Latvia

Day 5: A sun that doesn’t move, a Greek tavern and COVID19

Today we saw the second rehearsals for the first 14 countries from the first semifinal. For the first time the press was allowed to see the rehearsals on large TV screens in the press center. It is now certain that the kinetic sun does not rotate. During the first rehearsals it turned out that the time between performances was too short to move the center part of the sun. As a result, several countries had to adjust their graphics, because they were not or only partially visible ALBANIA: The outfit had been changed and Ronela Hajati also had her own blond hair again, instead of the pink hair she had during the first rehearsal. It was a dynamic performance, in which there was almost constant dancing, together with her four dancers and a dancer. After the first rehearsal, there were some comments about an allegedly offensive dance move by Ronela with her dancer, but she kept it in anyway. LATVIA: The six were wearing the familiar colorful suits and the decor was also very colorful. Various types of vegetables were displayed on the LED screen. In the middle of the song there was a moment for the saxophonist. The performance ended with the singer making a split. LITHUANIA: Monika Liu stood alone on the big stage in Turin and mainly sang her song into the camera. She moved elegantly and attracted all the attention. The song doesn’t really need anything more. SWITZERLAND: Dressed all in black, Marius Bear was on stage and a broken heart was visible on his face and on the floor. So emotions abound. SLOVENIA: As said before, it was a big disco ball that mainly caught the attention of the Slovenian act. The boys wore 1970s-style velvet suits and the drummer appeared to be drumming above the disco ball. Compared to the previous rehearsal, there was little change. UKRAINE: There was a lot to see on stage, besides the colorful costumes there was a lot of visual spectacle. It was traditional, ethnic with a modern twist, just like last year’s contribution. Because of the war in Ukraine, this performance has something emotional and that is subtly reflected in the visual spectacle. BULGARIA: The performance started with a split screen, showing the drummer on one side and another member of the group. A small rock concert with all the trimmings, including a lot of fire(work). THE NETHERLANDS: There were few noticeable changes from the first rehearsal of S10. In the Netherlands, there was some fuss about the singer’s bare belly, but it is still naked for a while. A lot has been taken out of the lighting of S10. MOLDOVA: After the intimate moment of the Netherlands, a party erupted on stage with the contribution of Zdob şi Zdub, who are participating for the third time. They used the entire stage for their folklore song: Hey ho, let’s go…, but no train on stage. Lots of color, matching the contribution. CROATIA: During rehearsals today, Mia had problems with her in-ears. No surprises at Mia’s performance. The postcards were also shown to the press today. A drone searches for the location where the artist of the country in question can be seen and we see the visual artist in the area. DENMARK: The beginning was just like in the national final, Siggy starts alone at the piano, with her quieter part of the song and then the rock show starts. Last year we went back to the eighties with Denmark, now it seems back to the nineties. In case you don’t remember the name of the band, REDDI appeared on the LED screen. AUSTRIA: Of course there is a Halo on stage. Lots of fireworks and strong staging. The vocal part of the duo was, as we can see now, quite disappointing. GREECE: For those who don’t understand the act of Greece: Amanda seems to be in a Greek tavern; hence the chairs around her. But some of the seats have fallen over. That fits with the lyrics of the song. Amanda could count on a big round of applause from the audience. PORTUGAL: A delegation member from Portugal tested positive for corona, so the entire delegation had to go back to the hotel and be tested. Fortunately none of the ladies tested positive and they were able to rehearse for their performance, but later than planned. After all the rehearsals had been completed, Portugal was allowed to go on stage after Greece. During this rehearsal it was clear that it was one of the background singers who tested positive for corona. The ladies were lined up in a circle and brought this atmospheric contribution in a good way.

