We know a lot about Eurovision and we want to share this knowledge with you! Therefore we’d like to bring you a blast from the past. Today, we go back to 1997, when Tanja Ribič represented Slovenia with her song “Zbudi se”.
Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Slovenia has competed in Eurovision since 1993, representing RTV Slovenija after the Yugoslav era. Its best results are two seventh places: Darja Švajger in 1995 and Nuša Derenda in 2001. Recent years illustrate range and ambition: LPS with “Disko” (2022), Joker Out with “Carpe Diem” qualifying for the 2023 final, and Raiven’s opera-pop “Veronika” placing 23rd in 2024. In 2025, Klemen won EMA with “How Much Time Do We Have Left” and finished 13th in Semi-Final 1, so Slovenia missed the final.
EMA 1997
Evrovizijska Melodija, mostly shortened as EMA, was and is the Slovenian national selection. In 1997, it was held in RTVSLO Studio 1 in Ljubljana. Mojca Mavec hosted the show on 22 February. No less than 13 songs competed.
- “Nekdo“, sung by Natalija Verboten, 265 pts, 12th
- “Zaradi nje“, sung by Dominik Kozarič, 650 pts, 9th
- “Zbudi se“, sung by Tanja Ribič, 4,493 pts, 1st
- “Veter z juga“, sung by Tinkara Kovac, 574 pts, 10th
- “Kadar boš ob njej zaspal“, sung by Irena Vrčkovnik, 1,010 pts, 7th
- “Daljave“, sung by Melita & Klarisa, 512 pts, 11th
- “Le en poljub“, sung by Grom, 895 pts, 8th
- “Prosim ostani“, sung by Napoleon, 1,794 pts, 5th
- “Korak v dežju“, sung by Katrina, 213 pts, 13nd
- “Jagode in čokolada“, sung by Rok ‘n’ Band, 2,226 pts, 3rd
- “Vsakdanji čudež“, sung by Darja Švajger, 4,076 pts, 2nd
- “Ti in jaz“, Vili Resnik, 1,521 pts, 6th
- “Objemi me nežno“, M4M, 2,047 pts, 4th
No former Eurovision participants took part this year. However, no less than three artists would get to the Eurovision stage on later occasions: Tinkara Kovac, Darja Švajger and Vili Resnik.
Tanja Ribič
Tanja Ribič (born 28 June 1968) is a Slovenian actress and singer whose career spans theatre, film and television. She studied acting at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (AGRFT) in Ljubljana; she enrolled in 1987 and joined the Ljubljana City Theatre (MGL) in 1992, where she has remained a long‑standing member. On television, she became widely known to Slovenian audiences through the sitcom Naša mala klinika. On film, she appeared in regional and domestic productions, among them Kajmak i marmelada (2003) and Traktor, ljubezen in Rock’n’Roll (2008). Her stage and screen work shows a mix of comedy and drama, and she has also performed music alongside acting.
Ribič reached an international audience in 1997, when she represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin with the song “Zbudi se”. She finished tenth with 60 points, a result that consolidated her visibility beyond the theatre. After Eurovision, she continued to work across media, taking roles in television series and films while returning regularly to the MGL ensemble. Later film work includes the comedy‑horror Prekletstvo Valburge (2019) and a role in the 2024 feature Tartinijev ključ. Ribič married Bosnian actor and director Branko Đurić in 2000, and the couple has occasionally collaborated professionally; they have two children. She continues to appear on stage and screen in Slovenia.
Zbudi se
“Zbudi se” (“Wake Up”) was Slovenia’s Eurovision 1997 entry, performed by Tanja Ribič. It placed 10th with 60 points in Dublin. The song is a gentle Slovene-language pop ballad from the live-orchestra era, built on piano and strings with a mid-tempo lift and a lilting chorus. Its lyric is an invitation to awaken and embrace love, giving the performance a warm, romantic tone rather than showy drama. The arrangement leaves space for Ribič’s voice and backing vocals to blend, creating an accessible, radio-friendly sound. An English version, “Waken Now,” later circulated, but the original “Zbudi se” remains the standard version.
