Grab your angel wings and oil-up your backing dancers — Croatia’s Dora is back for Eurovision 2020.
As Eurosong HR reports, the confirmation of the national selection came during broadcaster HRT’s autumn review of upcoming programmes.
Among those in attendance was Croatia’s Eurovision queen Severina, who placed 12th at Eurovision 2006.
It’s not yet clear when or where the show will take place. For the 2019 edition, the broadcaster made an agreement with the resort town of Opatija to host the national selection on February 16. It was held in the Marino Cvjetković Sports Hall. The organisers from Opatija have stated that they hope the contest will continue taking place in the stunning town, as they fought hard to woo HRT.
Croatia returns to Dora for Eurovision 2020
Croatia will use Dora for the second consecutive year after resurrecting the national final last year following an eight-year hiatus.
The broadcaster received 150 song submissions and a jury consisting of seven people spent a week listening to all of the songs. The broadcaster ultimately revealed sixteen songs and acts.
Working with composer Jacques Houdek, high school student Roko Blažević won with “The Dream” — a power ballad that came with an over-the-top stage show which brought to life visions of heaven and hell.
The best part of it was, no doubt, Roko’s voice. As I wrote ahead of Eurovision:
“Whether you think this is a sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare likely depends on how you handle volume. Roko gets very loud. Repeatedly and without retreat. But in my mind it just underscores the power of this song, which takes us on a journey from soft contemplation to a full-on celebration of dreams, love, and God knows what else. I’m here for Roko’s voice. I’m here for the classic — some may read that as dated — melody. And I’m here for the DRAMA.”
Roko didn’t manage to make the final, placing 14th in his semi.
Can they send a modern song once? I can’t stand their old-fashioned songs.
Just keep “my friend” away of it. Please
YES! We are back! Will Dora 2020 improve over 2019? Don’t know, but hope so. Keep the genre / language diversity, but work on transferring the emotion each song wants to give. Give us authentic and memorable performances. Either way, can’t wait!
Yes, you are back. 🙂
Maybe for 2020 you can ask HRT to transmit the Dora final online freely without having to go through registration or VPN hoops?
Please and thank you.
I think most of you know who I want from Croatia. But best of luck to all the entrants anyhow. 🙂
I’m excited for it but also not puttting high hopes either. I can see HRT packing up DORA with good songs but “will Croatia choose the best one?” is one very, very uncomfortable question.
We need to send LUMINIZE…They live in Amsterdam and were a part of the Voice of Holland 🙂
Can you try to find yourselves a winner? So I can have Goran Visnji? hosting. :p
Send Manntra, Croatia!
They can take the route similar to Serbia or the likes of Bulgaria and Malta. I am not a fan of whatever style they are pushing like what Jacques Houdek was pushing for Roko. Plus, they could have been saved without that unnecessary staging.
All entries in Jugovizia represented a specific broadcaster for each member country. Not only were Riva Croatian themselves, they were RTV Zagreb’s chosen entry in Jugovizia 1989 and thus easily credited to Croatia. HRT is the same broadcaster just renamed upon independence. Also this is why Eurovision 1990 was held in Zagreb and not Belgrade.
So annoys me when people say Croatia hasn’t won.
That is a good point- but if you apply that logic it’s like saying Serbia and Montenegro’s songs from 2004 and 2005 should be attributed to Serbia for 2004 and Montenegro for 2005. Moreover, by using the nationality of the artists and not the flag they competed under, it’s sort of saying that Greece were the runner ups of 2018 because Eleni is a Greek citizen or that Turkey came 19th this year. Your point is valid- and for it’s worth, Croatia should have won as an independent nation in 1999.
It’s not really, because like Azuro said, it was the Croatian broadcaster that chose the song in 1989. The Greek broadcaster did not choose Fuego, and Turkey did not choose Say Na Na Na.
Yugoslav representatives were chosen at Jugovizija by combining the votes from the regional broadcasters. I’m not saying that it wasn’t Croatian TV Zagreb that had actually chosen Riva for Jugovizija that year, just that the its 1989 victory at the ESC as well as all the successes of all the entries Yugoslavia sent to the contest do belong to all the nations which eventually emerged from Yugoslavia. They should all be proud of their representatives. After all, music is there to connect.
Only first 2 Jugovizija dont involve politicks in 1961,1962. RTV Ljubljana (Slovenia) won with serbian female singers sang in serbo-croat language, both song compose slovenian composer, first song lyrics wrote famous poet from Serbia, second famous music lyrickst from Croatia. From 1963 we have politicks in selection especially from 1981-1992
Dora had a good diverse field of songs this year, although I liked “The Dream” despite how cliched it was there were several better choices Croatia had, my favorite was “Redemption”
Looking forward to hearing what’s in for Dora 2020!
Croatia need to get back on track for 2020. A country which a very strong track record in the 90s, to not achieving a single top 10 result for nearly 20 years. Croatia has some great musicians, let’s hope they make use of it next year!
Glad that Croatia didn’t withdraw. 🙂
The countries that still have to confirm: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the UK..
Gosh, isn’t that still a lot?
Austria, France, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Russia , Ukraine and UK are confirmed. There are 33 confirmed countries so far!
Latvia don’t have money, check wiwibloggs
I know, but I didn’t include them, because they are not listed on the esctoday site. 🙂
The BBC haven’t officially confirmed their participation.
These really are a lot of countries and the fact that the deadline is in 4 days makes me anxious lol greece has also not confirmed yet they just said they WILL confirm:(
Dora 2019 was a pretty decent national final (though maybe not as good as some of the Doras in the 90s) and Lorena’s “Tower of Babylon” was a great banger, that with some proper revamp would have had no problem qualifying for the final. Fingers crossed for Croatia in 2020, you guys are bound to win eventually (and in my opinion you should have already done that in 1999)!
I am dying to see Croatia or any other country that have never won before to score a victory in 2020. Imagine what it would mean especially to small nations like Malta who are obsessed with the contest
Moreover a Croatian victory would likely bring Bosnia back- and overall boost morale for other countries like Portugal did 2 years ago
bosnia doesn’t participate bc they have debts with the ebu, otherwise they would
Croatia kinda won back thirty years ago…Riva were from Croatia, and the contest was held in Zagreb in 1990.
Great news, next mission for Croatia is TO PICK THE RIGHT WINNER PLEASE!