Road to Rotterdam: Latvia

Samanta Tīna had already taken part in the Latvian preselections five times, and she tried once in Lithuania. In 2020, her persistence finally seemed to be rewarded. We all know how that turned out. Anyone who sees the video of “I’m still breathing” will be amazed: with background singers with splash screens, Samanta seemed to know what was going to happen in the near future.Unlike many other countries, Latvia did not have a national final for 2021 and gave Samanta Tīna carte blanche to submit a song. That will be “The moon is rising”.

Samanta Tīna

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameSamanta Poļakova Born31 March 1989 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvia National SelectionEirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2013Eirodziesma 2014Supernova 2016Eurovizijos Atranka 2017Supernova 2019Supernova 2020Internal selection 2021 In Eurovision2021 Rotterdam2020 Rotterdam (cancelled) SongThe moon is rising (2021)Still breathing (2020, cancelled) Biography Samanta Tīna is a Latvian singer/songwriter. She was born in the small town of Tukums. In 2010, she won the show O!Kartes akadēmija and won a scholarship for the Tech Music School in London. A year later, she won the cup in the Moldovan song competition Golden Voice. In 2012, she competed in Eirodziesma, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. Her duet with Dāvids Kalandija finished 2nd. The same happened in 2013; now solo, she finished 2nd again in Eirodziesma. In 2014, she finished third.A year later, Samanta participated in Lietuvos Balsos, the Lithuanian version of The Voice. She participated in Supernova, the new national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, in 2016. However, after the semifinal Samanta withdrew . A year later, she attempted to represent Lithuania. In 2019 she was back to Supernova. In 2020, she was finally chosen to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song “Still breathing”. Due to the cancellation of the contest, this never happened. In 2021, she was asked to represent Latvia without any national selection. She sang the song “The moon is rising”, but did not reach the final. Entries The moon is rising Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2021 LanguageEnglish LyricsSamanta TīnaAminata SavadogoOskars Uhaņs MusicSamanta TīnaAminata SavadogoOskars Uhaņs BackingsUna Daniela AizgaleKitija BlumaPaula Saija Results Semi Points: 14Position: 17Running order: 15 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/btA_Tyiyfhc Still breathing Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2020 LanguageEnglish LyricsAminata Savadogo MusicSamanta Tīna Backings– Results Semi Points: –Position: –Running order: – Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/ELr6U2fOrnE

Aarzemnieki

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersJöran SteinhauerGuntis VeilandsKatrīna DimantaRaitis Viļumovs Founded2013 Nationality🇩🇪 German (Jöran)🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionDziesma 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCake To Bake (2014) Biography Aarzemnieki, (Foreigners), is a Latvian folk and pop band. The group was first formed in 2013 by Jöran Steinhauer, a German musician who has been living in Latvia. Steinhauer initially gained popularity in Latvia for his viral YouTube video where he performed a farewell song for the Latvian Lats, the currency which was soon to be replaced by the Euro. The line-up of Aarzemnieki included Jöran Steinhauer (lead vocals, guitar), Guntis Veilands (guitar, keyboards), Raitis Viļumovs (percussion), and Katrīna Dimanta (violin). Each member contributes their own unique musical skills to the overall sound and style of the band. Following their initial success on YouTube, Aarzemnieki submitted a song for Latvia’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2014. To everyone’s surprise, their catchy folk-pop song “Cake to Bake” won the national final, which led to them representing Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Although they didn’t manage to make it to the final, the song was a radio hit in Latvia and got quite a lot of airplay around Europe. After their Eurovision appearance, Aarzemnieki continued to make music and perform throughout Latvia and abroad. The band performed in Setúbal, Portugal, at a Eurovision event in September 2014. Under the name of ZIEMASSVĒTnieKI they presented four Christmas songs in December of the same year. In July 2016 the band released a new single, “Cauri Grobiņai”, now with Jöran, Marcelo Semola, Matthew Medd and Mārtiņš Kits as the band members. A month later, the song “Viktorija” was released. It was followed in December by “Tomēr braucu mājās”. The band provided subtitles in 4 languages at the video of this song. In March 2017, the new song and video “Draugavpils” was released. In June of the same year the band performed together with Fool’s Garden. In the end of the same month, they performed at “J’aime La Vlie”, a Eurovision event in The Netherlands. On the 17th of August 2017 their album “Visi Kopā” was released. Roberts Kits had now joined the band. In 2019 there was only one performance of the band: at the Wine Fest in Sabile. It was the last performance of Aarzemnieki together so far. However, Jöran Steinhauer kept on doing solo projects. Despite their Eurovision experience, they continue to remain a grassroots band, regularly performing at festivals, and local events. Entries Cake To Bake Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2014 LanguageEnglishLatvian LyricsGuntis Veilands MusicGuntis Veilands Backings– Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13Running order: 2 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/h0D1Ya3NBQs

