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Iolanda

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter.  Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the contest Uma Canção para Ti, aired on TVI, but was eliminated in the 2nd gala. At 17, she again sought television exposure by participating in the 5th edition of Ídolos in 2012 on SIC, but did not advance to the live gala phase. After completing high school, Iolanda moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education and graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. During this period, she sought to break into the music scene through performances in bars and national talent contests. Her journey continued when she moved to London to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute at the University of Sussex. In 2014, she competed in the Blind Auditions of the second season of The Voice Portugal on RTP1, performing “Who You Are” by Jessie J, yet none of the four mentors turned their chairs for her. Iolanda’s first significant contribution to music came in 2022 as a co-author and co-composer of the song “Mar No Fim,” performed by Blacci at the Festival da Canção. The following year, in 2023, she released her first EP titled “Cura,” which was inspired by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Iolanda achieved a notable milestone by being selected to compete in the RTP Festival da Canção with her song “Grito.” She won the contest on March 9, 2024, and was thus chosen to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest. Iolanda reached the Grand Final and got a 10th place there. Entries Grito Country🇵🇹 Portugal Year2024 LanguagePortuguese LyricsIolanda Costa MusicIolanda CostaAlberto Hérnandez DancersGonçalo CarrapiçoInês GonferMélissa CarodosoRenato GarciaTelmo Teite Results Semi Points: 58Position: 8Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 152Position: 10Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/OZn4-H6JvKU?si=OykbBlOVGYiKga_y

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Petr Elfimov

About Quick Facts NamePetr Petrovich Elfimov Born15 February 1980 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionEurofest 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongEyes That Never Lie (2009) Biography Petr Petrovich Elfimov was born on February 15, 1980, in Mogilev, Belarus, into a family of musicians. He started his musical education at the age of 6, focusing on the trumpet. In 1994, Elfimov enrolled in the Mogilev Gymnasium-College of Music and Choreography, specializing in choir conducting. During his time there, he was a soloist in the studio Double V, winning the television contest for young pop artists, Zornaya Rostan-96. In 1998, he joined the Belarusian State Academy of Music, where he studied academic singing in the vocal-choral department. From August 2003 to June 2004, he was a member of the ensemble Pesnyary. In 2004, Elfimov won the Grand Prix at the International Pop Song Performers Contest “Vitebsk-2004,” part of the “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk” festival. He graduated with a master’s degree from the Belarusian State Academy of Music in 2009. Elfimov represented Belarus as a backing vocalist for the duo “Alexandra and Konstantin” at Eurovision 2004 with the song “My Galileo.” Although the song did not make it to the final, it marked the beginning of his association with the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, he released his debut album “Ya Khochu,” followed by “Kolokola” in 2007 and  “S novym rozhdeniyem” in 2009.  On January 19, 2009, Elfimov won the Belarusian national selection for Eurovision 2009 with the song “Eyes That Never Lie.” He performed at the Eurovision semi-final in Moscow, finishing 13th, which did not qualify him for the final. From July 17 to 25, 2010, Elfimov competed at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He represented Belarus in five categories and won five gold medals. In the fall of 2013, Elfimov participated in the second season of the popular Russian TV show Golos (The Voice), reaching the quarterfinals as part of Leonid Agutin’s team. In 2015, he competed in the TV pop song contest Glavnaya stsena (Main Stage) on Russia-1, winning the competition based on viewers’ votes. On September 8, 2011, Elfimov performed the song “Kolokola” at a memorial evening in Minsk-Arena, dedicated to the Yaroslavl “Lokomotiv” hockey players who died in a plane crash. Petr Elfimov released his album “Kniga otkroveniy” in 2012, and “Glavnaya rol” in 2015. In the same year, Elfimov starred in the film “Ukrast Belmondo” (Steal Belmondo). Since November 15, 2018, Elfimov has been the vocalist and songwriter for the heavy-power band Gran-Kurazh. His concert repertoire includes works ranging from hard rock to romance, featuring pieces by Vladimir Mulyavin, Igor Luchenok, Deep Purple, Czeslaw Niemen, and classical composers. With Gran-Kurazh, he released a studio album  “Epokhi, geroi i sudby” in 2021. He also released EPs such as “Eyforiya” in 2022 and “Skomorokh” in 2023, along with the live album “IX zhizney” in 2022. In 2024, Petr released a new album: “Legendy mira iz ognya”.  His music videos include “Moya dusha” in 2008, “Eyes That Never Lie” in 2009, “Shag navstrechu” in 2016, “Vybor yest!” in 2017, and “Tsarstvo dikikh lyudey” in 2021. Throughout his career, Petr Elfimov has received numerous accolades, including the Medal of Francysk Skaryna. In his personal life, he was first married to Natalya Dementyeva. He is now married to Tatyana Kosmacheva, with whom he has a daughter named Polina. Entries Eyes That Never Lie Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsValery Prokhozhy MusicPetr Elfimov BackingsAnton ToimentsauEkaterina MatskevichPhilip MazurovDmitry MikulichYan Zhenchak Results Semi Points: 25Position: 13Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6824_LUFgE8

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Grupa Regina

About Quick Facts MembersDavor EbnerAleksandar ‘Aco’ ĆovićDenis ČabrićBojan Milićević Active1990-2000, 2006- Nationality🇧🇦 Bosnian National SelectionInternal selection 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongBistra voda (2009) Biography In 1989, five members—Aleksandar Čović, Bojan Milicevic, Bojan Milijas, Boris Milijas, and Goran Lucic—started an amateur band in Sarajevo, in those days in Yugoslavia. They had a problem because they didn’t have a singer. Soon, they found Davor Ebner, who gave the band the name Regina. That same year, Regina released their first album, called Regina. Aleksandar Čović wrote the lyrics, and he was inspired by the Irish band U2. The first album had hit songs like “Spavaj,” “Ne pitaj me,” and “Kao nekada ona,” and the band quickly became one of the most popular in the former Yugoslavia. In 1992, they released another album called “Ljubav nije za nas,” but the band stopped working because the war started in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though the band stopped performing, Aleksandar Čović continued working in Belgrade between 1992 and 1999, releasing several albums: “Regina,” “Oteto od zaborava,” “Godine lete,” “Ja nisam kao drugi,” “Kad zatvorim oči,” and “Devedesete.” From 2000, the band didn’t work until 2006, when Čović started working again with singer Davor Ebner, and they reformed the band. They soon released another album called “Sve mogu ja.” On January 12, 2009, BHT announced that Regina, with their song “Bistra voda,” would represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. The song was officially presented on March 1, 2009. Theyqualified for the final on May 16, 2009, performing 12th. In the final, they finished in 9th place with 106 points. On June 5, 2009, they released their 10th studio album called “Vrijeme je.” The album included the Eurovision song “Bistra voda,” its English and Russian versions, and 10 new songs. In 2011, the band recorded a duet with Tifa, the former singer of the band Bijelo Dugme, titled “Ptico mala,” which premiered in the summer of 2011, along with a music video. They also announced a new album, “Sarajevo,” with “Ptico mala” as the lead single. Although “Sarajevo” was announced for autumn 2011, the band postponed the album release. In May 2012, it was announced that a new song “Kad poludimo” was recorded. The music video was released on May 8, 2012, and it was announced that the new album would be titled “Kad poludimo,” set to be released by the end of May 2012. On May 18, 2012, Regina announced that the album was on sale. In 2015, Bojan Miličević left the band. On 16 August 2016, the band’s long-time bassist, Denis Čabrić, suddenly died of a heart attack, leaving the band with three members. On Valentine’s Day 2017, Regina, now a trio, released a new studio album called “U srcu,” with the single “Za one stare dane,” the video for which was filmed in Paris. After thirty years of performing and many concerts, Davor Ebner decided to start a new project called “Ebner,” with some well-known Sarajevo musicians.  The idea of the project was for Davor Ebner to try a different style of music compared to Regina. With his lead and the new musicians, Regina entered a new phase, aiming to connect the “Ebner” project with the Regina band by trying to produce and perform music closer to new market trends. Regina’s songs are still performed in their original form but with a more modern and better sound to make the differences between genres smaller along with the “Ebner” project songs. In December 2022, Ebner left Regina, leaving the band as a duo. Entries Bistra voda Country🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Year2009 LanguageBosnian LyricsAleksandar ‘Ćović MusicAleksandar Ćović BackingsElma SelimovićDanijela Večerinović Results Semi Points: 125Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 106Position: 9Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/TcRWjoEkzMk?si=LzeMNMSO6B_60ZKG

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Jessy Matador

About Quick Facts NameJessy Kimbangi Born27 October 1982 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal selection 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongAllez ola olé Biography Jessy Kimbangi, known by his stage name Jessy Matador, is a celebrated French coupé-décalé singer and dancer of Congolese origin, born on October 27, 1983, in Paris. Early Life and Career Beginnings Born to Congolese parents in Paris, Jessy Matador grew up in various neighborhoods, including Épinay-sur-Seine, Vanves, the Luth area in Gennevilliers, and eventually settled in Saint-Denis. His journey into the entertainment industry began in 2001 when he embarked on a career as a dancer. Jessy later joined the group Les Cœurs Brisés under Dany Engobo’s direction, which took him on tours across the United States, Congo, Great Britain, Italy, and Canada. Formation of La Selesao In 2005, Jessy Matador formed his own group, La Selesao, with members Dr. Love & Linho (known as Les Jumo) and Benkoff. The group gained popularity, opening for acts like Magic System. They signed with Oyas Records in late 2007 and Wagram Records in spring 2008. Breakthrough and Eurovision Jessy Matador’s breakthrough came in June 2008 with the release of his debut single “Décalé Gwada”, which became a summer hit, peaking at 14th on the French charts. This success was followed by the release of his album “Afrikan New Style” in November 2008, showcasing a unique blend of African, Caribbean, and urban musical influences. In February 2010, Jessy Matador was selected to represent France at the 55th Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. He performed the song “Allez ola olé”, finishing 12th out of 25 participants. This track, featured on his second album “Electro Soukouss” released in June 2010, achieved gold status with over 220,000 singles sold. It also served as a promotional anthem for France Télévisions and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Later Career and Ventures Jessy continued to diversify his career. He was a judge on the talent show Dance Street in 2010 and formed the all-female dance group Mata Girlz in 2011. He represented the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the African Night at Stade de France the same year. In 2013, he contributed to the compilation album “Tropical Family” and released his third album “Authentik”. His single “Zumba He Zumba Ha (Remix 2012)”, a collaboration with DJ Mam’s, was featured in the film “Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au bon Dieu?” in 2014. Jessy also ventured into theater, debuting in La Fuite by Driss Homet in 2016. He appeared in the film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga in 2020 and was featured in a 2021 episode of the dating show Et si on se rencontrait? on M6. In February 2021 he released a new single, “DBNG”, reaching the #1 spot in the I-Tunes list. The video was released in June of the same year. In July 2023, he managed to have 2 tracks in the club 40 charts: “Bilam bam”, featuring in a track of Clara and “Mini kawoule (Remix 2023)”, featuring Makassy. Entries Allez Ola Olé Country🇫🇷 France Year2010 LanguageFrench LyricsHugues DucaminJacques Ballue MusicHugues DucaminJacques Ballue BackingsEmilie CapelNedjim MahtallaJessie FasanoMistos CapitanoGeneral Benkhoff Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 82Position: 12Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/-NlvQ6Ln9fc?si=-tAfNRzZjHhm7YYW

