2015 Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Eurovision Universe

Trijntje Oosterhuis

About Quick Facts NameJudith Katrijntje Oosterhuis Born05 February 1973 Nationality🇳🇱 Dutch National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongWalk Along (2015) Biography Trijntje Oosterhuis is a Dutch singer. She was born in Amsterdam in 1973. As a child, she played together with her brother Tjeerd in the children’s musical Wordt er in de ruimte ook gelezen? by Marjan Berk. Together with her brother Tjeerd, Oosterhuis formed the band Total Touch, which brought a musical mix of 80s, soul, 90s, R&B, funk, pop, and dance. The band originated in the 1980s when the brother and sister were still teenagers. The lineup of Total Touch changed several times in the years before their breakthrough, but brother and sister Oosterhuis were always the ones who kept the group alive. In 1991, the band won first prize in the music category during the finals of the Kunstbende competition. That same year, the band was in the spotlight during the Grote Prijs van Nederland. In 1994, Oosterhuis got the opportunity to tour the world with saxophonist Candy Dulfer in the backing choir. The tour was supposed to last for six weeks, but in the end, they traveled for two years in different periods. In 1995, Oosterhuis contributed to the successful song “Ademnood” by Linda, Roos & Jessica. Furthermore, it was the year in which Total Touch was offered a record deal with the BMG Music label. The band’s self-titled debut album was released a year later. The first single, “Touch Me There,” became a big hit in the summer of 1996 due to heavy radio and TV airplay. On August 14, 1996, during the opening of the Amsterdam ArenA, Oosterhuis sang the hymn “De zee,” written by John Ewbank. This performance resulted in a top 10 hit and a lot of media attention. In September, the second Total Touch single “Somebody Else’s Lover” was released, which gave the group their final breakthrough in the Netherlands. The single reached the third position in the charts and was certified platinum. After several hit singles and a debut album that was awarded platinum five times, Total Touch took a step back in 1997 to focus on a new album. Meanwhile, Oosterhuis scored a big hit with the song “Wereld zonder jou,” a duet with Marco Borsato. In April 1998, Total Touch returned with their second album, “This way,” of which the first single, “I’ll say goodbye,” became a big hit. The album achieved double platinum status. Oosterhuis also scored another solo hit at the end of 1998 with the song “Vlieg met me mee,” the title track of the Dutch movie Abeltje. In the same year, Oosterhuis embarked on some solo projects. She performed alongside jazz pianist Herbie Hancock at the 24th North Sea Jazz Festival. She also participated in the music tour Marlboro Flashbacks, where she delved into the repertoire of Stevie Wonder, a personal favorite of the singer. A live recording of this tour was released on CD titled “For once in my life,” which achieved platinum status. In 2001, Oosterhuis and her brother decided to disband Total Touch as a band for the time being. In the fall, Trijntje embarked on a solo tour of theaters. On Tuesday, January 28, 2002, Oosterhuis was one of the acts at the celebration in the Amsterdam ArenA for the wedding of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Máxima Zorreguieta. In March 2002, Oosterhuis embarked on a theater tour in the Netherlands. The singer’s first true solo album, titled “Trijntje Oosterhuis,” was released in March 2003 by EMI Music, with the first single “Free” released in February. She also recorded an exclusive song for the charity CD “Hoop! Peace Songs Voor War Child,” which was released on May 2. Since its opening on June 19, 2002, the song “In this together” can be heard in the pre-show of the attraction PandaDroom at lunapark Efteling. Around the same period, a compilation CD and DVD of Total Touch were released by BMG. Oosterhuis went on tour again to promote her solo album, performing in Dutch theaters. The album was certified gold. In addition to “Free,” the album also spawned singles such as “What about us,” “It’s you I need,” and “Don’t say that you love me.” Following the birth of Princess Amalia on December 7, Oosterhuis, along with Carel Kraayenhof and violinist Janine Jansen, released the song “Nu dat jij er bent,” written by John Ewbank. The proceeds from the single went entirely to the children’s fund of Jantje Beton. In February 2004, Oosterhuis received the Gouden Harp (Golden Harp). It was the second Harp award Oosterhuis received; she had previously won the Zilveren Harp (Silver Harp) in 1997. In early 2004, the singer signed a record deal with the American jazz label Blue Note. A new live album by the singer, “Strange fruit,” featuring songs by Billie Holiday and George Gershwin, performed with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta and the Houdini’s, was released. Two weeks after its release, the album achieved gold status, later reaching platinum status. Around the same time, the singer embarked on another theater tour, this time with a more acoustic setting. Recordings were made for a live DVD during one of the concerts. In November, the DVD “A thousand days – Live & acoustic” was released by EMI Music. Oosterhuis ended the year by releasing a Christmas single, “Merry Christmas baby,” together with saxophonist Candy Dulfer. The song, along with a Christmas song by singer Do, was released by radio station Sky Radio and reached the seventh position in the Top 40 chart. On January 1, 2005, Oosterhuis participated in the charity single “Als je iets kan doen” by Artiesten Voor Azië. The proceeds from the song went entirely to the victims of the Asian tsunami on Christmas 2004. Afterward, Oosterhuis focused on creating a new studio album. The album, titled “See you as I do,” was released in September. Its title track was chosen as the first single and became a modest hit. At the end of November,