Anmary

About Quick Facts NameLinda Dinsberga, born Amantova Born03 March 1980 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionEirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2009 In Eurovision2012 Baku SongBeautiful Song (2012) Biography Linda Dinsberga (born Linda Amantova on March 3, 1980), better known by her stage name Anmary, is a Latvian singer and vocal coach. Anmary got her education at a Children’s Music School, Music College, Latvian Music Academy, and Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy. In Gulbene and Rēzekne, she learned to play the piano. She has worked as a vocal coach on various TV shows and in several pop music studios, . In 2003, she participated in the TV show , where she secured the 2nd place. She has participated in the production of the musical West Side Story, portraying the character Carlita. In 2008, she took part in the TV3 show Koru Kari (Choir Wars) in Arnis Mednis’ Riga choir. As part of the group Policistas, she participated in the 2009 Eirodziesma, the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “In Love We Trust”, finishing in 11th place in the semi-final and thus not qualifying for the final. In 2012, Anmary’s song “Beautiful Song” qualified for the Eurovision semi-final. She won the final, becoming Latvia’s representative at the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan. In the Eurovision semi-final in Baku, she ranked 16ths. Anmary has participated in various musical projects – concerts, concert performances, portrayed the role of Mother in Jānis Lūseņš and Māra Zālīte’s rock opera Kaupēn, mans mīļais, sung in a duet with Uģis Roze in Jānis Lūseņš’ musical ensemble Promenāde, collaborated with many Latvian musicians, and in 2021, participated as Saulesmeita in the TV3 show Balss Maskā (The Masked Singer). On August 9, 2022, Anmary returned to her audience with new original songs, the mini-album “Laidies ar mani” (“Lie Down With Me”) and a video for the title track. The music for the mini-album’s title track “Laidies ar mani” was written by Anmary and Juris Ludženieks, who is also the single’s producer. The lyrics were written by Anmary, and guitarist Jānis Griķis participated in its creation. The mini-album “Laidies ar mani” includes four songs. In October 2023 she played one of the main roles in the rockopera Lāčplēsis. Entries Beautiful Song Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2012 LanguageEnglish LyricsRolands Ūdris MusicIvars Makstnieks BackingsLīga RobežnieceAnna ZhukovaAnita LevšaJelena Matule Results Semi Points: 17Position: 16Running order: 4 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/KAxYfMFE_94?si=uHteQq8Yy_y_stng

