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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

Advahov Brothers

© Marian Medregoniu, Wikimedia Commons About Quick Facts MembersVitalie AdvahovVasile Advahov Born2003 Nationality🇲🇩 Moldovan National SelectionO melodie pentru Europa 2022 In Eurovision2022 Turin SongTrenulețul (2022, & Zdob şi Zdub) Biography Fraţii Advahov ( Brothers Advahov) stands for the two Moldovan musicians Vitalie Advahov (born January 18, 1978) and Vasile (born April 26, 1979 in Cahul, Soviet Union). The two brothers jointly lead an orchestra known for folk music. Vitalie and Vasile played in an orchestra when they were still at school and took part in music competitions. After high school, the two went to the Academy for Music, Theater and Fine Arts in Chisinau and studied accordion and violin. They finished their training and at first didn’t know what to do. They met up with other former students to make music, which resulted in the “Orchestra Fraților Advahov” in 2003. The orchestra gained national fame and the two brothers were awarded the title “Maeștri în Artă” by President Vladimir Voronin in 2007 — followed in 2016 by President Nicolae Timofti with the award Ștefan cel Mare. In 2022 they were selected by Moldovan Radio to represent Moldova with the song “Trenulețul” in the Eurovision Song Contest, together with Zdob și Zdub. Entries Trenulețul (& Zdob și Zdub) Country🇲🇩 Moldova Year2022 LanguageRomanian LyricsMihai GîncuRoman IagupovSviatoslav StaruşAndrei CebotariVitalie AdvahovVasile Advahov MusicMihai GîncuRoman IagupovSviatoslav StaruşAndrei CebotariVitalie AdvahovVasile Advahov Backings– Results Semi Points: 154Position: 8Running order: 9 Results Finals Points: 253Position: 7Running order: 19 https://youtu.be/DUqf_zO2QaI

Urban Symphony

About Quick Facts MembersSandra NurmsaluMann HelsteinJohanna MängelMari Möldre Active2007 – 2010 Nationality🇪🇪 Estonian National SelectionEesti Laul 2009 In Eurovision2009 Moscow SongRändajad (2009) Biography Urban Symphony was an Estonian music group. In autumn 2007, Sandra Nurmsalu participated in the singing talent show 2 takti ette, organized biennially by Eesti Televisioon and broadcast nationwide. During one week of the contest, contestants were tasked with forming their own bands and producing a performance. Nurmsalu, who had studied violin for two years at the Georg Ots Music School and previously arranged Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” for a string ensemble, decided to form a string-based band. She recruited Mann Helstein on viola, Johanna Mängel on cello, a female contrabass player, and a male keyboardist from her former school. The newly formed band re-arranged the song “Hungry” by Kosheen, resulting in a well-received televised and recorded performance. After the talent show ended, Nurmsalu, Helstein, and Mängel decided to continue their collaboration. They brought in new cello player Mari Möldre and began working with music producer Sven Lõhmus. Their first completed track was “Rändajad”, which they entered into Eesti Laul, Estonia’s selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. The song earned them a 6th place finish in the Eurovision final. For this project, Marilin Kongo and Mirjam Mesak joined the group as backing vocalists. They also performed in other songs such as “Päikese poole”, “Skorpion”, and “Crying in the Rain”. In 2010, Urban Symphony announced their disbandment. The decision came as Sandra Nurmsalu wished to prioritize motherhood, while the other members chose to continue their studies and pursue other interests. Sandra Nurmsalu participated in Eesti Laul twice more. In 2014 her song “Kui tuuled pööprduvad” reached a 5th place, while “Soovide puu” was 8th in 2019. Entries Rändajad Country🇪🇪 Estonia Year2009 LanguageEstonian LyricsSven Lõhmus MusicSven Lõhmus BackingsMirjam MesakMarilin Kongo Results Semi Points: 115Position: 3Running order: 18 Results Finals Points: 129Position: 6Running order: 15 https://youtu.be/gi0FEO2tFFA?si=4PR2hl24THvalkOh

