Duos

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

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

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

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

Václav Noid Bárta

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameVáclav Bárta Born27 October 1980 Nationality🇨🇿 Czech National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongHope Never Dies (with Marta Jandová, 2015) Biography Václav Noid Bárta, born as Václav Bárta, (* October 27, 1980, Prague) is a Czech rock singer, music composer, lyricist, and actor. From the age of 17, he was a member of the band Dolores Clan. Currently, he has a band called BekBek Clan. He sings and performs in musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Carmen, Madagaskar and Sestra v akci (Sister Act). Previously, he was involved in productions of Hamlet, Aida, Excalibur, Lucie, větší než malé množství lásky (Larger than a Small Amount of Love), and Bonnie & Clyde. In 2015, he participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, representing the Czech Republic alongside singer Marta Jandová. They performed the song “Hope Never Dies,” for which Noid composed the music. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for the final. After Eurovision, he released a CD, “Jedinej krok”. It was released under the name Noid. The song became a top10 hit in the Czech charts. It was followed by a Jedinej Krok Tour in 2017. He also recorded a childrens song “Ja tak rad trsam” together with Maxim Turbulenc. In February 2018 he recorded the video of “Vsechy tvare vody”, in his own Paranoid Studios. Entries Hope Never Dies (& Marta Jandová) Country🇨🇿 Czechia Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsTereza Šoralová MusicVáclav Noid Bárta Backings– Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/SLz6VeSPXjA

Marta Jandová

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

Michele Perniola

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameMichele Perniola Born06 September 1998 Nationality🇮🇹 Nationality National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongChain Of Lights (& Anita Simoncini) Biography Michele Perniola was born on September 6, 1998, in Mottola and lives in Palagiano, in the province of Taranto. In 2012, he participated and won the sixth edition of the television program Ti lascio una canzone (I Leave You a Song), mostly performing songs of Michael Jackson. In 2013, he represented San Marino at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song “O-o-O Sole intorno a me”. In 2014, he made a brief appearance in the first season of the TV series Braccialetti rossi. In May 2015, he represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 alongside Anita Simoncini, performing the song “Chain of Lights,” written and produced by German composer Ralph Siegel. They received 11 points in the second semifinal, ranking only ahead of Switzerland, and thus, did not qualify for the final stage of the competition. In October 2015, he participated in the New Wave singing event in Sochi, Russia, representing Italy and finished in 4th place in the overall ranking. Since January 2017, he has been participating in the sixteenth edition of the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi. However, he was eliminated at the end of the first episode of the live shows on March 25. In July of the same year he released the single “Déjà vu”. He did a tour throughout Italy with many performances. After this, Michele Perniola started performing under the name 3x3n. He released the song “Emerald eyes” in 2020. In February 2021, this song was followed by “Amare invano”. At the same time, the song “RE4 Freestyle” was released on YouTube. Entries Chain Of Lights (& Anita Simoncini) Country🇸🇲 San Marino Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsJohn O’Flynn (Bernd Meinunger) MusicRalph Siegel BackingsKatrin Schild von SpannenbergPat LawsonRon van LankerenJulian Feifel Results Semi Points: 11Position: 16Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/FE1KJYNvVAE

Anita Simoncini

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameAnita Simoncini Born14 April 1999 Nationality🇸🇲 Sammarinese National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongChain Of Lights (with Michele Perniola) Biography Anita Simoncini (born on April 14, 1999, in Montegiardino) is a Sammarinese singer. In September 2014, the participation of the group The Peppermints was announced as the representative of San Marino at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014, held in Malta. The group, which included Anita Simoncini, performed the song “Breaking My Heart.” In May 2015, she represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 together with Michele Perniola, but their song was eliminated in the semifinals. At the end of 2015, she participated in the Sammarinese talent show I talenti dei Castelli alongside Michele Giacomini as a representative of Montegiardino. They sang the song “Need you”. In September 2017, Anita featured on the L. Jago song “Tracciando il sentiero”. On 30 November 2017, the video of a cover of Ed Sheeran’s song “The A Team” was released. It was her submission to the 2018 Sammarinese national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. However, She was not selected. In March 2020, she teamed up with Elia Pazzini for the song “Il mondo è mio”, followed by “Shallow” a year later. In September of the same year, Anita was one of the performers at the Festa Della Musica San Marino. Entries Chain Of Lights (& Michele Perniola) Country🇸🇲 San Marino Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsJohn O’Flynn (Bernd Meinunger) MusicRalph Siegel BackingsKatrin Schild von SpannenbergPat LawsonRon van LankerenJulian Feifel Results Semi Points: 11Position: 16Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/FE1KJYNvVAE