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Giorgos Alkaios

About Quick Facts NameGiorgos Alkaios Born24 December 1971 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEllinikós Telikós 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongOPA! (2010) Biography George Alkaios, born George Vasileiou in Athens on December 24, 1971, embarked on his musical journey after showing an early interest in both music and athletics. After a brief stint in Boston, Massachusetts, due to his family’s relocation, Alkaios returned to Greece where his career in entertainment began to take shape. His initial exposure to the broader public came through his participation in a Greek reality show in 1989, which paved the way for his entry into the music and theater scenes. Alkaios’s career in music officially kicked off in the early ’90s, with his debut album “Me Ligo… Trak” released in 1992. This album marked the beginning of a prolific period for Alkaios, as he consistently released new music, capturing the attention of the Greek audience with his unique blend of pop infused with traditional Greek and Eastern elements. Following his debut, Alkaios released a series of albums annually, with “Ach.. Koita Me” in 1993, “Den Peirazei” in 1994, and “Entos Eautou” in 1995, each building on the momentum of his career and establishing him as a significant figure in the Greek music industry. His musical output continued unabated with the release of “Aneu Logou” in 1996, followed by “En Psichro” in 1997, demonstrating his versatility and depth as an artist. In 1998, he released “Ichoi Siopis”, and in 1999, “Syrmatoplegma” came out, further cementing his status in the music scene. The turn of the millennium saw Alkaios exploring new musical directions with the release of “Pro Ton Pylon” in 2000 and “Oxygono  in 2001. In 2002, he took a slightly different approach by releasing an EP titled “” Karma”, showcasing his ability to innovate and adapt to the evolving music landscape. In 2003, Alkaios released “Kommatia Psychis”, followed by “Aithousa Anamonis” in 2004. These albums were succeeded by Alkaios Live Tour in 2005, offering fans a taste of his dynamic live performances. His subsequent albums, “Nyhtes Apo Fos” in 2006, “Eleftheros” in 2007, and “To Diko Mas Paramythi” in 2008, showcased his continued evolution as an artist. The year 2010 was particularly notable for Alkaios, as he represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “OPA!”. He reached the final and even an 8th place there, in addition to releasing the album “Dos Mou Ligo Fos”. He continued to release new music with “Deja Vu” in 2011 and then took a brief hiatus before returning with “Marionetes” in 2015. In 2021, Alkaios made a significant comeback with three albums: “Mosaic”, “My Utopia”, and “Zero Room71”, demonstrating his unwavering passion for music and his ability to remain relevant in the industry. Throughout the years, Alkaios also released several singles and EPs, including “Pnevmata” and “Ta Magika Sou Chilia” in 2016, followed by “Mia Psychi” and “Ligo Fos” in 2017. Entries OPA! Country🇬🇷 Greece Year2010 LanguageGreek LyricsGiannis AntoniouGiorgos AlkaiosDionysis SchinasKassiani KaragiouleDimitris HortariasStavros ApostolouTolis SchinasManos Hortarias MusicGiorgos Alkaios BackingsFriends:Lazos IoannidisIakovos GoguaJenia Evgenios BuliPetros ZlatkosAnastasios Kanaridis Results Semi Points: 133Position: 2Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 140Position: 8Running order: 11 https://youtu.be/wfqOrMlwOjs?si=nJ0AYz6k7bLau7Sg

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The Common Linnets

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersIlse DelangeWaylon Active2013-2017 Nationality Dutch National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCalm After The Storm (2014) Biography The Common Linnets, a band hailing from the Netherlands, was established in 2013, initially featuring Ilse DeLange and Waylon. DeLange elucidated that the group was formed as a dynamic platform for Dutch musicians to experiment and create country, Americana, and bluegrass music. The band saw a change in lineup when Waylon departed in May 2014 and was replaced by American country artist Jake Etheridge. Their debut album, featuring the song “Calm After the Storm”, secured them a second-place finish in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 – the best performance by the Netherlands since their victory in 1975. The band’s name draws inspiration from the regional nickname ‘heikneuters,’ attributed to individuals from the eastern part of the Netherlands, DeLange and Waylon’s birthplace. This term refers to the songbird ‘kneu’ or common linnet. Credit for this innovative name goes to Dutch designer Rens Dekker, who also designed their album and single artworks. The initial band members were individual country artists, Ilse DeLange and Waylon, with DeLange acknowledged as the founder and leading member. DeLange envisaged the band as a project to facilitate Dutch artists in their musical explorations. Since 2014, the band has been composed of Ilse DeLange, JB Meijers, Jake Etheridge, and Matthew Crosby, who along with Rob Crosby, penned the hit “Calm After The Storm”. Born on May 13, 1977, in Almelo, Netherlands, Ilse DeLange’s musical journey started at the tender age of 8. Her talents were showcased in regional and national talent shows in Hilversum, followed by a musical partnership with guitarist Joop Liefland. Waylon, born on April 20, 1980, in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, adopted his stage name in honor of his idol, Waylon Jennings. After their Eurovision success, the band embarked on a promotional tour. The noticeable absence of Waylon sparked speculations of him leaving the band. On his official Facebook page, Waylon revealed that the unexpected success of the band led him to focus on his album releasing in September 2014. JB Meijers, born on June 10, 1972, in Delft, Netherlands, joined the band after his stint with Dutch indie bands Charmin’ Children, Shine, and Supersub. Besides playing with De Dijk, Eboman, and Acda & De Munnik, he also worked as a producer. Jake Etheridge, born on April 25, 1988, in Columbia, South Carolina, joined the band post-Waylon’s departure. Before joining, he had gained recognition for his online song uploads. Matthew Crosby, born on May 21, 1981, in Columbia, South Carolina, was an accomplished actor in New York City and had previously performed with the band “The Easy Tells”. The band represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, with the song “Calm After the Storm”. The Common Linnets won the 2014 Buma Cultuur Pop Award and the 2015 Echo Awards for Best International Newcomer Act. Their second studio album ‘II’ was released in 2015. The album became a Gold disc. In november 2015, the band toured throughout Germany and Austria. They received an award for best an award at Radio 538 for best live performance. In 2016 the band played at Eurosonic Noorderslag. They went to Sweden to perform in Douwe Bob‘s pub in Stockholm, during the Eurovision week. In June, they did a UK tour, in November they went back to Germany. Also in 2017, the band kept on performing. After that, Ilse Delange, JB Meijers and Matthew Crosby had solo projects.  In 2019, Ilse Delange was a coach at the Eurovision Song Contest for Duncan Laurence, who won the contest. Entries Calm After The Storm Country🇳🇱 The Netherlands Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge MusicIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge BackingsBart VergoossenJB MeijersMartijn Van Agt Results Semi Points: 150Position: 1Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 238Position: 2Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/4ggBPAm5XLA

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Agnete

© Albin Olsson, Wikimedia Commons About Quick Facts NameAgnete Kristin Johnsen Saba Born04 July 1994 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionNorsk Melodi Grand Prix 2016Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongIcebreaker (2016) Biography Agnete Kristin Johnsen Saba, known by various names including Agnete Saba, Agnete Johnsen, or simply Agnete, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Agnete was born on July 4, 1994, in Varangerbotn, Nesseby, located in Finnmark, Norway. She comes from an ethnic Sami background and is the daughter of Sami children’s author Signe Iversen. In 2020, she changed her surname to Saba, adopting her grandmother’s maiden name. She started het career as a member of The BlackSheeps. The group was formed in 2008 while the band members were attending school in their hometown of Nesseby. They achieved success by winning Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2008 with their song “Oro jaska, beana” (“Be quiet, dog”), which was performed in both Norwegian and Northern Sami. The band also won the MGP Nordic 2008 competition. Their song “Oro jaska, beana” won the Song of the Year award at the Spellemannprisen Awards and reached number one on the Norwegian singles chart. In 2011, The BlackSheeps participated in Melodi Grand Prix 2011 with the song “Dance Tonight,” where they secured the second place. However, they disbanded later that year. In 2013, Agnete competed in the second season of the Norwegian music TV competition Stjernekamp, finishing as the runner-up. She also performed as an interval act during Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2013. From 2014 onwards, Agnete took part in the tenth season of the Norwegian version of Dancing with the Stars called Skal vi danse? (Shall we dance?) and emerged as the winner. In 2015, she participated in the Norwegian reality television series 71° nord but left early due to mental health issues. Agnete competed in Melodi Grand Prix 2016 with the song “Icebreaker” and emerged as the winner, receiving the most votes from the Norwegian public. Although she represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest, she failed to qualify for the final during the second semi-final held in Stockholm on May 12, 2016. Agnete made a comeback on November 6, 2020, with her new single titled “Beginning of the End.” In January 2021, she participated in the show “Hver gang vi møtes” (the Norwegian version of “The Best Singers”). On March 5 of the same year, she released the single “Solid” followed by the EP “Tundra.” Additionally, on August 30, a documentary titled “Agnete Jienáda,” focusing on Agnete and her Sami background, was released on NRK Web-TV. On July 8, 2022, Agnete released a new song called “Pusterom.” She also performed on the show “Allsang på grensen” and had a duet with Ronan Keating. Agnete took part in the all-stars version of “Skal vi danse.” In the same year, she collaborated with the Isaakband and featured on their new single, “Oainnán du.” In 2023, Agnete hosted the Sámi Grand Prix alongside Ole Nedrejord. Entries Icebreaker Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsAgnete JohnsenGabriel AlaresIan Curnow MusicAgnete JohnsenGabriel AlaresIan Curnow BackingsGabriel AlaresNicoline Berg KaasinCharlotte BredesenIngunn Dalland DancersSara Christine Einbu Results Semi Points: 63Position: 13Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/ACLcqZMwCSo

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Magdalena Tul

About Quick Facts NameMagdalena Ewa Tul Born29 April 1980 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionKrajowe Eliminacje 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongJestem (2011) Biography Magdalena Ewa Tul (born April 29, 1980, in Gdańsk) is a Polish singer and composer. She completed her education at the XIV General Education High School in Gdańsk and in high school in a humanities-theatrical profile class. She studied extramurally at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of the Bydgoszcz Academy, where in 2004 she obtained a master’s degree in the field of Artistic Education in the field of musical art. At the age of 12, she became a vocalist in a children’s vocal group, where she took her first musical steps. As a teenager, she supplemented her salary by working as a bartender in a jazz club. Shortly thereafter, she founded her own band, which she created with Piotr Olszewski and Piotr Podgórski. They played together for about two years, performed several concerts as a support for recognized artists of the Polish scene, and created material for the singer’s first solo album. From 2000 she performed as an actress and vocalist of the Studio Buffo team of Janusz Józefowicz. In the meantime, she supplemented her income by working as a bartender at the Jazgot club in Warsaw and as a seller in a call-center. In 2003 she ended her work at Buffo. In 2003, she started collaborating with the Roma Musical Theater, where she sang vocal parts in the musical Cats (2004) and played Queen Aba in the musical Akademia pana Kleksa (2007). In January 2003, she started collaborating with Polish Television, becoming one of the vocalists of the TVP1 game show Jaka to melodia?. In 2005 with the song “Full of Life” she took 9th place in the internal selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the performance of the song, she also won awards at the Universtalent 2005 festival in Prague in the categories: “best song” and “best performer”. In June 2005, with the single “Idź swoją drogą” she performed in the Premiere concert as part of the 42nd National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and in 2006 with the song “Find the Music” she took part in the eliminations for the Trendy contest during the TOPtrendy 2006 festival, but did not qualify for the final “nine”. In August 2007, she released her debut studio album titled V.O.H. – The Victory of Heart, which included songs “Full of Life” and “Find the Music”. Also in 2007, she took third place at the Unisong festival. At the end of December 2010, she sang in Rick Estrin’s song “Weekend Off”, placed on the demo of the blues band Why Ducky? titled The Mo. She also released two solo singles: “Nie ma jej” and “Jestem”, with which she qualified for the national eliminations for the 56th Eurovision Song Contest. On February 14, 2011, she won the final of the selection, thereby becoming the Polish representative at Eurovision 2011 organized in Düsseldorf. As part of the promotion, she recorded an English version of the competition song, “Present”. On May 10, she performed first in the first semi-final of the contest and took the last, 19th place, not advancing to the final. In November, her song “First Class Ticket to Heaven” was included on a two-disc publication released under the Esotiq presents Poland… Why Not project. In 2012, she unsuccessfully applied with the song “Give It Up” to the Swiss selections for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2013, she took part in the second edition of the TVP2 talent show The Voice of Poland. She was eliminated at the knockout stage. In November 2013, she released an EP titled The Beginning. On June 6, she released her second studio album titled Brave. In May 2014, she was a member of the Polish jury in the Eurovision Song Contest. On June 14, 2015, she performed at a concert celebrating the 90th anniversary of Polish Radio as part of the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, singing with the Sound’n’Grace choir the songs “Szklana pogoda” by Lombard and “Biała armia” by Bajm. On April 28, 2017, she released the single “Closer”, which she also recorded in a Polish language version as “Bliżej”. In May 2017, she played a mini concert tour, including performances in Krakow and Warsaw, and also was in the Polish jury of the Eurovision Song Contest. On November 7, at the “Stodoła” club in Warsaw, she played a premiere concert from the Pop Art Tour, during which she presented material from her third studio album. In the summer of 2018, after changing the main producer of the program Jaka to melodia?, along with part of the previous cast, she ended her cooperation with the game show. On August 31, she released a music video for the single from the album, “Va Banque”. Also in 2018, she got involved in the campaign of the brand producing sports trophies Triumph “The First Victory”. On April 14, 2019, she made a guest appearance during the London Eurovision Party concert. On June 3, she digitally released her third studio album titled Mindfulness, which included singles “Closer”, “Bliżej”, “Va Banque”, and “Move Forward”, which she released on June 10. In the summer, she was a musical guest on the TV Puls game show Gra Muzyka. In the autumn of 2019, she started in the Open Mic competition, reaching the final played on February 1, 2020, at the O2 Arena in London. On February 26, 2021, she announced a collaboration with the American recording label Banner Records, for which she recorded singles: “Face the Day” (2021) and “If Loving You Is All I Ever Do” (2022). Entries Jestem Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2011 LanguagePolish LyricsMagdalena Tul MusicMagdalena Tul BackingsJoanna GogolińskaIga TurekArtur BomertKalina KasprzakSoyanna Results Semi Points: 18Position: 19Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/aJOTAoPSaHw?si=eS2OuikFzx2wAmkz

