Estonia and Lithuania both picked their Eurovision participants last night, and tonight followed third and last Baltic entry as Supernova found its winner. Aminata was chosen to represent her country in Vienna with the song titled Love Injected.
Three Baltic entries all to be picked in the same weekend. That is how things turned out with the national selections in Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. The first two had their national finals last night, and tonight Latvia followed as their Supernova selection reached the end.
The songs:
1. Aminata – Love Injected
A bit of etnich souds, a bit of mystery, a bit of electronic and a singer who isn’t afraid to go for the higher notes. That is what we have here. It is interesting, but one of those songs where you are in doubt about whether you think this is absolutely brilliant or you really don’t like it. It has the potential to do good at Eurovision, but it could very well not even reach the final. At the end it sounds like she is singing her orgasm out though. Tonight Aminata was dressed in a long red one-should dress and has golden jewelry on giving her an Egyptian look. She receieves an enormous applause for this performance.
2. MNTHA – Nefelibata
A quiet electronic song with plenty of mystery, that was next song on offer. It is intriguing, but unfortunately it really doesn’t get anywhere. You keep wondering when something will happen. Just like Aminata, Mntha is also wearing a red dress, this one is shorter though and is being matching by long socks also in red. Where the song might not stand out, her hair suddenly do with the blue colour.
3. ElektroFolk – Sundance
Welcome to a highly unusual entry. This six piece band fully lives up to its name as here we have a folk song done electric. The song reminds a bit of Sarek‘s Genom Eld Och Vatten from the Swedish selection in 2003. Sundance has a big instrumental part, it is actually refreshing and one that could appeal widely at Eurovision, unless they find it too dated. The following instruments are used on stage: a violin, electric guitar, a marching bas drum, thrumpets, and a soxophone – at some point you even see one playing two thrumpets at the same time! The band members are all nicely dressed in black and white, the leadsinger in a red top. The song ended with a gigantic thunder, which surprised many.
4. Markus Riva – Take Me Down
We end with what is probably the strongest performer of these four. Markus is extremely confident on stage, and he has reason to be. He completely nails this pop ballad. He starts sitting down on his knees and it takes 40 seconds before he gets up. A very strong song by a strong performer and it is unlikely that the TV viewers will bring Markus down. This could be one of Latvia’s best Eurovision entries in many years and bring Markus the succes he didn’t have at last year’s national selection. Tonight Markus was wearing tigth trousers and a sleveless white top. Smoke is used in the beginning of the performance where he sits down and near the end flames are used. He has three backing singers with him on stage. A fanstastic applause as well for him.
The show:
The capital of Latvia; Riga hosted tonights Supernova final. The show was presented by Ketija Šēnberga and Toms Grēviņš and started at 20:20 CET.
LTV gave us some familar names as interval acts:
Brainstorm, who represented Latvia at its Eurovision debut in 2000 and Dons, who was close to winning the national final last year. Interesting enough both of these interval acts have been involved in selecting these finalists. Dons as well as Brainstorm‘s Kaspars Roga were jury members. As interval act we also had the well known Latvian band Bet Bet, founded all the way back in 1991, so quite an established group. Tonight Brainstorm performed under their Latvian name Prāta Vētra.
The show started with the four acts being presented in details showing their road to this final including the comments they receieved from the judges.
At all advert breaks the stream stayed on and we were entertained by the Ad Break Beaver who told riddles which he afterwards translated to English for the international TV viewers on the webstream, posed as electric instruments, sang a rap song about himself and also sang with the hosts. Among the audience you see one with a sign announcing that the loves this beaver.
The voting:
In the previous Supernova rounds a jury had been in place in order to pick which entries would stand in the final. They had nothing to say tonight as now it was entirely up to the public to decide which song they wanted to represent them at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. International webstream viewers could vote as well via their own social media account.
Each of the performers did however receieve feedback from the judges after their performances tonight. The voting started after all acts had performed and a reprise was shown.
The jury members announced the winner: Aminata. Markus came second, ElektroFolk third and Mntha fourth.
Latvia at the Eurovision Song Contest:
A fantastic debut, that was what Latvia got in relation to the Eurovision Song Contest as their very first entry My Star by Brainstorm took Europe by storm in 2000 and finished third and two years later they won the whole thing when Marie N stole focus with her clothes changes in I Wanna. Another three years later, in 2005, the country finished fifth. Three top5 placements, and one victory, that was the first six years for Latvia at Eurovision. What a success.
The last six years however have been quite the opposite as Latvia hasn’t qualified for the final since 2008.
Latvia will start in the second half of the second semi-final at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria.
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