Slovenia

Raiven

©EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameSara Briški Cirman Born26 April 1996 Nationality🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionInternal selection 2024EMA 2019EMA 2017EMA 2016 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongVeronika (2024) Biography Sara Briški Cirman, widely recognized by her stage name Raiven, is a renowned Slovenian mezzo-soprano, pop singer, songwriter, and harpist. Born on April 26, 1996, in Brežice, Slovenia, she has made significant strides in her musical career, distinguishing herself in both the classical and pop music arenas. Raiven first gained widespread recognition in Slovenia’s music scene during the national final Evrovizijska Melodija (EMA) in 2016, where she competed to represent Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Črno bel.” She achieved second place in this highly competitive event. Following this success, Raiven continued to participate in EMA, securing third place in 2017 with “Zažarim” and returning in 2019 with “Kaos,” again placing second. Her talent and persistence paid off in 2024 when she was chosen to represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest with her song “Veronika.” In 2017, Raiven released “Magenta,” her debut album, to critical acclaim. This release earned her an award from Zlata piščal, a Slovenian cultural and artistic association, in the record of the year category. Later, Raiven expanded her horizons by collaborating with songwriters and producers at London’s Metropolis Studios. This partnership culminated in the release of the EP album “REM,” which garnered both critical and public acclaim. Raiven’s stage presence and performance skills were further highlighted at the Exit Festival in Novi Sad in 2019, where she performed on the Fusion Stage to an audience of over 56,000 people. She also showcased her versatility by performing with several esteemed orchestras, including the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra and the Slovenian Police Orchestra. In 2020, she delivered a memorable performance with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra at the Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet. Her achievements in 2021 were notable, winning the Grand Audience Award at the Popevka 21 festival with her song “Vokovi,” earning the title Popevka 2021. That same year, Raiven completed her master’s degree in opera solo singing at Ljubljana’s Academy of Music. Raiven’s innovative approach to music was evident in her electro-opera concert project in 2022, where she skillfully blended classical opera arias with electronic pop. This project, titled “Doloroso,” was showcased in a sold-out concert at Cankar Centre. In 2023, Raiven hosted the Popevka festival and introduced her new song “Ikona,” signaling the upcoming release of her EP “Sirene,” which includes her Eurovision song “Veronika.” Raiven’s education in music began early, enrolling at the Ljubljana Music Matica at the age of four. She pursued harp lessons at the Music School in Ljubljana and later attended the Maribor Conservatory of Music and Ballet, where she majored in harp, jazz singing, and solo singing. Her talents were recognized early on, winning several awards in classical music competitions. She graduated in solo singing from the Ljubljana Academy of Music in 2015 and completed her master’s degree in 2021. In opera, Raiven dedicated herself to artistic development, performing in various roles, including in the world’s first tamburitza opera “Ambrož and Katarina” and as a scholarship holder of the Berlin Opera Academy. Her performances in significant roles, such as Rosina in Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” and the title role in Händel’s “Agrippina,” demonstrate her versatility and commitment to the opera genre. Raiven has also made her mark in theater, performing in plays like “Trojanke” and musicals such as “Povodni mož,” showcasing her multifaceted talents. Her dedication to her craft and continuous development as an artist have established her as a significant figure in both the Slovenian and international music scenes. On December 12, 2023, it was announced that she was going to represent Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Veronika”. The song managed to reach the Grand Final on May 11. Entries Veronika Country🇸🇮 Slovenia Year2024 LanguageSlovenian LyricsSara Briški CirmanBojan CvjetićaninKlavdija Kopina MusicSara Briški CirmanBojan CvjetićaninDanilo KapelKlavdija KopinaMartin BezjakPeter Khoo DancersFilippo Jorio Lukas Bareman Marin Ino Mateja Železnik Matteo Moretto Results Semi Points: 51Position: 9Running order: 9 Results Finals Points: 27Position: 23Running order: 22 https://youtu.be/l86DxpRnz5M?si=fLlVc841n08YIFLg

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: 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

Slovenian Joker Out! presents “Carpe Diem”

photo: primož lukežič Tonight, the Slovenian band Joker Out! presented their Eurovision entry. The song is called “Carpe diem”, as was already revealed in an earlier stage. The song was presented after a show called Misija Liverpool. Joker Out will perform the song in the 2nd half of the 2nd semifinal.

