45Position: 12Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cb46Mhy_mCI?si=W7vdlU5LmBd16nD1 Water (with Elitsa Todorova) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2007 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa Todorova MusicElitsa TodorovaStoyan Yankoulov Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 6Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 157Position: 5Running order: 21 https://youtu.be/CVO3mEj8Udo?si=AbtLJDRFxjrfHVDo

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Elitsa Todorova

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameElitsa Todorova Born02 September 1977 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionBŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2013 Malmö 2007 Helsinki  SongSamo Shiampioni (2013, with Stoyan Yankoulov)Water (2007, with Stoyan Yankoulov) Biography Elitsa Todorova is a Bulgarian folk singer, percussionist, music producer, and inventor. She was born in Varna, Bulgaria, on September 2nd 1977.  As a child, she spent 7 years with her parents in Africa.  She graduated from the Dobri Hristov Music School in Varna with a specialty in Percussion instruments. She then completed her studies at the Filip Kutev Music School in Kotel with a specialty in folk singing. Later, she graduated from the Pancho Vladigerov State Music Academy in Sofia, specializing in percussion instruments. She is a soloist of the Varna Ensemble and the choir Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria. In 2003, together with her partner Stoyan Yankoulov, considered one of the most innovative Bulgarian percussionists, they started the Drumboy project. Among the instruments she plays are the tarambuka, drum set, maracas, claves, pendaris, shepherd bells, streamers, lustra, and guiro. Todorova uses traditional percussion instruments in an unconventional way, blending authentic folklore with jazz, drum and bass, classical, and ethnic music with a lot of improvisation. In 2005, she received the Golden Phenomenon award for exceptional achievements in the field of vocal and instrumental art and the presentation of Bulgarian culture worldwide. In February 2007, Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov won the right to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision 2007 with their song “Water”. They qualified for the competition’s final, and osecured fifth place in the final ranking. In 2008, the BNT team and Lili Ivanova invited Elitsa and Stoyan to remake Ivanova’s song “Panairi” with Elitsa’s folkloric voice, bagpipes, and percussion instruments. In 2009, she created the “Stihia” (Element) comic along with Daniel Atanasov, dedicated to the elements of water, earth, fire, wind. Its premiere presentation was in concerts in Tokyo, Japan, accompanied by the environmental campaign “Keep the Earth clean”! Together with 2,000 Bulgarians in national costumes, she represented Bulgarian culture at the World Cultural Music Festival at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in 2011. In her performance, she introduced a unique drum patented in her name – “Cosmic Tree from Bulgaria”. In 2012, Elitsa Todorova created an instrument called “Bulgaria’s Olympic Drum”. She has performed in 40 countries, showcasing Bulgarian folklore and culture. Along with Stoyan Yankoulov, they have performed for notable figures such as Princess Victoria, the King and Queen of Sweden, Pope John Paul II, Prince Albert II of Monaco, presidents of all Balkan countries, Dmitry Medvedev and Todor Zhivkov. On May 24, 2011, at the UN headquarters, the singer participated in a joint concert with soloists from all Slavic countries. In 2013, she and Stoyan Yankoulov were again chosen to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Out of three songs, the song “Kisnet” was chosen. However, due to a copyright issue with the composer of the song, it was withdrawn and replaced by “Samo Shiampioni”. Unfortunately, Elitsa and Stoyan didn’t manage to reach the final. From 2013 to 2017, she participated in a trio consisting of Elitsa Todorova (voice and percussion), Martin and Kristian Pishtolski (drums and voice) on tours in Bulgaria and Europe. In 2017, Elitsa sang and played with 101 bagpipes at the first international Devin festival and at the “Bells” monument. She has worked for many years with the daughter of the world-renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan. In 2021, she released her illustrated biography book “With Rhythm and Love”. In 2022 she re-released the album “Water” with new versions of the songs. She also released a new single, “Sharena gayda”, in duet with Nancy Ivaylova. She also was awarded the Dostoyna Varnenka (Preserve the Woman) Award 2022. She also did masterclasses and shows with children, to make them familiar with traditional music. In 2023 her musical album “Svetlina” was released. Meanwhile, Elitsa was a member of the jury of the dance competition “Be A Star”. Entries Samo Shiampioni (& Stoyan Yankoulov) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2013 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev MusicElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev BackingsDesislava GeorgievaBilyana SokolovaBiserka Danova-PilarskaVenci Venc’ Results Semi Points: 45Position: 12Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cb46Mhy_mCI?si=PoUjkIYNE20STVas Water (& Stoyan Yankoulov) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2007 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa Todorova MusicElitsa TodorovaStoyan Yankoulov Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 6Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 157Position: 5Running order: 21 https://youtu.be/CVO3mEj8Udo?si=R7avcgiYzk_gH9bk

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Sophie Gelovani

About Quick Facts NameSopho Gelovani Born31 March 1983 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionGeorgian final 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Nodi Tatishvili) Biography Sopo Gelovani (born March 21, 1983 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR) is a Georgian pop singer. She completed her studies in Spanish at the Ilya Chavchavadze State University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages. She also graduated from the Zakaria Paliashvili State Conservatory, specializing in operatic singing.  Since 2000, she has participated in numerous international competitions in countries like Moldova, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, earning many awards and recognitions. In 2005, she returned from the “Slavianski Bazaar” competition with an award. In 2008, while in Moscow, Russia, she was honored as the best female performer of romance songs. In 2009, she became involved in the community project “Jesotarita”.  She gained fame in Georgia as a participant in the casting show Geostar, the Georgian version of Pop Idol. In 2010, she made it to the final and finished second overall.  In 2012, she took part in an international festival in Germany, where artists from around the world performed. The festival was dedicated to campaigns against violence and racism. She released a music video for her song “Khorumi”. In December 2012, the Georgian broadcaster SSM decided that Gelovani, along with Nodi Tatishvili, should compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö. They chose the song “Waterfall” by Euphoria’s composer Thomas G:son. Gelovani and Tatishvili reached the ESC final with the song and finished in 15th place. Also in 2013, alongside Nodiko Tatishvili, she represented Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest. They reached the final and were awarded the international press’s choice award for their song “Waterfall”. In 2014, she and Nodiko Tatishvili won the main nomination for Song of the Year for their song “Waterfall” at the Golden Wave awards ceremony organized by Radio Holding Fortuna. In 2017, she participated in the show “Dancing with the stars”. She also secured first place in the project “10+10” (representing Armenia and Ukraine). She took part in another project named “Two Stars”. Sopho and Nodi Tatishvili hosted the Georgian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017. In November of the same year she released the song “France Tango”. It was followed a month later by “ase arasdrots…”. In November 2018 her song and video “Gadamrie” were released. In 2019, Sopho won the Golden Wave award by Radio Holding Fortuna for best radio song. It was for the song “Cold hands”. A new video, “L’amour” was released in March 2020. Together with Nodi Tatishvili she recorded the song “Sad imalebi”, which was released in July 2023. Entries Waterfall (& Nodi Tatishvili) Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:son MusicThomas G:sonErik Bernholm BackingsMartin KagemarkJohanna BeijbomLisette Vares Uhlmann Results Semi Points: 63Position: 10Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 50Position: 15Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/-n3mwx0vQDE?si=vr8e33RXumGNxa0n