Juliana Pasha

About Quick Facts NameJuliana Pasha Born20 May 1980 Nationality🇦🇱 Albanian National SelectionFestivali i Këngës 2010Festivali i Këngës 2009Festivali i Këngës 2008 In Eurovision2010 Oslo SongIt’s All About You (2010) Biography Juliana Pasha, born on May 20, 1980, is a prominent Albanian singer who has significantly influenced the music scene in her home country. Juliana’s journey into music began at a young age, paving her way to national recognition and international platforms. Juliana’s career took a notable turn when she participated in Albania’s national selections for the Eurovision Song Contest. Her early attempts in 2007 with “Qielli i ri” and in 2008 with “Një jetë,” a duet with Luiz Ejlli, saw her finishing 3rd and 2nd, respectively. These performances built a solid foundation for her musical career and increased her visibility in the Albanian music industry. The pinnacle of Juliana’s early career came in 2009 when she won the national final to represent Albania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 with her song “It’s All About You.” Performing in Bærum, Juliana showcased her vocal prowess on a grand stage. She successfully advanced to the finals, performed fifteenth, and ultimately placed 16th out of 25 contestants, receiving 62 points, including a high score of 12 points from Macedonia. Following her Eurovision appearance, Juliana continued to garner acclaim. In 2010, she won the prestigious “Kënga Magjike” festival with “Sa e shite zemren,” a collaboration with Luiz Ejlli. In 2016, she performed at the Te Stela resort along with, a.o. Olta Boka and Kejsi Tola. A year later, with the same team she performed at Hotel Kalaja in Gjakovë, Kosovo. In March 2017 she released a new single, “Jeto!”, to get attention for human trafficking. In January 2018 this was followed by a benefit concert for the victims of human trafficking. In July 2018 she had a summer hit: “Në më jë”. In August 2019 she did the job again with the song “Yll i rralle”. In early 2020, she became part of the La La Land music shows in Tirana. In November and December of the same year, she participated in the show Këngë Moj. In December she released the new single “Më e bukura mbi dhe!”. Beyond singing, Juliana expanded her influence by taking on the role of a mentor and judge in the first series of the Albanian and Kosovo version of “The X Factor.” Her expertise and experience brought valuable insights to the show, helping to guide and inspire a new generation of artists. Juliana’s contributions to music have been recognized with multiple awards. Notably, she received the Honorary Citizen Award of Burrel in 2010. Her other accolades include winning the Çesk Zadeja Prize at “Kënga Magjike” in 2005, the Critic Prize in 2008, and she won the third prize in 2012 and 2015. She also took part in the 2019 contest. In 2016, she won the Vulkan Award. Outside of her musical endeavors, Juliana is known for her deep faith and philanthropic efforts, particularly in combating the blood feud tradition in Albania through her involvement in the Hanna project. Her personal beliefs and humanitarian efforts have played a significant role in shaping her public persona and her approach to her career and life. Entries It’s All About You Country🇦🇱 Albania Year2010 LanguageEnglish LyricsArdit GjebreaPirro Çako MusicArdit Gjebrea BackingsGlenys VargasOlen CesariJoy GarrisonDesiree Kedjour Results Semi Points: 76Position: 6Running order: 12 Results Finals Points: 62Position: 16Running order: 15 https://youtu.be/idE_32NUJbo?si=Gqf82Iz2PO_y5yW0