Musiqq

© Mysuka, Wikimedia Commons About Quick Facts MembersMarats OgļezņevsEmīls Balceris Born2009 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionEirodziesma 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongAngel In Disguise (2011) Biography Musiqq, a Latvian pop music duo from Liepāja, was formed in 2009 by Marats Ogļezņevs and Emīls Balceris. The formation process began when Marats Ogļezņevs left his previous group “Device” and invited Emīls Balceris to collaborate. They had first met in 2008 while participating in the TV show “Koru kari” (“Choir Wars”), where they both sang in the Liepājas red choir, led by singer Chilli. Following this, after seeing Balceris perform on a youth broadcast, Ogļezņevs reached out with an invitation to meet and work together, leading to their first meeting where they wrote four demo versions of songs. The duo first gained exposure in June 2009 with the release of their single “Klimata kontrole”(“Climate control”). This was followed by their second single “Abrakadabra” on October 1, 2009, which became a radio hit in Latvia and won the “SEB Musical Bank 2009.” Their debut album “Šī ir tikai mūzika”(“This is just music”) was released in March 2010, featuring tracks such as “Abrakadabra”, “Dzimšanas diena” (“Birthday”), and “Klimata kontrole” (“Climate control”). The duo received significant recognition for their contributions to music and their city, being awarded the “Gada Liepājnieks” (“Liepajnieks of the Year”) in the music category and receiving three Copyright infinity prizes for their frequently played songs on radio, television, and concerts. In 2011, Musiqq represented Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest in Düsseldorf with the song “Angel in Disguise.” Following their participation in Eurovision, they continued their music career and in 2011 also formed a Latvian rap duo named “Bermudu Divstūris,” a play on the Bermuda Triangle, translating to “The Bermuda Digon.” As “Bermudu Divstūris,” they released three studio albums and won The Golden Microphone award in 2014 for “Best hip-hop or dance album.” Musiqq’s second album “Vēl viena mūzika”(“Another music”) was released in November 2014, marking the group’s fifth anniversary. This album featured several popular singles including “Sekundes”(“Seconds”) and “Cтрана без называния”(“Country without name”). Their largest live performance to date was their fifth birthday concert in Palladium in Riga on November 16, 2014, where they showcased this album. In 2015, Musiqq released their first acoustic album “Silta sirds”(“Warm heart”) in collaboration with various artists, marking a new phase in their musical journey. The album led to their first acoustic concert tour “Silta sirds,” visiting five cities in Latvia. Their album “10,” celebrating their 10th anniversary, was released in 2019. This album included 10 tracks and was commemorated with a grandiose concert in “Arena Riga” on April 27, 2019, showcasing the duo’s continued success and popularity over a decade. Hitsingles of this album were “Miljonārs” and “Bozies”. A new single, “Garīgais arī”, was released in August 2020 and “Mēs viena koka zari” in November of the same year. A year later, they came up with the song “Varu bez tevis”. After COVID19, they were able to perform on festivals again in the summer of 2022. In October of that year, Musiqq started a tour, “Bijis, ir un būs”, followed by a series of concerts with the same name. In December, they released a new single, “Ar tevi kopā”. The mini album, “Bijis, ir un būs”, was released on all streaming platforms only in January 2023. In January 2024, Musiqq released their new single “Mākslas darbs”. Entries Angel In Disguise Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2011 LanguageEnglish LyricsMarats Ogļezņevs MusicMarats Ogļezņevs BackingsRuta DudumaLība Ēce-KalniņaKristaps ŠēnbergsGatis Supe Results Semi Points: 25Position: 17Running order: 17 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/W083yQOluq4?si=9y_ekGDChNXiJrX_

Justs

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameJusts Sirmais Born06 February 1995 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionSupernova 2023Supernova 2016 In Eurovision2016 Stockholm SongHeartbeat (2016) Biography Justs Sirmais, also known as Justs, is a Latvian singer and television presenter. He was born on February 6, 1995, in Ķekava, Latvia. Justs attended Riga State Gymnasium No.1 and began his musical journey as a street musician in Riga. In 2016, Justs participated in the second season of Supernova, the Latvian show used to select the country’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. He competed with the song “Heartbeat,” written by Aminata Savadogo, Latvia’s 2015 Eurovision entrant. Justs won the national final on February 28, 2016, and went on to represent Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. He qualified from the semi-final and placed 15th in the final, achieving one of Latvia’s best results in the competition. Following Eurovision, Justs released the EP “To Be Heard” in May 2016 and the single “Ko Tu Dari?” in the same month. In 2018, Justs co-hosted Supernova 2018, and in April of that year, he released his debut studio album titled “Here I Am.” In September 2018, he announced his plans to study Music Production at a university in Bristol, United Kingdom. In November 2020, Justs participated in the first season of Balss Maskā, the Latvian version of The Masked Singer, under the identity of the cute “Sparrow,” and he achieved third place. In 2023, Justs returned to Supernova in an attempt to represent Latvia again in the Eurovision Song Contest, this time with the song “Stranger.” However, he was eliminated in the semi-final of the competition. Entries Heartbeat Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2016 LanguageEnglish LyricsAminata Savadogo MusicAminata Savadogo BackingsKatrīna Anna VīganteAnna Zankovska Results Semi Points: 132Position: 8Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 132Position: 15Running order: 20 https://youtu.be/o-2Lt7zzlBU