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Nodi Tatishvili

About Quick Facts NameNodiko Tatishvili Born05 November 1986 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionInternal selection 2013Georgian national final 2009 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Sophie Gelovani) Biography Nodiko Tatishvili is a Georgian singer. He was born in Tbilisi on 5 November 1986.   Nodiko made his debut performance at the Tbilisi Great Concert Hall at the tender age of six, taking the stage as a soloist with a children’s ensemble. By the time he turned eight, he had clinched the title at a national contest. A year later, at nine, he performed with the Iveria ensemble in the musical “Two Dwarfs.” During his voice’s transition phase, Nodiko was involved in the TV project “School of Nutsa,” leading him to collaborate with renowned composers and musicians subsequently. Between 2005 to 2009, he graced various prestigious music festivals and events. In 2009, his talent shone through when he emerged as the winner of the popular Georgian TV show Geostar, earning him the title of GEOSTAR 2009 (akin to Pop Idol 2009). He also took part in the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. His song “No Sun Where You Are Near” didn’t enter the top-3. In 2013, alongside Sopho Gelovani, he proudly represented Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden. They reached the Grand Final and ended up in 15th place there. In 2014 he took part in the show Two Stars, along with Gogola Kalandadze. He also took part in Dancing With The Stars. In 2015, Nodiko won an award for Best Pop Song Of The Year. He also started working as a coach for The Voice Georgia for one season. In December 2016 his new song “Color Day” was released. In 2017, he and Sopho Gelovani hosted the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. He did concerts in Germany and Greece. At the Radio Holding Fortuna Music Awards he was chosen Best Male Artist of the year. On 22 March 2018, Nodiko’s new album “Nodiko Tatishvili” was released. And again one of his songs got a Golden Wave award for Song Of The Year for “Once In The Rainy City”. In December he released a new video “I’ve Been Dreaming”. Half a year later, the video won a Golden Wave award for best video. In 2019, Nodiko teamed up with a band, The Five, for his live performances. With the song “Don’t stop” he won the TV Show in January 2020. In June of the same year he released a new song, “siqvarulis gemi”, followed in February 2021 by “Gemshvidobebi”. In July, the song “Guls” was released. Entries Waterfall (& Sophie Gelovani) Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:son MusicErik BernholmThomas G:son BackingsMartin KagemarkJohanna BeijbomLisette Vares Uhlmann Results Semi Points: 63Position: 10Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 50Position: 15Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/-n3mwx0vQDE

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Freaky Fortune

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersNikolas RaptakisTheophilus Pouzbouris Active2012-2015, 2018 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEurosong 2014 – A Mad Show In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongRise Up (2014, with RiskyKidd) Biography Freaky Fortune was a Greek musical duo that gained significant recognition after their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The members are Nikolas Raptakis and Theofilos Pouzbouris, both of whom hail from Athens, Greece. Nikolas Raptakis was born on April 6, 1991, in Athens. He began his musical journey as a self-taught guitarist and studied Music Technology and Sound Engineering at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete. Known for his distinctive voice and stage presence, Nikolas has always been the frontman of the group. Theofilos Pouzbouris, also born in Athens on October 22, 1991, is a singer, guitarist, and music producer. He graduated from the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering at the University of the Aegean and completed his postgraduate studies in Interactive Media and Performance at the University of York. He began playing classical guitar at the age of 6 and has participated in numerous music contests and festivals throughout his early career. Freaky Fortune formed in 2012 and quickly made a name for themselves by releasing covers of popular songs on YouTube. They eventually caught the attention of the Greek public when they won the Mad Video Music Award for Best Video Clip by a New Artist for their song “Our Destiny,” featuring the vocalist Ivi Adamou. The group’s most notable career milestone was their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Freaky Fortune, along with rapper RiskyKidd, represented Greece with the song “Rise Up.” They performed an energetic rendition of the song with a trampoline on stage. The song made it to the finals, where it placed 20th. In June 2014, the duo teamed up with Nicolas Costa for the song “In A World Without You”. In November of the same year the song “Gi Kai Ouranos” was published, and in 2015 there was a Sam Smith cover, “Lay Me Down”. That was the last song, published by Freaky Fortune. In 2018, Freaky Fortune made a comeback for one time. Together with Tamta they recorded another cover, “Get lucky”. Entries Rise Up (feat. RiskyKidd) Country🇬🇷 Greece Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsNikolas RaptakisTheophilus PouzbourisRiskyKidd MusicRiskyKidd BackingsMihalis ZeisVasilis Manthopoulos DancersArthour Geremyan (trampoline) Results Semi Points: 74Position: 7Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 35Position: 20Running order: 10 https://youtu.be/c9y6A1uXLn8

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Cleo

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameJoanna Krystyna Klepko Born25 June 1983 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Donatan) Biography Joanna Krystyna Klepko (born 25 June 1983), known by her stage name Cleo, is a Polish singer.  Joanna Klepko, known as Cleo, was born in Szczecin and has a twin brother, Piotr. She spent her early years in Warsaw’s Ursynów district. She later graduated from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences with a master’s degree in landscape architecture. During her studies, she lived in Paris for six months. Before her solo career, Cleo sang in a gospel choir called “Soul Connection”. Her first win was in the Polish contest Studio Garaż in the Rhythm and blues category. Cleo has collaborated with artists like Pezet, Onar, Pih, Ramona 23, WSRH, Wet Fingers, and Endefis. In 2011, Cleo showcased her talent in the Polish edition of X Factor. Two years later, she began working with Donatan. Their song “My Słowianie” represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The song finished 14th overall, despite scoring 5th place in the public voting.  In 2015, Cleo participated in the fourth season of Taniec z Gwiazdami  (Dancing with the Stars). She ended up placing third. That same year, Cleo signed with Universal Music Poland and released her first single “Zabiorę Nas”. In 2016, Cleo continued to release music, and in September, she was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award in the “Best Polish Artist” category. In May 2017, she released an updated version of her second album, Bastet, featuring two new songs. Later that year, she confirmed she was working on her third studio album. Throughout 2018 and 2019, Cleo released a series of singles and music videos, including a World Cup support song for the Polish national football team, and she began coaching on The Voice Kids. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic delaying her new album release, she continued to release singles, with her third album, “superNOVA”, finally dropping in September 2020. Cleo has also appeared in advertisements for Media Expert and was named the chain store’s artistic director in 2020. In 2021, she released more singles, including “Kocham” and “Polskie Mexico”, and the latter’s music video racked up 260,000 views in an hour on YouTube. By October, she released another single “Dalej”, featuring Maryla Rodowicz. In 2023, she released a single with the title “Kaminowe usta”. Entries My Słowianie – We are Slavic (& Donatan) Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2014 LanguagePolishEnglish LyricsCleo MusicDonatan BackingsSylwia KlanAnna ŁapińskaAlesia Turonak DancersOla CiupaPaula Tumala Note that Donatan was not on stage! – Results Semi Points: 70Position: 8Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/VJ920cN2HmA

