A total of zero songs were submitted for Moldova‘s national selection for Eurovision 2016 during the first month of the open call. Now, with just three days until the submission window closes on December 7, only seven acts have sent in bids for O melodie pentru Europa 2016. Broadcaster TRM is being transparent as always and updating the page with the candidates here. The fact that most artists leave it for the last moment, as they do every year, gives up hope that at least one of our chosen acts below will appear on the list.

This wishlist includes acts that we want to represent Moldova at Eurovision any year, not just in 2016. Some of them are so famous they really don’t need Eurovision, but we are quite sure that their country needs them, if there is any hope for Chisinau to ever host the contest.

Aliona Moon and Pasha Parfeny

Technically they are two acts, but we would love to see them enter the Eurovision Song Contest as a duet. After all, they’ve worked together before during their respective Eurovision bids. Aliona was Pasha’s backup singer in 2012 and Pasha wrote her “O Mie” song and played the piano on stage in Malmö. The idea of a duo came to us when we listened to their only officially recorded duet, the Romanian language version of “Hallelujah”. Their voices blend and complete each other beautifully. It’s a musical match made in heaven. Amen!

Dan Balan

His former O-Zone bandmate Arsenium represented Moldova at Eurovision in 2006 with Natalia Gordienko, finishing 20th with “Loca”. Now we would love to see how Dan Balan fares. An amazing showman and performer, Dan Balan is the breakout star of O-Zone, and enjoys tremendous success in Romania, Russia and beyond. His songs, especially his dance singles, are always vibrant and catchy, his videos are deliciously entertaining, and he would feel right at home on the Eurovision stage. Do the right thing, Dan!

Alexandrina

Alexandrina Hristov, a Moldovan Tori Amos, is not only an accomplished singer and piano player, but also a sensitive poet and a painter. She often depicts her own reflection, casting herself as a wide-eyed girl in a fantastical world. Her music is the same: she dreams up poetic landscapes that strive to describe indescribable feelings. Sister is deep! While her sound is not exactly Eurovision material, we think that quality ballads like Alexandrina’s could quietly steal the show.

Mevv

Mevv are slowly morphing from a proper rock band to a commercial group with a funky sound (think Maroon 5). While their music has always had an audience, they’ve found more succes with their new direction, and we think they should bring this kind of energy to the Eurovision stage. After inexplicably withdrawing their bid from competition last year, we hope Mevv will try again this year.

Olia Tira

While she was all but eclipsed by the Sunstroke Project’s Epic Sax Guy back in 2010, Olia Tira hasn’t been forgotten. We like her music, her diva attitude and her ever-changing looks. We definitely hope that 2010 wasn’t the end of her Eurovision career and we would love for her to try again, as a solo act this time. (She can leave her light box man at home).

Catalin Josan

You may remember Catalin from Romania’s Selectia Nationala, where he has made several attempts to represent his adoptive country. Although he enjoyed more success there — he won the first edition of talent show Megastar and was even a contestant on Masterchef Romania — we think the 28-year old singer might actually have more success competing in his native country’s Eurovision selection instead.

Carla’s Dreams

Carla’s Dreams (real name: Andrei Tarus), the Moldovan Sia who never shows his face, is an accomplished producer and singer in his own right. Having worked with Moldovan singers but also Romanian music royalty like Inna, Delia, and Loredana, Carla’s Dreams has established himself as the Moldovan king of pop and is in ever-higher demand. He is as talented as he is mysterious, and his catchy and always surprising sound is only matched by his profound and dark lyrics. All he needs is an English language song, a solid collaboration with a pop singer and a spot in O melodie pentru Europa.

(Yes, that’s Inna singing the bridge.)

Lucia S

In 2014, O melodie pentru Europa newcomer Lucia S surprised everyone when she finished third in the final, well ahead many established names in the competition. And while Cristina Scarlat remains one of our favourite Eurovision stars that year, we simply can’t forget the song that Lucia S came with, her confident stage presence, and the odd interview she gave us. We hope that she will be back to claim her crown this time. You can do it, Lucia!

Alternosfera

If pop music isn’t your thing and you prefer a more alternative sound and marvelously played guitars and drums, combined with a great male voice, look no further than Alternosfera, which, together with Zdob si Zdub, dominates the rock scene in Moldova and has crossed over successfully to Romania. Their latest album “Haosoleum” is full of gems like “Punct”, where they take generic songs to majestic, anthemic heights with sweeping violins and philosophical lyrics. The result is simply stunning and could be compared with international hits from Muse.

Doinita Gherman

Out of all the artists on this list, Doinita is the most likely to be in this year’s selection. Nicknamed “Moldova’s Sanna Nielsen” because of her undiminshed love for the contest and her repeated attempts to represent her country, Doinita has tried it all on the Eurovision Moldova stage, from rock to pop to Latino to folk. Our favourite performance from her remains “Energy” from 2014, when the staging, the costumes and her flawless voice complemented an already Eurovision-friendly song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVLzoQh1VBQ

The deadline for submissions closes on Monday, December 7. On December 10, a jury will select up to 50 songs for the live audition, which will be broadcast by TRM online on 19 December. The semi-finals and final will follow at the end of February.

Until then, what do you think of our picks for Chisinau? Did we miss anyone that you’d like to see represent Moldova in Stockholm? Sound off below!

Follow all of our Molova Eurovision news here

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Huh
Huh
8 years ago

Nevermind about my previous comment. He did have a plenty of songs as a solo artist.

Huh
Huh
8 years ago

@Mich well Radu Sirbu does remixing of Romanian and Russian songs nowadays and they’re pretty sick and well done. I do not know if there are news that he wants to have a singing career similar to his fellow O-zone members plus wating to participate in ESC.

WTF
WTF
8 years ago

It would be beyond amazing if they sent Alternosfera or Alexandrina Hristov, the ESC could use some variety…

Mich
Mich
8 years ago

PLEASE! Dan Balan has everything to go to Eurovision here in my country (Mexico) loves him and Arsenium too so of Arsenium has gonne in 2006 why an other member of ex O-Zone (that was my favorite band when I was a child) forms part of this event? I’m sad that Radu (the other ex member) never has thougth t go to ESC but, if Dan wants to participate, GOOD LUCK!!!

Callum Nowacki
Callum Nowacki
8 years ago

Felicia Dunaf should represent Moldova.

Codename Felice was a good song and The Way I Do was epic. 😀

May
May
8 years ago

7 songs qualify before deadline on web !?

Huh
Huh
8 years ago

I have two questions about this:
1) Is there something going on even more with Aliona and Pasha?
2) Due to the massive popularity of Dan Balan in Romania, Moldova and other Eastern European countries, why hasn’t he decided to perform in Eurovision yet?

Mei International
Mei International
8 years ago

Anyone but Kitty Brucknell :O

DJ Tiggeh
DJ Tiggeh
8 years ago

I loved Dan Balan’s Chica Bomb and Crazy Loop.

I would welcome Dan into the Eurovision Family.

Thiefo
Thiefo
8 years ago

Doinita needs to represent Moldova one of these years, she just needs a good song.

Erin
Erin
8 years ago

Is Spartacus a supporter of PAOK or ARIS? 🙂
Purely from a name recognition standpoint, Dan Balan could do wonders for Moldova: he’s probably the one with the most expertise and credentials in the international music scene.