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Natália Kelly

About Quick Facts NameNatália Kelly Born18 December 1994 Nationality🇺🇸 American🇦🇹 Austrian National SelectionÖsterreich Rockt den Song Contest 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongShine (2013) Biography Natália Kelly is an American-Austrian singer. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, she was born to a Brazilian mother and an American father with roots in Austria and Ireland. At six, in the year 2000, she moved to Austria. Kelly’s musical journey began early on. By ten, in 2004, she performed in the children’s opera for “Around the World in 80 Days” at Baden state theatre. That same year, she clinched the second position on the ORF TV show, Kiddy Contest, performing a duet with Manuel Gutleb. Over the next few years, she showcased her talent in several contests, including classical music competitions like Prima La Musica. Kelly joined the children’s pop ensemble Gimme 5 from 2005 to 2007. The group was affiliated with Universal Music, and its music was crafted under the expertise of Alexander Kahr. In 2011, Kelly secured a victory in the long-standing Austrian talent competition, The Voice (distinct from the global The Voice franchise). This triumph led her to a recording deal with Alexander Kahr. On 15th February 2013, Kelly aimed for a shot at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, participating in Austria’s national selection event, Österreich rockt den Song Contest, with her track “Shine”. By the end of the voting session, she accumulated 70 points, making her Austria’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden. She performed in the first semi-final on 14th May 2013. Unfortunately, Austria couldn’t make it to the final, ranking 14th out of 16 with a score of 27 points. Kelly’s debut album, “Natália Kelly”, made its global release on 12th April 2013. In July 2013, the follow up for “Shine” was released: “Face The Day”. In November she performed at the Eurovision Party in Cologne. She also teamed up with Fii & Friends for a concert in U4 in Vienna. In January 2014, Natália was able to perform at the Open Air festival in Seefeld. In July 2014 Natália was able to perform at the Body Painting Festival in Pörtschach am Wörrthersee. In 2017 she recorded a cover song and video, “Tired”, along with Sam Mashgati. In September of the same year she performed at the festival Soundyard in Waidenhofen.  Natália currently lives at Cave Creek, Arizona, United States. Entries Shine Country🇦🇹 Austria Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas GrassNikola ParylaNatália Kelly MusicAndreas GrassNikola ParylaAlexander Kahr BackingsRegina MallingerMonika BallweinHarald BaumgartnerKarin BauerBirgit Kubica Results Semi Points: 27Position: 14Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/gOJHi6JiKpY?si=t9MCHR6C5_wmIK9m

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Robin Stjernberg

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameRobin James Olof Stjernberg Born22 February 1991 Nationality🇸🇪 Swedish National SelectionMelodifestivalen 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongYou (2013) Biography Robin Stjernberg is a Swedish singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in Hässleholm on 22 February 1991. In 2006, Stjernberg clinched victory at the Sommarchansen in Malmö. The following year, he participated in a competition at the Globe Arena, where he and 14 others contended for spots in a budding boy band. Stjernberg, along with Eric Saade, Luwdig “Ludde” Keijser, and Johan Yngvesson, were the chosen quartet, forming the band later named What’s Up!. After Eric Saade’s departure, Johannes Magnusson stepped in as his replacement. The band’s debut album, “In Pose,” secured the 40th position on the Swedish Albums Chart. Two of their tracks, “Go Girl!” and “If I Told You Once,” made notable impressions on the Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart, ranking 5th and 16th respectively.  Robin Stjernberg auditioned for Idol 2011 and reached a 2nd place in the competition, gaining 48% of the votes. Following his stint on “Idol,” Stjernberg unveiled his debut single, “All This Way,” on 2 December 2011. Stjernberg was now affiliated with the Lionheart Music Group label. On 4 January 2012, he introduced “My Versions,” an Idol-themed compilation. The album’s premier official single features his take on Beyoncé’s hit, “Halo.” In 2013, Stjernberg graced the stage of Melodifestivalen with “You”. Competing in the semi-final on 23 February in Malmö, he secured a spot in the “Second Chance” round on 2 March in Karlstad. Stjernberg achieved a historic win on 9 March, becoming the first “Second Chance” entrant ever to clinch the Melodifestivalen title. He later represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest on 18 May, finishing 14th. Post-Eurovision, Robin introduced his debut original album ‘Pieces’ on 26 June 2013, spotlighting singles like ‘Scars’ and ‘Crime’. The following year, on 11 June 2014, he released the chart-topping iTunes single “Body Language”. After a brief hiatus, 23 October 2015 saw the launch of “Locked into You”, followed by “Take Me Home” on 7 January 2016, which climbed to number 5 on the Swedish iTunes chart. A notable achievement was co-writing Robin Bengtsson’s “I Can’t Go On” for Melodifestivalen 2017. The song not only won the contest but also ranked fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest, marking Stjernberg’s return, this time as a songwriter. Robin Stjernberg and Benjamin Roustaing started their group project ohFrank during 2020. Together they have released the EP “Dandelion” and the singles “Millenial”, “Schizophrenic” and “Venice”, to mention a few. As 2021 dawned, he marked his solo comeback with the single “Pretty”. Entries You Country🇸🇪 Sweden Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsRobin StjernbergJoakim Harestad HaukaasJoy DebbLinnea Debb MusicRobin StjernbergJoakim Harestad HaukaasJoy DebbLinnea Debb BackingsDea NorbergJohan Boding DancersAnna HolmströmJoão AssunçãoJuan Ramon Fuenzalida Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 16 https://youtu.be/vtjdTPnCcu0

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Iolanda

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter.  Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the contest Uma Canção para Ti, aired on TVI, but was eliminated in the 2nd gala. At 17, she again sought television exposure by participating in the 5th edition of Ídolos in 2012 on SIC, but did not advance to the live gala phase. After completing high school, Iolanda moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education and graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. During this period, she sought to break into the music scene through performances in bars and national talent contests. Her journey continued when she moved to London to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute at the University of Sussex. In 2014, she competed in the Blind Auditions of the second season of The Voice Portugal on RTP1, performing “Who You Are” by Jessie J, yet none of the four mentors turned their chairs for her. Iolanda’s first significant contribution to music came in 2022 as a co-author and co-composer of the song “Mar No Fim,” performed by Blacci at the Festival da Canção. The following year, in 2023, she released her first EP titled “Cura,” which was inspired by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Iolanda achieved a notable milestone by being selected to compete in the RTP Festival da Canção with her song “Grito.” She won the contest on March 9, 2024, and was thus chosen to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest. Iolanda reached the Grand Final and got a 10th place there. Entries Grito Country🇵🇹 Portugal Year2024 LanguagePortuguese LyricsIolanda Costa MusicIolanda CostaAlberto Hérnandez DancersGonçalo CarrapiçoInês GonferMélissa CarodosoRenato GarciaTelmo Teite Results Semi Points: 58Position: 8Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 152Position: 10Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/OZn4-H6JvKU?si=OykbBlOVGYiKga_y

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Petr Elfimov

About Quick Facts NamePetr Petrovich Elfimov Born15 February 1980 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionEurofest 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongEyes That Never Lie (2009) Biography Petr Petrovich Elfimov was born on February 15, 1980, in Mogilev, Belarus, into a family of musicians. He started his musical education at the age of 6, focusing on the trumpet. In 1994, Elfimov enrolled in the Mogilev Gymnasium-College of Music and Choreography, specializing in choir conducting. During his time there, he was a soloist in the studio Double V, winning the television contest for young pop artists, Zornaya Rostan-96. In 1998, he joined the Belarusian State Academy of Music, where he studied academic singing in the vocal-choral department. From August 2003 to June 2004, he was a member of the ensemble Pesnyary. In 2004, Elfimov won the Grand Prix at the International Pop Song Performers Contest “Vitebsk-2004,” part of the “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk” festival. He graduated with a master’s degree from the Belarusian State Academy of Music in 2009. Elfimov represented Belarus as a backing vocalist for the duo “Alexandra and Konstantin” at Eurovision 2004 with the song “My Galileo.” Although the song did not make it to the final, it marked the beginning of his association with the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, he released his debut album “Ya Khochu,” followed by “Kolokola” in 2007 and  “S novym rozhdeniyem” in 2009.  On January 19, 2009, Elfimov won the Belarusian national selection for Eurovision 2009 with the song “Eyes That Never Lie.” He performed at the Eurovision semi-final in Moscow, finishing 13th, which did not qualify him for the final. From July 17 to 25, 2010, Elfimov competed at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He represented Belarus in five categories and won five gold medals. In the fall of 2013, Elfimov participated in the second season of the popular Russian TV show Golos (The Voice), reaching the quarterfinals as part of Leonid Agutin’s team. In 2015, he competed in the TV pop song contest Glavnaya stsena (Main Stage) on Russia-1, winning the competition based on viewers’ votes. On September 8, 2011, Elfimov performed the song “Kolokola” at a memorial evening in Minsk-Arena, dedicated to the Yaroslavl “Lokomotiv” hockey players who died in a plane crash. Petr Elfimov released his album “Kniga otkroveniy” in 2012, and “Glavnaya rol” in 2015. In the same year, Elfimov starred in the film “Ukrast Belmondo” (Steal Belmondo). Since November 15, 2018, Elfimov has been the vocalist and songwriter for the heavy-power band Gran-Kurazh. His concert repertoire includes works ranging from hard rock to romance, featuring pieces by Vladimir Mulyavin, Igor Luchenok, Deep Purple, Czeslaw Niemen, and classical composers. With Gran-Kurazh, he released a studio album  “Epokhi, geroi i sudby” in 2021. He also released EPs such as “Eyforiya” in 2022 and “Skomorokh” in 2023, along with the live album “IX zhizney” in 2022. In 2024, Petr released a new album: “Legendy mira iz ognya”.  His music videos include “Moya dusha” in 2008, “Eyes That Never Lie” in 2009, “Shag navstrechu” in 2016, “Vybor yest!” in 2017, and “Tsarstvo dikikh lyudey” in 2021. Throughout his career, Petr Elfimov has received numerous accolades, including the Medal of Francysk Skaryna. In his personal life, he was first married to Natalya Dementyeva. He is now married to Tatyana Kosmacheva, with whom he has a daughter named Polina. Entries Eyes That Never Lie Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsValery Prokhozhy MusicPetr Elfimov BackingsAnton ToimentsauEkaterina MatskevichPhilip MazurovDmitry MikulichYan Zhenchak Results Semi Points: 25Position: 13Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6824_LUFgE8

