Ukraine

UEFA Eighth finals: DAY 4

The 4th and last day of the UEFA Eighth Finals has arrived. With, again, two matches. First we start with England vs Germany. They won in the early 1980s in a row. The United Kingdom won with Bucks Fizz in 1981. One year later, in the small city of Harrogate in England, Nicole got the prize with “Ein bißchen Frieden”. Sweden will meet Ukraine today. Both countries once sent a song about an angel. In 1998, Jill Johnson sang “Kärleken är” (En ängel flög forbi mot himmelen så fri, men hon lämnade sitt leende). In 2011 it was Ukrainian Mika Newton who sang the song “Angel”.

A Month After Rotterdam

It’s been exactly one month after the Grand Final of The Eurovision Song Contest 2021! A lot of rumors, new information has been going around since then, but what are the 2021 artists doing? Måneskin The rock band from Italy, which won this years contest, are touring all over Europe at this moment! They have quite a few things on their schedule. Three days ago they were in Amsterdam, yesterday in Gothenburg and right now they are in Copenhagen! And this is only for interviews or to perform a few songs, not even for their music tour. Barbara Pravi Barbara is having a blast with her career right now! She’s slaying on Time Square, performing at Roland Garros and selling out her European tour. In two days she will release her new song “Le Jour Se Lève”. Gjon’s Tears The third placer Gjon is enjoying his success of Tout l’Univers. At the begin of June he performed his song on Albanian television. Besides this, he won the ESC Radio Awards 2021 for best male artist and best song yesterday! TIX While placing 18th at the song contest, TIX is doing well in Norway. Two weeks ago he performed at his first gig since covid and he is planning even more gigs now! Go_A Shum was everything they needed for their career to spark this bright! The Ukrainian song is still 4th in the USA Viral charts and they are having some gigs in Ukraine (of course). They have also announced that they will be playing in Amsterdam at Het Grote Songfestivalfeest in December. Tusse Since the Eurovision Song Contest Tusse from Sweden has been doing a lot of things. He had his 2021 prom party, he graduated from high school and he has also got his tonsils taken out. Right now he has to rest because of that, maybe reading this article will help him to get rid of his boredom. Daði Freyr He just missed out on top 3 but that’s not holding him back from releasing music! Daði has released his LP “Welcome” the night before the Grand Final but he is still profiting from it! He even made a music video for his new song “Somebody Else Now”. What have you been doing since The Eurovision Song Contest 2021? We have for sure been listening to the songs of the artists. photo credits: EBU

UEFA 2020: DAY 11

It’s day 11 of the European Championship soccer already. Today, no less than four matches will be played. To start with Ukraine against Austria. Both countries once had an act containing a burning fake piano. It was Mélovin who played the piano in his song “Under the ladder” in 2018. He was not the first one to do so. In 2015 The Makemakes had a piano burning during the performance of “I am yours”. The second match is between North Macedonia and the Netherlands. Both countries once had a song about darkness and light. The 2012 North Macedonian entrant Kaliopi sang “Crno i belo”, which means black and white. The Dutch sisters of O’G3NE sang “Lights and shadows” in 2017. Russia will meet Denmark tomorrow. It was back in 2000 when Russia and Denmark ended up in the top, Denmark as the winner, Russia as the number 2. When The Olsen Brothers won with “Fly on the wings of love”, Alsou was the runner up with “Solo”. Another match will be the the one from Finland against Belgium. In 1977, both countries were favorites to win the contest. Both ended up disappointed. Finnish Monica Aspelund and her “Lapponia” ended up in 10th place, while Belgian Dream Express brought their “A million in one, two, three” to a 7th place.

