Georgia

The Shin

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersAlexander ChumburidzeMamuka GaganidzeZaza MiminoshviliZurab Gagnidze Founded1998 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongThree Minutes To Earth (2014, with Mariko) Biography “The Shin” is a Georgian band known for their innovative fusion of traditional Georgian polyphonic music with other music genres such as jazz and pop. They formed in Germany in 1998. The members of the band include Zaza Miminoshvili (guitars, panduri), Zurab Gagnidze (bass, vocals), Mamuka Gaganidze (percussion, vocals), and Eugen Vizir (drums). Zaza and Zurab, who have been friends since childhood, are the creative core of the band. Mamuka Gaganidze, a well-known performer of Georgian polyphonic songs, joined them in 2002. “The Shin” literally means “home” in Georgian, but it also has a broader connotation of the space where the east meets the west. Their music is often characterized by the use of traditional Georgian instruments and vocal styles, intertwined with elements of modern Western music. This style allows them to convey the fusion of their different cultural experiences in a unique way. Over the years, The Shin has performed in various music festivals and events around the world. They were also selected to represent Georgia in the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, with their song “Three Minutes to Earth”, which again showcased their distinctive blend of Georgian and Western musical styles. The Shin performed on a lot of occasions in Germany and the Baltic states. They played a lot on folk festivals in those countries and in Georgia itself. On 12 August 2019, the sad news came that Mamuka Gaganidze passed away. He died of skin cancer. Entries Three Minutes To Earth (with Mariko) Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsEugen Eliu MusicZaza Miminoshvili Backings– Results Semi Points: 15Position: 15Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/0v69AvCQJQY

Liverpool live: bare feet, earrings and a train

Day number 6 of the rehearsals is going on. This is what happened in the first half of the rehearsalday. photo credits: EBU/Chloe Hashemi/Sarah Louise Bennett Cyprus No shoes for Andrew Lambrou this time. Furthermore, not much has changed compared to the first rehearsal; many red and blue, fire on the LED-screens and smoke on the floor. Cyprus is currently 22nd at the bookmakers, and is very likely to qualify for the final. Iceland The people of Eurovision.tv noticed that Diljá has earrings. Whether there have been changes in the performance or improvement in singing… we don’t know. On the other hand, singing does not seem to be Diljá’s problem. Still, a number 29 in the betting odds and a number 14 in the semifinal ranking does not necessary bring the final closer for Iceland. Greece The Greek performance seems to be pretty much the same as the previous one, Victor Vernicos varying from sitting on the floor to walking, dancing and jumping. And of course he still has shorts on. Greece is currently 31st at the bookmakers and 11th in the semifinal ranking. But Greece and Denmark (no. 10) seem to get closer to eachother. Will Greece make it to the final after all? Poland No bare feet, earrings or a haircut (as the eurovision.tv liveblog mentions with Greece) is noticed when they talk about Poland. We guess it is because there are no changes. We are especially anxious on how Blanka’s singing is. In the national final this was definitely not good, we wanna know if that improves. We keep you updated! Poland is currently 24th at the bookmakers and could seriously reach the final. Keep in mind that this is all based on the staging. Slovenia The cheerful Slovenian entry was performed once again too. The act is still swinging and colourful. We mentioned the words Joker Out on the LED-screens but we also saw the title of the song, “Carpe diem”. The bookmakers predict a place in the final for Slovenia, as they are 21st in the ranking right now. Georgia Again, a change in clothes. The dress Iru is wearing is still the same, but the train it has is much bigger now. The windmachine still works at this stormy performance. Georgia is likely to qualify with a 23rd place at the bookmakers and a high ranking at the semifinal odds. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: rehearsal schedule