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Grupa Regina

About Quick Facts MembersDavor EbnerAleksandar ‘Aco’ ĆovićDenis ČabrićBojan Milićević Active1990-2000, 2006- Nationality🇧🇦 Bosnian National SelectionInternal selection 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongBistra voda (2009) Biography In 1989, five members—Aleksandar Čović, Bojan Milicevic, Bojan Milijas, Boris Milijas, and Goran Lucic—started an amateur band in Sarajevo, in those days in Yugoslavia. They had a problem because they didn’t have a singer. Soon, they found Davor Ebner, who gave the band the name Regina. That same year, Regina released their first album, called Regina. Aleksandar Čović wrote the lyrics, and he was inspired by the Irish band U2. The first album had hit songs like “Spavaj,” “Ne pitaj me,” and “Kao nekada ona,” and the band quickly became one of the most popular in the former Yugoslavia. In 1992, they released another album called “Ljubav nije za nas,” but the band stopped working because the war started in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though the band stopped performing, Aleksandar Čović continued working in Belgrade between 1992 and 1999, releasing several albums: “Regina,” “Oteto od zaborava,” “Godine lete,” “Ja nisam kao drugi,” “Kad zatvorim oči,” and “Devedesete.” From 2000, the band didn’t work until 2006, when Čović started working again with singer Davor Ebner, and they reformed the band. They soon released another album called “Sve mogu ja.” On January 12, 2009, BHT announced that Regina, with their song “Bistra voda,” would represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. The song was officially presented on March 1, 2009. Theyqualified for the final on May 16, 2009, performing 12th. In the final, they finished in 9th place with 106 points. On June 5, 2009, they released their 10th studio album called “Vrijeme je.” The album included the Eurovision song “Bistra voda,” its English and Russian versions, and 10 new songs. In 2011, the band recorded a duet with Tifa, the former singer of the band Bijelo Dugme, titled “Ptico mala,” which premiered in the summer of 2011, along with a music video. They also announced a new album, “Sarajevo,” with “Ptico mala” as the lead single. Although “Sarajevo” was announced for autumn 2011, the band postponed the album release. In May 2012, it was announced that a new song “Kad poludimo” was recorded. The music video was released on May 8, 2012, and it was announced that the new album would be titled “Kad poludimo,” set to be released by the end of May 2012. On May 18, 2012, Regina announced that the album was on sale. In 2015, Bojan Miličević left the band. On 16 August 2016, the band’s long-time bassist, Denis Čabrić, suddenly died of a heart attack, leaving the band with three members. On Valentine’s Day 2017, Regina, now a trio, released a new studio album called “U srcu,” with the single “Za one stare dane,” the video for which was filmed in Paris. After thirty years of performing and many concerts, Davor Ebner decided to start a new project called “Ebner,” with some well-known Sarajevo musicians.  The idea of the project was for Davor Ebner to try a different style of music compared to Regina. With his lead and the new musicians, Regina entered a new phase, aiming to connect the “Ebner” project with the Regina band by trying to produce and perform music closer to new market trends. Regina’s songs are still performed in their original form but with a more modern and better sound to make the differences between genres smaller along with the “Ebner” project songs. In December 2022, Ebner left Regina, leaving the band as a duo. Entries Bistra voda Country🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Year2009 LanguageBosnian LyricsAleksandar ‘Ćović MusicAleksandar Ćović BackingsElma SelimovićDanijela Večerinović Results Semi Points: 125Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 106Position: 9Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/TcRWjoEkzMk?si=LzeMNMSO6B_60ZKG

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Jessy Matador

About Quick Facts NameJessy Kimbangi Born27 October 1982 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal selection 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongAllez ola olé Biography Jessy Kimbangi, known by his stage name Jessy Matador, is a celebrated French coupé-décalé singer and dancer of Congolese origin, born on October 27, 1983, in Paris. Early Life and Career Beginnings Born to Congolese parents in Paris, Jessy Matador grew up in various neighborhoods, including Épinay-sur-Seine, Vanves, the Luth area in Gennevilliers, and eventually settled in Saint-Denis. His journey into the entertainment industry began in 2001 when he embarked on a career as a dancer. Jessy later joined the group Les Cœurs Brisés under Dany Engobo’s direction, which took him on tours across the United States, Congo, Great Britain, Italy, and Canada. Formation of La Selesao In 2005, Jessy Matador formed his own group, La Selesao, with members Dr. Love & Linho (known as Les Jumo) and Benkoff. The group gained popularity, opening for acts like Magic System. They signed with Oyas Records in late 2007 and Wagram Records in spring 2008. Breakthrough and Eurovision Jessy Matador’s breakthrough came in June 2008 with the release of his debut single “Décalé Gwada”, which became a summer hit, peaking at 14th on the French charts. This success was followed by the release of his album “Afrikan New Style” in November 2008, showcasing a unique blend of African, Caribbean, and urban musical influences. In February 2010, Jessy Matador was selected to represent France at the 55th Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. He performed the song “Allez ola olé”, finishing 12th out of 25 participants. This track, featured on his second album “Electro Soukouss” released in June 2010, achieved gold status with over 220,000 singles sold. It also served as a promotional anthem for France Télévisions and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Later Career and Ventures Jessy continued to diversify his career. He was a judge on the talent show Dance Street in 2010 and formed the all-female dance group Mata Girlz in 2011. He represented the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the African Night at Stade de France the same year. In 2013, he contributed to the compilation album “Tropical Family” and released his third album “Authentik”. His single “Zumba He Zumba Ha (Remix 2012)”, a collaboration with DJ Mam’s, was featured in the film “Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au bon Dieu?” in 2014. Jessy also ventured into theater, debuting in La Fuite by Driss Homet in 2016. He appeared in the film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga in 2020 and was featured in a 2021 episode of the dating show Et si on se rencontrait? on M6. In February 2021 he released a new single, “DBNG”, reaching the #1 spot in the I-Tunes list. The video was released in June of the same year. In July 2023, he managed to have 2 tracks in the club 40 charts: “Bilam bam”, featuring in a track of Clara and “Mini kawoule (Remix 2023)”, featuring Makassy. Entries Allez Ola Olé Country🇫🇷 France Year2010 LanguageFrench LyricsHugues DucaminJacques Ballue MusicHugues DucaminJacques Ballue BackingsEmilie CapelNedjim MahtallaJessie FasanoMistos CapitanoGeneral Benkhoff Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 82Position: 12Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/-NlvQ6Ln9fc?si=-tAfNRzZjHhm7YYW

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Giorgos Alkaios

About Quick Facts NameGiorgos Alkaios Born24 December 1971 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEllinikós Telikós 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongOPA! (2010) Biography George Alkaios, born George Vasileiou in Athens on December 24, 1971, embarked on his musical journey after showing an early interest in both music and athletics. After a brief stint in Boston, Massachusetts, due to his family’s relocation, Alkaios returned to Greece where his career in entertainment began to take shape. His initial exposure to the broader public came through his participation in a Greek reality show in 1989, which paved the way for his entry into the music and theater scenes. Alkaios’s career in music officially kicked off in the early ’90s, with his debut album “Me Ligo… Trak” released in 1992. This album marked the beginning of a prolific period for Alkaios, as he consistently released new music, capturing the attention of the Greek audience with his unique blend of pop infused with traditional Greek and Eastern elements. Following his debut, Alkaios released a series of albums annually, with “Ach.. Koita Me” in 1993, “Den Peirazei” in 1994, and “Entos Eautou” in 1995, each building on the momentum of his career and establishing him as a significant figure in the Greek music industry. His musical output continued unabated with the release of “Aneu Logou” in 1996, followed by “En Psichro” in 1997, demonstrating his versatility and depth as an artist. In 1998, he released “Ichoi Siopis”, and in 1999, “Syrmatoplegma” came out, further cementing his status in the music scene. The turn of the millennium saw Alkaios exploring new musical directions with the release of “Pro Ton Pylon” in 2000 and “Oxygono  in 2001. In 2002, he took a slightly different approach by releasing an EP titled “” Karma”, showcasing his ability to innovate and adapt to the evolving music landscape. In 2003, Alkaios released “Kommatia Psychis”, followed by “Aithousa Anamonis” in 2004. These albums were succeeded by Alkaios Live Tour in 2005, offering fans a taste of his dynamic live performances. His subsequent albums, “Nyhtes Apo Fos” in 2006, “Eleftheros” in 2007, and “To Diko Mas Paramythi” in 2008, showcased his continued evolution as an artist. The year 2010 was particularly notable for Alkaios, as he represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “OPA!”. He reached the final and even an 8th place there, in addition to releasing the album “Dos Mou Ligo Fos”. He continued to release new music with “Deja Vu” in 2011 and then took a brief hiatus before returning with “Marionetes” in 2015. In 2021, Alkaios made a significant comeback with three albums: “Mosaic”, “My Utopia”, and “Zero Room71”, demonstrating his unwavering passion for music and his ability to remain relevant in the industry. Throughout the years, Alkaios also released several singles and EPs, including “Pnevmata” and “Ta Magika Sou Chilia” in 2016, followed by “Mia Psychi” and “Ligo Fos” in 2017. Entries OPA! Country🇬🇷 Greece Year2010 LanguageGreek LyricsGiannis AntoniouGiorgos AlkaiosDionysis SchinasKassiani KaragiouleDimitris HortariasStavros ApostolouTolis SchinasManos Hortarias MusicGiorgos Alkaios BackingsFriends:Lazos IoannidisIakovos GoguaJenia Evgenios BuliPetros ZlatkosAnastasios Kanaridis Results Semi Points: 133Position: 2Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 140Position: 8Running order: 11 https://youtu.be/wfqOrMlwOjs?si=nJ0AYz6k7bLau7Sg

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The Common Linnets

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersIlse DelangeWaylon Active2013-2017 Nationality Dutch National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCalm After The Storm (2014) Biography The Common Linnets, a band hailing from the Netherlands, was established in 2013, initially featuring Ilse DeLange and Waylon. DeLange elucidated that the group was formed as a dynamic platform for Dutch musicians to experiment and create country, Americana, and bluegrass music. The band saw a change in lineup when Waylon departed in May 2014 and was replaced by American country artist Jake Etheridge. Their debut album, featuring the song “Calm After the Storm”, secured them a second-place finish in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 – the best performance by the Netherlands since their victory in 1975. The band’s name draws inspiration from the regional nickname ‘heikneuters,’ attributed to individuals from the eastern part of the Netherlands, DeLange and Waylon’s birthplace. This term refers to the songbird ‘kneu’ or common linnet. Credit for this innovative name goes to Dutch designer Rens Dekker, who also designed their album and single artworks. The initial band members were individual country artists, Ilse DeLange and Waylon, with DeLange acknowledged as the founder and leading member. DeLange envisaged the band as a project to facilitate Dutch artists in their musical explorations. Since 2014, the band has been composed of Ilse DeLange, JB Meijers, Jake Etheridge, and Matthew Crosby, who along with Rob Crosby, penned the hit “Calm After The Storm”. Born on May 13, 1977, in Almelo, Netherlands, Ilse DeLange’s musical journey started at the tender age of 8. Her talents were showcased in regional and national talent shows in Hilversum, followed by a musical partnership with guitarist Joop Liefland. Waylon, born on April 20, 1980, in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, adopted his stage name in honor of his idol, Waylon Jennings. After their Eurovision success, the band embarked on a promotional tour. The noticeable absence of Waylon sparked speculations of him leaving the band. On his official Facebook page, Waylon revealed that the unexpected success of the band led him to focus on his album releasing in September 2014. JB Meijers, born on June 10, 1972, in Delft, Netherlands, joined the band after his stint with Dutch indie bands Charmin’ Children, Shine, and Supersub. Besides playing with De Dijk, Eboman, and Acda & De Munnik, he also worked as a producer. Jake Etheridge, born on April 25, 1988, in Columbia, South Carolina, joined the band post-Waylon’s departure. Before joining, he had gained recognition for his online song uploads. Matthew Crosby, born on May 21, 1981, in Columbia, South Carolina, was an accomplished actor in New York City and had previously performed with the band “The Easy Tells”. The band represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, with the song “Calm After the Storm”. The Common Linnets won the 2014 Buma Cultuur Pop Award and the 2015 Echo Awards for Best International Newcomer Act. Their second studio album ‘II’ was released in 2015. The album became a Gold disc. In november 2015, the band toured throughout Germany and Austria. They received an award for best an award at Radio 538 for best live performance. In 2016 the band played at Eurosonic Noorderslag. They went to Sweden to perform in Douwe Bob‘s pub in Stockholm, during the Eurovision week. In June, they did a UK tour, in November they went back to Germany. Also in 2017, the band kept on performing. After that, Ilse Delange, JB Meijers and Matthew Crosby had solo projects.  In 2019, Ilse Delange was a coach at the Eurovision Song Contest for Duncan Laurence, who won the contest. Entries Calm After The Storm Country🇳🇱 The Netherlands Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge MusicIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge BackingsBart VergoossenJB MeijersMartijn Van Agt Results Semi Points: 150Position: 1Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 238Position: 2Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/4ggBPAm5XLA

