Vienna Archives - Eurovision Universe

Václav Noid Bárta

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameVáclav Bárta Born27 October 1980 Nationality🇨🇿 Czech National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongHope Never Dies (with Marta Jandová, 2015) Biography Václav Noid Bárta, born as Václav Bárta, (* October 27, 1980, Prague) is a Czech rock singer, music composer, lyricist, and actor. From the age of 17, he was a member of the band Dolores Clan. Currently, he has a band called BekBek Clan. He sings and performs in musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Carmen, Madagaskar and Sestra v akci (Sister Act). Previously, he was involved in productions of Hamlet, Aida, Excalibur, Lucie, větší než malé množství lásky (Larger than a Small Amount of Love), and Bonnie & Clyde. In 2015, he participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, representing the Czech Republic alongside singer Marta Jandová. They performed the song “Hope Never Dies,” for which Noid composed the music. Unfortunately, they did not qualify for the final. After Eurovision, he released a CD, “Jedinej krok”. It was released under the name Noid. The song became a top10 hit in the Czech charts. It was followed by a Jedinej Krok Tour in 2017. He also recorded a childrens song “Ja tak rad trsam” together with Maxim Turbulenc. In February 2018 he recorded the video of “Vsechy tvare vody”, in his own Paranoid Studios. Entries Hope Never Dies (& Marta Jandová) Country🇨🇿 Czechia Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsTereza Šoralová MusicVáclav Noid Bárta Backings– Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/SLz6VeSPXjA

Marta Jandová

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameMarta Verner-Jandová Born13 April 1974 Nationality🇨🇿 Czech National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongHope Never Dies (with Václav Noid Bárta, 2015) Biography Marta Verner (born April 13, 1974, in Prague), formerly known as Jandová, is a Czech singer known primarily for her work in the German band Die Happy. In the Czech Republic, she sings as a solo artist. Life Marta Verner was born as the daughter of Petr and Jana Jandová. Her father is the frontman of the band Olympic. She studied at the Czechoslovak Academy of Trade, Dr. Edvard Beneš, focusing on languages. During her studies, she spent a year studying abroad in the United States, shortly after her mother passed away from cancer when Marta was seventeen. A few years later, her older brother Petr also succumbed to the same illness. In the 1990s, Marta Jandová first appeared as a singer in the Czech Republic, often performing together with Petr Janda on television. She had the opportunity to perform with her band on Czech TV 2 before achieving major success in Germany. In 1998, she performed with her backing band at the Český Slavík awards. Her first musical in the Czech Republic was Daniel Landa’s “Krysař” in 1996, where she alternated in the lead role of Agnes with Lucie Bílá. At the age of 19, after not being accepted into university, the aspiring singer met Thorsten Mewes (guitarist of Die Happy) in Prague and originally went to Germany with him for a year to learn another language and gain new experiences. After a few weeks of living with Thorsten’s parents, she accepted the position of vocalist in his rock band Die Happy, initially as a hobby. Between 1993 and 1999, before Die Happy signed a recording contract with Sony BMG in Germany, she held several jobs, including working in a tea shop, washing dishes, distributing flyers, working as a secretary, and providing security at concerts. After signing the contract, she began to fully support herself through singing. The band’s first breakthrough album was titled “Supersonic Speed” and achieved success in Germany. Marta lived in Germany for sixteen years, first in Ulm and then mostly in Hamburg. The band’s rehearsal space was located in Berlin. The singer returned to the Czech Republic in the spring of 2009. She landed the leading role of Mona Lisa in the musical of the same name at the Broadway Theatre. In addition, she accepted an offer to join the jury of the historic first season of Česko Slovenská SuperStar, where she was voted the most sympathetic judge by the audience. In 2010, she appeared in the leading female role of Dorothy in the musical “Kat Mydlář,” the role of Evelína in the musical “Baron Prášil,” and the role of Sonia in the musical “Ať žije rokenrol.” That same year, she also served on the jury of the German singing competition “PopStars” and hosted her own music program called “NeoMusic: Wanted” once a week on German television channel ZDF, focusing on live music performances. In 2012, the series “Gympl s (r)učením omezeným” began airing, in which Jandová played the role of teacher Jana “Džajna” Pelnerová. This role was very popular among viewers, and thanks to this series, Marta Jandová and Ondřej Brzobohatý became great friends. Jandová also made guest appearances in one episode of the series “Doktoři z Počátků” and the show “Ordinace v růžové zahradě.” She was then invited to be a judge on the show “Hlas Česko Slovenska” (The Voice of Czech Republic and Slovakia), alongside Dara Rolins, Josef Vojtek, Majk Spirit, and Michal David. Another project for Marta Jandová is “Rocksymphony” with the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra in Zlín. Since 2014, their performances have been repeated with great success. In 2018, the project continued as “Rocksymphony 2.” Her musical partner for this project was Václav Noid Bárta. At the beginning of 2015, Marta Jandová was chosen by Czech Television (prompted by viewers) to represent the Czech Republic at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, together with Václav Noid Bárta. They performed the ballad “Hope Never Dies,” which achieved a better result than any previous Czech delegation. In 2015, Jandová served as a judge on “Česko Slovenská SuperStar.” In 2016, she appeared on the show “Tvoje tvář má známý hlas 2” (Your Face Sounds Familiar 2), where she transformed into Beyoncé, CeeLo Green, and her father, Petr Janda. In 2018, Marta Jandová celebrated the 25th anniversary of her German band Die Happy with an acoustic tour in Germany. The final concert took place in Prague at the end of October. During this time, she also joined the judging panel of “Česko Slovensko má talent” (Czechoslovakia’s Got Talent). Finally, in the autumn, she fulfilled her dream and released her first solo album titled “Barvy” (Colors). In 2019 she teamed up with Pavoll Callt for the song “Nechat vítr vát”, the theme song of the Avon March. She teamed up with Václav Noid Bárta again in September 2020 to record the song and video “Barvy zeme”. In 2021, Marta took part in the show Tvoje tvář má známý hlas (Your voice sounds familiar). After COVID19 she was finally able to perform again with Die Happy in September 2021. She also teamed up with Marek Ztraceny for a concert together. In October 2022, she was part of a tribute concert for Miro Žbirka, who passed away the year before. Entries Hope Never Dies (& Václav Noid Bárta) Country🇨🇿 Czechia Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsTereza Šoralová MusicVáclav Noid Bárta Backings– Results Semi Points: 33Position: 13Running order: 8 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/SLz6VeSPXjA