Maimuna

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameMaimuna Amadu Murashko-Diko Born28 May 1980 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian national final 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongTime (2015, with Uzari) Biography Maimuna Diko (born Maimuna Amadu Murashko, née Diko, on May 28, 1980, in Leningrad) is a Belarusian artist, violinist, educator, and former concertmaster.Maimuna Diko was born into a family of scientists. Her mother was from Belarus, and her father was from Mali. After Maimuna’s birth, her parents moved to Mali. Four years later, Maimuna moved to her grandmother’s place in the Mogilev region in Belarus, where she studied at a music school. She began her musical education at Music School No. 1. From 1994 to 1999, she studied at the Mogilev State Gymnasium-College of Arts. In 1999, Maimuna received a scholarship from the special fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus to support talented youth. That same year, she enrolled at the Belarusian State Academy of Music, specializing in string instruments. During her studies at the Academy of Music, she performed with the Youth Symphony Orchestra “Moloday Belarus”. She participated in several international tours with the orchestra. One of the significant projects during this period was her solo performances during the orchestra’s tour on Reunion (France). She worked as a teacher at the Minsk State Music School named after M. Glinka for two years. In 2003, Maimuna Diko became the first violinist of the Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus under the direction of Viktor Babarykin. She worked with the orchestra until 2009. As a member of the Presidential Orchestra, she participated in numerous festivals and concert programs. The most notable among them are the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk (2003-2009), the International Pop Music Festival Komrat-2005, Songs of the World-2006 in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, the International Music Festival Golden Hit in Mogilev (2003, 2007, 2009), and the Yuri Bashmet International Festival (2006-2009). Maimuna’s solo career began with the recording of “Humoresque” in 2009, composed by Kirill Kristya. In 2010-2011, she collaborated with Belarusian bayan player Pavel Nevmerzhitsky, recording “Csárdás” by Vittorio Monti in 2010 and “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla in 2011. She also collaborated with Belarusian composer Yevgeny Oleinik, with whom she created instrumental compositions such as “Queen of Africa,” “Malanka”, and “Vyartanne”. In 2011, she released her first maxi-single, “Queen of Africa,” which included instrumental compositions from different years. Maimuna participated in the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, she performed as a guest in the anniversary concert “Syabry Gather Friends” of the Syabry ensemble. In 2012, she performed at the closing ceremony of the Slavianski Bazaar together with Marina Degtyareva’s ballet “Maridans.” In July 2012, she gave a solo concert as the headliner at the “Ljubljana Festival” held annually at the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In October 2014, she released her second album, “Showtime,” which brought together compositions of various genres. The music for the album was composed by Vitaly Sudin, a professional cellist and author of soundtracks for theatrical productions and films. Among the compositions is an interpretation of Michael Jackson’s legendary “Medley,” which became a tribute to the violinist’s favorite artist. On December 26, the final of the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 took place. The winner was the duo Uzari & Maimuna with the song “Time,” which earned them the right to represent their country in Austria. The idea of a collaborative composition combining classical crossover and pop-rock genres belonged to Maimuna. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Uzari & Maimuna unfortunately did not qualify for the final. In November 2016 she performed at the concert “Leaving No One Behind” for the 50th anniversary of UNDP and “Inclusive Belarus” company “Showtime”. She performed together with Konstantin Goryachy. In 2017, Maimuna started performing at the open-air venue “U Ratushi” (Freedom Square). She was accompanied by the Belarusian State Academic Music Theater conducted by Yuri Galyas. The shows were called “Pumayanke”. On December 14th, a new solo concert by Maimuna started at the Belarusian State Musical Theater, featuring a program specially prepared for listeners with different musical tastes, including works of various genres. In December 2019, she performed in Lithuania. On 18 March 2021, the official video of Maimuna’s performance of “Lacrimosa” was released. The video was followed on 8 October 2022 by “Misirlou”. On 3 May 2023, her new album “Broken magic” was released. Entries Time (& Uzari) Country🇧🇾 Belarusian Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSvetlana GeraskovaMaimuna Murashku-Diko MusicYuri Navrotski BackingsYuriy SeleznyovArtyom AkhpashDenis Lis Results Semi Points: 39Position: 12Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cwjm1lRV4N4