Eduard Romanyuta

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameEduard Eduardovych Romanyuta Born23 October 1992 Nationality🇺🇦 Ukrainian National SelectionO Melodie Pentro Europa 2015Evrobachennya 2013 – Natsionalyni vidbirEvrobachennya 2012 – Natsionalyni vidbirEvrobachennya 2011 – Natsionalyni vidbirEvrobachennya 2009 – Natsionalyni vidbir In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongI Want Your Love (2015) Biography Eduard Eduardovich Romanyuta (born October 23, 1992, in Ternopil) is a Ukrainian singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and TV presenter. Eduard Romanyuta was born in Ternopil. By the age of five, he was already performing at the National Palace of Arts in Kyiv, where he received personal recognition from President L. Kuchma for his remarkable achievements. From 1999 to 2002, he participated in the renowned Presidential Christmas Trees event held in Kyiv, delivering over 170 performances. At a young age, Eduard established himself as a winner of prestigious international song contests, including “Pearl of the South” (Ukraine) and “Italian Magic” (Italy). He was honored with the first prize at the international competitions “Song Magic” (Bulgaria) and “Slavic Bazaar” (Ukraine). He also achieved victory in all-Ukrainian contests. His accomplishments include three international Grand Prix awards and victories in seven international and eighteen all-Ukrainian song contests. In 2000, Eduard Romanuta served as a jury member representing Ukraine at the international children’s song contest “Slavic Bazaar” in Vitebsk, Belarus, where he also performed as a special guest. In 2003, he released his debut album titled “Colors of the Homeland” and held an impressive concert in its support. Eduard has curated four concert programs, comprising a repertoire of over 50 songs. In 2004, Eduard Romanuta was recognized by the Prime Minister of Ukraine for his significant contributions to the development of musical culture in the country, receiving a certificate and medal. He has been honored with national titles such as “Child of the Year” and “Young Talent.” Eduard caught the attention of international publishers, resulting in collaborations that propelled his career to new heights. In 2012, he released the single “I’ll never let go” in partnership with Swedish publishers including “Cosmos Music Group,” “Famous Music,” and “19 songs.” This track propelled him to the finals of the Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision 2012 and its music video garnered millions of views on YouTube. The song earned Eduard Romanuta the “Best Foreign Language Song” and “Video of the Year” awards at the “OE Music Awards” ceremony. Continuing his collaboration with Swedish publishers, Eduard released three additional tracks in 2012: “Betray”,” “Conspiracy” and the single “Get real with my heart”. With the latter song, he secured a place in the finals and claimed the third position in the Ukrainian national selection for Eurovision 2013. The music video for “Get real with my heart” was filmed by “Hollywood World Studios” in Los Angeles, California, USA, and achieved significant viewership on YouTube and Vevo. In 2012, Eduard participated in the show “10 + 10” on the First National Ukrainian Channel, where he performed duets with Sopho Gelovani, who later represented Georgia at Eurovision 2013. Throughout 2013, he released notable tracks including “Universal Music Publisher” the songs “Nightmare” and “Reckless.” Additionally, he released the composition “No regrets,” written by British authors. Recently, Eduard Romanuta released an audio-visual album titled “Conspiracy,” which features thirteen tracks and seven videos. In 2014, the Swedish publishers The Kennel created the song “I Want Your Love” specifically for the Ukrainian selection for Eurovision 2015. However, as Ukraine decided not to participate in the competition, Eduard Romanuta chose to present the song at the Moldovan selection instead. In 2015, he emerged as the winner of the national selection in the Republic of Moldova, granting him the opportunity to represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest. Despite his performance as the opening act in the first semi-final, Eduard did not qualify for the final round. In October 2016, Eduard performed at the 50th anniversary of the Ternopil National Economic University, where he did his own studies too. On 2 February 2017, his new single “Bad thing” was released. He performed in the show Muzichna Vesna along with participant Anna Nikonovaa. On 1 May he released a new single, “Million”. Parallel to his artistic endeavors, Eduard pursued higher education and excelled, earning two Master’s degrees with honors. He received a Ph.D. at TNEU in 2018. After he did this, he went back to making music. In September 2018 his song “Golddigger” was released. Entries I Want Your Love Country🇲🇩 Moldova Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsErik LewanderHayley AitkenTom Andrews MusicErik LewanderHayley AitkenTom Andrews BackingsAleksandr UshakovEvgeni KotNataliya SlisarenkoMaryana NestaykoNatalia Redchuk Results Semi Points: 41Position: 11Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/px1MoZ0k7qY

