Grab your towels, y’all. Basements are about to be flooded! The inaugural Zhara Fest recently took place in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and some of Eastern Europe’s most beloved performers turned up and turned out. The star-studded line-up featured the brightest stars in the Russian and Azeri music scenes, and boasted an array of Eurovision alums, including Sergey Lazarev, Samra Rahimli, Polina Gagarina, Ani Lorak, Alex Sparrow and Philipp Kirkorov.
Sergey continued to win fans with another reprise of his Eurovision hit, “You Are The Only One”. He returned with two male and two female dancers and built on the choreography we all came to love in Stockholm.
Polina, who Eurovision fans remember for her peace ballad “A Million Voices”, showed her poppier side when she nailed her performance of “I Will Not” (one of our favourite tracks of 2015). Just watch her move!
SERGEY LAZAREV –Â RUSSIA, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PADjsg6dHtc
POLINA GAGARINA – RUSSIA, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUORLdqEJ7w
Ani Lorak — the “Shady Lady” from Eurovision 2008 in Belgrade — looked hot in a leather two-piece and a reflective robe. It would seem she hasn’t aged a bit because her body is still smoking!
Speaking of smoking bodies, Alex Sparrow (formally known as Alexey Vorobyov), sang his Eurovision 2011 track “Get You” and looked absolutely stellar in a suit with his token coiffe.
ANI LORAK – UKRAINE, 2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VamKN2vSpY
ALEX SPARROW – RUSSIA, 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVD206Q97s
Russian pop royalty and Eurovision song mastermind Philipp Kirkorov provided one of the major highlights of the night when he covered Dana International‘s Eurovision 1998 track “Diva”
Philipp opted to sing the song largely in Russian.
PHILIPP KIRKOROV – PERFORMING “DIVA” (ISRAEL, 1998)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3N37Kx3rqQ
Azerbaijan put its oil money to great use with the festival, which is helping raise its cultural profile among music fans in general and Eurovision fans in particular. Zhara Fest is going to be a mandatory stop on the Euro-pop tour in years ahead!
It was an amazing show indeed. Well done, Azerbaijan. <3 Polina was the best IMO. ^-^
Polina is the best! “A Million Voices” remains my favorite Eurovision song ever.
Polegend Godgarina slayed as per usual. Queen.
@Maru fr He’s not drunk. LOL That’s Grigory’s normal condition.
Seems like a nice festival with very good performances. Well done.
Loboda + Emin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TVlSfHZ_To
In fact Ani Lorak is Ukranian singer and Svetlana Loboda was also there, so Ukrainian Eurovision participants were also present. And trere were many good artists who had never participate in Eurovision as well.
It was a great show and in 2017 it will we widened and will last for four dsys.
@karminowe.usta
Here`s this trio – Lazarev, Emin, Grigory(is he drunk?!) 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrthv5icb4Y
Fantastic show. I see videos from Zhara Fest, these are amazing. Azerbaijan paid so much money for this performance. Anna Sedokova danced at the water. Trio Grigory Leps, Emin and Sergey Lazarev is my favourite performance from Zhara Fest:)