Croatia recently confirmed their participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019. But there is even more good news from the coastal country. The director general of HRT, Croatia’s public broadcaster, has confirmed the return of the national final Dora.
A Dora revival was strongly rumoured for Eurovision 2018. However, in an interview with local newspaper Jutranji List, HRT’s director general Kazimir Bačić explained that due to big sporting commitments such as the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a national selection was not possible for the broadcaster this year.
However, with a shift of sporting commitments to other broadcasters, this has allowed HRT to focus on entertainment shows — and that includes bringing back Dora.
HRT has also confirmed that the national final will be held in the resort town of Optaija, the traditional home of Dora. While not all previous Dora shows have been hosted in Opatija, the town has an iconic association with Dora, much like Sanremo for Italy.
Dora and the Eurovision Song Contest
Dora was launched in 1993 to select Croatia’s first Eurovision entry as an independent nation. The national final was used consistently from 1993 to 2011 and gave Croatia six top-ten finishes.
Croatia’s best Eurovision results came from the Dora years. In 1996, Maja Blagdan placed fourth with “Sveta ljubv”, then in 1999 Doris Dragovic also placed fourth with “Marija Magdalena”.
From 2012 onwards, Croatian acts have been internally selected by the broadcaster, with mixed results. While the five internally selected acts have qualified for the grand final only two times, they have delivered good performances.
Nina Kraljic made it to the grand final in Stockholm and placed 23rd, while in 2017 Jacques Houdek took home an impressive 13th place — Croatia’s best Eurovision result in more than a decade.
Houdek had competed at Dora six times previously, but ironically the year he finally went to Eurovision was as a result of internal selection.
Earlier this year in Lisbon, Croatia was represented by Franka. With her song “Crazy”, she finished in 17th place in the semi-final.
With the good news that the broadcaster is bringing back its national final, it raises questions within the fandom of who might participate, how the act will be chosen and what shows will be broadcast. More details should be revealed as we progress towards the national final season
What do you think of Croatia bringing back its national selection, Dora? Who do you think will participate? Let us know in the comment selection down below!
First, Franka was robbed. If only she hadn’t have problems with choosing for the instrumental version of her song in the first place then that would not have had greatly affected her chances in the contest. Second, I hope they continue to search for hip and trendy artist and song for next year. Someone like Jacques and Nina is already enough and are already done.
Just saying, a Dora winner in Israel led to Croatia’s equal-best placing. In any case, I’m excited and interested.
Hope it isn’t full of old-fashioned songs like last year’s Serbian Beovizija.
So…songs that qualify?
barely qualify, we’ve seen in the full split rankings over recent years that ex-Yugoslavs are blatantly ignored on televoting outside of the Balkans, always last in the Baltics and British isles.
It’s certainly been a long time ago, but Dora did gift us with some classics such as “Moja stikla”, “Neka mi ne svane” and “Marija Magdalena”, so hopefully HRT can interest some good songwriters and singers with its return.
I feel like Franka really wasted her big shot at Eurovision with that song. It wasn’t even bad, I still kind of liked it, but you just don’t go into a competition like that with such a benign song. Well, not if you want to leave your mark, that is.
Oh 🙁 I want the orange avatar back. That one was so cute. Now your system has turned me into a pink tree. :/
Good news! Let’s hope some of their best pop / rock names enter. And a NF with many different music styles, and many styles. Croatia had some good finals in the past
This is some great news! Hopefully they deliver a very varied selection with original songs (and not that talent show crap they did in 2011).
I am shocked and curious about what will come out of Dora’s return. President of HRT television also surprised me that the voice of croatia returns and who would I see most as candidates for Dora Kedzo, Indira Forza, Zsa Zsa, Mia Dimsic, Luka Nizetic, Pravila igre. I would like to hear a song very much in Croatian, on the 2019 Eurovision in Tel Aviv
Totally agree! I reckon Luka Nizetic would definitely put on a show, and I too think it’s time that we go back to our roots and sing in our language. It’s so beautiful after all; to convey meaning in a tongue which is yours
Yes Luka!!! Finally hahahaha
Yeah totally agree. Croatia is one country that’s due a BIG year and I don’t see any reason why a song in your beautiful language could not win. Fingers crossed
And Mia Negoveti?