Uzari

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameYuri Navrotski Born11 May 1992 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian national final 2015Belarusian national final 2013Eurofest 2012 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongTime (& Maimuna) Biography Yury Viktorovich Navrotsky , better known as Uzari, is a Belarusian artist, composer, and producer. Yury Navrotskiy was born into a family of musicians. He attended several schools, including a general education school, a theatrical school, and a music school. In 2008, he enrolled in the Saint Petersburg University of Culture and Arts, specializing in jazz, and graduated in 2013. In 2008, Uzari began working at the Music Hall theater and caught the attention of directors. He played the roles of Kai and the Crow in the musical adaptation of The Snow Queen. His first publicly released composition was “Chto mezhdu nami” (“What’s Between Us”), which won the”Song of the Year Belarus award in 2011. That same year, he represented Belarus at the International Contest of Young Performers of Popular Music “New Wave,” where a star for Uzari was placed on the Star Alley in Jurmala. Prior to that, Uzari served as a backing vocalist for Anastasiya Vinnikova at Eurovision 2011. In 2012, Yuzari performed at the Slavic Bazaar Festival in Vitebsk. He participated in the Eurovision selection process in 2012 and 2013, reaching the finals with the songs “The Winner” and “Secret.” In 2014, together with Dmitry Piven, he served as a producer, composer, and arranger for the song “Sokal,” which Nadezhda Misyakova performed at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Finally, in 2015, Uzari, alongside Belarusian violinist Maimuna, represented Belarus at Eurovision 2015 with the song “Time.” Although the song did not qualify for the final, Uzari considered Eurovision as a significant milestone in his career. He has been awarded the Song of the Year Belarus prize from 2011 to 2017 and in 2019. In 2016, the “Art Platform” arts center was opened, providing vocal and dance training. In the same year, Uzari participated in the Ukrainian show Holos Krainy (the Ukrainian version of “The Voice”). In 2016, Uzari released his first single in the Belarusian language, titled “Mora,” which also won the Song of the Year Belarus award. In 2017, he released the Belarusian-language singles “Supratsleglyya” and “Ya vydumlayu,” a version of Ivan Dorn’s song “Stycamen” in the Belarusian language. In 2017, Uzari performed at the Sibur Arena during the St. Petersburg Tennis Trophy 2017 and participated in the international festival Laima Rendezvous Jurmala. He also performed at the Olympic Sports Complex during the Synergy Global Forum. In 2018, Uzari co-wrote the official anthem “This Land” for the European Games, which reached the top five finalists. Later, “This Land” was played at the Dynamo Stadium during the volunteers’ march at the Closing Ceremony of the Games. In July 2018, he performed at the Laima Rendezvous Jurmala festival with the song “Ya vydumlayu” in Jurmala. In August 2018, together with Dmitry Piven, he became the author of the official anthem for the St. Petersburg Open 2018 tennis tournament, sharing the stage with Dima Bilan at the Sibur Arena. In October 2018, he began recording his debut album, “Padzyaka sertsa” (Gratitude of the Heart). In February 2019, the single “Padzyaka sertsa” was released. On April 10, 2019, the album was released, along with a music video for the title track. On June 30, 2019, Uzari performed at the closing ceremony of the European Games at the Dynamo Stadium in Minsk. In July 2019, he performed at the Laima Rendezvous Jurmala festival in a duet with Latvian singer Aija Andrejeva, singing the song “Novae kino.” He also performed solo with the song “Padman” accompanied by an orchestra. In August of the same year, he performed at Laima Vaikule’s festival in Odessa. On January 18, 2020, he received the Best Performer of the Year award at the Song of the Year Belarus 2019 ceremony on. On March 21, 2020, he released a music video for his new song “Moy Vibe” (My Vibe). On May 6, 2020, Uzari released the album “Say WOW.” On November 5, 2021, Yuzari became a participant in the show “The Voice,” joining Leonid Agutin’s team and reaching the quarterfinals of the competition. Entries Time (& Maimuna) Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSvetlana GeraskovaMaimuna Murashku-Diko MusicYuri Navrotski BackingsYuriy SeleznyovArtyom AkhpashDenis Lis Results Semi Points: 39Position: 12Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cwjm1lRV4N4