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Agnete

© Albin Olsson, Wikimedia Commons About Quick Facts NameAgnete Kristin Johnsen Saba Born04 July 1994 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionNorsk Melodi Grand Prix 2016Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongIcebreaker (2016) Biography Agnete Kristin Johnsen Saba, known by various names including Agnete Saba, Agnete Johnsen, or simply Agnete, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Agnete was born on July 4, 1994, in Varangerbotn, Nesseby, located in Finnmark, Norway. She comes from an ethnic Sami background and is the daughter of Sami children’s author Signe Iversen. In 2020, she changed her surname to Saba, adopting her grandmother’s maiden name. She started het career as a member of The BlackSheeps. The group was formed in 2008 while the band members were attending school in their hometown of Nesseby. They achieved success by winning Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2008 with their song “Oro jaska, beana” (“Be quiet, dog”), which was performed in both Norwegian and Northern Sami. The band also won the MGP Nordic 2008 competition. Their song “Oro jaska, beana” won the Song of the Year award at the Spellemannprisen Awards and reached number one on the Norwegian singles chart. In 2011, The BlackSheeps participated in Melodi Grand Prix 2011 with the song “Dance Tonight,” where they secured the second place. However, they disbanded later that year. In 2013, Agnete competed in the second season of the Norwegian music TV competition Stjernekamp, finishing as the runner-up. She also performed as an interval act during Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2013. From 2014 onwards, Agnete took part in the tenth season of the Norwegian version of Dancing with the Stars called Skal vi danse? (Shall we dance?) and emerged as the winner. In 2015, she participated in the Norwegian reality television series 71° nord but left early due to mental health issues. Agnete competed in Melodi Grand Prix 2016 with the song “Icebreaker” and emerged as the winner, receiving the most votes from the Norwegian public. Although she represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest, she failed to qualify for the final during the second semi-final held in Stockholm on May 12, 2016. Agnete made a comeback on November 6, 2020, with her new single titled “Beginning of the End.” In January 2021, she participated in the show “Hver gang vi møtes” (the Norwegian version of “The Best Singers”). On March 5 of the same year, she released the single “Solid” followed by the EP “Tundra.” Additionally, on August 30, a documentary titled “Agnete Jienáda,” focusing on Agnete and her Sami background, was released on NRK Web-TV. On July 8, 2022, Agnete released a new song called “Pusterom.” She also performed on the show “Allsang på grensen” and had a duet with Ronan Keating. Agnete took part in the all-stars version of “Skal vi danse.” In the same year, she collaborated with the Isaakband and featured on their new single, “Oainnán du.” In 2023, Agnete hosted the Sámi Grand Prix alongside Ole Nedrejord. Entries Icebreaker Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsAgnete JohnsenGabriel AlaresIan Curnow MusicAgnete JohnsenGabriel AlaresIan Curnow BackingsGabriel AlaresNicoline Berg KaasinCharlotte BredesenIngunn Dalland DancersSara Christine Einbu Results Semi Points: 63Position: 13Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/ACLcqZMwCSo

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Magdalena Tul

About Quick Facts NameMagdalena Ewa Tul Born29 April 1980 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionKrajowe Eliminacje 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongJestem (2011) Biography Magdalena Ewa Tul (born April 29, 1980, in Gdańsk) is a Polish singer and composer. She completed her education at the XIV General Education High School in Gdańsk and in high school in a humanities-theatrical profile class. She studied extramurally at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of the Bydgoszcz Academy, where in 2004 she obtained a master’s degree in the field of Artistic Education in the field of musical art. At the age of 12, she became a vocalist in a children’s vocal group, where she took her first musical steps. As a teenager, she supplemented her salary by working as a bartender in a jazz club. Shortly thereafter, she founded her own band, which she created with Piotr Olszewski and Piotr Podgórski. They played together for about two years, performed several concerts as a support for recognized artists of the Polish scene, and created material for the singer’s first solo album. From 2000 she performed as an actress and vocalist of the Studio Buffo team of Janusz Józefowicz. In the meantime, she supplemented her income by working as a bartender at the Jazgot club in Warsaw and as a seller in a call-center. In 2003 she ended her work at Buffo. In 2003, she started collaborating with the Roma Musical Theater, where she sang vocal parts in the musical Cats (2004) and played Queen Aba in the musical Akademia pana Kleksa (2007). In January 2003, she started collaborating with Polish Television, becoming one of the vocalists of the TVP1 game show Jaka to melodia?. In 2005 with the song “Full of Life” she took 9th place in the internal selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the performance of the song, she also won awards at the Universtalent 2005 festival in Prague in the categories: “best song” and “best performer”. In June 2005, with the single “Idź swoją drogą” she performed in the Premiere concert as part of the 42nd National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and in 2006 with the song “Find the Music” she took part in the eliminations for the Trendy contest during the TOPtrendy 2006 festival, but did not qualify for the final “nine”. In August 2007, she released her debut studio album titled V.O.H. – The Victory of Heart, which included songs “Full of Life” and “Find the Music”. Also in 2007, she took third place at the Unisong festival. At the end of December 2010, she sang in Rick Estrin’s song “Weekend Off”, placed on the demo of the blues band Why Ducky? titled The Mo. She also released two solo singles: “Nie ma jej” and “Jestem”, with which she qualified for the national eliminations for the 56th Eurovision Song Contest. On February 14, 2011, she won the final of the selection, thereby becoming the Polish representative at Eurovision 2011 organized in Düsseldorf. As part of the promotion, she recorded an English version of the competition song, “Present”. On May 10, she performed first in the first semi-final of the contest and took the last, 19th place, not advancing to the final. In November, her song “First Class Ticket to Heaven” was included on a two-disc publication released under the Esotiq presents Poland… Why Not project. In 2012, she unsuccessfully applied with the song “Give It Up” to the Swiss selections for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2013, she took part in the second edition of the TVP2 talent show The Voice of Poland. She was eliminated at the knockout stage. In November 2013, she released an EP titled The Beginning. On June 6, she released her second studio album titled Brave. In May 2014, she was a member of the Polish jury in the Eurovision Song Contest. On June 14, 2015, she performed at a concert celebrating the 90th anniversary of Polish Radio as part of the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, singing with the Sound’n’Grace choir the songs “Szklana pogoda” by Lombard and “Biała armia” by Bajm. On April 28, 2017, she released the single “Closer”, which she also recorded in a Polish language version as “Bliżej”. In May 2017, she played a mini concert tour, including performances in Krakow and Warsaw, and also was in the Polish jury of the Eurovision Song Contest. On November 7, at the “Stodoła” club in Warsaw, she played a premiere concert from the Pop Art Tour, during which she presented material from her third studio album. In the summer of 2018, after changing the main producer of the program Jaka to melodia?, along with part of the previous cast, she ended her cooperation with the game show. On August 31, she released a music video for the single from the album, “Va Banque”. Also in 2018, she got involved in the campaign of the brand producing sports trophies Triumph “The First Victory”. On April 14, 2019, she made a guest appearance during the London Eurovision Party concert. On June 3, she digitally released her third studio album titled Mindfulness, which included singles “Closer”, “Bliżej”, “Va Banque”, and “Move Forward”, which she released on June 10. In the summer, she was a musical guest on the TV Puls game show Gra Muzyka. In the autumn of 2019, she started in the Open Mic competition, reaching the final played on February 1, 2020, at the O2 Arena in London. On February 26, 2021, she announced a collaboration with the American recording label Banner Records, for which she recorded singles: “Face the Day” (2021) and “If Loving You Is All I Ever Do” (2022). Entries Jestem Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2011 LanguagePolish LyricsMagdalena Tul MusicMagdalena Tul BackingsJoanna GogolińskaIga TurekArtur BomertKalina KasprzakSoyanna Results Semi Points: 18Position: 19Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/aJOTAoPSaHw?si=eS2OuikFzx2wAmkz

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Natália Kelly

About Quick Facts NameNatália Kelly Born18 December 1994 Nationality🇺🇸 American🇦🇹 Austrian National SelectionÖsterreich Rockt den Song Contest 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongShine (2013) Biography Natália Kelly is an American-Austrian singer. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, she was born to a Brazilian mother and an American father with roots in Austria and Ireland. At six, in the year 2000, she moved to Austria. Kelly’s musical journey began early on. By ten, in 2004, she performed in the children’s opera for “Around the World in 80 Days” at Baden state theatre. That same year, she clinched the second position on the ORF TV show, Kiddy Contest, performing a duet with Manuel Gutleb. Over the next few years, she showcased her talent in several contests, including classical music competitions like Prima La Musica. Kelly joined the children’s pop ensemble Gimme 5 from 2005 to 2007. The group was affiliated with Universal Music, and its music was crafted under the expertise of Alexander Kahr. In 2011, Kelly secured a victory in the long-standing Austrian talent competition, The Voice (distinct from the global The Voice franchise). This triumph led her to a recording deal with Alexander Kahr. On 15th February 2013, Kelly aimed for a shot at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, participating in Austria’s national selection event, Österreich rockt den Song Contest, with her track “Shine”. By the end of the voting session, she accumulated 70 points, making her Austria’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden. She performed in the first semi-final on 14th May 2013. Unfortunately, Austria couldn’t make it to the final, ranking 14th out of 16 with a score of 27 points. Kelly’s debut album, “Natália Kelly”, made its global release on 12th April 2013. In July 2013, the follow up for “Shine” was released: “Face The Day”. In November she performed at the Eurovision Party in Cologne. She also teamed up with Fii & Friends for a concert in U4 in Vienna. In January 2014, Natália was able to perform at the Open Air festival in Seefeld. In July 2014 Natália was able to perform at the Body Painting Festival in Pörtschach am Wörrthersee. In 2017 she recorded a cover song and video, “Tired”, along with Sam Mashgati. In September of the same year she performed at the festival Soundyard in Waidenhofen.  Natália currently lives at Cave Creek, Arizona, United States. Entries Shine Country🇦🇹 Austria Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas GrassNikola ParylaNatália Kelly MusicAndreas GrassNikola ParylaAlexander Kahr BackingsRegina MallingerMonika BallweinHarald BaumgartnerKarin BauerBirgit Kubica Results Semi Points: 27Position: 14Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/gOJHi6JiKpY?si=t9MCHR6C5_wmIK9m

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Robin Stjernberg

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameRobin James Olof Stjernberg Born22 February 1991 Nationality🇸🇪 Swedish National SelectionMelodifestivalen 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongYou (2013) Biography Robin Stjernberg is a Swedish singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in Hässleholm on 22 February 1991. In 2006, Stjernberg clinched victory at the Sommarchansen in Malmö. The following year, he participated in a competition at the Globe Arena, where he and 14 others contended for spots in a budding boy band. Stjernberg, along with Eric Saade, Luwdig “Ludde” Keijser, and Johan Yngvesson, were the chosen quartet, forming the band later named What’s Up!. After Eric Saade’s departure, Johannes Magnusson stepped in as his replacement. The band’s debut album, “In Pose,” secured the 40th position on the Swedish Albums Chart. Two of their tracks, “Go Girl!” and “If I Told You Once,” made notable impressions on the Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart, ranking 5th and 16th respectively.  Robin Stjernberg auditioned for Idol 2011 and reached a 2nd place in the competition, gaining 48% of the votes. Following his stint on “Idol,” Stjernberg unveiled his debut single, “All This Way,” on 2 December 2011. Stjernberg was now affiliated with the Lionheart Music Group label. On 4 January 2012, he introduced “My Versions,” an Idol-themed compilation. The album’s premier official single features his take on Beyoncé’s hit, “Halo.” In 2013, Stjernberg graced the stage of Melodifestivalen with “You”. Competing in the semi-final on 23 February in Malmö, he secured a spot in the “Second Chance” round on 2 March in Karlstad. Stjernberg achieved a historic win on 9 March, becoming the first “Second Chance” entrant ever to clinch the Melodifestivalen title. He later represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest on 18 May, finishing 14th. Post-Eurovision, Robin introduced his debut original album ‘Pieces’ on 26 June 2013, spotlighting singles like ‘Scars’ and ‘Crime’. The following year, on 11 June 2014, he released the chart-topping iTunes single “Body Language”. After a brief hiatus, 23 October 2015 saw the launch of “Locked into You”, followed by “Take Me Home” on 7 January 2016, which climbed to number 5 on the Swedish iTunes chart. A notable achievement was co-writing Robin Bengtsson’s “I Can’t Go On” for Melodifestivalen 2017. The song not only won the contest but also ranked fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest, marking Stjernberg’s return, this time as a songwriter. Robin Stjernberg and Benjamin Roustaing started their group project ohFrank during 2020. Together they have released the EP “Dandelion” and the singles “Millenial”, “Schizophrenic” and “Venice”, to mention a few. As 2021 dawned, he marked his solo comeback with the single “Pretty”. Entries You Country🇸🇪 Sweden Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsRobin StjernbergJoakim Harestad HaukaasJoy DebbLinnea Debb MusicRobin StjernbergJoakim Harestad HaukaasJoy DebbLinnea Debb BackingsDea NorbergJohan Boding DancersAnna HolmströmJoão AssunçãoJuan Ramon Fuenzalida Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 16 https://youtu.be/vtjdTPnCcu0

