Stevan Faddy, Montenegro's first ever independent representative at the Eurovision Song Contest, is hoping that his ancestral roots might bring him a little support when it comes to the big night of the semifinal in Helsinki. Stevan's Scottish descent has even been picked up by the press in Scotland, now rooting for its adopted representative for the newly independent Balkan state.

Speaking on the way to Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of his promotional tour, Stevan spoke about his family's proud tradition of honouring their Scottish roots. "Everyone in our family always talks about our famous ancestor, William Faddy, who came here in the Crusades with King Richard, fell in love with a local girl, and decided to stay.".

A lot sunnier here…
Stevan admits he might understand his ancestor's willingness to stay in Montenegro: "It is a lot sunnier than in Scotland, I am told" he says. Nonetheless, his family still honour their ancestral past: "We still have the family coat of arms and other memorabilia, even though it was hundreds of years ago. We also have a Scottish flag at home" he continues.

Stevan became Montenegro's first independent performer at the contest this year after the country formally and peacefully split from Serbia. He will present Hajde kroci to the international audience at the semifinal this May.