Thirty-nine countries are competing with the aim to lift the trophy in Malmö. The twenty-seventh country to be introduced is F.Y.R. Macedonia. The country debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998. This year Esma and Lozano will carry the hopes from F.Y.R. Macedonia in Sweden.
Basic information
Performers: Esma & Lozano
Song: Pred da se razdeni
Language: Macedonian
Music: Darko Dimitrov / Lazar Cvetkovski / Simeon Atanasov
Lyrics: Magdalena Cvetkovska
The song
Pred da se razdeni is a particular song with some mixture of sounds and voices. The duo are singing about a break in a relationship as one invites the other so that the good times come back again.
Ne e ko porano
Dobrite vreminja gi nema
Vo dobro I losho
Nie zhiveeme
Pred da se razdeni
Do mene bidi ti
Vo noviot den
Da sme zaedno jas i ti
Pred da se razdeni
Do mene ostani
Sega e vreme za ubavi denovi
Do mene ostani
ME I ESMA AKE GILJAVAV
TU MARE VILEN
ME KA TAKJARAV
The performers
Esma and Lozano are this year’s Macedonian representatives. Esma Redzepova enjoys fame and name in many countries, especially throughout the Balkan region. She is well recognised for her humanitarian cause and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Esma is a multi-talented artist who has showcased her skills both as singer and actress throughout her long career, having released a great number of albums and singles. She started her musical career at a tender young age. Vlatko Lozanoski is a young singer who has slowly but steadily made a name for himself in FYR Macedonia and neighbouring Balkan countries. MKRTV this time has opted for a fresh new approach with a new formula, the combination of a young dynamic singer with an established well known and recognized senior artist.
The songwriters
The entry was written by Darko Dimitrov, Lazar Cvetkoski, Simeon Atanasov and Magdalena Cvetkoska. Dimitrov is a record producer from F.Y.R. Macedonia, songwriter, arranger and record executive. Highly acclaimed for revitalising the local mainstream pop music scene, which also influenced the surrounding Balkan countries, he also received international recognition for working with many popular foreign artists. Cvetkoski is not new to the national Eurovision selections. He also played the guitar for the recording of last year’s entry Crno i belo. Simeon Atanasov worked very closely with Esma and Lozano. Infact he also wrote the original entry that was selected for F.Y.R. Macedonia i.e. Imperija. Cvetkoska is also a singer and performed with Lozano in the Golden Wings Festival in Moldova.
The national selection
National broadcaster of FYR Macedonia MTV has internally selected Esma and Lozano to represent the Balkan nation in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.
FYR Macedonia in the Eurovision Song Contest
FYR Macedonia wanted to debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1996 but did not make it past the internal semi-final. They did not decide to take part in 1997 and therefore had their debut in 1998. Their first three participations all ended towards the bottom of the scoreboard and led to relegations in 1999, 2001 and 2003. Over the four years with one semi-final, FYR Macedonia always qualified for the final. In 2008 and 2009, the country would have made it to the final again based on the tele-votes finishing tenth in the respective semi-finals but was still eliminated as the jury wildcard was given to Sweden and Finland respectively. In 2011 the Balkan country failed to make it again to the final as their song finished 16th. The best result in a final was a 12th place in 2006 as last year the country managed to qualify to the final but got a 13th place in the final.
Statistics
This will be FYR Macedonia’s thirteenth participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. For the second time the country is represented by a duo. Furthermore, it will be the seventh time that an entry from F.Y.R. Macedonia will be performed in the national language.
Macedonian vote in Eurovision
FYR Macedonia gave its most points to Turkey while Croatia awarded the most votes to FYR Macedonia. However if one looks to the voting pattern since the semi-final was introduced in 2004, FYR Macedonia gave its most points to Albania and Bosnia & Herzegovina awarded the most points to FYR Macedonia.
The betting odds
According to oddschecker.com, FYR Macedonia is currently standing at number 35 to win the Eurovision Song Contest, while it doesn’t look favourable for the country to qualify as it is the seventeenth favourite to qualify from semi-final two.
Ние сакаме Есма и Лозано успех во Малме!
Videos
Preview clip
Esma Redzepova – Szelem szelem
Vlatko Lozanoski – Nema den, nema nokj
Tomorrow another country will be introduced (hint – something like love is making me blind!)
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