UEFA 2020: DAY 7

We already face the 7th day of UEFA 2020. Again, three matches will be played. The first one will be Ukraine against North Macedonia. Both countries have had a contestant who faced troubles because of his or her identity. Gaitana sang “Be my guest” in 2012. The song is a soccer anthem, with the music being based on the vuvuzela. Yuriy Syrotyuk, politician of a nationalist political party, said that with this contestant people might think Ukraine is an African country. Gaitana is half Congolese. 2021 North Macedonian contestant Vasil faced a petition because in the video, something that looked like the Bulgarian flag was shown. Vasil also has the Bulgarian nationality. The second match is Denmark vs Belgium. We all know that the only Belgian winner, Sandra Kim, was a 13 year old child. But it was also a child star who participated in the 1985 contest for Denmark. It was Leah Bundgård, the 8 year old daughter of Søren Bundgård. Søren was the male half of the duo Kirsten & Søren. The third and last match will be between The Netherlands and Austria. That reminds us of 2014, when it was either one of them to get the win. It was the duo Common Linnets for the Netherlands coming second with “Calm after the storm”. It was Conchita Wurst for Austria winning with “Rise like a Phoenix”. But hey, you published “Rise like a Phoenix” before? Touché, but who minds watching Conchita’s performance twice?

Road to Rotterdam: Ukraine

Go_A is an electro folk band from Ukraine, consisting of Kateryna, Taras, Ihor and Ivan. In December 2012 they made their first song. It took a while before they could release their first album, but it happened in 2016. The group also released four singles.Last year Go_A won the Ukrainian preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest with “Solovey”. After the contest was canceled, the Ukrainian broadcaster announced that they wanted to work with the group again. “Shum” was chosen out of three songs.

Go_A

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts MembersKateryna PavlenkoTaras ShevchenkoIhor DidenchukIvan Grigoryak Founded2012 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionEvrobachenye 2020 In Eurovision2021 Rotterdam2020 Rotterdam (Cancelled) SongShum (2021)Solovey (2020) Biography Go_A (Ukrainian Gov_Ey) is a Ukrainian electro-folk band that combines Ukrainian authentic vocals, modern dance beats, African drums and powerful guitar drive. The group was founded by Taras Shevchenko. Go_A musicians come from different parts of Ukraine: Kateryna Pavlenko is from Nizhyn, Taras Shevchenko from Kiev, Igor Didenchuk from Lutsk and Ivan Grigoryak from Bukovina. All but Igor had played hard rock before. Kateryna Pavlenko also worked as a veteran choir director, while Taras Shevchenko had been in a rap group, Igor Didenchuk plays more than 30 instruments. Their first song “Kolyada”, was presented on social media in December 2012, soon after aired by one of the bigger radio stations. In November 2016, the debut album of the band “#Idynazvuk”, was released. In the same year, Go_A won the competition The Best Track in Ukraine. Their song “Vesnyanka” reached the #1 spot in the charts of radio station 10-Dance. The band was nominated for the Kiss FM Opening of the Year title. In early 2017, Go_A recorded the Christmas single “Shchedryy vechir” in collaboration with Katya Chilly. Go_A music hit the Top 10 in the iTunes Dance chart in Slovakia in the spring of 2019. In 2020, they were supposed to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Solovey”. Unfortunately, due to the cancellation of the contest, it didn’t happen. They were invited by Ukrainian tv to represent their country in 2021 and presented the song “Shum”. They reached a 2nd place in the final. After the Eurovision Song Contest, the band began actively touring Ukraine and European countries, giving concerts, in particular in Poland and Belgium. However, due to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, they couldn’t continue their European tour. In the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest, Ihor Didenchuk represented Ukraine as a member of Kalush Orchestra and won the contest. Entries Shum Country Ukraine Year2021 LanguageUkrainian LyricsKateryna Pavlenko ComposersKateryna PavlenkoTaras ShevchenkoIhor Didenchuk DancersDmitriy SharipovVania Yurkiv Results Semi Points: 364Position: 5Running order: 19 Results Finals Points: 267Position: 2Running order: 15 https://youtu.be/lqvzDkgok_g Solovey Country Ukraine Year2021 LanguageUkrainian LyricsKateryna Pavlenko ComposersKateryna PavlenkoTaras Shevchenko Backing Vocals– Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/zNetXPSld50

