singer/songwriter Archives - Eurovision Universe

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

Željko Joksimović

About Quick Facts NameŽeljko Joksimović Born20 April 1972 Nationality🇷🇸 Serbian National SelectionInternal selection 2012Evropesma 2004 In Eurovision2012 Baku2004 Istanbul SongNije Ljubav Stvar (2012)Lane Moje (2004) Biography Željko Joksimović, a multifaceted Serbian artist born on 20 April 1972, has worn many hats throughout his illustrious career. As a vocalist, composer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, Joksimović is renowned for his incredible talent. His prowess with instruments is remarkable; he plays twelve distinct ones, including the accordion, piano, guitar, and drums. Additionally, his linguistic capabilities are notable, being fluent in multiple languages besides his native Serbian, including Greek, English, Russian, Polish, and French. Born in Belgrade and raised in the city of Valjevo, Željko Joksimović’s musical journey began early. By the age of 12, he had already made a significant mark, winning the First Accordion of Europe title at a prestigious music festival in Paris. His education included music studies at the University of Belgrade, leading him to kickstart his professional music career by 1997. Joksimović’s international recognition grew substantially after he won the Pjesma Mediterana festival in 1998 with “Pesma Sirena.” This victory opened doors to perform in Belarus, where he clinched the “Grand-Prix” award at two major festivals. His initial studio albums, like “Amajlija,” “Vreteno,” and “111,” not only defined him as a pop and folk artist but also showcased hit tracks that topped Serbian pop music charts. In 1999, he clinched the Grand Prix winner title of the International Festival of Arts Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk, Belarus. Eurovision has played a pivotal role in Joksimović’s career. He has penned five ballads for the contest, including popular numbers like “Lane moje,” “Lejla,” “Oro,” “Nije ljubav stvar,” and “Adio.” In the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, representing Serbia and Montenegro, he performed “Lane moje,” finishing a commendable second. He represented Serbia again in 2012 with “Nije ljubav stvar,” securing the third position. In 2008, Joksimović took on dual roles; not only did he compose “Oro” for Jelena Tomašević, he also co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest alongside Jovana Janković. He later contributed again to Eurovision in 2015, composing the song “Adio” for Montenegrin singer Knez. In 2021, Joksimović recorded the song “Ponoć”, from the movie Toma. The song was followed by a single “Ljubav je….”, in which Željko’s daughter Mina featured. His engagements weren’t just limited to performing and composing. Between 2013 and 2015, Joksimović showcased his expertise as a judge on X Factor Adria, the Western Balkan edition of the renowned talent show, The X Factor. His accomplishments span composing for films, television series, and theater shows, establishing his own MINACORD PRODUCTION in 2004, and releasing numerous successful albums. His concerts, such as the 2010 performance in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and those in Arena Zenica and Sava Centar, have drawn massive crowds, solidifying his place as a Balkan music legend. In January 2012, Joksimović took the significant step of marrying his co-host from the Eurovision 2008, Jovana Janković. With his diverse contributions to music, spanning multiple genres and formats, Željko Joksimović continues to be an influential figure in the Balkan music scene and beyond. Entries Nije Ljubav Stvar Country🇷🇸 Serbia Year2012 LanguageSerbian LyricsMarina TucakovićMiloš Roganović MusicŽeljko Joksimović BackingsKsenija MiloševićOlga VulovićDušan AlagićMiloš NikolićDragan Krstić Results Semi Points: 159Position: 2Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 214Position: 3Running order: 24 https://youtu.be/R9x9VbJzaDQ?si=0tiLFnNbtdrsF-Yi Lane Moje (& Ad Hoc Orchestra) CountrySerbia and Montenegro Year2012 LanguageSerbian LyricsLeontina Vukamanović MusicŽeljko Joksimović Ad Hoc OrchestraTijana MiloševićRastko AksentijevićMiloš NikolićDragan KrstićBranko Popović Results Semi Points: 263Position: 1Running order: 20 Results Finals Points: 263Position: 2Running order: 5 https://youtu.be/z7OvpjplJ_8?si=pg7sjTergMxHAgCO

