In recent days, fans of Zeljko Joksimovic have inundated Wiwi’s comments pages with messages of support for Zeljko’s ESC 2012 entry “Nije ljubav stvar” (Love is not a thing). He’s also on the bookies’ list of potential winners, and currently in a tight-race with Loreen to win our annual polls to determine who will win the final and the second semi-final. That encouraged Wiwi to have another listen to his entry, and he couldn’t help but notice one thing: as with every strong Serbian Eurovision song, there’s a wooden flute in the background.

If we rewind to 2004—when Zeljko represented a unified Serbia & Montenegro at Eurovision—we see the wooden flute taking center stage. For his performance of Lane Moje (“My Sweetheart”),  Zeljko stays off stage for the first 43 seconds. In his place is a man who looks kind of like Jesus plays Serbia’s traditional wooden flute. It gave the song a folksy feel—and more than a bit of regional authenticity—helping catapult it to second place in a very difficult year that saw Ruslana win with “Wild Dances.” Along with Sakis Rouvas’ “Shake It,” which placed third that year, “Lane Moje” became the first song ever to earn more than 200 points and lose. It earned 263.

Three years later, at the Eurovision Song Contest in Helsinki, Marija Serifovic—my favorite lesbian of Roma descent—stole the show with her emotional power ballad “Molitva.” For the first minute and a half, Marija’s voice dominates the soundscape. But after she sets the emotional tone for her act, she falls silent and a wooden flute blasts out from an audio recording. It didn’t make a visual impact, but it did make an audible one. “Molitva” won with 268 points—five more than Zeljko’s “Lane Moje” scored back in 2004.

With Zeljko returning to Eurovision in 2012, it’s only natural that he would resurrect the flute—and the Jesus look-a-like he teamed up with in 2004. This year’s entry  “Nije ljubav stvar” (Love is not an object) includes both strings and a piano. But it’s the wooden flute at the 1:50 mark that lets Wiwi know Serbia is back with another potential winner.

It’s tough to purchase traditional Serbian wood flutes outside of Serbia. But for all the Eurovision 2012 contestants searching for one, you can purchase alternatives for as little as £3.50 on eBay.

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Tommy
Tommy
11 years ago

Poor Serbia , they bring year after year the same violin and the same flute , boooooring

Tamm
Tamm
11 years ago

Stefane lezbejka je 😉

Julian
11 years ago

I sent you the code for your future Article. 1 more Scandalous scandal on planet eurovision 🙂 🙂 Hahaha

Filiz
Filiz
11 years ago

Serbia is the winner 2012! Greetings from Belgium…

Holomorph
Holomorph
11 years ago

Boring song and lame performance…

Stefan
Stefan
11 years ago

OMG!!!…She never said she was a lesbian..One is what do you think the other is how it really… @Denendno I live in Kragujevac (I’m from the city where is Marija Serifovic born) ..SERBIAN CITY… @Wiwi Bloggs Respect!But if you want to know something about her descent and sexual orientation …read serbian blogs .. Serbian press.. Good investigation .. Do not believe any information … a lot of bloggers are speculating and talking about their opinion …. Can I now say as @Miller the Queen of England is to a lesbian because I think and I heard that ..or say that… Read more »

Melissa
11 years ago

Zeljko is amazing!! He has an amazing voice and I hope he will be #1 this year. the song both in English and Serbian is a very sensitive song which many people can relate to.

Denendno
Denendno
11 years ago

Stefan, where you live….open your eyes…SHE IS A LESBIAN

Miler
Miler
11 years ago

I also heard that English queen is a lesbian as well.

Stefan
Stefan
11 years ago

Marija Serifovic is not of Roma descent…Her father and mother were Serbs…and She never said she was a lesbian..Please, before you write a blog .. Inform well..LOL!
Greetings from SERBIA!!!