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Iolanda

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter.  Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the contest Uma Canção para Ti, aired on TVI, but was eliminated in the 2nd gala. At 17, she again sought television exposure by participating in the 5th edition of Ídolos in 2012 on SIC, but did not advance to the live gala phase. After completing high school, Iolanda moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education and graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. During this period, she sought to break into the music scene through performances in bars and national talent contests. Her journey continued when she moved to London to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute at the University of Sussex. In 2014, she competed in the Blind Auditions of the second season of The Voice Portugal on RTP1, performing “Who You Are” by Jessie J, yet none of the four mentors turned their chairs for her. Iolanda’s first significant contribution to music came in 2022 as a co-author and co-composer of the song “Mar No Fim,” performed by Blacci at the Festival da Canção. The following year, in 2023, she released her first EP titled “Cura,” which was inspired by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, Iolanda achieved a notable milestone by being selected to compete in the RTP Festival da Canção with her song “Grito.” She won the contest on March 9, 2024, and was thus chosen to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest. Iolanda reached the Grand Final and got a 10th place there. Entries Grito Country🇵🇹 Portugal Year2024 LanguagePortuguese LyricsIolanda Costa MusicIolanda CostaAlberto Hérnandez DancersGonçalo CarrapiçoInês GonferMélissa CarodosoRenato GarciaTelmo Teite Results Semi Points: 58Position: 8Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 152Position: 10Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/OZn4-H6JvKU?si=OykbBlOVGYiKga_y

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Petr Elfimov

About Quick Facts NamePetr Petrovich Elfimov Born15 February 1980 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionEurofest 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongEyes That Never Lie (2009) Biography Petr Petrovich Elfimov was born on February 15, 1980, in Mogilev, Belarus, into a family of musicians. He started his musical education at the age of 6, focusing on the trumpet. In 1994, Elfimov enrolled in the Mogilev Gymnasium-College of Music and Choreography, specializing in choir conducting. During his time there, he was a soloist in the studio Double V, winning the television contest for young pop artists, Zornaya Rostan-96. In 1998, he joined the Belarusian State Academy of Music, where he studied academic singing in the vocal-choral department. From August 2003 to June 2004, he was a member of the ensemble Pesnyary. In 2004, Elfimov won the Grand Prix at the International Pop Song Performers Contest “Vitebsk-2004,” part of the “Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk” festival. He graduated with a master’s degree from the Belarusian State Academy of Music in 2009. Elfimov represented Belarus as a backing vocalist for the duo “Alexandra and Konstantin” at Eurovision 2004 with the song “My Galileo.” Although the song did not make it to the final, it marked the beginning of his association with the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2006, he released his debut album “Ya Khochu,” followed by “Kolokola” in 2007 and  “S novym rozhdeniyem” in 2009.  On January 19, 2009, Elfimov won the Belarusian national selection for Eurovision 2009 with the song “Eyes That Never Lie.” He performed at the Eurovision semi-final in Moscow, finishing 13th, which did not qualify him for the final. From July 17 to 25, 2010, Elfimov competed at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He represented Belarus in five categories and won five gold medals. In the fall of 2013, Elfimov participated in the second season of the popular Russian TV show Golos (The Voice), reaching the quarterfinals as part of Leonid Agutin’s team. In 2015, he competed in the TV pop song contest Glavnaya stsena (Main Stage) on Russia-1, winning the competition based on viewers’ votes. On September 8, 2011, Elfimov performed the song “Kolokola” at a memorial evening in Minsk-Arena, dedicated to the Yaroslavl “Lokomotiv” hockey players who died in a plane crash. Petr Elfimov released his album “Kniga otkroveniy” in 2012, and “Glavnaya rol” in 2015. In the same year, Elfimov starred in the film “Ukrast Belmondo” (Steal Belmondo). Since November 15, 2018, Elfimov has been the vocalist and songwriter for the heavy-power band Gran-Kurazh. His concert repertoire includes works ranging from hard rock to romance, featuring pieces by Vladimir Mulyavin, Igor Luchenok, Deep Purple, Czeslaw Niemen, and classical composers. With Gran-Kurazh, he released a studio album  “Epokhi, geroi i sudby” in 2021. He also released EPs such as “Eyforiya” in 2022 and “Skomorokh” in 2023, along with the live album “IX zhizney” in 2022. In 2024, Petr released a new album: “Legendy mira iz ognya”.  His music videos include “Moya dusha” in 2008, “Eyes That Never Lie” in 2009, “Shag navstrechu” in 2016, “Vybor yest!” in 2017, and “Tsarstvo dikikh lyudey” in 2021. Throughout his career, Petr Elfimov has received numerous accolades, including the Medal of Francysk Skaryna. In his personal life, he was first married to Natalya Dementyeva. He is now married to Tatyana Kosmacheva, with whom he has a daughter named Polina. Entries Eyes That Never Lie Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsValery Prokhozhy MusicPetr Elfimov BackingsAnton ToimentsauEkaterina MatskevichPhilip MazurovDmitry MikulichYan Zhenchak Results Semi Points: 25Position: 13Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6824_LUFgE8

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Grupa Regina

About Quick Facts MembersDavor EbnerAleksandar ‘Aco’ ĆovićDenis ČabrićBojan Milićević Active1990-2000, 2006- Nationality🇧🇦 Bosnian National SelectionInternal selection 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongBistra voda (2009) Biography In 1989, five members—Aleksandar Čović, Bojan Milicevic, Bojan Milijas, Boris Milijas, and Goran Lucic—started an amateur band in Sarajevo, in those days in Yugoslavia. They had a problem because they didn’t have a singer. Soon, they found Davor Ebner, who gave the band the name Regina. That same year, Regina released their first album, called Regina. Aleksandar Čović wrote the lyrics, and he was inspired by the Irish band U2. The first album had hit songs like “Spavaj,” “Ne pitaj me,” and “Kao nekada ona,” and the band quickly became one of the most popular in the former Yugoslavia. In 1992, they released another album called “Ljubav nije za nas,” but the band stopped working because the war started in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even though the band stopped performing, Aleksandar Čović continued working in Belgrade between 1992 and 1999, releasing several albums: “Regina,” “Oteto od zaborava,” “Godine lete,” “Ja nisam kao drugi,” “Kad zatvorim oči,” and “Devedesete.” From 2000, the band didn’t work until 2006, when Čović started working again with singer Davor Ebner, and they reformed the band. They soon released another album called “Sve mogu ja.” On January 12, 2009, BHT announced that Regina, with their song “Bistra voda,” would represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. The song was officially presented on March 1, 2009. Theyqualified for the final on May 16, 2009, performing 12th. In the final, they finished in 9th place with 106 points. On June 5, 2009, they released their 10th studio album called “Vrijeme je.” The album included the Eurovision song “Bistra voda,” its English and Russian versions, and 10 new songs. In 2011, the band recorded a duet with Tifa, the former singer of the band Bijelo Dugme, titled “Ptico mala,” which premiered in the summer of 2011, along with a music video. They also announced a new album, “Sarajevo,” with “Ptico mala” as the lead single. Although “Sarajevo” was announced for autumn 2011, the band postponed the album release. In May 2012, it was announced that a new song “Kad poludimo” was recorded. The music video was released on May 8, 2012, and it was announced that the new album would be titled “Kad poludimo,” set to be released by the end of May 2012. On May 18, 2012, Regina announced that the album was on sale. In 2015, Bojan Miličević left the band. On 16 August 2016, the band’s long-time bassist, Denis Čabrić, suddenly died of a heart attack, leaving the band with three members. On Valentine’s Day 2017, Regina, now a trio, released a new studio album called “U srcu,” with the single “Za one stare dane,” the video for which was filmed in Paris. After thirty years of performing and many concerts, Davor Ebner decided to start a new project called “Ebner,” with some well-known Sarajevo musicians.  The idea of the project was for Davor Ebner to try a different style of music compared to Regina. With his lead and the new musicians, Regina entered a new phase, aiming to connect the “Ebner” project with the Regina band by trying to produce and perform music closer to new market trends. Regina’s songs are still performed in their original form but with a more modern and better sound to make the differences between genres smaller along with the “Ebner” project songs. In December 2022, Ebner left Regina, leaving the band as a duo. Entries Bistra voda Country🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina Year2009 LanguageBosnian LyricsAleksandar ‘Ćović MusicAleksandar Ćović BackingsElma SelimovićDanijela Večerinović Results Semi Points: 125Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 106Position: 9Running order: 12 https://youtu.be/TcRWjoEkzMk?si=LzeMNMSO6B_60ZKG

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Jessy Matador

About Quick Facts NameJessy Kimbangi Born27 October 1982 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal selection 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongAllez ola olé Biography Jessy Kimbangi, known by his stage name Jessy Matador, is a celebrated French coupé-décalé singer and dancer of Congolese origin, born on October 27, 1983, in Paris. Early Life and Career Beginnings Born to Congolese parents in Paris, Jessy Matador grew up in various neighborhoods, including Épinay-sur-Seine, Vanves, the Luth area in Gennevilliers, and eventually settled in Saint-Denis. His journey into the entertainment industry began in 2001 when he embarked on a career as a dancer. Jessy later joined the group Les Cœurs Brisés under Dany Engobo’s direction, which took him on tours across the United States, Congo, Great Britain, Italy, and Canada. Formation of La Selesao In 2005, Jessy Matador formed his own group, La Selesao, with members Dr. Love & Linho (known as Les Jumo) and Benkoff. The group gained popularity, opening for acts like Magic System. They signed with Oyas Records in late 2007 and Wagram Records in spring 2008. Breakthrough and Eurovision Jessy Matador’s breakthrough came in June 2008 with the release of his debut single “Décalé Gwada”, which became a summer hit, peaking at 14th on the French charts. This success was followed by the release of his album “Afrikan New Style” in November 2008, showcasing a unique blend of African, Caribbean, and urban musical influences. In February 2010, Jessy Matador was selected to represent France at the 55th Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo. He performed the song “Allez ola olé”, finishing 12th out of 25 participants. This track, featured on his second album “Electro Soukouss” released in June 2010, achieved gold status with over 220,000 singles sold. It also served as a promotional anthem for France Télévisions and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Later Career and Ventures Jessy continued to diversify his career. He was a judge on the talent show Dance Street in 2010 and formed the all-female dance group Mata Girlz in 2011. He represented the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the African Night at Stade de France the same year. In 2013, he contributed to the compilation album “Tropical Family” and released his third album “Authentik”. His single “Zumba He Zumba Ha (Remix 2012)”, a collaboration with DJ Mam’s, was featured in the film “Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au bon Dieu?” in 2014. Jessy also ventured into theater, debuting in La Fuite by Driss Homet in 2016. He appeared in the film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga in 2020 and was featured in a 2021 episode of the dating show Et si on se rencontrait? on M6. In February 2021 he released a new single, “DBNG”, reaching the #1 spot in the I-Tunes list. The video was released in June of the same year. In July 2023, he managed to have 2 tracks in the club 40 charts: “Bilam bam”, featuring in a track of Clara and “Mini kawoule (Remix 2023)”, featuring Makassy. Entries Allez Ola Olé Country🇫🇷 France Year2010 LanguageFrench LyricsHugues DucaminJacques Ballue MusicHugues DucaminJacques Ballue BackingsEmilie CapelNedjim MahtallaJessie FasanoMistos CapitanoGeneral Benkhoff Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 82Position: 12Running order: 18 https://youtu.be/-NlvQ6Ln9fc?si=-tAfNRzZjHhm7YYW