Michele Perniola

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameMichele Perniola Born06 September 1998 Nationality🇮🇹 Nationality National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongChain Of Lights (& Anita Simoncini) Biography Michele Perniola was born on September 6, 1998, in Mottola and lives in Palagiano, in the province of Taranto. In 2012, he participated and won the sixth edition of the television program Ti lascio una canzone (I Leave You a Song), mostly performing songs of Michael Jackson. In 2013, he represented San Marino at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song “O-o-O Sole intorno a me”. In 2014, he made a brief appearance in the first season of the TV series Braccialetti rossi. In May 2015, he represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 alongside Anita Simoncini, performing the song “Chain of Lights,” written and produced by German composer Ralph Siegel. They received 11 points in the second semifinal, ranking only ahead of Switzerland, and thus, did not qualify for the final stage of the competition. In October 2015, he participated in the New Wave singing event in Sochi, Russia, representing Italy and finished in 4th place in the overall ranking. Since January 2017, he has been participating in the sixteenth edition of the talent show Amici di Maria De Filippi. However, he was eliminated at the end of the first episode of the live shows on March 25. In July of the same year he released the single “Déjà vu”. He did a tour throughout Italy with many performances. After this, Michele Perniola started performing under the name 3x3n. He released the song “Emerald eyes” in 2020. In February 2021, this song was followed by “Amare invano”. At the same time, the song “RE4 Freestyle” was released on YouTube. Entries Chain Of Lights (& Anita Simoncini) Country🇸🇲 San Marino Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsJohn O’Flynn (Bernd Meinunger) MusicRalph Siegel BackingsKatrin Schild von SpannenbergPat LawsonRon van LankerenJulian Feifel Results Semi Points: 11Position: 16Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/FE1KJYNvVAE