Teo

About Quick Facts NameYuriy Alexeyevich Vashchuk Born24 January 1983 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian National Final 2014 In Eurovision2014 Copenhagen SongCheesecake (2014) Biography Yury Vashchuk was born on January 24, 1983, in the village of Khidry. After four years of studying the bayan, he became a laureate of the international competition “Podsnezhniki” (“Praleski”). His first serious competition was the TV project “Zvyozdnoye raskrytie” (“Zornaya Rostan’”). In 2000, he was invited to work with the National Concert Orchestra of Belarus under the direction of Mikhail Finberg. In 2008, he graduated from the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts. He was the host of the program “Vperyod v proshloe” (“Naperad u minulaye”), which aired on the channels “Belarus 3” and “Belarus 24”. From 2011 to 2014, he received several national music awards, including the “Lira” awards: “Discovery of the Year” (2011), “Best Arranger” (2012), “Best Music Author” (for the song “Belarus Velykaya” with Leonid Shirin, 2013), “Best Performer of the Year” (2014), and “Best Song of the Year” (“Cheesecake”, 2014). Based on the results of the National Selection Tour organized by Belteleradiocompany for the Eurovision Song Contest 2014, he received an award from the jury and the “Crystal Heart” statuette for the song “Cheesecake”. On May 8, in the second semi-final, Vashchuk, under the pseudonym TEO, performed in the semifinal, securing Belarus a spot in the final. On May 10, 2014, TEO performed as the 2nd participant in the final and placed 16th. On 3 December, 2015, Teo gave a huge solo concert in the Minsk Concert Hall in Minsk. In November 2016, Teo teamed up with his wife Olya Rizhikova for the song and video “Nam ochen”. In March 2017 they performed together in the Minsk Concert Hall. They released another song together in January 2018, “Po tonkomu l’du” and the solo song “Begu”. Teo and Olya hosted the 2018 national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. In July of the same year, Teo released another solo single, “Yukhu”. In November 2019, Olya and Teo released a new song, “Blizhe”, followed by “Kto kome nas” in July 2020. In March 2021, “Murashki po koje” came out. Teo and Olya performed at the Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk. They sang “Ty moy kosmos”. In October 2022 the video of the song came out. Entries Cheesecake Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2014 LanguageEnglish LyricsDmitry Novik MusicYuriy Vashchuk BackingsYuriy SeleznyovArtyom AkhpashDenis Lis DancersAlexander ZalesskiyAndrey Martynov Results Semi Points: 87Position: 5Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 43Position: 16Running order: 2 https://youtu.be/tImGMW-4eHY

Paradise Oskar

About Quick Facts NameAxel Ehnström Born23 October 1990 Nationality🇫🇮 Finnish National SelectionEuroviisut 2011 In Eurovision2011 Düsseldorf SongDa Da Dam (2011) Biography Axel Ehnström, born on October 23, 1990, in Kirkkonummi, Finland, is a Finnish songwriter and musician recognized for his contributions to the music industry both as a performer and a songwriter. He gained international recognition as Paradise Oskar, representing Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 with his song “Da Da Dam,” which placed 21st in the finals and won the Marcel Bezençon Press Award. Ehnström’s career is marked by his work with several notable artists and his involvement in gold and platinum-certified albums. He has collaborated with artists like Phoebe Ryan, Lost Frequencies, Isac Elliot, Anna Abreu, Christopher, Alle Farben, RAF Camorra, Dennis Kruissen, Madeline Juno, and Kasmir. Since joining Elements Music as a songwriter in 2013, he has achieved significant milestones, including co-writing Sofi De La Torre’s song “Vermillion,” recognized by Billboard as one of the best songs of 2014. His most notable works include featuring on Lost Frequencies’ single “All Or Nothing,” co-writing Deepend’s “Woke up in Bangkok,” and the co-writing of Alle Farben’s hit song “Bad Ideas.” Ehnström’s songwriting prowess was highlighted in both the 2016 and 2017 Finnish music industry reports by Music Finland, where he was recognized for having more international songwriting cuts than any other Finnish songwriter. In 2018, he was awarded the music export award of the year by the Finnish Music Publishers association for his contributions to the German music market. In 2022, Axel collaborated with Jyra for a song called “City Lights”. In October 2023 he teamed up with Mingue on the song “Fucking Lonely”. Ehnström’s personal life reflects his Swedish-speaking minority heritage in Finland, and he resides in Evitskog, Kirkkonummi. He adopted his stage name from Astrid Lindgren’s children’s book “Rasmus and the Vagabond,” where Paradise Oskar is a vagabond who plays the accordion, a name symbolizing his storytelling approach in music. His debut album, “Sunday Songs,” was released via Warner Music Finland on May 2, 2011. Entries Da Da Dam Country🇫🇮 Finland Year2011 LanguageEnglish LyricsAxel Ehnström MusicAxel Ehnström Backings– Results Semi Points: 103Position: 3Running order: 10 Results Finals Points: 57Position: 21Running order: 1 https://youtu.be/rQ98uBQxbBo?si=PKnoTE2PS_45h7An