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Giorgos Alkaios

About Quick Facts NameGiorgos Alkaios Born24 December 1971 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEllinikós Telikós 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongOPA! (2010) Biography George Alkaios, born George Vasileiou in Athens on December 24, 1971, embarked on his musical journey after showing an early interest in both music and athletics. After a brief stint in Boston, Massachusetts, due to his family’s relocation, Alkaios returned to Greece where his career in entertainment began to take shape. His initial exposure to the broader public came through his participation in a Greek reality show in 1989, which paved the way for his entry into the music and theater scenes. Alkaios’s career in music officially kicked off in the early ’90s, with his debut album “Me Ligo… Trak” released in 1992. This album marked the beginning of a prolific period for Alkaios, as he consistently released new music, capturing the attention of the Greek audience with his unique blend of pop infused with traditional Greek and Eastern elements. Following his debut, Alkaios released a series of albums annually, with “Ach.. Koita Me” in 1993, “Den Peirazei” in 1994, and “Entos Eautou” in 1995, each building on the momentum of his career and establishing him as a significant figure in the Greek music industry. His musical output continued unabated with the release of “Aneu Logou” in 1996, followed by “En Psichro” in 1997, demonstrating his versatility and depth as an artist. In 1998, he released “Ichoi Siopis”, and in 1999, “Syrmatoplegma” came out, further cementing his status in the music scene. The turn of the millennium saw Alkaios exploring new musical directions with the release of “Pro Ton Pylon” in 2000 and “Oxygono  in 2001. In 2002, he took a slightly different approach by releasing an EP titled “” Karma”, showcasing his ability to innovate and adapt to the evolving music landscape. In 2003, Alkaios released “Kommatia Psychis”, followed by “Aithousa Anamonis” in 2004. These albums were succeeded by Alkaios Live Tour in 2005, offering fans a taste of his dynamic live performances. His subsequent albums, “Nyhtes Apo Fos” in 2006, “Eleftheros” in 2007, and “To Diko Mas Paramythi” in 2008, showcased his continued evolution as an artist. The year 2010 was particularly notable for Alkaios, as he represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “OPA!”. He reached the final and even an 8th place there, in addition to releasing the album “Dos Mou Ligo Fos”. He continued to release new music with “Deja Vu” in 2011 and then took a brief hiatus before returning with “Marionetes” in 2015. In 2021, Alkaios made a significant comeback with three albums: “Mosaic”, “My Utopia”, and “Zero Room71”, demonstrating his unwavering passion for music and his ability to remain relevant in the industry. Throughout the years, Alkaios also released several singles and EPs, including “Pnevmata” and “Ta Magika Sou Chilia” in 2016, followed by “Mia Psychi” and “Ligo Fos” in 2017. Entries OPA! Country🇬🇷 Greece Year2010 LanguageGreek LyricsGiannis AntoniouGiorgos AlkaiosDionysis SchinasKassiani KaragiouleDimitris HortariasStavros ApostolouTolis SchinasManos Hortarias MusicGiorgos Alkaios BackingsFriends:Lazos IoannidisIakovos GoguaJenia Evgenios BuliPetros ZlatkosAnastasios Kanaridis Results Semi Points: 133Position: 2Running order: 13 Results Finals Points: 140Position: 8Running order: 11 https://youtu.be/wfqOrMlwOjs?si=nJ0AYz6k7bLau7Sg

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The Common Linnets

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersIlse DelangeWaylon Active2013-2017 Nationality Dutch National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCalm After The Storm (2014) Biography The Common Linnets, a band hailing from the Netherlands, was established in 2013, initially featuring Ilse DeLange and Waylon. DeLange elucidated that the group was formed as a dynamic platform for Dutch musicians to experiment and create country, Americana, and bluegrass music. The band saw a change in lineup when Waylon departed in May 2014 and was replaced by American country artist Jake Etheridge. Their debut album, featuring the song “Calm After the Storm”, secured them a second-place finish in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 – the best performance by the Netherlands since their victory in 1975. The band’s name draws inspiration from the regional nickname ‘heikneuters,’ attributed to individuals from the eastern part of the Netherlands, DeLange and Waylon’s birthplace. This term refers to the songbird ‘kneu’ or common linnet. Credit for this innovative name goes to Dutch designer Rens Dekker, who also designed their album and single artworks. The initial band members were individual country artists, Ilse DeLange and Waylon, with DeLange acknowledged as the founder and leading member. DeLange envisaged the band as a project to facilitate Dutch artists in their musical explorations. Since 2014, the band has been composed of Ilse DeLange, JB Meijers, Jake Etheridge, and Matthew Crosby, who along with Rob Crosby, penned the hit “Calm After The Storm”. Born on May 13, 1977, in Almelo, Netherlands, Ilse DeLange’s musical journey started at the tender age of 8. Her talents were showcased in regional and national talent shows in Hilversum, followed by a musical partnership with guitarist Joop Liefland. Waylon, born on April 20, 1980, in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, adopted his stage name in honor of his idol, Waylon Jennings. After their Eurovision success, the band embarked on a promotional tour. The noticeable absence of Waylon sparked speculations of him leaving the band. On his official Facebook page, Waylon revealed that the unexpected success of the band led him to focus on his album releasing in September 2014. JB Meijers, born on June 10, 1972, in Delft, Netherlands, joined the band after his stint with Dutch indie bands Charmin’ Children, Shine, and Supersub. Besides playing with De Dijk, Eboman, and Acda & De Munnik, he also worked as a producer. Jake Etheridge, born on April 25, 1988, in Columbia, South Carolina, joined the band post-Waylon’s departure. Before joining, he had gained recognition for his online song uploads. Matthew Crosby, born on May 21, 1981, in Columbia, South Carolina, was an accomplished actor in New York City and had previously performed with the band “The Easy Tells”. The band represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, with the song “Calm After the Storm”. The Common Linnets won the 2014 Buma Cultuur Pop Award and the 2015 Echo Awards for Best International Newcomer Act. Their second studio album ‘II’ was released in 2015. The album became a Gold disc. In november 2015, the band toured throughout Germany and Austria. They received an award for best an award at Radio 538 for best live performance. In 2016 the band played at Eurosonic Noorderslag. They went to Sweden to perform in Douwe Bob‘s pub in Stockholm, during the Eurovision week. In June, they did a UK tour, in November they went back to Germany. Also in 2017, the band kept on performing. After that, Ilse Delange, JB Meijers and Matthew Crosby had solo projects.  In 2019, Ilse Delange was a coach at the Eurovision Song Contest for Duncan Laurence, who won the contest. Entries Calm After The Storm Country🇳🇱 The Netherlands Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge MusicIlse DelangeJB MeijersRob CrosbyMatthew CrosbyJake Etheridge BackingsBart VergoossenJB MeijersMartijn Van Agt Results Semi Points: 150Position: 1Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 238Position: 2Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/4ggBPAm5XLA

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Agnete

© Albin Olsson, Wikimedia Commons About Quick Facts NameAgnete Kristin Johnsen Saba Born04 July 1994 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionNorsk Melodi Grand Prix 2016Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongIcebreaker (2016) Biography Agnete Kristin Johnsen Saba, known by various names including Agnete Saba, Agnete Johnsen, or simply Agnete, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Agnete was born on July 4, 1994, in Varangerbotn, Nesseby, located in Finnmark, Norway. She comes from an ethnic Sami background and is the daughter of Sami children’s author Signe Iversen. In 2020, she changed her surname to Saba, adopting her grandmother’s maiden name. She started het career as a member of The BlackSheeps. The group was formed in 2008 while the band members were attending school in their hometown of Nesseby. They achieved success by winning Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2008 with their song “Oro jaska, beana” (“Be quiet, dog”), which was performed in both Norwegian and Northern Sami. The band also won the MGP Nordic 2008 competition. Their song “Oro jaska, beana” won the Song of the Year award at the Spellemannprisen Awards and reached number one on the Norwegian singles chart. In 2011, The BlackSheeps participated in Melodi Grand Prix 2011 with the song “Dance Tonight,” where they secured the second place. However, they disbanded later that year. In 2013, Agnete competed in the second season of the Norwegian music TV competition Stjernekamp, finishing as the runner-up. She also performed as an interval act during Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2013. From 2014 onwards, Agnete took part in the tenth season of the Norwegian version of Dancing with the Stars called Skal vi danse? (Shall we dance?) and emerged as the winner. In 2015, she participated in the Norwegian reality television series 71° nord but left early due to mental health issues. Agnete competed in Melodi Grand Prix 2016 with the song “Icebreaker” and emerged as the winner, receiving the most votes from the Norwegian public. Although she represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest, she failed to qualify for the final during the second semi-final held in Stockholm on May 12, 2016. Agnete made a comeback on November 6, 2020, with her new single titled “Beginning of the End.” In January 2021, she participated in the show “Hver gang vi møtes” (the Norwegian version of “The Best Singers”). On March 5 of the same year, she released the single “Solid” followed by the EP “Tundra.” Additionally, on August 30, a documentary titled “Agnete Jienáda,” focusing on Agnete and her Sami background, was released on NRK Web-TV. On July 8, 2022, Agnete released a new song called “Pusterom.” She also performed on the show “Allsang på grensen” and had a duet with Ronan Keating. Agnete took part in the all-stars version of “Skal vi danse.” In the same year, she collaborated with the Isaakband and featured on their new single, “Oainnán du.” In 2023, Agnete hosted the Sámi Grand Prix alongside Ole Nedrejord. Entries Icebreaker Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsAgnete JohnsenGabriel AlaresIan Curnow MusicAgnete JohnsenGabriel AlaresIan Curnow BackingsGabriel AlaresNicoline Berg KaasinCharlotte BredesenIngunn Dalland DancersSara Christine Einbu Results Semi Points: 63Position: 13Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/ACLcqZMwCSo

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Magdalena Tul

About Quick Facts NameMagdalena Ewa Tul Born29 April 1980 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionKrajowe Eliminacje 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongJestem (2011) Biography Magdalena Ewa Tul (born April 29, 1980, in Gdańsk) is a Polish singer and composer. She completed her education at the XIV General Education High School in Gdańsk and in high school in a humanities-theatrical profile class. She studied extramurally at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of the Bydgoszcz Academy, where in 2004 she obtained a master’s degree in the field of Artistic Education in the field of musical art. At the age of 12, she became a vocalist in a children’s vocal group, where she took her first musical steps. As a teenager, she supplemented her salary by working as a bartender in a jazz club. Shortly thereafter, she founded her own band, which she created with Piotr Olszewski and Piotr Podgórski. They played together for about two years, performed several concerts as a support for recognized artists of the Polish scene, and created material for the singer’s first solo album. From 2000 she performed as an actress and vocalist of the Studio Buffo team of Janusz Józefowicz. In the meantime, she supplemented her income by working as a bartender at the Jazgot club in Warsaw and as a seller in a call-center. In 2003 she ended her work at Buffo. In 2003, she started collaborating with the Roma Musical Theater, where she sang vocal parts in the musical Cats (2004) and played Queen Aba in the musical Akademia pana Kleksa (2007). In January 2003, she started collaborating with Polish Television, becoming one of the vocalists of the TVP1 game show Jaka to melodia?. In 2005 with the song “Full of Life” she took 9th place in the internal selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. For the performance of the song, she also won awards at the Universtalent 2005 festival in Prague in the categories: “best song” and “best performer”. In June 2005, with the single “Idź swoją drogą” she performed in the Premiere concert as part of the 42nd National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, and in 2006 with the song “Find the Music” she took part in the eliminations for the Trendy contest during the TOPtrendy 2006 festival, but did not qualify for the final “nine”. In August 2007, she released her debut studio album titled V.O.H. – The Victory of Heart, which included songs “Full of Life” and “Find the Music”. Also in 2007, she took third place at the Unisong festival. At the end of December 2010, she sang in Rick Estrin’s song “Weekend Off”, placed on the demo of the blues band Why Ducky? titled The Mo. She also released two solo singles: “Nie ma jej” and “Jestem”, with which she qualified for the national eliminations for the 56th Eurovision Song Contest. On February 14, 2011, she won the final of the selection, thereby becoming the Polish representative at Eurovision 2011 organized in Düsseldorf. As part of the promotion, she recorded an English version of the competition song, “Present”. On May 10, she performed first in the first semi-final of the contest and took the last, 19th place, not advancing to the final. In November, her song “First Class Ticket to Heaven” was included on a two-disc publication released under the Esotiq presents Poland… Why Not project. In 2012, she unsuccessfully applied with the song “Give It Up” to the Swiss selections for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2013, she took part in the second edition of the TVP2 talent show The Voice of Poland. She was eliminated at the knockout stage. In November 2013, she released an EP titled The Beginning. On June 6, she released her second studio album titled Brave. In May 2014, she was a member of the Polish jury in the Eurovision Song Contest. On June 14, 2015, she performed at a concert celebrating the 90th anniversary of Polish Radio as part of the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole, singing with the Sound’n’Grace choir the songs “Szklana pogoda” by Lombard and “Biała armia” by Bajm. On April 28, 2017, she released the single “Closer”, which she also recorded in a Polish language version as “Bliżej”. In May 2017, she played a mini concert tour, including performances in Krakow and Warsaw, and also was in the Polish jury of the Eurovision Song Contest. On November 7, at the “Stodoła” club in Warsaw, she played a premiere concert from the Pop Art Tour, during which she presented material from her third studio album. In the summer of 2018, after changing the main producer of the program Jaka to melodia?, along with part of the previous cast, she ended her cooperation with the game show. On August 31, she released a music video for the single from the album, “Va Banque”. Also in 2018, she got involved in the campaign of the brand producing sports trophies Triumph “The First Victory”. On April 14, 2019, she made a guest appearance during the London Eurovision Party concert. On June 3, she digitally released her third studio album titled Mindfulness, which included singles “Closer”, “Bliżej”, “Va Banque”, and “Move Forward”, which she released on June 10. In the summer, she was a musical guest on the TV Puls game show Gra Muzyka. In the autumn of 2019, she started in the Open Mic competition, reaching the final played on February 1, 2020, at the O2 Arena in London. On February 26, 2021, she announced a collaboration with the American recording label Banner Records, for which she recorded singles: “Face the Day” (2021) and “If Loving You Is All I Ever Do” (2022). Entries Jestem Country🇵🇱 Poland Year2011 LanguagePolish LyricsMagdalena Tul MusicMagdalena Tul BackingsJoanna GogolińskaIga TurekArtur BomertKalina KasprzakSoyanna Results Semi Points: 18Position: 19Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/aJOTAoPSaHw?si=eS2OuikFzx2wAmkz