Anita Simoncini

© EBU/Elena Volotova About Quick Facts NameAnita Simoncini Born14 April 1999 Nationality🇸🇲 Sammarinese National SelectionInternal selection 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongChain Of Lights (with Michele Perniola) Biography Anita Simoncini (born on April 14, 1999, in Montegiardino) is a Sammarinese singer. In September 2014, the participation of the group The Peppermints was announced as the representative of San Marino at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2014, held in Malta. The group, which included Anita Simoncini, performed the song “Breaking My Heart.” In May 2015, she represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 together with Michele Perniola, but their song was eliminated in the semifinals. At the end of 2015, she participated in the Sammarinese talent show I talenti dei Castelli alongside Michele Giacomini as a representative of Montegiardino. They sang the song “Need you”. In September 2017, Anita featured on the L. Jago song “Tracciando il sentiero”. On 30 November 2017, the video of a cover of Ed Sheeran’s song “The A Team” was released. It was her submission to the 2018 Sammarinese national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. However, She was not selected. In March 2020, she teamed up with Elia Pazzini for the song “Il mondo è mio”, followed by “Shallow” a year later. In September of the same year, Anita was one of the performers at the Festa Della Musica San Marino. Entries Chain Of Lights (& Michele Perniola) Country🇸🇲 San Marino Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsJohn O’Flynn (Bernd Meinunger) MusicRalph Siegel BackingsKatrin Schild von SpannenbergPat LawsonRon van LankerenJulian Feifel Results Semi Points: 11Position: 16Running order: 3 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/FE1KJYNvVAE

Maimuna

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameMaimuna Amadu Murashko-Diko Born28 May 1980 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian national final 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongTime (2015, with Uzari) Biography Maimuna Diko (born Maimuna Amadu Murashko, née Diko, on May 28, 1980, in Leningrad) is a Belarusian artist, violinist, educator, and former concertmaster.Maimuna Diko was born into a family of scientists. Her mother was from Belarus, and her father was from Mali. After Maimuna’s birth, her parents moved to Mali. Four years later, Maimuna moved to her grandmother’s place in the Mogilev region in Belarus, where she studied at a music school. She began her musical education at Music School No. 1. From 1994 to 1999, she studied at the Mogilev State Gymnasium-College of Arts. In 1999, Maimuna received a scholarship from the special fund of the President of the Republic of Belarus to support talented youth. That same year, she enrolled at the Belarusian State Academy of Music, specializing in string instruments. During her studies at the Academy of Music, she performed with the Youth Symphony Orchestra “Moloday Belarus”. She participated in several international tours with the orchestra. One of the significant projects during this period was her solo performances during the orchestra’s tour on Reunion (France). She worked as a teacher at the Minsk State Music School named after M. Glinka for two years. In 2003, Maimuna Diko became the first violinist of the Presidential Orchestra of the Republic of Belarus under the direction of Viktor Babarykin. She worked with the orchestra until 2009. As a member of the Presidential Orchestra, she participated in numerous festivals and concert programs. The most notable among them are the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk (2003-2009), the International Pop Music Festival Komrat-2005, Songs of the World-2006 in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, the International Music Festival Golden Hit in Mogilev (2003, 2007, 2009), and the Yuri Bashmet International Festival (2006-2009). Maimuna’s solo career began with the recording of “Humoresque” in 2009, composed by Kirill Kristya. In 2010-2011, she collaborated with Belarusian bayan player Pavel Nevmerzhitsky, recording “Csárdás” by Vittorio Monti in 2010 and “Libertango” by Astor Piazzolla in 2011. She also collaborated with Belarusian composer Yevgeny Oleinik, with whom she created instrumental compositions such as “Queen of Africa,” “Malanka”, and “Vyartanne”. In 2011, she released her first maxi-single, “Queen of Africa,” which included instrumental compositions from different years. Maimuna participated in the International Arts Festival Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk in 2011 and 2012. In 2011, she performed as a guest in the anniversary concert “Syabry Gather Friends” of the Syabry ensemble. In 2012, she performed at the closing ceremony of the Slavianski Bazaar together with Marina Degtyareva’s ballet “Maridans.” In July 2012, she gave a solo concert as the headliner at the “Ljubljana Festival” held annually at the Slovenian Philharmonic Hall in Ljubljana, Slovenia. In October 2014, she released her second album, “Showtime,” which brought together compositions of various genres. The music for the album was composed by Vitaly Sudin, a professional cellist and author of soundtracks for theatrical productions and films. Among the compositions is an interpretation of Michael Jackson’s legendary “Medley,” which became a tribute to the violinist’s favorite artist. On December 26, the final of the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 took place. The winner was the duo Uzari & Maimuna with the song “Time,” which earned them the right to represent their country in Austria. The idea of a collaborative composition combining classical crossover and pop-rock genres belonged to Maimuna. At the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Uzari & Maimuna unfortunately did not qualify for the final. In November 2016 she performed at the concert “Leaving No One Behind” for the 50th anniversary of UNDP and “Inclusive Belarus” company “Showtime”. She performed together with Konstantin Goryachy. In 2017, Maimuna started performing at the open-air venue “U Ratushi” (Freedom Square). She was accompanied by the Belarusian State Academic Music Theater conducted by Yuri Galyas. The shows were called “Pumayanke”. On December 14th, a new solo concert by Maimuna started at the Belarusian State Musical Theater, featuring a program specially prepared for listeners with different musical tastes, including works of various genres. In December 2019, she performed in Lithuania. On 18 March 2021, the official video of Maimuna’s performance of “Lacrimosa” was released. The video was followed on 8 October 2022 by “Misirlou”. On 3 May 2023, her new album “Broken magic” was released. Entries Time (& Uzari) Country🇧🇾 Belarusian Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSvetlana GeraskovaMaimuna Murashku-Diko MusicYuri Navrotski BackingsYuriy SeleznyovArtyom AkhpashDenis Lis Results Semi Points: 39Position: 12Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cwjm1lRV4N4