Joker Out

© EBU/Chloe Hashemi About Quick Facts MembersBojan CvjetićaninJure MačekKris GuštinJan PetehNace Jordan Founded2016 Nationality🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionInternal selection 2023 In Eurovision2023 Liverpool SongCarpe Diem (2023) Biography Joker Out is a pop rock band from Ljubljana. They describe their style as “shagadelic rock’n’roll”. The band was formed in May 2016, after the breakup of the band Apokalipsa, in which Bojan Cvjetićanin, Martin Jurkovič, Matic Kovačič and Luka Škerlep played. Three of them – Cvjetićanin, Jurkovič and Kovačič – were joined by Kris Guštin and Jan Peteh from the group Bouržuazija and Joker Out was born. Their first public performance was at the Festival Na Gaj in May 2016. In November of the same year, they released their first single “Kot srce ki kri poganja”, for which they also recorded a music video. A few days later, on November 10, they had their first (preliminary) appearance in the Špil Liga, a talent show for bands. In the following months, they performed a lot on festivals and in television shows. They also competed for a performance in the finals of the Volkswagen Rocks tour. In the final of the Špil Liga they became the winners of its 4th season. In November, their second song “Omamljeno telo” was released. They kept on performing a lot in live shows, also in 2017 and 2018. Their next single “Gola”, in which they collaborated for the first time with producer Žaret Pak, was released on September 12, 2019. Before that, they had a break of about 8 months, which was the result of Cvjetićanin wanting to try a solo career, but in the end he found that working in a group suited him better. On 2 November 2019 they had their first completely independent concert, at the Ljubljana Castle, and in December they performed again at the Rhythm of Youth. “Goli” was followed by the fourth single “Vem da greš” in March 2020, and then “Umazane misli” (October 2020) and “A sem ti sajal” (July 2021). Jure Maček replaced drummer Matic Kovačič between the releases of “Umazanih misli” and “A sem ti sila”. The composition “Umazane misli” was chosen by the audience as the “newest Slovenian composition of the last year” at the festival Frišno/Fresh – Dan Nove Slovenske Glasbe, which took place on October 1, 2021. Their first album “Umazane misli” was released in October 2021. It was originally supposed to be released in April 2020, but its release was postponed several times due to COVID19. In those two years, they received two golden flutes: in 2020 for Newcomer of the Year and in 2021 for Artist of the Year. In April 2022, they released the music video for the last single from the first album, “Barve oceana”. On May 12, at the eighth awarding of the Golden Pipes, for the second year in a row, they celebrated in the performer of the year category. On August 31, they released their second album “Demoni”, which was announced by the song “Katrina”. On October 10, they announced on Instagram that bassist Martin Jurkovič was leaving the band due to studying abroad. For now, they continue as a quartet, and Nace Jordan accompanies them on their performances. “Katrina” was followed at the end of October by “Demoni”, their first single in Serbian, which represents their first official release for the market of the former Yugoslavia. On December 8, 2022, RTV Slovenia announced that Joker Out will represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool. With their song, “Carpe Diem”, they reached the final and were 21st there. Entries Carpe Diem Country🇸🇮 Slovenia Year2023 LanguageSlovenian LyricsBojan Cvjetićanin MusicBojan CvjetićaninKris GuštinJan PetehJure MačekNace Jordan Backings– Results Semi Points: 103Position: 5Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 78Position: 21Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/3LXlPviGiWc

Joker Out represents Slovenia

Today, Slovenian TV station RTVSLO announced it: the band Joker Out will represent Slovenia. After years of EMA, the Slovenian national final, RTVSLO decided not to have a national final. Joker Out is quite a famous band in Slovenia. The band started their carreer in 2016 as a combination of two other bands. Their breakthrough came a year later, when they won Špil Ige, a talent show. Their song “Omamljeno telo” became a hit. It was followed by songs as “Gola”, “Vem da greš” and “Umazane misli”. The band released two full albums so far. Their most recent album and it’s title song are “Demoni”. About Eurovision, a statement was brought by the band: ‘All members in the band are big fans of the Eurovision. It is our wish to perform there for some time now, but we were waiting for the right moment. Although we are young, the fast progress of our career has brought us loads of experience, motivation and creative energy: we are ready for this challenge. Regarding the style of music present at the Eurovision Song Contest – we need to say that it is well past being defined or limited to just one genre. We are staying true to our distinctive Joker Out sound, no matter where and when we perform.’ On February 4th, the Slovenian entry will be presented in a television show.