Il Volo

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts MembersPiero BaroneIgnazio BoschettoGianluca Ginoble Founded2010 Nationality🇮🇹 Italian National SelectionSelection Method In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongGrande Amore (2015) Biography Il Volo is an Italian music group composed of two tenors and a baritone: Piero Barone (born on June 24, 1993, in Naro), Ignazio Boschetto (born on October 4, 1994, in Bologna), and Gianluca Ginoble (born on February 11, 1995, in Roseto degli Abruzzi). The trio was formed in 2009 during the participation of the three singers in the second edition of the children’s singing talent show “Ti lascio una canzone”. Initially, they auditioned as soloists, not knowing each other before. However, at the request of director Roberto Cenci, they occasionally performed together as a trio. Due to their vocal talents and young age, they were given the nickname “tenorini” (little tenors). After their television experience, the emerging music group caught the attention of record producers Michele Torpedine and Tony Renis. They signed a two-million-dollar contract for the release of an album on the international market. Before adopting the name Il Volo, the group was initially called The Tryo and participated in the recording of “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” to raise funds for the populations affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Shortly after, the three singers were invited back to the Ariston Theatre and, as guests of the 60th Sanremo Music Festival. They changed their name into Il Trio. The title of their first album, “Il Volo,” marks the young singers’ new name. The album was released in Italy on November 30, 2010, and reached the sixth position on the Italian chart in the first week of 2011. In the last week of 2013, it was certified platinum by FIMI for selling over 60,000 copies. On May 17, 2011, the album was also released in the United States and Europe. Following several television appearances, including a live performance on the talent show American Idol, the album reached the tenth position on the Billboard 200 chart. “Il Volo” also entered the top 10 in France, the Netherlands, and the Belgian region of Wallonia. In Austria, it debuted at the second position and eventually topped the album sales chart. On June 7, 2011, the album was released in Spanish and received the RIAA Latin Gold Award in the United States. It achieved double platinum status in Venezuela, platinum in Mexico, and gold in Colombia and Puerto Rico. The album also received gold certification in Austria, France, and the Netherlands. In late July and early August, the group expanded their promotion to the Asian market with tours in Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore, followed by Australia and New Zealand. Il Volo was certified gold in New Zealand and Singapore as well. Their first North American tour began on September 24, 2011, with seventeen dates in the United States and Canada. In November 2011, they embarked on a 13-concert tour in Europe. On February 28, the CD and DVD “Il Volo Takes Flight – Live from the Detroit Opera House” were released. In April and May, the group embarked on a twelve-concert tour for their first Latin American tour. From early August to early October, they toured the United States and Canada, performing in twenty-eight concerts. In the fall of 2012, Barbra Streisand invited the group to be special guests on her North American tour, “Back to Brooklyn.” At the end of the year, their second album, “We Are Love,” was released. It featured duets with tenor Plácido Domingo and Eros Ramazzotti. In the United States, the album was reissued in the spring of 2013 as the “We Are Love Special Edition,” with five songs replaced. The album included the song “Luna nascosta,” which was the main theme of the movie “Hidden Moon.” A live album, “We Are Love – Live from The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater,” was released after the specials aired. In May, the Latin version of “We Are Love” was released under the title “Más que amor.” In its first week of sales, the album reached the number one position on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart and the number two position on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart. “Más que amor” was certified gold in Mexico and Argentina. In August, the “We Are Love Tour,” their fourth North American tour, began and lasted for two months, featuring twenty dates in the United States and Canada. From October to November, the group embarked on the “Más que amor” tour, performing twenty-seven concerts in Central and South America. On October 26, 2013, the international version of “Buon Natale – The Christmas Album” was released, featuring some of the most famous American Christmas songs, along with two songs in Latin and one in German. In 2014, Il Volo won the Billboard Latin Music Award award for Best Group of the Year in the Latin Pop Albums category and also won the El Pulso Social award, which recognizes the artist who dominated social media interactions during the Billboard Awards. In June, they returned to North America for a summer tour of fifteen concerts in large outdoor theaters in the United States and Canada, accompanied by a band and orchestra. The concert setlist featured their most successful songs, and the tour received excellent reviews from critics. On August 21, the group won the Favorite Duo or Group award at the Premios Tu Mundo, held in Miami and broadcasted by the US television network Telemundo. At the final evening of the 2015 Sanremo Festival, which began on February 14, 2015, and ended late at night, the song “Grande amore” won the competition with 39% of the votes. Released as a single, the song preceded the release of the trio’s EP titled “Sanremo grande amore,” which was released on February 17 of the same year. In addition to the new song, the EP included six reinterpretations of past Sanremo Festival winning songs, including “Ancora” by Eduardo De Crescenzo, which the trio performed during the third night of the festival. The EP

Elhaida Dani

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameElhaida Dani Born17 February 1993 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Kënges 2015Festivali i Kënges 2012 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongI’m Alive (2015) Biography Elhaida Dani is an Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. Born and raised in Shkodër, Albania, Dani displayed her musical talents from a young age. Born into an Albanian Muslim family in Shkodër, she started singing at the age of four and received piano lessons. She later pursued musicology at the University of Arts in Tirana. Dani’s initial ventures into the music industry began in 2009, where she won several music festivals, including Star Academy, Sunčane Skale, Festivalul George Grigoriu, and Nova Musica. Despite an unsuccessful attempt to represent Albania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, she achieved success in the ninth edition of Top Fest with the song “S’je më” in June 2012. From 2013 to 2015, Dani gained further recognition by auditioning for the first season of The Voice of Italy, impressing the judges and eventually winning the competition. This led to a record contract with the Italian subsidiary label of Universal Music. In 2014, she won Festivali i Këngës and became Albania’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, performing the song “I’m Alive” after a change from the originally selected “Diell.” Albania qualified for the grand final and secured the 17th place. Since 2016, Dani has been involved in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris, playing the role of Esmeralda and touring worldwide. She also participated in Kënga Magjike, finishing second in December 2017. After a three-year hiatus, Dani released her second extended play, “Zanin”, in September 2021, collaborating with renowned Albanian songwriters and producers. Furthermore, she showcased her dancing skills on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars Albania, consistently earning high scores from the jury during the live shows since October 2022. Entries Song Title Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSokol Marsi MusicArber ElshaniKristijan Lekaj BackingsGerona HyskaOlsa PapandiliErga Halilaj Results Semi Points: 62Position: 10Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: 34Position: 17Running order: 26 https://youtu.be/fsH9iVaZSaA

