All entries in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest are known, but the actual contest is still about a month away. As a warm-up, we introduce one of the entries every day in random order. Part twenty-eight is dedicated to the entry from Lithuania.
Basic information
| Performer: | Sasha Son(Dmitry Šavrov) |
| Song: | Love |
| Language: | English (may also containlyrics in Lithuanian and/or Russian) |
| Music: | Sasha Son |
| Lyrics: | Sasha Son (Russian lyrics: Viktorija Matulevicien�, Dina Grigonyt�) |
| Draw: | 14th in the secondsemi final |
The song
Love is a ballad in anR&B style to be performed in English, but it has not been decided yet if the final Eurovision version will also contain lyrics in Lithuanian and/or Russian. TheLithuanian version is called Pasiklyd�s žmogus, which meansLost man and the Russian version is called �динокий ге�ой, which means LonelyHero. The English lyrics are about the desperate devotion to love which is in vain after all:
A little girl is crying alone
A little boy searching for his home
Giving up to a sin
For a heart-craving dream
Is that a sin?
If you really love
The love you say you love (really love)
Then surely that love would love…
Then surely that love would love to love you back
The singer
Dmitry Šavrov was a child star in Lithuania and he released his first album at the age of only twelve. One of his best known songs of that time Mamai, which was co-written by Ovidijus Vyšniauskas, Lithuania's Eurovision Song Contest debut entrant in 1994, has become a classic and earned him a Bravo award as best newcomer. Later, he would move to London and study music for eight years before returning to his home country.
Back in Lithuania, he released the single Ne uletaj with SEL and it becamea masive radio hit peaking at number one in the Baltic airplay charts. In 2007, he entered the Lithuanian national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest as a part of the project U-Soul with the song At your door. They took part in the second quarter final, which was held for semi-established performers, and they finished second making them qualify for the first semi final, where they finished seventh. The same year, he came third in the talent search Muzikos akademija. In 2008, Sasha Son entered the selection again, this time as a soloist. With Miss kiss, he won the second semi final but finished third in the finalbehind Jeronimas Milias and Aiste Pilvelyte.
In 2009, he took part in the new Lithuanian Eurovision Song Contest selection format Dainu Daina. He qualified for the final, which he could win this time with the Lithuanian version of Love. The song was not only a success in the contest as it also rached the number one in the Lithuanian single charts.
The national selection
A new selection format was introduced in Lithuania. Although the format with three quarter finals, two semi finals and a grand final was very similar to the selection in 2007, thequalifiers were nowchosen by regional televoting. Eventually, ten acts took part in the final, which was won by Sasha Son. He had already won the quarter final and the semi final he had taken part in.
Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest
Lithuania took part in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1994 and finished last with nil points on its debut. It would take until 1999 that the country returned to the competition and again with no great success. The only top ten placing to date came in 2006 when LT United finished sixth in the final.
Mes linkime Lietuvai ir Sasha Son sekm�s ir gero rezultato Maskvoje!
Videos
Live in the national final:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNue25eVpMM
The preview video:
Performing a Lihuanian version of Sorry seems to be the hardest word:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skTrKxQcwd8
Sasha Son with Miss kiss, 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t0QwW3GSjc
Other parts of this series
- France
- Portugal
- Romania
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Cyprus
- Latvia
- Ireland
- Malta
- Armenia
- Germany
- Serbia
- Belgium
- Greece
- Croatia
- Poland
- Czech Republic
- Iceland
- Moldova
- Switzerland
- Slovenia
- Andorra
- Ukraine
- Spain
- Sweden
- Montenegro
- Finland
Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Russian entry.