Alexander Rybak

© EBU/Thomas Hanses About Quick Facts NameAlexander Igorevich Rybak Born13 May 1986 Nationality🇳🇴 Norwegian National SelectionMelodi Grand Prix 2018Melodi Grand Prix 2009 In Eurovision2018 Lisbon2009 Moscow SongThat’s how you write a song (2018)Fairytale (2009) Biography Alexander Rybak, is a Norwegian singer-composer, violinist, pianist and actor. He was born in Minsk, Belarus, in those days part of the Soviet Union. He played the violin and piano since he was five years old, but after a while he chose to concentrate on the violin. Alexander practiced violin with his father Igor Rybak until he was a teenager, when Alexander began studying at the Barratt Due Music Institute. During that time he played in the Vivaldi Orchestra, which was led by his father, and the Barrat Dues Junior Orchestra. From 2000 to 2003, Alexander was a student of violinist, conductor and educator Alf Richard Kraggerud, followed by study with Eileen Siegel, 3rd Concertmaster in the Oslo Philharmonic, and with Lena Rist-Larsen, violin educator and Norwegian master of accordion. He has also had lessons and masterclasses with many other great names. In the summer of 2002, Alexander received a scholarship in the form of a free course in New Jersey, where he studied under Stephen Shipps, and where he was selected to conduct a masterclass with Pinchas Zukerman. Alexander Rybak had participated in several Norwegian courses and festivals, such as “Valdres Sommersymfoni” and the international Hemsedal Festival for dancers and musicians, where Rybak participated as one of the musicians. He was a concertmaster during Halsnøy’s symphony project in the summer of 2004, and soloist with several good orchestras such as the Minsk Chamber Orchestra and the Kringkastingsorkesteret. He has toured in Chicago, Spain, Russia and Poland. In the same year he won Anders Jahre’s cultural award. In the fall of 2005, Rybak performed the violin concerto “Musica Avventurosa” by young composer Daniel Thornhill, together with the orchestra Ung Symphoni. Alexander Rybak participated in the tv-show Idol. In 2006, he won the talent contest Kjempesjansen. In 2007, Rybak debuted as an actor when he was the fiddler in Fiddler on the roof. In 2008, Alexander was featured on the children’s album “Magiske kroker & hemmeligheter”. In November 2008, Elisabeth Andreassen invited Rybak on a tour in 2009, with songs from “Bettans” record Spellemann, with music from both Norway and Sweden with inspiration from folk tones. In 2009, Alexander Rybak won Melodi Grand Prix 2009 with the song “Fairytale”. He was able to represent Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest and won the contest. “Fairytale” became a huge hit all over Europe. Shortly after the contest Rybak released the album “Fairytales”. Rybak was awarded the Musician of the Year award under the Spellemann Prisen 2009.In 2010, another album, “No boundaries” was released. Also a Russian version, “Nebesa Evrope”, was released. A year later, he hosted the tv show Allsang På Grensen and released an album entirely in Swedish: “Visa vid vindens änger”. In may 2012 he sang a duet and had a small tour with Paula Seling. In 2013 Rybak composed a song for Melodi Grand Prix called “I’m With You” sung by Annsofi Pettersen. In 2015, he composed “Still Here” for Franklin Calleja in the Maltese National Finals. He also composed a song for the Belarusian group Milki entitled “Accent”, which got 4th place in the national final. In the same year he released an album called “Trolle og den magiske fela” and a year later it was followed by “I came to love you”. In 2018, Rybak took part in Melodi Grand Prix again with the song “That’s how you write a song”. For the second time, Rybak was able to represent his country in the Eurovision Song Contest. Rybak won the semifinal, but ended up just in 15th place in the final.In 2019, Rybak’s children’s musical “Trolle og den magiske fela” premiered. The show sold over 10,000 tickets and had to schedule extra performances to curb the demand. In 2020, Rybak co-wrote an entry for Melodi Grand Prix 2020 with JOWST. Singer Magnus Bokn sang the song, which reached the Melodi Grand Prix final. Rybak started attending Columbia College Chicago online from his home in Norway in the fall of 2020. By August 2021, he had moved to Chicago to continue his studies in person. He graduated from Columbia in July 2022. He released a new single in that year, “Memories”. He teamed up with Annsofi Klevfoss to release a new single “No More Me And You” in February 2023, exactly 10 years after Annsofi presented Alexanders song in Melodi Grand Prix. Two months later, he released a solo song and video, “1000 views”. In September, his new song “Kid” was released. Meanwhile, Rybak told his fans that he had been stalked for a while by a woman. That happened for over an entire year. Entries That’s How You Write A Song Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2018 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlexander Rybak MusicAlexander Rybak BackingsLisa BørudLene Kokai FlageJens Jeffry TrinidadFrode VasselAlvaro Estrella Results Semi Points: 266Position: 1Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 144Position: 15Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/N17BdRwOvBA Fairytale Country🇳🇴 Norway Year2009 LanguageEnglish LyricsAlexander Rybak MusicAlexander Rybak BackingsKarianne KjærnesJorunn HaugeSigbjørn RuaTorkjell BørsheimHallgrim Hansegård Results Semi Points: 266Position: 1Running order: 1 Results Finals Points: 144Position: 15Running order: 7 https://youtu.be/WXwgZL4zx9o