Uzari

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameYuri Navrotski Born11 May 1992 Nationality🇧🇾 Belarusian National SelectionBelarusian national final 2015Belarusian national final 2013Eurofest 2012 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongTime (& Maimuna) Biography Yury Viktorovich Navrotsky , better known as Uzari, is a Belarusian artist, composer, and producer. Yury Navrotskiy was born into a family of musicians. He attended several schools, including a general education school, a theatrical school, and a music school. In 2008, he enrolled in the Saint Petersburg University of Culture and Arts, specializing in jazz, and graduated in 2013. In 2008, Uzari began working at the Music Hall theater and caught the attention of directors. He played the roles of Kai and the Crow in the musical adaptation of The Snow Queen. His first publicly released composition was “Chto mezhdu nami” (“What’s Between Us”), which won the”Song of the Year Belarus award in 2011. That same year, he represented Belarus at the International Contest of Young Performers of Popular Music “New Wave,” where a star for Uzari was placed on the Star Alley in Jurmala. Prior to that, Uzari served as a backing vocalist for Anastasiya Vinnikova at Eurovision 2011. In 2012, Yuzari performed at the Slavic Bazaar Festival in Vitebsk. He participated in the Eurovision selection process in 2012 and 2013, reaching the finals with the songs “The Winner” and “Secret.” In 2014, together with Dmitry Piven, he served as a producer, composer, and arranger for the song “Sokal,” which Nadezhda Misyakova performed at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. Finally, in 2015, Uzari, alongside Belarusian violinist Maimuna, represented Belarus at Eurovision 2015 with the song “Time.” Although the song did not qualify for the final, Uzari considered Eurovision as a significant milestone in his career. He has been awarded the Song of the Year Belarus prize from 2011 to 2017 and in 2019. In 2016, the “Art Platform” arts center was opened, providing vocal and dance training. In the same year, Uzari participated in the Ukrainian show Holos Krainy (the Ukrainian version of “The Voice”). In 2016, Uzari released his first single in the Belarusian language, titled “Mora,” which also won the Song of the Year Belarus award. In 2017, he released the Belarusian-language singles “Supratsleglyya” and “Ya vydumlayu,” a version of Ivan Dorn’s song “Stycamen” in the Belarusian language. In 2017, Uzari performed at the Sibur Arena during the St. Petersburg Tennis Trophy 2017 and participated in the international festival Laima Rendezvous Jurmala. He also performed at the Olympic Sports Complex during the Synergy Global Forum. In 2018, Uzari co-wrote the official anthem “This Land” for the European Games, which reached the top five finalists. Later, “This Land” was played at the Dynamo Stadium during the volunteers’ march at the Closing Ceremony of the Games. In July 2018, he performed at the Laima Rendezvous Jurmala festival with the song “Ya vydumlayu” in Jurmala. In August 2018, together with Dmitry Piven, he became the author of the official anthem for the St. Petersburg Open 2018 tennis tournament, sharing the stage with Dima Bilan at the Sibur Arena. In October 2018, he began recording his debut album, “Padzyaka sertsa” (Gratitude of the Heart). In February 2019, the single “Padzyaka sertsa” was released. On April 10, 2019, the album was released, along with a music video for the title track. On June 30, 2019, Uzari performed at the closing ceremony of the European Games at the Dynamo Stadium in Minsk. In July 2019, he performed at the Laima Rendezvous Jurmala festival in a duet with Latvian singer Aija Andrejeva, singing the song “Novae kino.” He also performed solo with the song “Padman” accompanied by an orchestra. In August of the same year, he performed at Laima Vaikule’s festival in Odessa. On January 18, 2020, he received the Best Performer of the Year award at the Song of the Year Belarus 2019 ceremony on. On March 21, 2020, he released a music video for his new song “Moy Vibe” (My Vibe). On May 6, 2020, Uzari released the album “Say WOW.” On November 5, 2021, Yuzari became a participant in the show “The Voice,” joining Leonid Agutin’s team and reaching the quarterfinals of the competition. Entries Time (& Maimuna) Country🇧🇾 Belarus Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsSvetlana GeraskovaMaimuna Murashku-Diko MusicYuri Navrotski BackingsYuriy SeleznyovArtyom AkhpashDenis Lis Results Semi Points: 39Position: 12Running order: 11 Results Finals Points: –Position: –Running order: – https://youtu.be/Cwjm1lRV4N4