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Donatan

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameWitold Czamara Born02 September 1984 Nationality🇵🇱 Poland National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Cleo) Biography Donatan, born Witold Czamara on September 2, 1984, is a Polish music producer and musician recognized predominantly for his work in the hip-hop and pop genres. Donatan was born in Kraków, Poland, but he spent a significant part of his childhood in Taganrog, Russia. His career in the music industry began in 2002, but his initial works did not gain significant recognition. However, Donatan persevered, and his skills as a producer gradually improved over the years. Donatan’s breakthrough came in 2012 with the release of his album “Równonoc. Słowiańska dusza” (Equinox. Slavic Soul). This album featured collaborations with a variety of Polish rappers and singers, and its blending of hip-hop with traditional Slavic music elements marked a unique musical direction. This album was a major commercial success and significantly boosted Donatan’s popularity in Poland’s music industry. The producer achieved international recognition in 2014 when he, along with singer Cleo, represented Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “My Słowianie” (We Are Slavic). The song, which celebrated Slavic culture and heritage, was a blend of traditional Polish folk music with modern pop and hip-hop elements. The duo finished 14th overall in the competition, marking one of Poland’s best Eurovision results in recent years. In 2015, Donatan teamed up with Maryla Rodowicz. The song “Pełnia” was a success in the Polish charts. Two years later, Donatan scored another hit, “Andromeda”, together with Edyta Górniak.  In June 2018, behind the scenes of a Sunday concert as part of the 55th National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, he allegedly exhibited sexist behavior (grabbing the buttocks) towards singer Edyta Górniak. The incident turned out to be a public scandal in the country, which was reported by most online services. In 2019, Donatan scored two hits again: „Wolę Ciebie wolność” with RL9, Góscinnie and the band Enej, “Dom”, again with Cleo. Entries My Słowianie – We are Slavic (& Cleo) Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2014 LanguagePolishEnglish LyricsCleo MusicDonatan BackingsSylwia KlanAnna ŁapińskaAlesia Turonak DancersOla CiupaPaula Tumala Note that Donatan was not on stage! Results Semi Points: 70Position: 8Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/VJ920cN2HmA

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Paula Seling

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NamePaula Seling Born25 December 1978 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian National SelectionSelecția Națională 2014Selecția Națională 2010Selecția Națională 2008Selecția Națională 2004Selecția Națională 2003Selecția Națională 1998 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen2010 Oslo SongMiracle (2014, with Ovi)Playing With Fire (2010, with Ovi) Biography Paula Seling (b. December 25, 1978, Baia Mare, Romania) is a well-known artist, performer, TV personality, composer and former radio show host. She graduated from High School in, and then from the Higher School of Journalism. She studied singing and piano. Paula is trilingual and speaks, writes and composes in French, English, and Romanian. In addition, she also performs well in Italian. She sang with Al Bano, Anita Doth (lead singer of 2 Unlimited), Tony Hawks and in the opening of concerts held in Romania by Joan Baez, Chick Corea, Michael Bolton, Beyonce. She collaborated with video producer Andreea Păduraru, obtaining an award for one of these collaborations (together with the director) in 2003 on MTV. Seling opened her own production house, Unicorn Records, together with her brother, Paul Seling, and her husband. Paula Seling has released over thirteen albums (including three Christmas albums) and more than twenty singles, including two top-ten hits in the Romanian Top 100, a minor European hit, which entered the charts in Finland and Norway, as well as the UK Singles Chart, and holds a good position on the global popularity chart by Starcount, which ranks artists from around the world. In 1998, Paula Seling took part in Selecția Națională, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, for the first time. The song “Te iubesc” reached a 4th place. In 2003 she reached one place higher with the song “Let’s go”. The song “Perfect” reached a 5th place in 2004, while, together with the band Provincialii, she reached a 3rd place again in 2008. In 2009, she released the music video for the single “Believe” from the album of the same name, which was launched a month earlier, specifically on June 10, at Silver Church. On March 6, 2010 she qualified for the 2010 Eurovision final in Oslo with the song “Playing With Fire together with Ovi.” They secured the third place in the Eurovision 2010 final in Oslo. In 2011, she accepted the invitation of Walt Disney Romania to lend her voice for the first time in an animated film, playing the role of Holley Shiftwell in the movie Cars 2 (the original voice belonging to Emily Mortimer). In 2012, she was chosen by Walt Disney to record the song “My Spirit Flies” (“I Can Really Fly”) for the Pixar Academy Award. In 2014, Paula and Ovi returned to Eurovision, this time with the song “Miracle”. A unique selling point in their act was Paula appearing as a hologram before the real Paula entered the stage. They reached the final again and secured the 12th place in it. In 2015, her new album “Povești De Iarnă” was released. A year later, Paula teamed up with Nicu Alifantis. Together they released the song “Weekend”. Shortly after that, her EP “De dragoste” came out. She also started teaching singing technics to young people in the Scoala de Muzika Paula Seling. Paula Seling teamed up with Ovi again, and with Adrian Enache, to release the album “Duelul Pianelor” in 2017. A year later, her new solo album “Steaua Răsare” was released. The duo teamed up again in January 2022 for the song “See You Again”. On June of the same year, her single “Soare Soare” came out, followed two months later by “Lasă doamne dor”. The song “Toata Lumea Are Un Dor” was released in September. Meanwhile, she worked on a project where she sang a song, “Neuitare”, based on the theme song of Schindlers List, in memory of the Romanian victims of the holocaust. In November 2022, Paula Seling released a new song and video, “Mandru cer senin”. For the folk songs “Ziua-i mare, Seara-i Sfântă” and “La Multi Ani de Sarbatori”, she teamed up with Ion Paladi. As a solo singer she released “Cel Mai Frumos Colind” and “S-a Nascut In Iesle”, all of these songs released in December 2022. In January 2023, Paula’s English song “My sweet and tender beast” was released, beside the English version of “Neuitare”, “I won’t light a candle”. In March “Tu nu vezi cerul” followed, and in the same month “Cer Si Mare Si Pamant”. Paula also played in a musical, “”vrăjitoarea Kera și cele 7 nestemate”. At the concert Potcoava de Aur she won a special award. In June 2023, Paula released a new single, “Noapte Calda”. The song was already written in 2000, but finally she made a video of it, recorded with The Angry Band. In October she released a new song, “Dor In Destin”. On 5 March 2024, Paula released a new single, “Inima Ce Inima Mi-a Dat”. Entries Miracle (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun MusicAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun BackingsJulie LindellLine KrogholmMads StormMarcus Only Results Semi Points: 125Position: 2Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 72Position: 12Running order: 6 https://youtu.be/cAMpVodhiS4 Playing With Fire (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsOvidiu Cernăuţeanu MusicOvidiu Cernăuţeanu BackingsAlexandra CraescuOana Puscatu Results Semi Points: 104Position: 4Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 162Position: 3Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/J9EtMZXeQZw

