Eurovision fans are excited about Latvia‘s representative, Dons, participating in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö with his song “Hollow.” Let’s get to know him better with these 10 Facts about Dons.
Dons won Latvia’s national selection, Supernova, receiving the maximum of 12 points from both the jury and the public, as they put their trust in him for a good result. Latvia has only won Eurovision once, in 2002 with Marie N, but they are eager to bring the trophy home once again.
But now it’s time to find out who Dons is offstage. We’ve compiled some facts you need to know about him. Let’s do this!
Latvia at Eurovision 2024: 10 Facts about Dons
1. He’s from Brocēni
Born on April 10, 1984, under his real name Artūrs Šingirejs, Dons hails from Brocēni, a town in Latvia located in the western part of the country, within Saldus Municipality.
2. Dons is one the most popular singers in Latvia
Dons has accumulated years of experience as a solo artist, boasting 8 albums to his name. He has also garnered numerous prestigious awards in Latvia, including the Top Radio Hit award seven times for the most played song, Best Pop Album twice, and Best Rock Album once, all at the Annual Latvian Music Recording Award.
3. He’s a fan of Queen
Among Dons’ favorite artists, we can certainly name Queen, as he considers Freddie Mercury one of his all-time music idols. His label Universal Music Latvia gave him a gold disc as a present, and he celebrated this on Instagram!
4. He’s into sports – especially basketball
Dons is not only passionate about fitness but also practices yoga. Recent Instagram posts of him in the basketball uniform of Latvia’s National Basketball team showcase his impressive skills, revealing that he is indeed a very talented basketball player.
View this post on Instagram
5. He spent some time in India for inspiration and meditation
After participating in a Latvian TV series called 1000 Jūdzes Indijā (1000 Miles in India) back in 2009, Dons decided to spend an additional month in India for self-searching and to practice meditation. This period was later reflected in his music.
6. He’s a dog person
Dons’ social media is filled with photos of dogs, indicating his love for pets. The abundance of dog pictures suggests that the Latvian artist is definitely a dog person.
View this post on Instagram
7. He voiced Olaf in the Latvian version of ‘Frozen’
Dons works as a voice actor, having voiced and sung for Olaf – the beloved Disney snowman – in the Latvian adaptation of Frozen in 2013. He sounds very different than in “Hollow”!
8. He tried to represent Latvia in Eurovision twice before
Before achieving victory in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, Dons attempted to represent Latvia on two previous occasions. In 2010, he competed in Eirodziesma (the former name for the Latvian national selection) with the song “My Religion is Freedom”, and in 2014, he participated again, with “Pēdējā Vēstule” (Last Letter), finishing as a runner-up on both occasions.
9. He cooks
Dons has not only owned a few cafes but is also skillful when it comes to cooking. He is often found rightfully bragging on social media, with all the amazing dishes he can make.
In an interview with Wiwibloggs, he described how he’s a master at making lasagna.
10. He’s a biker
Among the numerous hobbies that Dons has mastered, he is a devoted biker. One thing is for sure, Dons has a wide range of hobbies, and he never seems to get bored!
Come back for more exciting stories and facts about Dons as national final season continues and we head towards pre-parties and Malmö 2024 itself.
Man What Good Song
11. He is bald. (No problems for me)
You don’t say?
Breaking News: Dons reported to be seen with the Croatian representative after going into the kitchen!
Dons is one of my favorites this year and I love his song. I will vote for him. He is a great singer and I liked his beautiful song from 2014 also very much .
One of my favorite songs this year. I so hope Latvia will qualify and do well overall in the ranking.
Last year’s act Sudden Light “Aija” was a masterpiece but still couldn’t qualify and it was a crime as many of us on wiwi thought.
Good luck to Dons!
Latvia is the new Slovenia for me.
Any news about Armenia? They are si silent and we dont have any hints about them.
Now that you mention it, I even feel bad for forgetting about them. They’ve been so under the radar this year, which is unusual from them :/
Massively underrated
This grew on me a lot. My favorite ballad this year so far. Latvia just has to qualify this time. They’re in the less tense semi 2 so I don’t think anything will go wrong. Although I personally find semi 2 quite strong as well this year, both semis are quite tense. But this time Latvia just has to make it. It was bad enough Sudden Lights lost to Luke. Their live performance was flawless.
It grew on me too! I was kind of indifferent at first, but now I’m loving it. It’s moving up my top 10!
There’s is drama in songvakeppnin, iceland. Why are you guys don’t post about it?
Context pls