Svetlana Loboda

About Quick Facts NameSvitlana Serhiivna Loboda Born18 October 1982 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionEvrobachennya 2009 – Natsionalyni vidbir In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongBe My Valentine (Anti-crisis girl) (2009) Biography Early Life and Education Svitlana Serhiivna Loboda, known professionally as Svetlana Loboda or simply LOBODA, was born on October 18, 1982, in Oleksandrivskaya Clinical Hospital in Kyiv, Ukraine. She spent her early years in Irpin, Kyiv region. Svetlana’s childhood was marked by a strong passion for music. She attended a music school where she excelled in piano, conducting, and academic vocal studies. This early education laid the foundation for her future career in music. After completing her initial musical training, Svetlana continued her education at the Kyiv Variety and Circus Academy, enrolling in the Variety Vocal Department. During her first year, she joined the musical group Cappuccino, which gained a respectable place in the Ukrainian music scene. However, she later left the group, feeling it wasn’t the right fit for her. Early Career and Breakthrough Svetlana’s early career saw her participate in the first Ukrainian musical Equator, directed by Viktor Shulakov. She played one of the main roles, Mirana, which garnered attention and praise. During this period, she released a song and music video titled “Black Angel,” which received wide rotation and further increased her visibility. In December 2003, Svetlana formed her own band, Ketch. By spring 2004, she auditioned and became a soloist for the popular Ukrainian girl group VIA Gra, also known internationally as Nu Virgos. With VIA Gra, she toured Asian cities and starred in the music video for the song “Biologiya.” Despite her success with the group, she left after a short stint and released her debut solo single, “Chyorno-belya zima,” in December 2004. In November 2005, she released her first solo album, “Ty ne zabudesh,” which marked the beginning of her solo career. Her subsequent single “Chyorny Angel” and a trip to Japan led to the recording of the song “Postoy, mushchina!.” She also hosted the show Shoumaniya on Novy Channel and the Miss CIS pageant on TET channel. Additionally, she opened a travel agency, “Happy Vacations,” and released the music video for her song “Schactye” Eurovision and Growing Popularity In 2009, Svetlana Loboda represented Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Be My Valentine! (Anti-Crisis Girl).” Her performance and campaign to raise awareness against domestic violence brought her international recognition. Despite finishing in 12th place, her song and video became very popular, with high view counts on Eurovision’s YouTube channel and significant search interest. Continued Success (2010-2015) Between 2010 and 2015, Svetlana Loboda’s career continued to flourish. She released several hit singles and albums, including the song “Zhit legko,” which humorously depicted her weight gain after Eurovision. She also recorded a duet, “Serdtse byotsya,” with Max Barskikh, and in 2011, she released the single “Na svete” at the Crimea Music Fest. Her 2012 project “Oblaka” included a short film, “Woman-Crime,” filmed in Miami, exploring themes of passion and crime. In April 2012, she launched her show The Beginning, touring Ukraine for nearly a year. Her song “What about U” was included in the official tracklist for the UEFA Euro 2012 championship. She continued to release popular music, including the single “40 gradusov,” and became a coach on the talent show The Voice Kids in 2012. Achievements and Awards Svetlana Loboda has received numerous awards throughout her career. In June 2013, she was honored with the title Honored Artist of Ukraine. She has been recognized at various music award ceremonies, including the YUNA Awards, where she won several categories such as Best Female Performer and Best Song. Her album “H2LO,” released in 2017, achieved significant commercial success, topping charts in multiple countries. Continued Success (2017-2024) In 2017, Svetlana Loboda released her album “H2LO,” which included hit singles like “K chyortu lyubov” and “Tvoi Glaza.” The album was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, topping charts in several countries including Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Her song “Tvoi Glaza” held the top position on the iTunes charts in the CIS for five weeks and won the Golden Gramophone award in Moscow. In March 2018, at the Bravo Awards, she received awards for Best Album and Best Singer from Eros Ramazzotti. During this event, she also announced her pregnancy and took a brief hiatus from concert activities. However, two weeks after the birth of her second daughter, she returned to the stage at the Muz-TV Award and received the award for Best Singer. In 2019, Svetlana became a mentor on the show The Voice Kids on Channel One. Although she faced controversy due to the voting results, she continued to release popular music. Her album “Sold Out,” released at the end of 2019, went triple platinum, and she became the best streaming artist on the Sony Music Entertainment Russia label. In 2020, she collaborated with rapper Pharaoh on the track “Boom Boom,” which sparked controversy but quickly gained popularity, receiving platinum status in Russia. She also released the single “Moloko,” which entered the top 40 radio charts in Russia and Ukraine and achieved platinum status. Support for Ukraine and Recent Projects In February 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Svetlana Loboda ceased her collaboration with Russia and canceled her scheduled concert tour. She publicly supported Ukraine and shared regular updates about the war’s impact on Ukrainians on her social media platforms. She also transformed her office into a volunteer headquarters to assist Ukrainians in need. On June 3, 2022, Svetlana released “Molytva,” her first song since the start of the war, dedicating it to Ukraine. The music video, filmed in Riga, Latvia, featured 45 musicians from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra. In November 2022, she released the Ukrainian-language single “Dva neznaiomtsi,” dedicated to Ukrainians experiencing separation due to the war. In early 2023, she released the song “Po-Ukrainski,” which became the lead single for her new album “Made in U”, which was released in March 2023. In 2024, she released the single

