Dilara Kazimova, who represented Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest of 2014, had a very special engagement last weekend, when she performed at the birthday party of 105-year-old Oma Ella.

Born Eleonora Kaster in Germany in 1910, Oma Ella started to follow the Eurovision Song Contest when in her fifties.  A big music fan, who initially listened to the Contest on the radio, Oma Ella attended the 2011 Düsseldorf extravaganza with her grandson, which was her first experience of watching the show live.  She has since attained such popularity that the German fan club OGAE (General Organisation of Eurovision Fans) awarded her with an honorary membership.

Dilara, who sang Start a Fire at the Copenhagen-hosted Eurovision Song Contest of 2014 said of Oma Ella:

I’m so grateful for the invitation.  When I saw Oma for the first time my heart just melted.  She is so sweet and charming.  I will make sure we are having a great party for her 105th

Oma speaks highly of Dilara:

’We met several times with Dilara in Copenhagen and she was very kind to me.  I like her song and really wanted to see her at my birthday.  It’s amazing she is coming to celebrate it with me’

Eldar ʺEllʺ Gasimov, who teamed with Nikki to win the Eurovision Song Contest for Azerbaijan in 2011 with their entry Running Scared, was another Eurovision star invited to Oma Ella’s birthday party, which took place at Amberg Congress Centrum in Germany on the weekend of 10th/11th January.  The weekend also saw a special Mayoral reception at Oma’s native village of Kelheim.

Watch Dilara perform Start a Fire at the Grand Final of Copenhagen 2014 below:

Watch Ell/Nikki with Running Scared below:

The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria on the 19th, 21st and 23rd May.

Stay tuned to esctoday.com for all the latest news on Dilara Kazimova, Azerbaijan and the Eurovision Song Contest.