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Bledar Sejko

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameBledar Sejko Born10 September 1972 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2012 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Adrian Lulgjuraj) Biography Bledar Sejko, born on February 19, 1971, is an esteemed Albanian guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist.  In the late 1980s, during an era when Communist Albania suppressed pop music, Sejko pioneered one of the nation’s initial pop bands. This group, which also featured artists like Redon Makashi and Elton Deda, navigated the restrictive landscape to produce music clandestinely. Fondly nicknamed “Qepa” (translates to “Onion” in English), Sejko mentored Makashi in guitar and has always been celebrated as a master of the instrument in Albania. Furthermore, he’s credited for founding “Megahertz,” recognized as Albania’s inaugural rock band. Sejko last graced the Festivali i Këngës stage in 1992 with his band, Thunder Way. Their entry, “Legjenda e Heroit” (translates to “The Hero’s Legend”), unfortunately, secured the last position in that edition of the festival. He had graced the Eurovision stage in 2011, accompanying Aurela Gaçe on her track, “Feel the Passion.” He gained international attention when he represented Albania at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, performing “Identitet” alongside Adrian Lulgjuraj. Sejko notes that this song was influenced by motifs from Northern Albania and Chameria.  In 2014, Sejko took part in Festivali I Këngës again, but now as a composer. Jozefina Simoni sang his song “Mendje trazi” and reached a 12th place with it. He started performing with a band called Bledar Sejko & Friends. Entries Identitet (& Adrian Lulgjuraj) Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2013 LanguageAlbanian LyricsEda Sejko MusicBledar Sejko BackingsErgys AbdyliEldi SmajaErdis KrajaErgys Turku Results Semi Points: 31Position: 15Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/3u5Se-vJ6MA?si=YBTCDKUVHUyOMXhV

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Adrian Lulgjuraj

About Quick Facts NameAdrian Lulgjuraj Born19 August 1980 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2015Festivali i Këngës 2012  In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Bledar Sejko) Biography Adrian Lulgjuraj was born on 19 February 1980 in Ulcinj, a town in Montenegro with a significant Albanian population. He has been actively involved in the music scene for many years and has gained a reputation as one of the prominent Albanian artists. Lulgjuraj made his debut in the Albanian music scene in 2010, making appearances on several TV programs and notable music festivals like Top Fest. Competing twice, he consistently reached the finals and garnered multiple times. In 2013, Adrian Lulgjuraj, along with Bledar Sejko, represented Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden. He got this opportunity because he and Bledar won Festivali i Këngës 54, in December 2015. They performed the song “Identitet”, which is a rock-inspired track. While they showcased a powerful performance, they unfortunately did not qualify for the final.Adrian Lulgjuraj also took part in Festivali i Këngës 56, in December 2015. His self penned song “Jeto de ëndërro” reached the final but did not reach the top-10 of the contest.  Entries Identitet (& Bledar Sejko) Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2013 LanguageAlbania LyricsEda Sejko MusicBledar Sejko BackingsErgys AbdyliEldi SmajaErdis KrajaErgys Turku Results Semi Points: 31Position: 15Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/3u5Se-vJ6MA?si=yy4l6zckg9GO31j0

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Stoyan Yankoulov

About Quick Facts NameStoyan Yankoulov Born10 September 1966 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionInternal selection 2022Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2022 Turin2013 Malmö2007 Helsinki SongIntention (2022, Intelligent Music Project)Samo Shiampioni (2013, with Elitsa Todorova)Water (2007, with Elitsa Todorova) Biography Stoyan Yankulov was born on September 10, 1966, in the town of Elin Pelin, Sofia region. At the age of eight, he began piano lessons. At the same time, he showed interest in percussion instruments. From an early age, he was already the basis of musical groups as a drummer. In Sofia, he graduated from the “Lyubomir Pipkov” music school, and then the “Pancho Vladigerov” State Music Academy specializing in percussion instruments. He was admitted to the Big Band of the Bulgarian National Radio. Yankulov plays with rock and jazz groups, folklore ensembles, jazz-rock, and fusion groups. He has performed in Bulgaria, Finland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey, the USA, Canada, Japan, and Russia. Stoyan Yankulov has presented Bulgarian cultural heritage in front of the presidents of Bulgaria, Greece, Armenia, Hungary, His Highness Prince Albert, the King and Queen of Sweden, Koichiro Matsuura – UNESCO, and OSCE ministers. He participated in projects with Bobby McFerrin, Okay Temiz, Cornel Horvat, Carlo Ritzo, Arabel Karayan, Enver Izmailov, as well as with Theodosii Spassov, Ivo Papazov, Milcho Leviev, Simeon Shterev, Yildiz Ibrahimova, Anatoli Vapirov, and Petar Ralchev. In a duet with Elitsa Todorova, Yankulov ranked an impressive 5th place in the Eurovision Song Contest’s final in 2007 in Finland. Together with the Wladigeroff Brothers, Stoyan gave a jazz concert in April 2011 in Montreal, Canada. In 2013, he and Elitsa Todorova were again chosen to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Out of three songs, the song “Kisnet” was chosen. However, due to a copyright issue with the composer of the song, it was withdrawn and replaced by “Samo Shiampioni”. Unfortunately, Elitsa and Stoyan didn’t manage to reach the final. In December, Yankoulov performed at the Bulgarian festival MoMental.  In 2014, Stoyan teamed up with the fusion Jazz Band Zone C for a couple of performances and recordings. In October of the same year he worked together with the Classic FM Orchestra and a month later with the Black Sea Quartet. Stoyan Yankoulov also joined the Intelligent Music Project. At the end of 2021 it was announced that Intelligent Music Project would participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin. The band sang the song “Intention”. Unfortunately, the group did not make it to the final. Entries Intention (Intelligent Music Project) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2022 LanguageEnglish LyricsMilen VrabevskiMD MusicMilen VrabevskiMD Backings– Results Semi Points: 29Position: 16Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/EwZTI5AoTg4?si=ZTNgdNfyl9Q1C2Zw Samo Shiampioni (with Elitsa Todorova) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2013 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev MusicElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev BackingsDesislava GeorgievaBilyana SokolovaBiserka Danova-PilarskaVenci Venc’ Results Semi Points: 45Position: 12Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cb46Mhy_mCI?si=W7vdlU5LmBd16nD1 Water (with Elitsa Todorova) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2007 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa Todorova MusicElitsa TodorovaStoyan Yankoulov Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 6Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 157Position: 5Running order: 21 https://youtu.be/CVO3mEj8Udo?si=AbtLJDRFxjrfHVDo