Polina Gagarina

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NamePolina Sergeyevna Gagarina Born27 March 1987 Nationality🇷🇺 Russian National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongA Million Voices (2015) Biography Polina Sergeyevna Gagarina, born on March 27, 1987 in Moscow, is a Russian pop singer, film and television actress, voice actress, dubbing artist, composer, and photo model. Polina Gagarina spent her childhood in Greece. Her mother, a professional dancer, signed a contract with a Greek producer in 1991 to work as a ballet artist at “Alsos” in Athens. Gagarina lived there for three years and started her first grade in September 1993. During summer vacation in Russia, at her grandmother’s insistence, she stayed with her in Saratov. She enrolled in a music school. After the contract with the Greek producer ended, Gagarina’s mother returned to Moscow, where Polina also moved. After graduating from the music school, at the age of 14, Gagarina entered the State Music School of Pop and Jazz Art. In 2003, at the age of 16, Gagarina participated in the television project Star Factory-2. She emerged as the winner of the competition. After the project ended, Gagarina decided to discontinue her collaboration with Fadeev. In the spring of 2011, the music show Narodnaya Zvezda-4 (People’s Star-4) started in Ukraine, where selected participants from the public performed duets with stars from the Russian and Ukrainian music scenes. Gagarina sang with Mikhail Dimov from Odessa. In April 2011, a youth series titled Bolshie Nadezhdy (Great Expectations) was released on the Russian MTV, with Gagarina’s song “Ya Obezhayu” as the official soundtrack. In August 2011, Gagarina received the “Golden Gramophone” award for her song “Ya Tebya Ne Proshu Nikogda” from Russkoe Radio Ukraine. Later that year, she released the single “Oskolki” along with its music video. In January 2012, Gagarina released a new single titled “Spektakl Okonchen”, accompanied by a music video. In the spring, the Ukrainian TV series Katina Lyubov premiered, featuring Gagarina’s song “Vernis Lyubov” as its soundtrack. In June, Fabrika Zvyozd returned on Channel One in Russia, with the theme “Russia vs. Ukraine.” Popular participants from Russia and Ukraine competed in musical battles to determine which team was better. Gagarina won three out of four battles, contributing to Russia’s victory. She also became an ambassador for the 2013 Summer Universiade held in Kazan. In August, Gagarina released the single “Net”, followed by the music video on August 31. On September 29, she won the RU.TV award in the category of “Best Ringtone” for the song “Spektakl Okonchen”. During the summer of 2012, Gagarina voiced the character Mavis in the animated film Hotel Transylvania. On December 1, she received the Golden Gramophone award for “Spektakl Okonchen”. She also participated in the Pesnya Goda 2012 (Song of the Year 2012) telefest, becoming a multiple award winner. On December 3, “Spektakl Okonchen” was recognized as one of the top 20 songs of 2012 on the project “Krasnaya Zvezda”. In the same year, Gagarina became one of the hosts of the talk show Vkusno Zhit. At the Zvukovaya Dorozhka 2013 ceremony held on April 19 at the Izvestia Hall in Moscow, Gagarina won the “Sexy ZH” prize. On May 25, 2013, at the RU.TV Awards, she won the category of Best Female Performer. On June 7, 2013, she won the Breakthrough of the Year award at the MUZ-TV channel. On June 17, at the annual Fashion People Awards-2013 ceremony, Gagarina was named the Fashion singer. On July 22, 2013, she released a new single titled “Navek”. She received her second Golden Gramophone award for “Net”. On April 14, 2014, the song “Shagay” premiered. On November 12, Gagarina released her first single, “DAY,” from her English-language album, a collaboration with Anton Belyaev, a member of the group Therr Maitz. On March 11, 2015, Channel One announced that Gagarina would represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with the song “A Million Voices.” Shortly before that, she participated in the celebrity impersonation show Toch-v-Toch (Exactly Like) as a contestant. On May 19, 2015, she won first place in the first semifinal of Eurovision with 182 points. On May 23, 2015, in the Eurovision final, she achieved second place. From June 2015, Gagarina ended her collaboration with producer and composer Konstantin Meladze. In September 2015, Gagarina became one of the coaches on the TV show The Voice on Channel One. In October 2015, she released the new single “Ya Ne Budu” along with its music video. In September 2016, she returned as a coach on The Voice. In 2018, Gagarina was registered as a trusted person of Vladimir Putin. During the 2018 presidential elections, she joined the Putin Team movement, which supported Putin. In 2018, she also served as a trusted person for Sergei Sobyanin, a candidate for the Mayor of Moscow. Since 2018, Gagarina has been a member of the Council for Culture and Art under the President of the Russian Federation. According to Forbes, in 2020, Polina Gagarina ranked second in the list of Russian Instagram bloggers in terms of earnings, with a reported income of $0.89 million. She publicly supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On March 18, 2022, she performed at the Luzhniki stadium during a rally-concert commemorating the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, titled “Za mir bez natsizma! Za Rossiyu! Za Prezidenta!” (For peace without Nazism! For Russia! For the President!). In March 2022, Latvia and Estonia banned Gagarina from entering their countries due to her support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On January 7, 2023, amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gagarina was included in Ukraine’s sanctions list for “supporting Russian occupiers and the cruel war by Russia against Ukraine.” The sanctions involve asset freezes, a complete cessation of commercial operations, and a halt to fulfilling economic and financial obligations. In November 2022, her concerts in Kazakhstan were canceled due to her support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On February 3, 2023, Gagarina was added to Canada’s sanctions list for her involvement in spreading Russian disinformation and propaganda. Entries A Million