Today the rehearsals for the 2nd semifinal will be finished. The 11 countries that didn’t rehearse for a second time yet will do so today. We will closely follow it again. 11.30 – 11.50 Cyprus11.55 – 12.15 Iceland12.20 – 12.40 Greece12.45 – 13.05 Poland13.10 – 13.30 Slovenia13.35 – 13.55 Georgia 15.00 – 15.20 San Marino15.25 – 15.45 Austria15.50 – 16.10 Albania16.15 – 16.35 Lithuania16.40 – 17.00 Australia

Liverpool live: eyes, a typewriter and a car

The third day of rehearsals is already halfway. We are looking at the last six entries we haven’t heard and seen yet (except the Big Five and Ukraine). photo credits: EBU/Sarah Luise Bennett/Corinne Cumming Georgia Iru wears a white dress, and what is very remarkable on her looks is the huge bracelet she is wearing on her right arm. Iru is standing on a raised platform in the middle of the stage. She stands there during the entire performance. The LED screeen shows smoke that twirls and turbulent weather. And if you see that, there is only one thing you need: indeed, a wind machine! And it’s there! And of course Iru is surrounded by smoke. San Marino Singer E-King wears a glitter jacket while the rest of the band Piqued Jacks wear black. On stage we have the huge LED wall that spots a lot of red: we see eyes, we see lips, all in a cartoon way. Piqued Jacks use the whole stage, E-King appears as the clear frontman. At several moments, he even lies down on the floor while singing. Austria Teya and Salena are wearing opposite colours: Teya wears black and Salena white, both with red blouses. The LED-screens play the main role in the Austrian act. It looks like Teya and Salena start their performance in front of a huge oldfashioned typewriter. In the typewriter a piece of paper with a picture of Edgar Allan Poe. Later we see the two ladies in red and with sunglasses on the screen, and Edgar in red. Albania Albina and the Kelmendi family all wear black. The colours at the LED screen are also black…. and red, the colours of the Albanian flag. Many flames during the Albanian performance. This song has quite an emotional performans. Albina sits on the floor for a moment, family members surround her with raised hands. Sacha Jean Baptiste did the staging for this entry. Lithuania Monika Linkytė wears an orange suit. She is surrounded by the four backings who all wear black. First she stands on a red background. Later we see half a circle, black, with indian like signs projected on it. She and the backing vocals are standing still at some moments, but walk around later, especially when the “Čiūto Tūto” part is sung. Australia Australia is the last country to perform. Voyager singer Daniel Estrin wears a blue suit with a chequered pattern. The band has a car on stage, a Toyota MR2, a car from the eighties and nineties. On the LED-screens we see a road, mountains and a setting sun. Red fireworks are visible at the end of the song. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool live: a headroll, tropical graphics and little hearts

Today is the 3rd day of rehearsals. After today we have heard and seen all the songs, except the Big Five and Ukraine. photo credits: EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett/Corinne Cummings Estonia Estonian Alika is wearing an all blue combination when she sings her song. As in the national final, the song starts with a piano that plays itself. In the beginning Alika sits on the music stool, later she stands behind the microphone. The LED screens on the background are greenish blue, varied with gold. Iceland Diljá is wearing a silver suit. She shows a lot of energy with kicks and gymnastic moves. She even makes a head roll! Diljá is surrounded by drums. The background colours change all the time, from green to blue to black with a daffodil (?) and to a sunflower. A lot happens during this show! Greece Victor Vernicos weirs beige while on stage, and yes, like in the video he has shorts. Victor dances but every now and then he is sitting on the floor, also just like in the video. On the LED screens in the background we see huge pictures of Victor himself. Later we see Greek letters in white on the screens. Victor is surrounded by smoke. Poland Blanka has a dress that is half in purple and half in orange. She is on stage with four dancers. At the background during the song you see tropical pictures on the LED screen. Halfway, Blanka changes her dress in a short, red one. The last chorus of the song is accompanied by a rain of fireworks. Slovenia The band Joker Out is wearing pink and purple pants with blouses in all kind of colours. A lot of red stroboscopic light is surrounding the band. In the end, you see the words Joker Out in white on a black screen, and the band members make hearts with their hands. Eurovision.tv mentions the enthousiasm of the band. in collaboration with Eurovision Artists