Debrah Scarlett

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameJoanna Deborah Bussinger Born20 July 1993 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionNorsk Melodi Grand Prix 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongA Monster Like Me (2015, with Mørland) Biography Joanna Deborah Bussinger (born July 20, 1993, in Basel, Switzerland), known by her stage names Debrah Scarlett and Red Moon, is a Norwegian-Swiss singer and musician. Scarlett grew up in both Switzerland and Norway. From the age of six until she was ten years old, she lived with her family in Hakadal in the eastern part of Norway. After moving back to Switzerland, Scarlett traveled frequently between Switzerland and Norway. In the autumn of 2013, Scarlett participated in the Norwegian talent program The Voice – Norges beste stemme. Scarlett joined Sondre Lerche’s team and reached the semifinals. In the autumn of 2014, Scarlett moved back to Norway, where she received an invitation from artist Kjetil Mørland to collaborate on a song for the Melodi Grand Prix. Scarlett accepted the offer after reading the song lyrics. Mørland wanted her as a partner after seeing her on The Voice. The song was titled “A Monster Like Me” and won the Melodi Grand Prix in 2015 with 88,869 votes. Therefore, the song became Norway’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. The song is about confronting unresolved issues from the past and having to let go of the person one loves. The song reached the grand final on May 23. Debrah Scarlett and Mørland placed 8th. On August 5, 2015, Scarlett participated in the NRK program Sommeråpent, where she performed “Always On My Mind” with Mørland. She also appeared on the music program Beat for beat on December 4, 2015. Scarlett performed “A Monster Like Me” with Mørland in the Melodi Grand Prix 2016. Scarlett released her debut single as a solo artist, “To Figure,” on February 26, 2016. It was composed and written by Scarlett and released independently without a record contract. The song was a mix of various styles, and Scarlett did not want to be “genre-bound.” The Swiss website Blick.ch described the song as “a powerful ballad with depth and a lot of heart.” Her EP, “DYS(U)TOPIA,” was released on March 17, 2017, featuring the single “Cynical Youth.” The music video for the single was directed by Nico Schmied and Gregor Brändli. In 2019, Debrah Scarlett changed her stage name into Red Moon. She released her single “Dogma” in February, “Medusa” in May and “Dreamer” in September of the year 2020. All songs can be found on the EP “Phase I:IX”, which was released on 9 october 2020. In March 2021 a new single came out: “Emotional”. followed by “Thirsty” two months later and “Gut-feeling” in July. In September and October of the same year she went on tour and opened for Eivør in several European countries. By the same time, on 17 September, her new EP “Phase 2:22” was released. Entries A Monster Like Me (with Mørland) Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsKjetil Mørland MusicKjetil Mørland BackingsHåvard GrytingMay Kristin KaspersenJulie Lillehaug KaasaBjørnar Reime Erlandsen Results Semi Points: 123Position: 4Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: 102Position: 8Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/vY1FCXDojMU