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Elitsa Todorova

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameElitsa Todorova Born02 September 1977 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionBŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2013 Malmö 2007 Helsinki  SongSamo Shiampioni (2013, with Stoyan Yankoulov)Water (2007, with Stoyan Yankoulov) Biography Elitsa Todorova is a Bulgarian folk singer, percussionist, music producer, and inventor. She was born in Varna, Bulgaria, on September 2nd 1977.  As a child, she spent 7 years with her parents in Africa.  She graduated from the Dobri Hristov Music School in Varna with a specialty in Percussion instruments. She then completed her studies at the Filip Kutev Music School in Kotel with a specialty in folk singing. Later, she graduated from the Pancho Vladigerov State Music Academy in Sofia, specializing in percussion instruments. She is a soloist of the Varna Ensemble and the choir Cosmic Voices from Bulgaria. In 2003, together with her partner Stoyan Yankoulov, considered one of the most innovative Bulgarian percussionists, they started the Drumboy project. Among the instruments she plays are the tarambuka, drum set, maracas, claves, pendaris, shepherd bells, streamers, lustra, and guiro. Todorova uses traditional percussion instruments in an unconventional way, blending authentic folklore with jazz, drum and bass, classical, and ethnic music with a lot of improvisation. In 2005, she received the Golden Phenomenon award for exceptional achievements in the field of vocal and instrumental art and the presentation of Bulgarian culture worldwide. In February 2007, Elitsa Todorova and Stoyan Yankoulov won the right to represent Bulgaria at the Eurovision 2007 with their song “Water”. They qualified for the competition’s final, and osecured fifth place in the final ranking. In 2008, the BNT team and Lili Ivanova invited Elitsa and Stoyan to remake Ivanova’s song “Panairi” with Elitsa’s folkloric voice, bagpipes, and percussion instruments. In 2009, she created the “Stihia” (Element) comic along with Daniel Atanasov, dedicated to the elements of water, earth, fire, wind. Its premiere presentation was in concerts in Tokyo, Japan, accompanied by the environmental campaign “Keep the Earth clean”! Together with 2,000 Bulgarians in national costumes, she represented Bulgarian culture at the World Cultural Music Festival at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin in 2011. In her performance, she introduced a unique drum patented in her name – “Cosmic Tree from Bulgaria”. In 2012, Elitsa Todorova created an instrument called “Bulgaria’s Olympic Drum”. She has performed in 40 countries, showcasing Bulgarian folklore and culture. Along with Stoyan Yankoulov, they have performed for notable figures such as Princess Victoria, the King and Queen of Sweden, Pope John Paul II, Prince Albert II of Monaco, presidents of all Balkan countries, Dmitry Medvedev and Todor Zhivkov. On May 24, 2011, at the UN headquarters, the singer participated in a joint concert with soloists from all Slavic countries. In 2013, she and Stoyan Yankoulov were again chosen to represent Bulgaria in the Eurovision Song Contest. Out of three songs, the song “Kisnet” was chosen. However, due to a copyright issue with the composer of the song, it was withdrawn and replaced by “Samo Shiampioni”. Unfortunately, Elitsa and Stoyan didn’t manage to reach the final. From 2013 to 2017, she participated in a trio consisting of Elitsa Todorova (voice and percussion), Martin and Kristian Pishtolski (drums and voice) on tours in Bulgaria and Europe. In 2017, Elitsa sang and played with 101 bagpipes at the first international Devin festival and at the “Bells” monument. She has worked for many years with the daughter of the world-renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan. In 2021, she released her illustrated biography book “With Rhythm and Love”. In 2022 she re-released the album “Water” with new versions of the songs. She also released a new single, “Sharena gayda”, in duet with Nancy Ivaylova. She also was awarded the Dostoyna Varnenka (Preserve the Woman) Award 2022. She also did masterclasses and shows with children, to make them familiar with traditional music. In 2023 her musical album “Svetlina” was released. Meanwhile, Elitsa was a member of the jury of the dance competition “Be A Star”. Entries Samo Shiampioni (& Stoyan Yankoulov) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2013 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev MusicElitsa TodorovaChristian Talev BackingsDesislava GeorgievaBilyana SokolovaBiserka Danova-PilarskaVenci Venc’ Results Semi Points: 45Position: 12Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cb46Mhy_mCI?si=PoUjkIYNE20STVas Water (& Stoyan Yankoulov) Country🇧🇬 Bulgaria Year2007 LanguageBulgarian LyricsElitsa Todorova MusicElitsa TodorovaStoyan Yankoulov Backings– Results Semi Points: 146Position: 6Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 157Position: 5Running order: 21 https://youtu.be/CVO3mEj8Udo?si=R7avcgiYzk_gH9bk

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Sophie Gelovani

About Quick Facts NameSopho Gelovani Born31 March 1983 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionGeorgian final 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Nodi Tatishvili) Biography Sopo Gelovani (born March 21, 1983 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR) is a Georgian pop singer. She completed her studies in Spanish at the Ilya Chavchavadze State University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages. She also graduated from the Zakaria Paliashvili State Conservatory, specializing in operatic singing.  Since 2000, she has participated in numerous international competitions in countries like Moldova, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, earning many awards and recognitions. In 2005, she returned from the “Slavianski Bazaar” competition with an award. In 2008, while in Moscow, Russia, she was honored as the best female performer of romance songs. In 2009, she became involved in the community project “Jesotarita”.  She gained fame in Georgia as a participant in the casting show Geostar, the Georgian version of Pop Idol. In 2010, she made it to the final and finished second overall.  In 2012, she took part in an international festival in Germany, where artists from around the world performed. The festival was dedicated to campaigns against violence and racism. She released a music video for her song “Khorumi”. In December 2012, the Georgian broadcaster SSM decided that Gelovani, along with Nodi Tatishvili, should compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö. They chose the song “Waterfall” by Euphoria’s composer Thomas G:son. Gelovani and Tatishvili reached the ESC final with the song and finished in 15th place. Also in 2013, alongside Nodiko Tatishvili, she represented Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest. They reached the final and were awarded the international press’s choice award for their song “Waterfall”. In 2014, she and Nodiko Tatishvili won the main nomination for Song of the Year for their song “Waterfall” at the Golden Wave awards ceremony organized by Radio Holding Fortuna. In 2017, she participated in the show “Dancing with the stars”. She also secured first place in the project “10+10” (representing Armenia and Ukraine). She took part in another project named “Two Stars”. Sopho and Nodi Tatishvili hosted the Georgian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017. In November of the same year she released the song “France Tango”. It was followed a month later by “ase arasdrots…”. In November 2018 her song and video “Gadamrie” were released. In 2019, Sopho won the Golden Wave award by Radio Holding Fortuna for best radio song. It was for the song “Cold hands”. A new video, “L’amour” was released in March 2020. Together with Nodi Tatishvili she recorded the song “Sad imalebi”, which was released in July 2023. Entries Waterfall (& Nodi Tatishvili) Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:son MusicThomas G:sonErik Bernholm BackingsMartin KagemarkJohanna BeijbomLisette Vares Uhlmann Results Semi Points: 63Position: 10Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 50Position: 15Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/-n3mwx0vQDE?si=vr8e33RXumGNxa0n