Laura Rizzotto

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameLaura Rizzotto Born18 July 1994 Nationality???????? Brazilian National SelectionSupernova 2018 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon SongFunny girl (2018) Biography Laura Rizzotto is a Brazilian/Latvian singer. She was born in Rio de Janeiro from a Brazilian father and a Latvian mother. However, since 2005 the family lives in the United States, and Laura currently resides in New York City.Laura wrote her first songe at the age of 11. Since then, the singer has written and published over 100 of her songs. Laura began her singing career at the age of 15 in her hometown Rio de Janeiro. She signed her first record contract with Universal Music Brazil, which launched Laura’s first album “Made in Rio” in 2011. Shortly after, she received a fellowship to enter Berklee College of Music and move to Boston, USA.In the US, Laura has performed at several festivals and musical events. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she recorded her second studio album, “Reason to Stay”. In 2015, she traveled to New York to attend Columbia University’s Master of Music program, which was completed in May 2017. In 2016, Sony Music offered Laura to work as a Portuguese teacher for Jennifer Lopez. Laura released an EP called “Ruby”, from which the song “Bonjour” was released as a singel. Her second EP was called “Amber”. The most popular song from “Amber” was “Funny Girl”, with which she participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Portugal. In November 2019, she released a song called “One more night”, including a show where a hologram of her performed.On 8 January, 2021, she released a brand new single, “Ross & rach”. In July of the same years, the song was followed by “Strangers”. Divergent Media Entertainment, a radio station, chose her as independent artist of the week, in the week of the “Strangers” release. Entries Funny Girl Country???????? Latvia Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsLaura Rizzotto MusicLaura Rizzotto BackingsIluta AlsbergaAntra KūmiņaKristīne PastareEdgars Zvirbulis Results Semi Points: 106Position: 12Running order: 14 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/KGxANwWKz3U

PeR

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts MembersRalfs EilandsEdmunds Rasmanis Active2007 – 2017 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionEirodziesma 2013Eirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2010 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongHere We Go (2013) Biography PeR, a Latvian pop and beatbox band consisting of Ralfs Eilands and Edmunds Rasmanis, interpret their name as “Please Explain the Rhythm”. Originating from a 2007 performance at the Dziesma manai paaudzei (A Song for my Generation), their musical journey took a turn when they competed in Moscow’s talent show Minuta Slavy (A Minute of Fame), clinching the 4th spot. Back in Latvia, their involvement in the annual Bildes 2007 marked the end of their original lineup, with Emīls Vegners being replaced by Edmunds Rasmanis. Their reputation grew as finalists in the LNT’s Latvian Golden Talents Season 1 and various performances, one notable one being at the 2009 Musical Bank. That same year, despite Ralfs Eilands’ age barring his participation, they joined Sabine Berezina in the national final for the Eurovision contest, rendering Markus Riva’s “Bye, Bye” and landing in 9th place. They also collaborated with Mārtiņš Freimanis for the single “Bums”. In the subsequent years, PeR made multiple attempts at Latvia’s Eurovision selections. Their 2010 entry, “Like A Mouse”, reached the top 10, while 2012’s “Disco Superfly” made it to the top 5. Closing 2012 with a bang, their debut album “PeR” got nominated as the “Best Pop Album” for the Latvian Music Record of the Year. By 2013, they stood out in Latvia’s Eurovision selection “Dziesma 2013”, triumphing with “Here We Go” and earning the honor of representing Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden. However, their journey was cut short in the semi-finals, ending in the 17th position. They also performed at the New Wave festival that year. With “Here We Go” they represented Latvia at the Top Of The Pops Sopot Festival. The song also won the Radio SWH Song Of The Year Award. The follow up single was in Latvian, callled “Jauns Sākums”. It became a new #1 hit. In 2014, PeR teamed up with Jurga for a new single, “Dancing Knights”. Meanwhile, Ralfs took part in Eirodziesma along with Valters Pūce. Their song “Revelation” reached a 4th place. The single “Smile” became a top-10 hit. In the summer of 2016 the duo performed in the Netherlands. In 2017 PeR had their last performance together in Roja. Entries Here We Go Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsRalfs Eilands MusicRalfs EilandsArturas Burke BackingsArturas BurkeLauris Valters Results Semi Points: 13Position: 17Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/xze_ilAXwWE?si=jEkGe-Uj69MwOanT