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Natália Kelly

About Quick Facts NameNatália Kelly Born18 December 1994 Nationality🇺🇸 American🇦🇹 Austrian National SelectionÖsterreich Rockt den Song Contest 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongShine (2013) Biography Natália Kelly is an American-Austrian singer. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, she was born to a Brazilian mother and an American father with roots in Austria and Ireland. At six, in the year 2000, she moved to Austria. Kelly’s musical journey began early on. By ten, in 2004, she performed in the children’s opera for “Around the World in 80 Days” at Baden state theatre. That same year, she clinched the second position on the ORF TV show, Kiddy Contest, performing a duet with Manuel Gutleb. Over the next few years, she showcased her talent in several contests, including classical music competitions like Prima La Musica. Kelly joined the children’s pop ensemble Gimme 5 from 2005 to 2007. The group was affiliated with Universal Music, and its music was crafted under the expertise of Alexander Kahr. In 2011, Kelly secured a victory in the long-standing Austrian talent competition, The Voice (distinct from the global The Voice franchise). This triumph led her to a recording deal with Alexander Kahr. On 15th February 2013, Kelly aimed for a shot at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, participating in Austria’s national selection event, Österreich rockt den Song Contest, with her track “Shine”. By the end of the voting session, she accumulated 70 points, making her Austria’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden. She performed in the first semi-final on 14th May 2013. Unfortunately, Austria couldn’t make it to the final, ranking 14th out of 16 with a score of 27 points. Kelly’s debut album, “Natália Kelly”, made its global release on 12th April 2013. In July 2013, the follow up for “Shine” was released: “Face The Day”. In November she performed at the Eurovision Party in Cologne. She also teamed up with Fii & Friends for a concert in U4 in Vienna. In January 2014, Natália was able to perform at the Open Air festival in Seefeld. In July 2014 Natália was able to perform at the Body Painting Festival in Pörtschach am Wörrthersee. In 2017 she recorded a cover song and video, “Tired”, along with Sam Mashgati. In September of the same year she performed at the festival Soundyard in Waidenhofen.  Natália currently lives at Cave Creek, Arizona, United States. Entries Shine Country🇦🇹 Austria Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsAndreas GrassNikola ParylaNatália Kelly MusicAndreas GrassNikola ParylaAlexander Kahr BackingsRegina MallingerMonika BallweinHarald BaumgartnerKarin BauerBirgit Kubica Results Semi Points: 27Position: 14Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/gOJHi6JiKpY?si=t9MCHR6C5_wmIK9m

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Robin Stjernberg

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameRobin James Olof Stjernberg Born22 February 1991 Nationality🇸🇪 Swedish National SelectionMelodifestivalen 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongYou (2013) Biography Robin Stjernberg is a Swedish singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in Hässleholm on 22 February 1991. In 2006, Stjernberg clinched victory at the Sommarchansen in Malmö. The following year, he participated in a competition at the Globe Arena, where he and 14 others contended for spots in a budding boy band. Stjernberg, along with Eric Saade, Luwdig “Ludde” Keijser, and Johan Yngvesson, were the chosen quartet, forming the band later named What’s Up!. After Eric Saade’s departure, Johannes Magnusson stepped in as his replacement. The band’s debut album, “In Pose,” secured the 40th position on the Swedish Albums Chart. Two of their tracks, “Go Girl!” and “If I Told You Once,” made notable impressions on the Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart, ranking 5th and 16th respectively.  Robin Stjernberg auditioned for Idol 2011 and reached a 2nd place in the competition, gaining 48% of the votes. Following his stint on “Idol,” Stjernberg unveiled his debut single, “All This Way,” on 2 December 2011. Stjernberg was now affiliated with the Lionheart Music Group label. On 4 January 2012, he introduced “My Versions,” an Idol-themed compilation. The album’s premier official single features his take on Beyoncé’s hit, “Halo.” In 2013, Stjernberg graced the stage of Melodifestivalen with “You”. Competing in the semi-final on 23 February in Malmö, he secured a spot in the “Second Chance” round on 2 March in Karlstad. Stjernberg achieved a historic win on 9 March, becoming the first “Second Chance” entrant ever to clinch the Melodifestivalen title. He later represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest on 18 May, finishing 14th. Post-Eurovision, Robin introduced his debut original album ‘Pieces’ on 26 June 2013, spotlighting singles like ‘Scars’ and ‘Crime’. The following year, on 11 June 2014, he released the chart-topping iTunes single “Body Language”. After a brief hiatus, 23 October 2015 saw the launch of “Locked into You”, followed by “Take Me Home” on 7 January 2016, which climbed to number 5 on the Swedish iTunes chart. A notable achievement was co-writing Robin Bengtsson’s “I Can’t Go On” for Melodifestivalen 2017. The song not only won the contest but also ranked fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest, marking Stjernberg’s return, this time as a songwriter. Robin Stjernberg and Benjamin Roustaing started their group project ohFrank during 2020. Together they have released the EP “Dandelion” and the singles “Millenial”, “Schizophrenic” and “Venice”, to mention a few. As 2021 dawned, he marked his solo comeback with the single “Pretty”. Entries You Country🇸🇪 Sweden Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsRobin StjernbergJoakim Harestad HaukaasJoy DebbLinnea Debb MusicRobin StjernbergJoakim Harestad HaukaasJoy DebbLinnea Debb BackingsDea NorbergJohan Boding DancersAnna HolmströmJoão AssunçãoJuan Ramon Fuenzalida Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: 62Position: 14Running order: 16 https://youtu.be/vtjdTPnCcu0

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Iolanda

© EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett About Quick Facts NameIolanda Costa Born04 November 1994 Nationality🇵🇹 Portuguese National SelectionFestival RTP Da Canção 2024 In Eurovision2024 Malmö SongGrito (2024) Biography Iolanda Costa, known simply as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter.  Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory. By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition

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Petr Elfimov

About Quick Facts NamePetr Petrovich Elfimov Born15 February 1980 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionEurofest 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongEyes That Never Lie (2009) Biography Petr Petrovich Elfimov was born on February 15, 1980, in Mogilev, Belarus, into a family of musicians. He started his musical education at the age of 6, focusing on the trumpet. In 1994, Elfimov enrolled in the Mogilev Gymnasium-College of Music and Choreography, specializing in choir conducting. During his time there, he was a soloist in the studio Double V, winning the television contest for young pop artists, Zornaya Rostan-96. In 1998, he joined the Belarusian State Academy

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Grupa Regina

About Quick Facts MembersDavor EbnerAleksandar ‘Aco’ ĆovićDenis ČabrićBojan Milićević Active1990-2000, 2006- Nationality🇧🇦 Bosnian National SelectionInternal selection 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongBistra voda (2009) Biography In 1989, five members—Aleksandar Čović, Bojan Milicevic, Bojan Milijas, Boris Milijas, and Goran Lucic—started an amateur band in Sarajevo, in those days in Yugoslavia. They had a problem because they didn’t have a singer. Soon, they found Davor Ebner, who gave the band the name Regina. That same year, Regina released their first album, called Regina. Aleksandar Čović wrote the lyrics, and he was inspired by the Irish band U2. The first album had hit songs like

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Jessy Matador

About Quick Facts NameJessy Kimbangi Born27 October 1982 Nationality🇫🇷 French National SelectionInternal selection 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongAllez ola olé Biography Jessy Kimbangi, known by his stage name Jessy Matador, is a celebrated French coupé-décalé singer and dancer of Congolese origin, born on October 27, 1983, in Paris. Early Life and Career Beginnings Born to Congolese parents in Paris, Jessy Matador grew up in various neighborhoods, including Épinay-sur-Seine, Vanves, the Luth area in Gennevilliers, and eventually settled in Saint-Denis. His journey into the entertainment industry began in 2001 when he embarked on a career as a dancer. Jessy later joined the

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Giorgos Alkaios

About Quick Facts NameGiorgos Alkaios Born24 December 1971 Nationality🇬🇷 Greek National SelectionEllinikós Telikós 2010 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongOPA! (2010) Biography George Alkaios, born George Vasileiou in Athens on December 24, 1971, embarked on his musical journey after showing an early interest in both music and athletics. After a brief stint in Boston, Massachusetts, due to his family’s relocation, Alkaios returned to Greece where his career in entertainment began to take shape. His initial exposure to the broader public came through his participation in a Greek reality show in 1989, which paved the way for his entry into the music and theater

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The Common Linnets

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersIlse DelangeWaylon Active2013-2017 Nationality Dutch National SelectionInternal selection 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCalm After The Storm (2014) Biography The Common Linnets, a band hailing from the Netherlands, was established in 2013, initially featuring Ilse DeLange and Waylon. DeLange elucidated that the group was formed as a dynamic platform for Dutch musicians to experiment and create country, Americana, and bluegrass music. The band saw a change in lineup when Waylon departed in May 2014 and was replaced by American country artist Jake Etheridge. Their debut album, featuring the song “Calm After the Storm”, secured them a

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Agnete

© Albin Olsson, Wikimedia Commons About Quick Facts NameAgnete Kristin Johnsen Saba Born04 July 1994 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionNorsk Melodi Grand Prix 2016Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2011 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongIcebreaker (2016) Biography Agnete Kristin Johnsen Saba, known by various names including Agnete Saba, Agnete Johnsen, or simply Agnete, is a Norwegian singer and songwriter. Agnete was born on July 4, 1994, in Varangerbotn, Nesseby, located in Finnmark, Norway. She comes from an ethnic Sami background and is the daughter of Sami children’s author Signe Iversen. In 2020, she changed her surname to Saba, adopting her grandmother’s maiden name. She started het

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Magdalena Tul

About Quick Facts NameMagdalena Ewa Tul Born29 April 1980 Nationality🇵🇱 Polish National SelectionKrajowe Eliminacje 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongJestem (2011) Biography Magdalena Ewa Tul (born April 29, 1980, in Gdańsk) is a Polish singer and composer. She completed her education at the XIV General Education High School in Gdańsk and in high school in a humanities-theatrical profile class. She studied extramurally at the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology of the Bydgoszcz Academy, where in 2004 she obtained a master’s degree in the field of Artistic Education in the field of musical art. At the age of 12, she became a vocalist

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Natália Kelly

About Quick Facts NameNatália Kelly Born18 December 1994 Nationality🇺🇸 American🇦🇹 Austrian National SelectionÖsterreich Rockt den Song Contest 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongShine (2013) Biography Natália Kelly is an American-Austrian singer. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, she was born to a Brazilian mother and an American father with roots in Austria and Ireland. At six, in the year 2000, she moved to Austria. Kelly’s musical journey began early on. By ten, in 2004, she performed in the children’s opera for “Around the World in 80 Days” at Baden state theatre. That same year, she clinched the second position on the ORF TV

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Robin Stjernberg

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameRobin James Olof Stjernberg Born22 February 1991 Nationality🇸🇪 Swedish National SelectionMelodifestivalen 2013 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongYou (2013) Biography Robin Stjernberg is a Swedish singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in Hässleholm on 22 February 1991. In 2006, Stjernberg clinched victory at the Sommarchansen in Malmö. The following year, he participated in a competition at the Globe Arena, where he and 14 others contended for spots in a budding boy band. Stjernberg, along with Eric Saade, Luwdig “Ludde” Keijser, and Johan Yngvesson, were the chosen quartet, forming the band later named What’s Up!. After Eric Saade’s

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