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Nodi Tatishvili

About Quick Facts NameNodiko Tatishvili Born05 November 1986 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionInternal selection 2013Georgian national final 2009 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Sophie Gelovani) Biography Nodiko Tatishvili is a Georgian singer. He was born in Tbilisi on 5 November 1986.   Nodiko made his debut performance at the Tbilisi Great Concert Hall at the tender age of six, taking the stage as a soloist with a children’s ensemble. By the time he turned eight, he had clinched the title at a national contest. A year later, at nine, he performed with the Iveria ensemble in the musical “Two Dwarfs.” During his voice’s transition phase, Nodiko was involved in the TV project “School of Nutsa,” leading him to collaborate with renowned composers and musicians subsequently. Between 2005 to 2009, he graced various prestigious music festivals and events. In 2009, his talent shone through when he emerged as the winner of the popular Georgian TV show Geostar, earning him the title of GEOSTAR 2009 (akin to Pop Idol 2009). He also took part in the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. His song “No Sun Where You Are Near” didn’t enter the top-3. In 2013, alongside Sopho Gelovani, he proudly represented Georgia at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Malmö, Sweden. They reached the Grand Final and ended up in 15th place there. In 2014 he took part in the show Two Stars, along with Gogola Kalandadze. He also took part in Dancing With The Stars. In 2015, Nodiko won an award for Best Pop Song Of The Year. He also started working as a coach for The Voice Georgia for one season. In December 2016 his new song “Color Day” was released. In 2017, he and Sopho Gelovani hosted the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. He did concerts in Germany and Greece. At the Radio Holding Fortuna Music Awards he was chosen Best Male Artist of the year. On 22 March 2018, Nodiko’s new album “Nodiko Tatishvili” was released. And again one of his songs got a Golden Wave award for Song Of The Year for “Once In The Rainy City”. In December he released a new video “I’ve Been Dreaming”. Half a year later, the video won a Golden Wave award for best video. In 2019, Nodiko teamed up with a band, The Five, for his live performances. With the song “Don’t stop” he won the TV Show in January 2020. In June of the same year he released a new song, “siqvarulis gemi”, followed in February 2021 by “Gemshvidobebi”. In July, the song “Guls” was released. Entries Waterfall (& Sophie Gelovani) Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsThomas G:son MusicErik BernholmThomas G:son BackingsMartin KagemarkJohanna BeijbomLisette Vares Uhlmann Results Semi Points: 63Position: 10Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 50Position: 15Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/-n3mwx0vQDE

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Freaky Fortune

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersNikolas RaptakisTheophilus Pouzbouris Active2012-2015, 2018 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEurosong 2014 – A Mad Show In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongRise Up (2014, with RiskyKidd) Biography Freaky Fortune was a Greek musical duo that gained significant recognition after their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The members are Nikolas Raptakis and Theofilos Pouzbouris, both of whom hail from Athens, Greece. Nikolas Raptakis was born on April 6, 1991, in Athens. He began his musical journey as a self-taught guitarist and studied Music Technology and Sound Engineering at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete. Known for his distinctive voice and stage presence, Nikolas has always been the frontman of the group. Theofilos Pouzbouris, also born in Athens on October 22, 1991, is a singer, guitarist, and music producer. He graduated from the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering at the University of the Aegean and completed his postgraduate studies in Interactive Media and Performance at the University of York. He began playing classical guitar at the age of 6 and has participated in numerous music contests and festivals throughout his early career. Freaky Fortune formed in 2012 and quickly made a name for themselves by releasing covers of popular songs on YouTube. They eventually caught the attention of the Greek public when they won the Mad Video Music Award for Best Video Clip by a New Artist for their song “Our Destiny,” featuring the vocalist Ivi Adamou. The group’s most notable career milestone was their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. Freaky Fortune, along with rapper RiskyKidd, represented Greece with the song “Rise Up.” They performed an energetic rendition of the song with a trampoline on stage. The song made it to the finals, where it placed 20th. In June 2014, the duo teamed up with Nicolas Costa for the song “In A World Without You”. In November of the same year the song “Gi Kai Ouranos” was published, and in 2015 there was a Sam Smith cover, “Lay Me Down”. That was the last song, published by Freaky Fortune. In 2018, Freaky Fortune made a comeback for one time. Together with Tamta they recorded another cover, “Get lucky”. Entries Rise Up (feat. RiskyKidd) Country🇬🇷 Greece Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsNikolas RaptakisTheophilus PouzbourisRiskyKidd MusicRiskyKidd BackingsMihalis ZeisVasilis Manthopoulos DancersArthour Geremyan (trampoline) Results Semi Points: 74Position: 7Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 35Position: 20Running order: 10 https://youtu.be/c9y6A1uXLn8

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Cleo

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameJoanna Krystyna Klepko Born25 June 1983 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Donatan) Biography Joanna Krystyna Klepko (born 25 June 1983), known by her stage name Cleo, is a Polish singer.  Joanna Klepko, known as Cleo, was born in Szczecin and has a twin brother, Piotr. She spent her early years in Warsaw’s Ursynów district. She later graduated from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences with a master’s degree in landscape architecture. During her studies, she lived in Paris for six months. Before her solo career, Cleo sang in a gospel choir called “Soul Connection”. Her first win was in the Polish contest Studio Garaż in the Rhythm and blues category. Cleo has collaborated with artists like Pezet, Onar, Pih, Ramona 23, WSRH, Wet Fingers, and Endefis. In 2011, Cleo showcased her talent in the Polish edition of X Factor. Two years later, she began working with Donatan. Their song “My Słowianie” represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The song finished 14th overall, despite scoring 5th place in the public voting.  In 2015, Cleo participated in the fourth season of Taniec z Gwiazdami  (Dancing with the Stars). She ended up placing third. That same year, Cleo signed with Universal Music Poland and released her first single “Zabiorę Nas”. In 2016, Cleo continued to release music, and in September, she was nominated for an MTV Europe Music Award in the “Best Polish Artist” category. In May 2017, she released an updated version of her second album, Bastet, featuring two new songs. Later that year, she confirmed she was working on her third studio album. Throughout 2018 and 2019, Cleo released a series of singles and music videos, including a World Cup support song for the Polish national football team, and she began coaching on The Voice Kids. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic delaying her new album release, she continued to release singles, with her third album, “superNOVA”, finally dropping in September 2020. Cleo has also appeared in advertisements for Media Expert and was named the chain store’s artistic director in 2020. In 2021, she released more singles, including “Kocham” and “Polskie Mexico”, and the latter’s music video racked up 260,000 views in an hour on YouTube. By October, she released another single “Dalej”, featuring Maryla Rodowicz. In 2023, she released a single with the title “Kaminowe usta”. Entries My Słowianie – We are Slavic (& Donatan) Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2014 LanguagePolishEnglish LyricsCleo MusicDonatan BackingsSylwia KlanAnna ŁapińskaAlesia Turonak DancersOla CiupaPaula Tumala Note that Donatan was not on stage! – Results Semi Points: 70Position: 8Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/VJ920cN2HmA

