It’s been just over a week since Croatian media reported that Dora was set to return in 2021. And now, on Tuesday 23 June, the country’s Eurovision 2020 representative Damir Kedžo has confirmed that the recently revived national selection will indeed be returning. Consequently, he will not be automatically reselected to sing for Croatia in 2021.
Croatia’s Damir Kedžo’s statement on Eurovision and Dora 2021
Taking to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, Damir shared the following message:
The whole DORA 2020 experience was a full circle. From happiness to sadness, from winning Dora to cancellation of Eurovision because of Covid 19 and at the end canceling me as a direct representative for Rotterdam 2021.
Thank you everyone, my band, my girls who shared the stage with me in Opatija and a virtual one while we sang “Divlji vjetre” online to people all over Europe and the world. Huge thank you to all the people from my team and all of those who gave their hearts and souls in these few months with the intention that our song and performance is seen and heard in the best possible light. We solely wanted to represent our music and country the best way we knew.
Thank you all for your support and support in the last 24 hours since we know that HRT decided to have a new competition and that i will not directly represented Croatia in Rotterdam in 2021. This roller coaster of emotions and change is not easy to survive, so thank you all once again.
I’m happily waiting to go with you through everything that the future will bring us. You can expect the best possible music and emotions that I will bring to you, and I belive you will be with me. I don’t need anything else. I love you people.”
It’s clear from the message that Damir will not be joining the list of 18 Eurovision 2020 acts already confirmed for 2021. However, he does not explicitly rule out the potential of another attempt at Dora in 2021. If he were to enter and win, he would be back on the Eurovision ticket once more.
HRT statement on Croatia at Eurovision 2021
Broadcaster HRT confirmed the news.
A brief statement published on the network’s Dora subsite says that Dora will be held in Opatija in February 2021 as planned. The show’s winner will go on to represent Croatia at Eurovision 2021.
Are you happy to see Dora return? Or would you rather see Croatia internally select Damir? Let us know in the comments.
DAMIR was the only choice they could send. He would be such a success for Croatia. This decision is insane,….
If they want to make Dora the MelFest of the Balkans then they can’t go internal, although I hope they offered Damir some form of compensation.
Who wants Nina Kraljic or Lorena Bucan?
Me, I want Nina Kraljic and Lorena Bucan at Dora next year. Also I want Indira too. She did amazing at Dora this year, but I hope she will comeback for REVENGE.
Oh well, at least Damir will have to try again doing Dora next year. I hope he will represent Croatia if he wins Dora again, but if not, okay. I knew he will not represent Croatia next year.
I understand the decision. You’ve just brought back a previously long-running NF and really need to start improving the overall quality of the songs that enter. Going internal selection for one year, just to bring it back again, wouldn’t help with that long-term aim, not matter how much you want to do right by Damir.
Serbia’s in a similar boat. Let’s see what they do.
Athena basically revealed on her IG that APMTV chose her for the ESC 2021. 🙂
Btw, Nina Kraljic said she has a potential song for Dora so we might see her at ESC again!
Oh that would be nice!
omg pleasee! Give me something I will finally appreciate from Croatia, cause 2017, 2019 and 2020 were all in my bottom 6… Nina however was in my top 10 pre contest (staging just wasn’t good..)
I thought it was great.
Coughs are appropriate considering the fact that she was actually sick and lost her voice in the grand final
Liked him but the song was meh. Not the best..
Dora is a great concept but recently it has become one of the worst national finals. None of the songs have been interesting. It doesn’t reflect the Croatian music industry which is the strongest in the region I think. Perhaps HRT should stick with internal choices, that is where they got the most success these days
I can’t help but think that the lack of positive reaction to Damir’s song must have motivated Croatia not to select him for 2021 (same applies for Cyprus and France as well).
I don’t think it was as pronounced as the negative reaction to France or Cyprus. I certainly don’t remember people being up in arms about it. Some people seemed to actually like it. A bunch of countries are sticking with acts that were a bit divisive when their songs came out or were selected (Czech Republic, Slovenia, Spain, also increasingly looking like Moldova is holding onto Natalia) and others aren’t getting a free pass when everyone loved their songs (like Norway or Denmark).
And maybe Finland too
I don’t think the reaction to Finland was that bad, it was a magical song. But some people seem to want every Eurovision entry to be performed by a ‘Diva’.
Finland’s a grower. It wasn’t until it qualified in my contest that I realized there might be more to it than I thought.
Hmm.. Like I wasn’t a fan of Damir’s song (he’s super nice tho) nor Dora. Dora really, but really lacks quality the only entry I liked of two last years was Mia and even her song was written by Swedes. Hope they attract some bigger stars and also that Mia returns. Wish Damir good luck tho
There may sadly be no backing vocalists – hidden or not – singing their hearts out next year. We are on a slippery slope to a lipsynching competition.
Maybe Doris Dragovic can make a comeback for Croatia she has “previous” for pre-recorded backing vocals!
Maybe just Sweden, Sweden and Sweden
I think it’s a little mean if they don’t at least give Damir an optional automatic pass to the final (which I get the vibe they will if he submits a song), but they both seem to be handling it well. Business is tough, and the broadcaster needs to save money. If they already have a deal for a national selection where the venue’s booked and they know people will tune in, it’s hard to back out.
