Macedonian songstress Kaliopi needs you to know something: She is not singing about donuts.
Yes, despite the memes and fan videos and silly pictures that suggest she’s singing about sweet pastries, her song is actually about the perseverance and strength people can draw from others.
The “Dona” singer explained it all to us at Eurovision in Concert earlier this month. She had us in stitches, so we’re only now sharing it.
“I read the comments,” she says. “It’s crazy! People, come on! Dona is dona. Like, Madonna.”
The 49-year-old beauty is always a barrel of laughs, so we’ve transcribed highlights of the interview below.
KALIOPI AT EUROVISION IN CONCERT – INTERVIEW
What does “Dona” mean?
I don’t like to explain my songs. “Dona” is a sign of something very powerful and something very sacred and important in our lives. It can be somebody in our lives who help us to be strong and makes everything better. The first moment I received my song I understood that I had a great melody and with a great melody should come a big message or a big story. I didn’t explain my story about “Dona” because I like that you find your own “Dona”. It can be your mother or father, a sister or brother. It could be a friend or your love. It could be the biggest passion in your life. Because I’m singing “Dona, dona, dona, dona”, not donut! If you eat donuts, and if I eat donuts at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, I’ll be 100 kilos! I read the comments. It’s crazy! People, come on! Dona is dona. Like, Madonna. These stories are crazy. I’ve heard one that I’m singing about my dog. I loved my dog very much and I’m very sad about losing her but the song is not for her. Some people will tell you when we started working on “Dona” it’s about my dog, but it’s for “Dona”. Not donuts, not my dog, just “Dona”. When sing “Dona”, every time I say dona I have power.
We’re so sorry for the loss of your dog. When did this happen?
It happened last year in November. It was a really heavy moment for me. It was very sad. I had her for 15 years. She had a beautiful life. She was a typical Macedonian breed of dog – a mountain dog. I miss her very much. You can imagine how hard it is, but you have to look forward and maybe at the end of the year I’ll look for another dog.
KALIOPI SINGS “DONA” AT EUROVISION IN CONCERT
Your ex-husband Romeo and the passion and the fire from your marriage. Does that carry across in your songwriting?
Of course! We’re fighting better now. Romeo knows me very well. I can only say that he’s the perfect man for perfect music. He made the best song for me and I’m very grateful for this. I can tell you that we work very well together and our level of understanding is at the highest level. We fight a lot in studio, and sometimes it’s horrible but at the end we have the perfect result and we speak the same language. He’s still my best friend and I’m a very lucky woman.
You were a fan favourite with your song back in 2012. Do people always compare “Crno I Belo” with “Dona”?
2012 was 2012 and now 2016 is a different year with different feelings and a different Kaliopi. Everything is different! Only my soul is the same and that’s the most important thing. If I repeated myself, it would be horrible. I always want to bring something new. I want to bring myself in a clear way with my thoughts and feelings. “Dona” is my portfolio for this Eurovision song.
And finally, do you have a message for your fans at wiwibloggs?
Just keep your smile on your face. Don’t give up and live your dreams!
I always took Kaliopi seriously, until my cousin shouted “doughnut!” when we watched the video together. And then “er, green screen” got noticed. It’s just a couple of those unfortunate things i suppose…
If FYR of Macedonia qualifies, I will buy some doughnuts to share for the Grand Final. (Because people will be craving them by then!) 🙂
@power.b
well the first thing i heard was Dona, not donut 🙂
some people make fun of other countries languages and cultures, that’s not funny to me 🙁
some respect to all cultures and languages and music, that’s what eurovision is about 🙂
@ ts
why, oh why – politics again? WHY?
Slay mama
Donut – Dona as Macedonia – FYROM.
The former is always funny, but still not true;)
Okay. Dona. Yes. That’s what I thought.
She’s bonkers! I love her 😛
Well “dona” means “donut” in spanish so spanish speakers also listen donut
@Paul D
there are many singers this year, you would want to talk with about their music and their own life 🙂
for me almost all of them except Sergey and Amir haha
She’s a lovely woman !
>>>she is great on stage and live
She’s so cucu I love her! Seems to be a great person to talk and be friends with
@Georgekirkas
well thank you 🙂
@Mario=Legend
yeah Kaliopi is a great singer and such a fun personality she has as well 🙂
@Nicky91
I’m actually looking forward to see all the countries’ staging, but the ones you mentioned before will have very interesting live performances! Good luck to your country, as well!
Aww she seems really lovely.
@georgekirkas i also hope she will qualify to the final, I really like Kaliopi, she’s a good singer countries that i look forward to see their staging are: Malta ( just to see how it all comes together, the Molly and Ira combination is a very good combination i think, Molly can hit the high notes and Ira can just sing really beautiful in the lower notes, and Skorpion dancer is teaching Ira some robotic moves, quite a funny video, it kinda looked like thriller 🙂 Slovenia, ManuElla is a good country singer, and 4 backing singers and a acrobatic… Read more »
She is so funny and crazy 😀 I don’t understand half of what she says but her personality just makes me feel happy.
Not my favourite song to be honest, but good luck anyway!
This “donut thing” is hilarious, but it’s also kind of silly! “Dona” has a wonderful message and Kaliopi is a great singer, so I hope that she will qualify.