Anastasiya Prikhodko

About Quick Facts NameAnastasiya Kostyantynivna Prykhodko Born21 April 1987 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2016Evrobachennya 2011 – Natsionalyni vidbirEvrovidenie 2009 – Nacionalny OtborEvrobachennya 2009 – Natsionalyni vidbir In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongMamo (2009) Biography Anastasia Konstantinovna Prikhodko, born on April 21, 1987, in Kyiv, USSR (now Ukraine), is a renowned Ukrainian singer, songwriter, and political activist. She has received the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine in 2017. Early Life and Background Anastasia was born into a mixed heritage family, with a Russian father and a Ukrainian mother.Her childhood was marked by the divorce of her parents, leading her to be raised by her mother in Kyiv. Her family history is diverse, including a great-great-grandfather of Japanese descent and a grandfather who was a World War II veteran. Education and Early Career At the age of fifteen, Anastasia aspired to join the pop group VIA Gra but did not succeed. Undeterred, she pursued her passion for music, graduating from the Kyiv Music College with a focus on folk vocals. She furthered her education at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts and actively participated in various local music festivals. Rise to Fame Anastasia’s breakthrough came in 2007 when she won Fabrika zvyozd 7, a popular Russian TV music competition. This victory led to a contract with the well-known producer Konstantin Meladze. Musical Achievements In 2008, she gained further recognition by performing a hymn dedicated to Family, Love, and Fidelity Day on the First Channel and releasing a music video for her song “Bezotvetno,” directed by Alan Badoev. Eurovision Experience Anastasia’s attempt to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009 was met with disqualification. She then successfully competed in the Russian national selection with her bilingual song “Mamo,” winning the opportunity to represent Russia. She performed at the Eurovision 2009 in Moscow, finishing in 11th place. Following this, her collaboration with Konstantin Meladze ended. Continued Music Career In October 2009, Anastasia starred in the musical How Cossacks…, aired on New Year’s Eve. She released the video for “Vspykhnet svet” in 2010 and continued to participate in music contests, including the Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision 2011. In 2011, she collaborated with David on “Mezhdu nami nebo” and released “Yasnovidyashchaya” in 2012. Political Involvement In 2016, Anastasia competed in the Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision with “I Am Free Now,” but did not make it to the final. She later released a Ukrainian version of the song, “Ya vilna,” dedicated to Nadiya Savchenko. In October 2018, Anastasia announced her shift from music to politics, joining Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna party. She ran for a seat in the Verkhovna Rada in June 2019 but later decided to leave the party and return to music. Recent Activities In February 2021, Anastasia declared her return to the music scene. She competed in the Ukrainian TV show “Maska,” (The Masked Singer) reaching the semifinals as the Dragonfly. In late 2021, she released a new song titled “Podruga,” and in June 2022, she came out with a music video for her Ukrainian-language song “Stepom.” Entries Song Title Country🇷🇺 Russia Year2009 LanguageRussianUkrainian LyricsDiana GoldeKonstantin Meladze MusicKonstantin Meladze Backings????? Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 91Position: 11Running order: 10 https://youtu.be/vxZGknFxE58?si=iM7tcEXzIPgHqf_c