Mørland

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameKjetil Mørland Born03 October 1980 Nationality🇳🇴 Norway National SelectionNorsk Melodi Grand Prix 2019Norsk Melodi Grand Prix 2015 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongA Monster Like Me (2015, with Debrah Scarlett) Biography Kjetil Mørland (born October 3, 1980) is a Norwegian singer and songwriter, born in Grimstad in the southern part of Norway. He has lived in England for most of his adult life. With his British band Absent Elk, Mørland released the album “Caught in the Headlights” in 2009, produced by Toby Smith (Jamiroquai). In the fall of 2014, Mørland temporarily moved to Oslo to establish himself as a solo artist under the name Mørland. Mørland wrote the song “A Monster Like Me,” which won the Norwegian final of the Melodi Grand Prix 2015. “A Monster Like Me” was performed by Kjetil Mørland and Debrah Scarlett. Through their victory in the Melodi Grand Prix, Mørland and Debrah Scarlett represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna, Austria. Mørland and Debrah Scarlett qualified for the final on Saturday, May 23. In the final, Norway placed eighth. Mørland won the Marcel Bezençon Award in the Composer category for “A Monster Like Me.” Mørland also participated as a songwriter in Melodi Grand Prix 2018 with the song “Who We Are.” The song was performed by Rebecca Thorsen and finished in second place. In 2019, he participated again as a songwriter and vocalist with the song “En livredd mann” and as one of the songwriters for “The Bubble,” performed by Adrian Jørgensen. “En livredd mann” was eliminated in the first round, while “The Bubble” finished in second place in the final. In 2020, Mørland won the Melodi Grand Prix for the second time, this time as a songwriter for “Attention,” performed by Ulrikke Brandstorp. The song was intended to be the Norwegian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in the Netherlands. However, the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the Melodi Grand Prix 2021, he contributed as one of the songwriters for “Eyes Wide Open,” performed by Rein Alexander. Unfortunately, the song did not make it to the gold final. Moving on to the Melodi Grand Prix 2022, he collaborated with Sofie Fjellvang as a songwriter for “Made of Glass,” which was also performed by Sofie. This entry achieved a respectable third or fourth place. In the Melodi Grand Prix 2023, he teamed up with Kate Gulbrandsen as a songwriter for “Tårer i paradis,” performed by Kate herself. However, this song was eliminated during the first semi-final round. Entries A Monster Like Me (with Debrah Scarlett) Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsKjetil Mørland MusicKjetil Mørland BackingsHåvard GrytingMay Kristin KaspersenJulie Lillehaug KaasaBjørnar Reime Erlandsen Results Semi Points: 123Position: 4Running order: 6 Results Finals Points: 102Position: 8Running order: 9 https://youtu.be/vY1FCXDojMU