Triana Park

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts MembersAgnese RakovskaArtūrs StrautiņšEdgars ViļumsKristaps Ērglis Founded2008 Nationality🇱🇻 Latvian National SelectionSupernova 2017Eirodziesma 2012Eirodziesma 2011Eirodziesma 2010Eirodziesma 2009Eirodziesma 2008 In Eurovision2017 Kyiv SongLine (2017) Biography Triana Park is a Latvian band consisting of vocalist Agnese Rakovska, guitarist Arturs Strautins, drummer Edgars Vilyums and bassist Kristaps Erglis. The band was formed by Agnese Rakovska and her father (Aivars Rakovskis), joined by Edgars Vilums, Kristaps Erglis and eventually Arturs Strautins. They took part in Eirodziesma, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 (Bye, 4th), 2009 (Call Me Any Time You Need A Problem, 4th place), 2010, 2011 and 2012, failing to win the Eirodziesma (Latvian National Selection). In 2011, their song “Upside Down” qualified for the final of the qualifying round, but the band withdrew due to Rakovska’s illness. Triana Park’s debut studio album “EnterTainment” was released in 2010, and in August 2014 the band released the Triana Park EP, including the lead single “Iron Blue”. The band participated in Supernova to represent Latvia with the song “Line” and was selected for Eurovision 2017. Unfortunately they didn’t reach the final in the contest. In 2018, Triana Park released another single called “Home”. The song was included in the third studio album, “Alive”, which was released in April 2018. At the same time, the new single “Domas” was released on video, followed one month later by “Dope”. “Domas” reached the number 1 spot in the Latvian charts. On 7 August of the same year another song in Latvian, “Rozā Brille” was released. In September and October, the band toured through the Baltic States. The song “Star”, a collaboration with Jānis Aišpurs, was released in October too. On 22 June 2019, a new single was released: “Tiekas divatā”, followed by “Viss Ir Izdomāts” on 9 September. On 15 October of the same year, the band presented their 4th album, “11”. In December, the song “Lavina” from this album came out. The band planned a tour in March and April 2020. However, this tour had to be postponed due to COVID19. Prior to the tour, Triana Park released a new single and video: “Kamēr”, a colaboration with Intars Busulis. On 27 October 2020, they released an EP, “Kompozīcijas”. A 26 minutes documentary about the EP was released in December. On 11 December 2021, a triptych was released called “Domu raksti”, containing three new videos. 2023 started musically for the band with songs in January and March. Entries Line Country🇱🇻 Latvia Year2023 LanguageEnglish LyricsAgnese Rakovska MusicAgnese RakovskaKristaps ĒrglisKristians Rakovskis Backings– Results Semi Points: 21Position: 18Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxos6ceOrRA