Alyosha

About Quick Facts NameOlena Oleksandrivna Kucher Born14 May 1986 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionEvrobachennya Ukrayina 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongSweet people (2010) Biography Olena Oleksandrivna Kucher, professionally known as Alyosha and more recently as Olena Topolia, is a Ukrainian singer, composer, and songwriter born on May 14, 1986, in Zaporizhzhia. Olena’s musical journey began in her childhood. She was born to a traffic officer, Oleksandr Mykolayovych Kucher, and an aviation plant worker, Lyudmyla Fedorivna Kucher. Her early years were marked by family activities such as helping her father sell fish and participating in her brothers’ karate and kung fu training sessions, earning her the nickname Lyoshka. Her formal music education started early, singing in a school choir and attending the “Youth” music studio. She later honed her skills by graduating from the Faculty of Pop Vocal at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts. Olena’s breakthrough came in 2006 when she won the international competition Yalta 2006, featuring contestants from 14 countries. Two years later, she triumphed at the International TV Competition Songs of the Sea, competing against representatives from 12 countries, including the USA and Poland. In 2010, Olena won the national selection for Eurovision with the song “To be free,”. The song, however, was withdrawn following plagiarism accusations. Instead, she sang the song “Sweet people”. Her performance in Oslo earned her a spot in the final, where she finished tenth. That same year, she released her English-language album “A World Outside Your Door” in the USA under Sony BMG. Olena’s career continued to flourish. In 2011, she was named “Singer of the Year” in Ukraine’s Favorites of Success rating. Known for her impressive four-octave vocal range, she has written many of her own songs and composed for other artists, including Nataliia Mohylevska and the duo Oleksiy Potapenko and Anastasiia Kamenskykh. Her album “Tocka na karte” (Point on the Map), released in 2015, and the song “Poruch” (Nearby) in 2016, showcased her versatility. The music video for her song “Kalyna,” released in 2017, became a YouTube sensation with about 7 million views in a year. The song earned her several nominations and wins at the M1 Music Awards and the “Golden Firebird” awards in 2018. In 2019, Olena embarked on the “Poruch” tour, performing in 20 cities across Ukraine. She also collaborated with Vlad Darwin, releasing the joint album “Golden Mean” and the song “Happiness Without Guilt.” In 2023, she performed at Eurovision again, this time as an interval act in a duet with Rebecca Ferguson, singing “Ordinary World.” Later that year, she transitioned from her stage name Alyosha to perform under her real name, Olena Topolia, marking a new chapter in her illustrious career. Entries Sweet People Country🇺🇦 Ukraine Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsOlena ‘Alyosha’ Kucher MusicBorys KukobaOlena ‘Alyosha’ KucherVadim Lisitsa Backings– Results Semi Points: 77Position: 7Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: 108Position: 10Running order: 17 https://youtu.be/20CPPV_uwmE?si=gbS_3hd-Sd6TWef-

