Ukraine: Zlata pleased and confident after her 1st rehearsal.

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 762 views

Zlata Ongnevich, the 2013 Ukrainian Eurovision representative took the Malmö stage for the first time during her first rehearsal. The Ukraiinan butterly was very pleased and confident after her rehearsal.

Everybody was so welcoming that I immediately felt confident about everything. I know everything will work out the best way possible- Zlata shared her first impressions.

Today the name of Zlata’s giant was revealed today. Igor Vovkovinsky, the tallest man living in the United States flew all the way from Minnesota, USA, to be part of the 2013 Ukrainian Eurovision entry’s performance. Igor is originally from Ukraine , he moved to the United States with his family when he was only 7 years old. Igor, the fantasy giant, will symbolize Zlata’s inner strength which helps her overcome obstacles on the way to her dream.

 

Igor Vovkovinsky: The Arena is very overwhelming and very big, which I wasn’t even expecting. I’ve been inside big arenas but none of them looked so beautiful. The first rehearsal went well but I will take more time to practice my part. I love my costume which was revealed for the very fist time today. I can’t believe that somebody took so much time to make it look so good. I wanna wear it not just to the show but everywhere.

4 powerful backing singers bring the culture from all around the world and will  add an ethnic sound to the song. Ann Bailey-Simons, Hollie Petrie, Cleveland Watkiss from Great Britain and Dasha Mineeva from Ukraine all have a track record of touring and recording with the world known celebrities ranging from Stevie Wonder to Bob Dylan. Cleveland Watkiss enjoys great fame and recogntion and is celebrated and known as  the best jazz male voice in the world.

Cleveland Watkiss: The song is fantastic and has been chiseled to perfection. So now it’s very concise and streamlined. The stage was surreal and felt like another dimension. And the sound was great. The in-ear monitoring was probably one the best I’ve had in my life.

Zlata’s first impressions after today’s rehearsals- Video courtesy of eurovision.tv

The pictures from the rehearsal are available here. Picture courtesy of Eimantas Paltarakas.

Zlata Ognevich will represent Ukraine at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest with Gravity. Ukraine will compete in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest Semifinal 1 on 14 May.

Stay tuned to esctoday.com for the latest information on Ukraine and the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.

Photographs: Eimantas Paltarakas