Elnur Hüseynov

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameElnur Hüseynov Born03 March 1987 Nationality🇦🇿 Azerbaijani National SelectionInternal selection 2015Land of Fire 2008 In Eurovision2015 Vienna2008 Belgrade SongHour of the wolf (2015)Day after day (Elnur & Samir) Biography Elnur Hüseynov is an Azerbaijani singer. He was born on March 3, 1987, in Ashgabat. In 1992, he entered the ROXMIM for gifted children alongside the Turkmenistan Conservatory, where he received education in piano class. In 1999, Elnur Hüseynov came to Baku and was admitted to the Dental Technical Specialty of the Medical School in 2000. However, in 2001, he left the medical school and joined the Asaf Zeynalli Music School. Elnur worked at the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theater for a while. After graduating from the Music School in 2004, he learned the profession of stylist-barber. In the early years, in 2003, Elnur participated for the second time in the Sing Your Song project. He won the grand prize. This was his first success in his career. In 2005, he recorded the song “Besdir” with the group Prestij, written by Eldar Mansurov. Later, a music video was made for this song. In late 2007, Elnur performed at the Lighting Azerbaijan international concert program in the assembly hall of the Kiev President Hotel in Ukraine. In 2008, Elnur Hüseynov participated in the national selection to represent Azerbaijan for the first time at the Eurovision Song Contest. Elnur performed the song “If You Never Back,”. Later, he performed the song “Day After Day” in a duet with Samir Javadzadeh. After the jury’s voting, it was announced that they had won the duet category with Samir. At the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008, they were the first ever representants from Azerbaijan. In the final held on May 24, they placed 8th among the 25 countries competing in the final. Travel to Ukraine and subsequent years In December 2009, Elnur announced that he would continue his music career in Ukraine and would not return to Azerbaijan. However, he returned to his homeland a few months later. In April 2010, Elnur participated as a contestant in the reality show Maşın but was eliminated on the first day. In 2010, Elnur participated in a musical based on Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” at the Heydar Aliyev Palace, portraying the character of Phoebus de Châteaupers. This musical marked a first in Elnur’s career. On December 1, 2014, Elnur participated in the O Ses Türkiye (The Voice of Turkey) competition, which aired on Turkey’s TV8 channel. After winning the final stage, it was determined that Elnur received the highest number of votes ever recorded in the competition, reaching one million votes. Elnur was chosen internally to represent Azerbaijan again in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2015. He presented his song “Hour of the wolf”, reached the final and became 12th in the contest. In 2015, Elnur performed the song “Avropa Oyunları qədim Bakı torpağında” (European Games in Ancient Baku Land) dedicated to the inaugural European Games held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. He performed the song together with Samir Javadzadeh and Honored Artist Sevda Elekberzadeh. Although Samir and Sevda initially performed the duet, Elnur later joined them. They performed the song in both Azerbaijani and English languages. Elnur Hüseynov also performed live shows before the opening ceremony held at Baku Olympic Stadium on June 12. In 2017, Elnur released a music video for his new song “Vibration,” with lyrics by Diana Hajiyeva and music by Isfar Sarabski. In September 2018 he released a new single again, this time with the title “Dreamer”. Ali Nasib wrote another song for Elnur. “Try to be yourself” was released on 26 April 2019. In 2020, Elnur teamed up with Ilgara Kazimova for the song “Deniz ver”. In 2021, Elnur joined a new band, the Sonar House Collective. Their debut single “Since I know you” was released on the 1st of February of that year. In February 2023, Elnur had a concert together with the “Mavi Ürəklər” blue choir, consisting of members with autism syndrome. On 7 April of the same year, his new video and song “Monster pop” was released. He performed at a youth festival organized for the Heydar Aliyev Year. Entries Hour Of The Wolf Country🇦🇿 Azerbaijan Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsLina HanssonNicklas LifNicolas RebscherSandra Bjurman MusicLina HanssonNicklas LifNicolas Rebscher BackingsKrysten CummingsNicklas LifTamara Nivillac DancersJulia SpiesserLukas McFarlane Results Semi Points: 53Position: 10Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: 49Position: 12Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/IcVrAFtc5YI Day After Day (Elnur & Samir) Country Azerbaijan Year2008 LanguageEnglish LyricsZahra Bədəlbəyli MusicGovher Hasanzadə BackingsNames of the 2 dancers and 2 backing singers are unknown. Results Semi Points: 96Position: 6Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: 132Position: 8Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/6OGVL_9P5fw