Gaitana

About Quick Facts NameGaita-Lurdes Born24 March 1979 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionVidbir 2012 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongBe My Guest (2012) Biography Gaita Lurdes Essami (translated as “strong and great”; born 24 March 1979, Kyiv) is a Ukrainian singer and songwriter of Congolese origin who combines in her artistry the soulful style of performance with dance song stylings, which include elements of jazz, blues, funk, soul, and folk music. Until the age of five, she lived in the Republic of Congo, where her father is from, and spoke only French and Lingala. Later, she returned to Ukraine with her mother. Gaitana’s father still lives in Brazzaville. Gaitana graduated from a music school majoring in saxophone and later obtained an education in economics. From childhood, she played table tennis, earning the title of Candidate Master of Sports. Her singing career began in 1991 with the children’s television competition Fant-loto Hope, where she took third place. Later, composer Volodymyr Bystryakov invited her to his ensemble Altana. With this ensemble, she participated in cartoon recordings and was a backup vocalist for recordings of Irina Bilyk, Taisiya Povaliy, Ani Lorak, Mykola Karachentsov, and Oleksandr Malinin. Later, she sang with the jazz orchestra Overtimw and the pop-jazz band Unity. In December 2003, Gaitana’s debut album “O Tebe” was released. The only Ukrainian-language song in it was “Diti svitla”, which became hugely successful, leading most songs on her next album to be in Ukrainian. Her second album, “Slidom za toboiu” was released in April 2005, also at the Lavina Music studio. In 2006, she released the single “Dva vikna”, which also included an English version of the song. In early 2007, the next single “Shaleniy” was released, gaining immense popularity among listeners. On December 10, 2007, Gaitana presented a new album “Kapli dozhdyа”. The album included all the latest hits of the singer, as well as 5 music videos. In early 2008, Gaitana and her producer Eduard Klim began recording a new album with Eric Daniels — the producer and music director of Janet Jackson, who worked with famous artists like Mariah Carey, Boyz 2 Men, TLC, Brandy, Backstreet Boys, and Michael Bolton. The new record was made in a New York studio and was presented in the fall in the USA, Canada, and Japan. In early April of the same year, Gaitana presented her third Ukrainian album. Gaitana has always followed her unique musical path, bringing her authenticity to the Ukrainian show business. Her new album was titled “Taynye zhelaniya”. On April 26, 2011, the singer presented her new music video titled “Khimiya”. On October 27, 2011, Gaitana released the video “Shakhtar – Champion”, which featured most of the footballers from the club “Shakhtar”. The shooting took place in August. On February 18, 2012, she won the right to represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The singer performed the song “Be My Guest”. She made it to the final. In the Grand Final, the song scored 65 points and ranked 15th. The follow up is the song “Aliens”, released in 2013. A year later she came up with “Galaxy”. The songs can be found on her 2014 album “Voodooman”. On October 26, 2016, after a long creative break, Gaitana presented a new video for the song “Bil’ mene ne lyakaye”. With this work, the singer puts a definitive end to her past story. The song was presented on the singer’s official YouTube channel under a Creative Commons license. In January 2018 a new single, “Nebo”, came out, followed two months later by “Obiymy, ne vidpuskay”. On October 15 2019 a new video of Gaitana was released: “Tantsi z zirkamy”. A month later she sang the national anthem at the soccermatch Ukraine-Estonia. In December she teamed up with Orest to record the duet “Divo”. On 14 January 2020, Gaitana released a new single, “Snih”. In collaboration with world refugee organization UNHCR Gaitana recorded the song “Paper plane” in June of the same year. Entries Be My Guest Country🇺🇦 Ukraine Year2012 LanguageEnglish LyricsGaitana MusicGaitanaAlexey Mayorov (KIWI Project)Igor Burenko (KIWI Project) BackingsAlexander FlomboymAndrej GutsalTwo others, names unknown Results Semi Points: 64Position: 8Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: 65Position: 15Running order: 25 https://youtu.be/sLsTn_li5d8?si=TDFmIxx87PJHFBV4