Last Pizza Slice

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts MembersFilip VidušinGašper HlupičMark SemejaZala VelenšekŽiga Žvižej Founded2018 Nationality🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionEMA 2022 In Eurovision2022 Turin SongDisko (2022) Biography Last Pizza Slice, often shortened as LPS, is a Slovenian band. Te band was created in December 2018 in the music room of the Gymnasium Celje – Center. Filip Vidušin, Martin Škorjanec, Žiga Žvižej, Maj Lesjak and Mark Semeja gathered there for the first rehearsal. In December 2019, Škorjanec, Vidušin, Žvižej, Gašper Hlupič, Matija Mervič and Lovro Gubenšek performed at the “Centrovizija” school event and received the expert jury award. In 2020, they were selected for the 8th season of Špil lige, a talent show on Slovenian television. They made it all the way to the finals in june 2021. Three days before the final, they released the EP “”Live from Šiška”, which contained live recordings of five original songs from their semi-final performance at the Špil League in Kino Šiška. After the finals of the Špil lige, the current line-up of the band was formed, in which Teržana and Laha replaced Mark Semeja (who had previously played in the group) and Zala Velenšek. On 19 February 2022, they won Ema with the song “Disco” and thus represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin. One week before that, they released their first (official) single “Silence in My Head”. Entries Disko Country🇸🇮 Slovenia Year2022 LanguageSlovenian LyricsFilip VidušinGašper HlupičMark SemejaZala VelenšekŽiga Žvižej MusicFilip VidušinGašper HlupičMark SemejaZala VelenšekŽiga Žvižej Backings– Results Semi Points: 15Position: 17Running order: 5 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/S1tFqoflsT8

Day 5: A sun that doesn’t move, a Greek tavern and COVID19

Today we saw the second rehearsals for the first 14 countries from the first semifinal. For the first time the press was allowed to see the rehearsals on large TV screens in the press center. It is now certain that the kinetic sun does not rotate. During the first rehearsals it turned out that the time between performances was too short to move the center part of the sun. As a result, several countries had to adjust their graphics, because they were not or only partially visible ALBANIA: The outfit had been changed and Ronela Hajati also had her own blond hair again, instead of the pink hair she had during the first rehearsal. It was a dynamic performance, in which there was almost constant dancing, together with her four dancers and a dancer. After the first rehearsal, there were some comments about an allegedly offensive dance move by Ronela with her dancer, but she kept it in anyway. LATVIA: The six were wearing the familiar colorful suits and the decor was also very colorful. Various types of vegetables were displayed on the LED screen. In the middle of the song there was a moment for the saxophonist. The performance ended with the singer making a split. LITHUANIA: Monika Liu stood alone on the big stage in Turin and mainly sang her song into the camera. She moved elegantly and attracted all the attention. The song doesn’t really need anything more. SWITZERLAND: Dressed all in black, Marius Bear was on stage and a broken heart was visible on his face and on the floor. So emotions abound. SLOVENIA: As said before, it was a big disco ball that mainly caught the attention of the Slovenian act. The boys wore 1970s-style velvet suits and the drummer appeared to be drumming above the disco ball. Compared to the previous rehearsal, there was little change. UKRAINE: There was a lot to see on stage, besides the colorful costumes there was a lot of visual spectacle. It was traditional, ethnic with a modern twist, just like last year’s contribution. Because of the war in Ukraine, this performance has something emotional and that is subtly reflected in the visual spectacle. BULGARIA: The performance started with a split screen, showing the drummer on one side and another member of the group. A small rock concert with all the trimmings, including a lot of fire(work). THE NETHERLANDS: There were few noticeable changes from the first rehearsal of S10. In the Netherlands, there was some fuss about the singer’s bare belly, but it is still naked for a while. A lot has been taken out of the lighting of S10. MOLDOVA: After the intimate moment of the Netherlands, a party erupted on stage with the contribution of Zdob şi Zdub, who are participating for the third time. They used the entire stage for their folklore song: Hey ho, let’s go…, but no train on stage. Lots of color, matching the contribution. CROATIA: During rehearsals today, Mia had problems with her in-ears. No surprises at Mia’s performance. The postcards were also shown to the press today. A drone searches for the location where the artist of the country in question can be seen and we see the visual artist in the area. DENMARK: The beginning was just like in the national final, Siggy starts alone at the piano, with her quieter part of the song and then the rock show starts. Last year we went back to the eighties with Denmark, now it seems back to the nineties. In case you don’t remember the name of the band, REDDI appeared on the LED screen. AUSTRIA: Of course there is a Halo on stage. Lots of fireworks and strong staging. The vocal part of the duo was, as we can see now, quite disappointing. GREECE: For those who don’t understand the act of Greece: Amanda seems to be in a Greek tavern; hence the chairs around her. But some of the seats have fallen over. That fits with the lyrics of the song. Amanda could count on a big round of applause from the audience. PORTUGAL: A delegation member from Portugal tested positive for corona, so the entire delegation had to go back to the hotel and be tested. Fortunately none of the ladies tested positive and they were able to rehearse for their performance, but later than planned. After all the rehearsals had been completed, Portugal was allowed to go on stage after Greece. During this rehearsal it was clear that it was one of the background singers who tested positive for corona. The ladies were lined up in a circle and brought this atmospheric contribution in a good way.