Hannah Mancini

© Albin Olsson About Quick Facts NameHannah Leah Mancini Born22 Januari 1980 Nationality🇺🇸 American🇸🇮 Slovenian National SelectionInternal selection 2013EMA 2011 In Eurovision2013 Malmö SongStraight Into Love (2013) Biography Hannah Leah Mancini, an American-Slovenian singer, was born on January 22, 1980, in California, USA. She was born in Northern California and grew up in Colorado. At the age of 19, she moved to Los Angeles for her career. Since 2007/08, she has been living and working in Slovenia with her husband Greg Jurkovič. In the US, she gained musical experience by performing on the stages of Radio City Music Hall, Universal Amphitheatre, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She has collaborated on numerous Disney films, worked with renowned music authors and producers (Todd Chapman and Grammy award-winner Larry Klein), and also with the American band Haute Chile. She entered the Slovenian music scene as a singer for the band Xequtifz. They recorded three songs: “Anywhere With You/Daleč stran” (2009), “And We Danced/Bil je ples” (2010), and “Walking Away” (feat. Trkaj, 2011). She is also known for her collaborations with DJs, music producers, and electronic groups (DJ Umek, Sare Havliček, D-Pulse, Mike Vale, Sylvain, Beltek, Vanillaz, Kosta Radman, Saalim). In 2011, she collaborated with Sylvain and Mike Vale and participated at EMA, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Ti si tisti”. Two years later, she was internally chosen to represent Slovenia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö with the song “Straight Into Love”, for which she also co-authored the music and lyrics. She did not make it to the final evening and ended up in last place in the semi-final. The following year, she co-authored two Eurovision pre-selections: the Slovenian one (lyrics for the song “Spet/Round and Round” performed by Tinkara Kovač) and the Moldovan one (music and lyrics for the song “One and All” performed by Diana Staver). In 2016, she started working on the Heron project with Croatian producers Marco Grabber and Krešimir Tomac. Their first album, “Momentum”, was released in December 2017, along with a single and video, “Two Lovers”. In 2018, Hannah teamed up with Larry Klein and Tonio K. for a new project: an album called “The girl Hannah”. She also teamed up with Xequtifz again to record new music. They released a new single, “Ti lahko sve/Alone with you” and opened for Angie Stone. In June 2019, the single “Iconic” came out. Since November 2021, Hannah performed along with Sladica. They released an album in 2022. Entries Straight Into Love Country🇸🇮 Slovenia Year2013 LanguageEnglish LyricsHannah ManciniMarko Primužak MusicHannah ManciniGregor ZemljićErik MarganMatija Rodić BackingsLinda AndrewsSusanne Ørum DancersMatic ZadravecAnže ŠkrubePrimož Pavlič Results Semi Points: 8Position: 16Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/I2_zGcuEuwU?si=ppk7uzSRy1eVkElQ