Stig Rästa

© EBU/Andres Putting About Quick Facts NameRaul-Stig Rästa Born24 February 1980 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2020Eesti Laul 2015Eesti Laul 2014Eesti Laul 2012Eesti Laul 2011Eesti Laul 2009Eurolaul 2008Eurolaul 2004Eurolaul 2003 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongGoodby To Yesterday (with Elina Born, 2015) Biography Raul-Stig Rästa, born on 24 February 1980 in Tallinn, is an Estonian singer and songwriter. Rästa’s musical journey includes being part of various bands and projects. From 2002 to 2006, he formed a band called Slobodan River with Ithaka Maria and Tomi Rahula. He played in the bands Traffic from 2006 and Outloudz from 2010. Additionally, in 2011, Rästa participated as a contestant in the fifth season of Let’s Dance, finishing in fourth place with his partner Karina Vesman. In 2012, he played the role of Moritz in the Estonian production of the musical Spring Awakening. He is also involved in the electronic music duo Kisma, alongside Vallo Kikas. Rästa made multiple attempts to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest. He competed with Slobodan River in Eurolaul 2003 and 2004, with Traffic in Eurolaul 2008 and Eesti Laul 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2020. He also finished as a runner-up with Outloudz in Eesti Laul 2011. In Eesti Laul 2015, Rästa entered with the duet “Goodbye to Yesterday” performed with Elina Born. The song won by a significant margin in the superfinal, receiving 79% of the popular vote. In the Eurovision Song Contest, the entry qualified for the grand final and achieved 7th place. Rästa co-wrote the song “Play” by Jüri Pootsmann, which represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 but failed to qualify. In Eesti Laul 2017, Rästa returned as a composer for Elina Born’s entry “In or Out,” which finished 10th in the final. He also wrote her song “Enough” for her first Eesti Laul in 2013, which placed 8th in the final. He competed as a solo artist in Eesti Laul 2018 with the song “Home,” securing a second-place finish. Rästa co-wrote the song “Storm” by Victor Crone, which represented Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019, placing 20th in the final with 76 points. In Eesti Laul 2022, he participated with the song “Interstellar,” earning a 9th place in the final. Rästa took part in the 2023 Estonian parliamentary election as a candidate for Estonia 200 but did not get elected as a member of Parliament for electoral district no. 4 (Harju and Rapla counties, excluding Tallinn). Entries Goodbye To Yesterday (& Elina Born) Country🇪🇪 Estonian Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsStig Rästa MusicStig Rästa Backings– Results Semi Points: 105Position: 3Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: 106Position: 7Running order: 4 https://youtu.be/Xsx_dIJOtgI

Elina Born

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameElina Born Born29 June 1994 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2017Eesti Laul 2015Eesti Laul 2013 In Eurovision2015 Vienna SongGoodbye To Yesterday (with Stig Rästa, 2015) Biography Elina Born is an Estonian singer. She was born in Lehse in northern Estonia in 1994. She caught the attention of Stig Rästa through a YouTube video where she showcased her singing skills by performing “Cruz” by Christina Aguilera. It was during Elina’s school days that she received a Facebook message from Stig. In 2012, Elina Born participated in the Estonian reality competition show called Eesti otsib superstaari (Estonia is Searching for a Superstar). This program aimed to uncover the most talented singer in Estonia by conducting auditions across the country. Elina successfully navigated through the audition, theatre round, studio round, and ultimately reached the final stage. Although she advanced to the Super Final, she ended up as the runner-up, with Rasmus Rändvee emerging as the winner. Elina Born participated in the Eesti Laul 2015 competition, in collaboration with Stig Rästa. Eesti Laul is the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. They competed with the song “Goodbye to Yesterday”. They were eventually selected to represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015. In the final of the Eurovision Song Contest, Elina and Stig secured 7th place. Right after the Eurovision Song Contest, Elina released a new solo single, called “Kilimanjaro”. The song became a huge hit again for the singer, reaching the no. 3 spot in the Estonian charts. In 2017, two years later, Elina returned to the Eesti Laul competition with the song “In or Out,” which was co-written by Stig Rästa, Vallo Kikas, and Fred Krieger. Elina successfully qualified for the final and finished in 10th place. Although “In or Out” did not reach the charts, the follow up “Jagatub saladus” did. It was a duet with Jüri Pootsmann. In the national Estonian charts, it even reached the no. 1 spot. In 2019, the songs “Tagasi me” and “Kordumatu” also reached the charts. In 2020, she released the song “Niinea” and in 2021 “Linnuteid”. Entries Goodbye To Yesterday (& Stig Rästa) Country🇪🇪 Estonian Year2015 LanguageEnglish LyricsStig Rästa MusicStig Rästa Backings– Results Semi Points: 105Position: 3Running order: 7 Results Finals Points: 106Position: 7 Running order: 4 https://youtu.be/Xsx_dIJOtgI