Nina Sublatti

About Quick Facts NameNino Sulaberidze Born31 January 1995 Nationality🇬🇪 Georgian National SelectionErovnuli Shesarchevi konkursi 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongWarrior (2015) Biography Nin0 Sulaberidze, better known by her stage name Nina Sublatti, is a Georgian singer, songwriter and model. She was born in Moscow, Russia on January 31, 1995, to Georgian parents. Shortly after her birth, her family returned to Georgia, but she also spent some time living in Riga, Latvia during her childhood. At a young age, in 2008, Sublatti received a modeling contract and started her career in the modeling industry. Her talent caught the attention of fashion scouts and she began modeling for top magazines in early 2009. While pursuing her modeling career, Sublatti also performed across Georgia and collaborated with bands like The Mins. In 2011, Sublatti joined the Georgian Dream Studio, a renowned music house, where she worked with singer Bera Ivanishvili. Her breakthrough came in 2013 when she won the Georgian version of the singing competition Pop Idol, called Georgian Idol. The following year, she released her debut album titled Dare to Be Nina Sublatti, which became the highest-selling album in Georgia’s history. The album included covers of popular songs, including Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans” and Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited,” both of which Sublatti had performed on Sakartvelos Varskvlavi. In December 2014, after the success of her debut album, Sublatti was chosen as one of the five contestants in the national final to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 with her song “Warrior.” She competed in the national final in January 2015 and emerged as the winner, earning the highest televote score and jury score. She performed “Warrior” in the semi-finals and advanced to the grand final, where she placed 11th. The song gained popularity across Europe, charting in several countries such as Ireland, Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey. In 2016, Sublatti joined the judging panel of the Georgian version of The X Factor. In October 2017, she also became a judge on Georgian Idol. In 2018 she performed in a charity concert in Poland. A year later she performed with the Georgian Philharmonic Orchestra. Nina Sublatti kept on publishing new music on SoundCloud and Spotify. Entries Warrior Country🇬🇪 Georgian Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsNina Sublatti MusicNina SublattiThomas G:son BackingsVeronika HammerRebecca Kollau-Freidinger Results Semi Points: 98Position: 4Running order: 16 Results Finals Points: 51Position: 11Running order: 23 https://youtu.be/ddC8lviTERI