If I were Damir I’d turn down any auto pass and insist on going through the preliminaries like everyone else. A bit of a risk, but his support will swell on recognition of such sportsmanship. Whichever 2020 acts get to Rotterdam 2021 the hard way (i.e. having to win their NF again) will get a widespread boost to their televote because their ‘journey’ will surely get mentioned by commentators. Go for it Damir!
That’s what’s made Aksel pretty noble. My only worry is that it’ll make folks like Dadi and the Roop sit it out entirely.
Well Dadi will sit out for sure, he already said it, but the Roop may return–
Good, I have had quite enough of Dadi
Dadi would accept to go as internally selected. Knowing that Iceland really wants to win, I think they will internally select him, but we will know the truth in September when they announce their plans.
It’s interesting that Albania also hasn’t said anything and last years they used to open the submissions for FiK several days after the grand final.
FiK will probably go on, at least. It’s been happening independent of Eurovision for almost sixty years. Only in the last few years has it pivoted to be more of a Eurovision selection as opposed to a show where going to Eurovision is a bonus prize for the winner (kind of the reverse of Festival da Cancao in that way).
I am always sad for all the artists, but however, he can try next year again. To be honest, I wanted Lorena Bucan to be internally selected for 2021 😀 She should have won Dora in 2019 and 2020 🙂
I agree about 2020, Drowning was so underrated (but Redemption was my winner in 2019)
If Damir really wants to go to Rotterdam he should announce his return to Dora very early and this will likely turn away a number of competitors from entering the show. As they will rightly assume that he will get a big sympathy vote from the public. Then he needs a great song!
Former ESC winner Dino Jelusic with a powerful rock-ballad for Croatia!!!
That’s lowkey sad. Dora isn’t the strongest selection (although there were gems, including Drowning by Lorena Bucan and Redemption by Ema Gagro), and Croatia’s best songs have been internal tbh (Lighthouse). Damir seems like such a nice person. Oh well.
I didnt like his song soo mutch but he deserved be a part of ESC
It is sad that Kedzo will not be in Rotterdam, next year it is worth mentioning that the Croatian music market is great. I hope that someone from well-known talented artists will want to take part in Eurovision in the colors of Croatia, with an excellent song
As a person who knows nothing about Croatian music market I’d be very curious to know who the biggest stars in Croatia are. Could you recommend any interesting or popular artists from Croatia? 🙂
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As a person who knows nothing about Croatian music market I’d be very curious to know who the biggest stars in Croatia are. Could you recommend any interesting or popular artists from Croatia? ?
I know I’m not Hrvatska, but I make it a point to listen to songs all over the world regularly and my fav Croatian songs have come from Luminize, Severina, and Tina Vukov.
Thanks a lot. I know Severina from Eurovision and I’ve heard some of her songs before, like “More tuge” and “Italiana”, I also recall Tina Vukov taking part in Dora 2011, but Luminize is completely unknown to me.
If you wanted specific songs btw, I’d recommend Na Rubu by Tina Vukov and Twilight by Luminize. 🙂
OMG I nearly forgot, I Got Love by Vanillaz ft. Dilini. A complete summer bop. Ok I’ll stop commenting now haha
Zsa Zsa ,Mia Dimsic ,Indira Marko Tolja Marko Kutlic Pravila Igre , Lu Jakelic Antonia Dora Mateo Pilat Nela Petar Graso
Thank you too, I’ll make sure to check them out as soon as I can. 🙂
To be honest Emina Jahovic is serving the best music
Agree with that, but she is Serbian, so maybe at Beovizija?
Btw she did try out at Beovizija some time ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0haFWnaVCtg
Some Croatian artists worth listening to: Gibonni, Damir Urban, TBF, Silente, Jinx, Nipple People, Psihomodopop, Hladno pivo, Gustafi, Postolar Tripper… Overall I wouldn’t call Croatian music industry great. It keeps recycling over and over again, but there are few gems here and there
It’s not even as nearly good as Serbian music industry(I’m not Serb).
I actually really dislike Serbia’s music industry. 99% of the songs are copy-pastes of women singing plastic pop. There’s not really any variety.
I personally don’t listen to their 2019/2020 music very much. I usually listen to the old 2010s hits. (Pop, not turbo folk) From the other side, I don’t listen to Croatian music at all. It’s quite calm and weak compared to Serbian music. (Just my own preference)
The thing is that the turbo-folk/bop industry is the strongest and they push the most. However, what you claim is not true at all. Not even to name the obvious choices like Marija Serifovic, Aleksandra Radovic, or Jelena Tomasevic, here are a few big names that are doing some cool stuff: Lena Kovacevic, IrieFM, Sara Jo, Djordje Miljenovic (Sky wikluh), Elena Kitic in the last year, Buc Kesidi, S.A.R.S, Marko Louis, Sasa Kovacevic, Slobodan Trkulja, Bojana Vunturisevic…
Also there are lots of pretty nice folk singers who are not trashy turbo-folk,f.e. Aleksandra Prijovic, Adil, Alen Ademovic..
Thank you! I’ll check them out then. 🙂
So, Dora it is… okay. Keep language and genre diversity, keep age diversity of performers, keep the atmosphere. Work on more quality and standout songs and please, release them before the show! You need to test the market at least somewhat. I hope Damir tries out for Dora. If his song is any good, he might have a huge advantage. There are also other talented artists here and I hope they give their best. Best luck to everyone!