Latvia: Proud day for Ralph Eilands

by Alex Noone 284 views

The lead singer of PeR has graduated from high school.

Ralph Eilands graduated from 12th grade and was joined by his parents and classmates at Riga’s Latvian Society House for the graduation ceremony.

Throughout his participation in the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Ralph was studying hard, and managed to pass his recent exams with flying colours. I got ten points in Politics, he said. I’m very interested in it and I’ve always followed political developments in Latvia and around the world.

During Sunday’s ceremony, he was commended by Latvian Prime Minister,Valdis Dombrovskis, for his achievements in art, music and culture. And once the formalities were done, Ralph posed with his fellow school-leavers at the Freedom Monument, near the Riga’s old town. He wore a white shirt and black trousers for the occasion by local designer, Indra Salcēvičs.

Ralph was one of the founder members of PeR in 2007.  PeR competed at the Latvian selection for the Eurovision song Contest in 2009, 2010 and again in 2012 before finally winning the right to represent Lativa at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö.  The band failed to qualify from the semi-finals.

I loved my school, Ralph said after his graduation. I studied there since the first grade…but I have started to feel 100% like a musician, so I’m glad school is over.

Watch PeR perform at the second semi-final of Eurovision 2013 here –