Boggie

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameBoglárka Csemer Born30 November 1986 Nationality🇭🇺 Hungarian National SelectionA Dal 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongWars For Nothing (2015) Biography Boglárka Csemer, known by her stage name Boggie (born November 30, 1986, in Budapest), is a Hungarian singer. She began her music studies at the age of 13. Two years later, she started studying classical singing and classical piano at the Árpád Fasang Music School. She attended this school until 2007 while also being a student of jazz vocals at the Erkel Ferenc Elementary Art Education Institution and Jazz Music Vocational High School from 2004. Between 2006 and 2007, she completed a French-language tour guide vocational training course. In 2007, she began studying vocals at the Kőbánya Music Studio. In March 2009, she founded the Csemer Boglárka Quartet. In 2011, her song “Japánkert” won the special prize of the Hungarian Jazz Federation at the Jazzy Song Contest. In 2012, the Quartet performed at the Talent Exchange of the Palace of Arts (Művészetek Palotája) during the Jazz Showcase. In 2012 and 2013, she was invited to be a jury member for the National Chanson Competition. In 2014, she also performed with the French band Accordzeam. In 2012, she began working on her first album. By then, her mature style required a change of name, so instead of the previous name CSBQ (Csemer Boglárka Quartet), the singer started using the shorter stage name Boggie. This also signaled her connection to France, the French language, and her intention to steer her production towards international waters. In 2013, her album titled “Boggie” was released. The album features her own compositions in Hungarian, French, and English. Her debut album reached the fourth position on the Mahasz sales chart in Hungary and debuted at the third position on the jazz album chart of the American Billboard magazine. It also ranked 17th on the world music albums chart of the same magazine.At the end of 2013, the music video for the song “Parfüm” was released simultaneously with the original version of the song titled “Nouveau parfum.” In early 2014, due to good promotion and an original concept, the video gained significant popularity. Her debut album ranked high on the American Billboard charts, reaching the 4th and later the 17th position. Few Hungarian artists have achieved such recognition on this famous list. In 2014, her second full-length album titled “All Is One Is All” was released, featuring songs that aligned with the principles of her previous album, also sung in Hungarian, French and English. This album received the prestigious Hungarian Phonogram Award in the category of “POP Album of the Year” at the FONOGRAM Awards ceremony. /she also won the Bravo Otto award in the category of “Best Music Video.” In November 2014, her song “Fearless” became the campaign song for the Westend shopping mall’s birthday campaign. In 2015, she was nominated as “Singer of the Year” at the Glamour Woman of the Year awards. Additionally, the music video for her song “Parfüm” was among the 17 nominees for “Highlights of Hungary” in 2015. In the same year, she received a Phonogram Award for her second album. Boggie participated in the Hungarian national selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest called A Dal in 2015 with her song “Wars for Nothing.” Boggie became the winner of the 2015 Hungarian selection and the representative of Hungary at the 60th Eurovision Song Contest held in Vienna. She qualified for the final from the semifinals, placing eighth, and ultimately finished 20th with 19 points in the grand final on May 23. As a performing artist since 2009, she has had the opportunity to perform at numerous outstanding concert venues both in Hungary and abroad. In addition to Hungary, she has performed concerts in France, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Austria, the Baltic region, Sweden, Germany, and the United States. In October 2015, she embarked on her first six-stop tour in Western Europe, followed by her second tour in the United States. In 2016, she began working on her third full-length album while giving birth to her daughter, Lenke. In 2017, she established her own record label and released her third album titled “3.” In March 2018, Boggie became a SXSW ARTIST, being selected for the world’s most significant music showcase festival in Austin, USA. In 2018, on the fifth anniversary of Hangvilla in Veszprém, she established an award that recognizes young performers who play live, have an impact on the audience, and are true artists. They are dedicated performers who play quality live music with perfect sound engineering or sound adjustment. In 2018, Boggie was the first to receive this recognition, which included the opportunity to perform at Hangvilla. In 2019, she was invited to perform in Düsseldorf and the Swedish Live at Heart showcase festival. She ended the year with a four-stop tour in the Baltic region. In the same year, she reached an important milestone in her career: as the only female performer, she had a sold-out performance in the “Hey, June!” popular music series at the Palace of Arts (MÜPA). On 27 January 2020 Boggie’s new song and video “Nem kell bántani” was released. She started a radio tour to promote the song. Unfortunately she was not able to finish it due to COVID19. Instead, she did living room concerts. The tour was postponed until august. On 2 July 2021, a new single was released, “Füst”. It was followed by an EP, “Bemutató”, on 16 September. In 2022, Boggie represented Hungary at the European Music Festival in Algeria. On 29 October of that year, her new album “Fragilité” was released. A year later, Boggie was present at the European Music Festival in Algeria again. Entries Wars For Nothing Country🇭🇺 Hungary Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSára Hélène Bori MusicÁron SebestyénBoglárka Csemer BackingsKrisztina Szeder-SzabóOrsolya SapszonMilán SzakonyiDomonkos Dely Results Semi Points: 67Position: 8Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 19Position: 20Running order: 22 https://youtu.be/MdybVsBESQc

Edurne

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameEdurne Garcia Almagro Born22 December 1985 Nationality🇪🇸 Spanish National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongAmanecer (2015) Biography Edurne García Almagro (Madrid, December 22, 1985), better known as Edurne, is a Spanish singer, songwriter, model, actress, streamer, and presenter. When Edurne was 7 years old, she participated in a musical group called Trastos, with whom she released 3 albums and performed on the TV program TVE Música sí and at Reyes Magos. Before her appearance on Operación Triunfo, she had minor roles in series such as Ana y los siete on TVE, Hospital Central, and Robles, investigador, and she did various TV commercials. In 2005, she competed in the fourth edition of Operación Triunfo. She was eliminated in the final stages of the program after being nominated only once, becoming the sixth finalist. After her time on OT, she signed with the record label Sony Music. In 2006, she released her first album titled Edurne. It reached number 3 on the Spanish sales charts in its first week. The first single, “Despierta,” debuted at number 5 on the physical singles sales charts in Spain. In the summer of the same year, the song “Amores dormidos,” composed by one of the members of La Oreja de Van Gogh, was released as the second single. She had a cameo appearance in the Disney Channel series Cambio de clase, playing a music teacher. She also recorded the theme song for the tv-series Yo soy Bea titled “Te falta veneno,” and released a reissue of her first album that included this song as well as two exclusive remixes of her first single, “Despierta.” From January to June 2007, she hosted the show CMTop. On June 19, she released “Ilusión”, her second album, with the song “Ven por mí” as the first single. The album debuted at number 13 on the sales chart in Spain with limited promotion. In November, “Fue para los dos” was released as the second single from the album. In October of the same year, she presented the show Baila con Edurne on Nickelodeon. She starred in Grease, the musical of your life as Sandy in 2017. Initially, she was only supposed to be in the musical for one season, but due to its success, she renewed her contract and participated in the tour that took her to various cities in Spain such as Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and Bilbao. In January 2008, she recorded another program for Nickelodeon called Edurne y sus bichos. In April, she received an award at the Garamond National Music Awards.On May 17, 2009, Edurne finished her time in the musical Grease. “Première” was released on June 4, 2008. It is an album of versions of songs from the most famous musicals. The first single was “Un poco de amor,” a version of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” from the musical We Will Rock You. It also included songs from musicals such as Mamma Mia!, Hoy no me puedo levantar, and Hair, among others. The music video for “Un poco de amor” was filmed in New York. It debuted at number 39 on the Promusicae chart and remained on the chart for two weeks. The second single from this third album was “Sigo enamorada de ti,” a version of the song “Hopelessly Devoted to You” from the musical Grease. The music video was also filmed in New York. In October, “Tú serás para mí” was confirmed as the third single. The music video was filmed at the Nuevo Teatro Alcalá in Madrid, with all the actors from the musical Grease. On May 17, 2009, Edurne left the musical Grease. Edurne went to the English cities of Liverpool, Manchester, and London, as well as Dublin, Ireland, to take English, singing, dancing, and composition classes, among others, and to prepare her fourth studio album. During her stay in London, she recorded some songs. In October, she returned to Spain to continue working on the album, which was finished on February 14, 2010. In early that year, she participated in the eighth edition of ¡Más que baile!, where she finished as the second runner-up and received the jury’s award. Her fourth studio album, titled Nueva piel, was released on March 23. The first single, “Soy como soy,” is an electropop song produced by Óscar Clavel and recorded at Red Led Studios in Madrid. The 2nd single was “Oigo mi corazón.” In 2011, she returned to Grease, with a new cast and script. In 2012, Edurne focused on her return to the new production of Grease and her tour, which extended until 2013. She also collaborated on music projects, including a collaboration with DJ Brian Cross on the song “More Than a Lover,” which was used in advertising campaigns. From October 2013 to March 2014, Edurne participated in the third season of Tu cara me suena, where she won. After winning, she appeared as a guest in the Portuguese adaptation of the format, A Tua Cara não me é Estranha. On May 17, a 14-second preview of the first single from the album, “Pretty Boy,” was released. The song was entirely in English. The album, titled “Climax”, was released on September 24, 2013. On March 31, 2014, the music video for the second official single from Climax, “Painkiller,” was released.From June 23 to December 30, 2014, Edurne co-hosted the program Todo va bien. On January 14, 2015, after an internal selection process, TVE announced that Edurne would represent Spain at the 60th Eurovision Song Contes. She finished in 21st place. Her song was titled “Amanecer”. Edurne won the Shiri Maimon Award 2015 for the best-dressed participant at the contest. After her participation in Eurovision, she released the English version of “Amanecer” titled “Break of Day”. On June 8 of the same year, a week before the release of her sixth album, she premiered “Basta” as the second single from the album. On June 16, she released her sixth studio album