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Donatan

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameWitold Czamara Born02 September 1984 Nationality🇵🇱 Poland National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Cleo) Biography Donatan, born Witold Czamara on September 2, 1984, is a Polish music producer and musician recognized predominantly for his work in the hip-hop and pop genres. Donatan was born in Kraków, Poland, but he spent a significant part of his childhood in Taganrog, Russia. His career in the music industry began in 2002, but his initial works did not gain significant recognition. However, Donatan persevered, and his skills as a producer gradually improved over the years. Donatan’s breakthrough came in 2012 with the release of his album “Równonoc. Słowiańska dusza” (Equinox. Slavic Soul). This album featured collaborations with a variety of Polish rappers and singers, and its blending of hip-hop with traditional Slavic music elements marked a unique musical direction. This album was a major commercial success and significantly boosted Donatan’s popularity in Poland’s music industry. The producer achieved international recognition in 2014 when he, along with singer Cleo, represented Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “My Słowianie” (We Are Slavic). The song, which celebrated Slavic culture and heritage, was a blend of traditional Polish folk music with modern pop and hip-hop elements. The duo finished 14th overall in the competition, marking one of Poland’s best Eurovision results in recent years. In 2015, Donatan teamed up with Maryla Rodowicz. The song “Pełnia” was a success in the Polish charts. Two years later, Donatan scored another hit, “Andromeda”, together with Edyta Górniak.  In June 2018, behind the scenes of a Sunday concert as part of the 55th National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, he allegedly exhibited sexist behavior (grabbing the buttocks) towards singer Edyta Górniak. The incident turned out to be a public scandal in the country, which was reported by most online services. In 2019, Donatan scored two hits again: „Wolę Ciebie wolność” with RL9, Góscinnie and the band Enej, “Dom”, again with Cleo. Entries My Słowianie – We are Slavic (& Cleo) Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2014 LanguagePolishEnglish LyricsCleo MusicDonatan BackingsSylwia KlanAnna ŁapińskaAlesia Turonak DancersOla CiupaPaula Tumala Note that Donatan was not on stage! Results Semi Points: 70Position: 8Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/VJ920cN2HmA

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Paula Seling

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NamePaula Seling Born25 December 1978 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian National SelectionSelecția Națională 2014Selecția Națională 2010Selecția Națională 2008Selecția Națională 2004Selecția Națională 2003Selecția Națională 1998 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen2010 Oslo SongMiracle (2014, with Ovi)Playing With Fire (2010, with Ovi) Biography Paula Seling (b. December 25, 1978, Baia Mare, Romania) is a well-known artist, performer, TV personality, composer and former radio show host. She graduated from High School in, and then from the Higher School of Journalism. She studied singing and piano. Paula is trilingual and speaks, writes and composes in French, English, and Romanian. In addition, she also performs well in Italian. She sang with Al Bano, Anita Doth (lead singer of 2 Unlimited), Tony Hawks and in the opening of concerts held in Romania by Joan Baez, Chick Corea, Michael Bolton, Beyonce. She collaborated with video producer Andreea Păduraru, obtaining an award for one of these collaborations (together with the director) in 2003 on MTV. Seling opened her own production house, Unicorn Records, together with her brother, Paul Seling, and her husband. Paula Seling has released over thirteen albums (including three Christmas albums) and more than twenty singles, including two top-ten hits in the Romanian Top 100, a minor European hit, which entered the charts in Finland and Norway, as well as the UK Singles Chart, and holds a good position on the global popularity chart by Starcount, which ranks artists from around the world. In 1998, Paula Seling took part in Selecția Națională, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, for the first time. The song “Te iubesc” reached a 4th place. In 2003 she reached one place higher with the song “Let’s go”. The song “Perfect” reached a 5th place in 2004, while, together with the band Provincialii, she reached a 3rd place again in 2008. In 2009, she released the music video for the single “Believe” from the album of the same name, which was launched a month earlier, specifically on June 10, at Silver Church. On March 6, 2010 she qualified for the 2010 Eurovision final in Oslo with the song “Playing With Fire together with Ovi.” They secured the third place in the Eurovision 2010 final in Oslo. In 2011, she accepted the invitation of Walt Disney Romania to lend her voice for the first time in an animated film, playing the role of Holley Shiftwell in the movie Cars 2 (the original voice belonging to Emily Mortimer). In 2012, she was chosen by Walt Disney to record the song “My Spirit Flies” (“I Can Really Fly”) for the Pixar Academy Award. In 2014, Paula and Ovi returned to Eurovision, this time with the song “Miracle”. A unique selling point in their act was Paula appearing as a hologram before the real Paula entered the stage. They reached the final again and secured the 12th place in it. In 2015, her new album “Povești De Iarnă” was released. A year later, Paula teamed up with Nicu Alifantis. Together they released the song “Weekend”. Shortly after that, her EP “De dragoste” came out. She also started teaching singing technics to young people in the Scoala de Muzika Paula Seling. Paula Seling teamed up with Ovi again, and with Adrian Enache, to release the album “Duelul Pianelor” in 2017. A year later, her new solo album “Steaua Răsare” was released. The duo teamed up again in January 2022 for the song “See You Again”. On June of the same year, her single “Soare Soare” came out, followed two months later by “Lasă doamne dor”. The song “Toata Lumea Are Un Dor” was released in September. Meanwhile, she worked on a project where she sang a song, “Neuitare”, based on the theme song of Schindlers List, in memory of the Romanian victims of the holocaust. In November 2022, Paula Seling released a new song and video, “Mandru cer senin”. For the folk songs “Ziua-i mare, Seara-i Sfântă” and “La Multi Ani de Sarbatori”, she teamed up with Ion Paladi. As a solo singer she released “Cel Mai Frumos Colind” and “S-a Nascut In Iesle”, all of these songs released in December 2022. In January 2023, Paula’s English song “My sweet and tender beast” was released, beside the English version of “Neuitare”, “I won’t light a candle”. In March “Tu nu vezi cerul” followed, and in the same month “Cer Si Mare Si Pamant”. Paula also played in a musical, “”vrăjitoarea Kera și cele 7 nestemate”. At the concert Potcoava de Aur she won a special award. In June 2023, Paula released a new single, “Noapte Calda”. The song was already written in 2000, but finally she made a video of it, recorded with The Angry Band. In October she released a new song, “Dor In Destin”. On 5 March 2024, Paula released a new single, “Inima Ce Inima Mi-a Dat”. Entries Miracle (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun MusicAndreas Sjo EngenFrida AmundsenKjetil HelgesenMarcus OnlyOvidiu CernăuţeanuPhilip Halloun BackingsJulie LindellLine KrogholmMads StormMarcus Only Results Semi Points: 125Position: 2Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 72Position: 12Running order: 6 https://youtu.be/cAMpVodhiS4 Playing With Fire (& Ovi) Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsOvidiu Cernăuţeanu MusicOvidiu Cernăuţeanu BackingsAlexandra CraescuOana Puscatu Results Semi Points: 104Position: 4Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 162Position: 3Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/J9EtMZXeQZw