Liverpool Live: rehearsal schedule

Already for the third day, we have rehearsals. Eurovision Universe will keep you updated about everything that happens during the rehearsals. This is what you can expect today: 11.30 – 12.00 Estonia12.10 – 12.40 Iceland12.50 – 13.20 Greece13.30 – 14.00 Poland15.10 – 15.40 Slovenia15.50 – 16.20 Georgia16.30 – 17.00 San Marino17.10 – 17.40 Austria17.50 – 18.20 Albania18.30 – 19.00 Lithuania19.10 – 19.40 Australia

Georgia: Iru sings “Echo”

Iru Khechanovi will represent Georgia with the song “Echo”. The song has been presented by Georgian broadcaster GPB today. Iru won the national selection for Georgia, The Voice Georgia 2023. Georgia took part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 2007. Twice, with Sofia Nizharadze in 2010 and with the band Eldrine in 2011, Georgia reached the 9th place. Unfortunately, Georgia didn’t reach the final since 2016. Hopefully, Iru will change that. Georgia will perform in the 2nd half of the 2nd semifinal. This is their song:

Iru

About Quick Facts NameIrina Khechanovi Born03 December 2000 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionGeorgian Idol 2019The Voice Georgia 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongEcho (2023) Biography Irina Khechanovi, also known mononymously as Iru, is a Georgian singer and songwriter. Iru Khechanovi was born on 3 December 2000 in Tbilisi. She is of Armenian descent. She started her career when she was a child and took part in In 2011, she won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. She was a member of the group Candy, who reached the first place with the song “Candy music”. In 2019, Iru participated in Georgian Idol. That year, the show was the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. Unfortunately, she didn’t reach the live shows. On 25 May 2021, she released her debut solo single “No Jerk Around Me”, including a video. The song was followed by two more singles, “Not like today” on 3 July 2022 and “Tu mama” two weeks later. In the same year, Iru performed at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2022 as part of a previous winners’ medley. She had also co-written the song “I Believe” by Mariam Bigvava, the Georgian entry for that year’s contest. Mariam finished 3rd. On January 15, 2023, a new video of Iru was released: “Idea”. In the meantime, she also participated in The Voice Georgia. On 2 February 2023, she actually won The Voice, gaining the right to perform in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. Unfortunately, her song “Echo” did not reach the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest. Entries Echo Country🇬🇪 Georgia Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsBeni KadigidzeIru Khechanovi MusicGeorge Kukhianideze Backings– Results Semi Points: 33Position: 12Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/HNvGZeEQvfc

Iru Kechanovi wins The Voice Georgia

Iru Kechanovi has won The Voice Georgia and thus will represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. The song, with which she will represent the country, will be presented later. Iru was coached by Dato Porchkhidze. She sang the Eurovision song “Euphoria” in the final. Iru gained 21,88% of the votes. The full results are: Iru Kechanovi, 21,88% Giorgi Datiashvili 15,72% Likuna Tutisani 13,76% Lika Siradze 13,73% Anka Tatarashvili 11,56% Tina Datikashvili 10,34% Tako Kakalashvili 10,9% Kakha Aslamazashvili 2,92%

The Voice Georgia comes to it’s final

Tonight is the night: The Voice Georgia has it’s final. Why is that interesting for us? Well, the winner gets the ticket to Liverpool, where he or she will represent Georgia. The show starts at 19.00 CET and you can watch it here and on Facebook. After a long series of shows, there are eight finalists: Lika Siradze Tina Datikashvili Anika Tatarashvili Likuna Tutisani Iru Kechanovi Tako Kakalashvili Giorgi Datiashvili Kakha Aslamazashvili Iru Kechanovi took part in the heats of X-Factor Georgia 2019.