Voltaj

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts Members Călin GoiaGabriel ConstantinAdrian CristescuValeriu IonescuOliver Sterian Founded1982 Nationality🇷🇴 Romanian National SelectionSelecţia Naţională 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongDe la capăt (2015) Biography Voltaj was founded in 1982 in Bucharest with Horațiu Rad on bass, Nikki Dinescu on drums, Gabi Nacu on guitar, Cristi Minculescu on vocals, and Adrian Ilie on guitar. Their early sound leaned towards the heavier side of hard rock, making them one of the pioneering acts of traditional heavy metal in the Romanian music scene. During this period, the band went through numerous lineup changes, which eventually led to the formation of a second Voltaj known as Voltaj 88′. This lineup also released several albums in the 1990s. By the time of their debut album in 1996, “Pericol de Moarte,” only drummer Nikki Dinescu remained from the original lineup. The album, which also featured Tavi Colen Talisman on vocals, showcased their heavy metal style and remains their only record in that genre. In 1998, the two remaining members, bass player Vali Ionescu and guitarist Gabi Constantin, recruited a new lineup with Bobby Stoica on keyboards and Călin Goia as the new vocalist. With Goia’s vocals and creative input, the group quickly gained success and popularity. They transitioned to an electronic-influenced pop-rock sound with the release of their album “Risc Maxim 2.” In 2002, Oliver Sterian joined the band as the drummer. Voltaj went on to release numerous hit singles, including “20 ani,” “Albinuța,” “De mâine,” “De la capăt,” and “Doar pentru ea,” establishing themselves as one of the most well-known groups in Romania. They won the Best Romanian Act award at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2005. After winning Selecția Națională in 2015, they represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “De la capăt.” They advanced from the semi-finals and placed 15th in the final with 35 points. In 2016, a new album, “X”, was released. It contained several hits, like “Merci de box” and “De la capăt”. A third song, “Om”, became a hit in 2020. That was even after the release of the 2019 album “Ca La 20 De Ani”. Between December 3 and 5, 2021, Voltaj performed several concerts, both in Toronto and Montreal. During Christmas, they released “Anotimpuri” (Seasons), a collaboration with Vali Sterian, the late Romanian musician, singer, and composer known for his folk and rock music. The entire concert can be found on Voltaj’ Youtube Channel. On 1 June 2023, a new single was released: “Copile”. Entries De la Capăt Country🇷🇴 Romania Year2015 LanguageRomanianEnglish LyricsCălin GoiaGabriel ConstantinAdrian CristescuPăduraru Silviu-MarianAlstani Victor-RăzvanMonica-Ana StevensAndrei-Madalin Leonte MusicCălin GoiaGabriel ConstantinAdrian CristescuPăduraru Silviu-MarianAlstani Victor-Răzvan Backings– Results Semi Points: 89Position: 5Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: 35Position: 15Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/BGw0tUKOW7o