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Bledar Sejko

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameBledar Sejko Born10 September 1972 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2012 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Adrian Lulgjuraj) Biography Bledar Sejko, born on February 19, 1971, is an esteemed Albanian guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist.  In the late 1980s, during an era when Communist Albania suppressed pop music, Sejko pioneered one of the nation’s initial pop bands. This group, which also featured artists like Redon Makashi and Elton Deda, navigated the restrictive landscape to produce music clandestinely. Fondly nicknamed “Qepa” (translates to “Onion” in English), Sejko mentored Makashi in guitar and has always been

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Adrian Lulgjuraj

About Quick Facts NameAdrian Lulgjuraj Born19 August 1980 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2015Festivali i Këngës 2012  In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongIdentitet (2013, with Bledar Sejko) Biography Adrian Lulgjuraj was born on 19 February 1980 in Ulcinj, a town in Montenegro with a significant Albanian population. He has been actively involved in the music scene for many years and has gained a reputation as one of the prominent Albanian artists. Lulgjuraj made his debut in the Albanian music scene in 2010, making appearances on several TV programs and notable music festivals like Top Fest. Competing twice, he consistently reached the finals and

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Stoyan Yankoulov

About Quick Facts NameStoyan Yankoulov Born10 September 1966 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionInternal selection 2022Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2022 Turin2013 Malmö2007 Helsinki SongIntention (2022, Intelligent Music Project)Samo Shiampioni (2013, with Elitsa Todorova)Water (2007, with Elitsa Todorova) Biography Stoyan Yankulov was born on September 10, 1966, in the town of Elin Pelin, Sofia region. At the age of eight, he began piano lessons. At the same time, he showed interest in percussion instruments. From an early age, he was already the basis of musical groups as a drummer. In Sofia, he graduated from the “Lyubomir Pipkov” music school, and

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Elitsa Todorova

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameElitsa Todorova Born02 September 1977 Nationality🇧🇬 Bulgarian National SelectionBŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2013”Bŭlgarskata pesen v „Evroviziya 2007” In Eurovision2013 Malmö 2007 Helsinki  SongSamo Shiampioni (2013, with Stoyan Yankoulov)Water (2007, with Stoyan Yankoulov) Biography Elitsa Todorova is a Bulgarian folk singer, percussionist, music producer, and inventor. She was born in Varna, Bulgaria, on September 2nd 1977.  As a child, she spent 7 years with her parents in Africa.  She graduated from the Dobri Hristov Music School in Varna with a specialty in Percussion instruments. She then completed her studies at the Filip Kutev Music School in Kotel

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Sophie Gelovani

About Quick Facts NameSopho Gelovani Born31 March 1983 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionGeorgian final 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Nodi Tatishvili) Biography Sopo Gelovani (born March 21, 1983 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, USSR) is a Georgian pop singer. She completed her studies in Spanish at the Ilya Chavchavadze State University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages. She also graduated from the Zakaria Paliashvili State Conservatory, specializing in operatic singing.  Since 2000, she has participated in numerous international competitions in countries like Moldova, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, earning many awards and recognitions. In 2005, she returned from the “Slavianski Bazaar” competition with an

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Nodi Tatishvili

About Quick Facts NameNodiko Tatishvili Born05 November 1986 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionInternal selection 2013Georgian national final 2009 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongWaterfall (2013, with Sophie Gelovani) Biography Nodiko Tatishvili is a Georgian singer. He was born in Tbilisi on 5 November 1986.   Nodiko made his debut performance at the Tbilisi Great Concert Hall at the tender age of six, taking the stage as a soloist with a children’s ensemble. By the time he turned eight, he had clinched the title at a national contest. A year later, at nine, he performed with the Iveria ensemble in the musical “Two Dwarfs.” During

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Freaky Fortune

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersNikolas RaptakisTheophilus Pouzbouris Active2012-2015, 2018 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEurosong 2014 – A Mad Show In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongRise Up (2014, with RiskyKidd) Biography Freaky Fortune was a Greek musical duo that gained significant recognition after their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014. The members are Nikolas Raptakis and Theofilos Pouzbouris, both of whom hail from Athens, Greece. Nikolas Raptakis was born on April 6, 1991, in Athens. He began his musical journey as a self-taught guitarist and studied Music Technology and Sound Engineering at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete. Known for his distinctive

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Cleo

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameJoanna Krystyna Klepko Born25 June 1983 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Donatan) Biography Joanna Krystyna Klepko (born 25 June 1983), known by her stage name Cleo, is a Polish singer.  Joanna Klepko, known as Cleo, was born in Szczecin and has a twin brother, Piotr. She spent her early years in Warsaw’s Ursynów district. She later graduated from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences with a master’s degree in landscape architecture. During her studies, she lived in Paris for six months. Before her

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Donatan

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameWitold Czamara Born02 September 1984 Nationality🇵🇱 Poland National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongMy Słowianie – We are Slavic (2014, with Cleo) Biography Donatan, born Witold Czamara on September 2, 1984, is a Polish music producer and musician recognized predominantly for his work in the hip-hop and pop genres. Donatan was born in Kraków, Poland, but he spent a significant part of his childhood in Taganrog, Russia. His career in the music industry began in 2002, but his initial works did not gain significant recognition. However, Donatan persevered, and his skills as a producer

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Paula Seling

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NamePaula Seling Born25 December 1978 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian National SelectionSelecția Națională 2014Selecția Națională 2010Selecția Națională 2008Selecția Națională 2004Selecția Națională 2003Selecția Națională 1998 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen2010 Oslo SongMiracle (2014, with Ovi)Playing With Fire (2010, with Ovi) Biography Paula Seling (b. December 25, 1978, Baia Mare, Romania) is a well-known artist, performer, TV personality, composer and former radio show host. She graduated from High School in, and then from the Higher School of Journalism. She studied singing and piano. Paula is trilingual and speaks, writes and composes in French, English, and Romanian. In addition, she also performs well

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