We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Croatia.
Baby Lasagna
Born in 1995, Marko Purišić, better known by his stage name Baby Lasagna, has carved a unique niche in the Croatian music scene as a vocalist, lyricist, and record producer. His musical journey includes a significant stint as a guitarist for the Croatian rock group Manntra between 2011-2016 and then from 2018-2022. During his time with Manntra, they achieved notable success, especially with their fourth-place finish at Dora 2019 with the song “In the Shadows”. After parting ways with Manntra in 2022, Purišić embarked on a solo career, showcasing his diverse talents. He played a pivotal role in co-writing tracks for “Ravenblack,” the twelfth studio album by the German rock band Mono Inc., which soared to the top of the German album sales chart. His contributions included hits like “Princess of the Night” and “Heartbeat of the Dead”.
Transitioning to a solo artist, Purišić released singles under the moniker Baby Lasagna, with his breakthrough solo track “IG Boi” debuting in October 2023. His subsequent single, “Don’t Hate Yourself, But Don’t Love Yourself Too Much”, further cemented his place in the music industry. In a landmark achievement, Baby Lasagna won the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, Dora, with “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” on February 25, 2024, setting the stage for him to represent Croatia at Eurovision 2024 with this self-penned song, showcasing his evolution from a band member to a solo phenomenon.
Yugoslavia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Yugoslavia participated in the Eurovision Song Contest from 1961 until 1992. Several Croatian entries have taken part, some very succesful. The first time RTV Zagreb won the national selection in Yugoslavia was in 1963 with Vice Vukov‘s “Brodovi”. The Trubadurs of Dubrovnik won the contest with “Jedan dan” in 1968, an international hit song. A total of nine times, RTV Zagreb provided the entry, most succesful when Rajko Dujmić and Stevo Cvikić where responsible for the entries. In 1989, Riva won the contest with “Rock me baby”.
Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest
As an independent country, Croatia first took part in the contest in 1993. With “Don’t ever cry”, the group Put were the first entrants for Croatia. The national selection in most occasions is called DORA, also this year. Most succesful so far were Maja Blagdan in 1996 with “Sveta ljubav” and Doris Dragović in 1999 with “Marija Magdalena”.
The Bookmakers
Currently, the betting odds predict Croatia as the winner of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. If that happens, it would be the first victory ever for the country. However, the top position for Croatia is not with a landslide, Italy is coming closer and closer. It’s gonna be exciting….
The song
And this is the song:
