Tornike Kipiani will represent Georgia at Eurovision 2021 with his song “You”.
Tornike was originally due to sing “Take Me As I Am” at Eurovision 2020. However, the contest was cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, just like several other countries, Georgia rested its usual national selection process for one year and internally selected both Tornike and his song.
And now we’ve compiled 10 facts you need to know about Tornike Kipiani. Let’s do this!
Georgia at Eurovision 2021: Facts about Tornike Kipiani
1. He had a bumpy beginning to his musical journey
Tornike got started with music at an early age. His parents encouraged him to take piano and violin lessons, but Tornike wasn’t all that interested — at that age, his passions lay with hip hop artists like Eminem and Dr Dre. But eventually inspired by his dad’s Jimi Hendrix records, Tornike decided to learn the guitar — and he soon found his calling.
2. He formed his first band at the age of 19
At the age of 19, Tornike founded the rock group წრიული კუთხე (The Circular Corner). The band takes its name from “the spiritual state of a person who rotates in a circle”. Tornike had originally joined the band on guitar but stepped up to the mic when the band needed a vocalist.
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3. He accidentally got his start on the talent show Magtifan
In 2012, Tornike accompanied a friend who was auditioning for the talent show Magtifan, intending to play the guitar at his pal’s audition. After being urged to try out too, Tornike impressed the panel enough that he made it to the show. He ultimately finished in the final five of the competition.
4. He won the X Factor Georgia…
In 2014, Tornike competed in the X Factor Georgia. He delivered his power rock vocals and effortlessly handled song from artists like Muse, Leonard Cohen as well as Georgian classics. Tornike also gave a unique take on Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”. All up, it was enough for him to win the series.
5. …where he was coached by Tamta
Tonrike’s category on the X Factor was coached by the Georgian-Greek pop icon — and future Eurovision star — Tamta. She gave her support to Tornike after he won Georgian Idol and secured his ticket to Eurovision. In an Instagram post, Tamta wrote “I’m just very proud of you and happy to be a small part of your beautiful journey.”
თამთა გოდუაძე თორნიკე ყიფიანის გამარჯვებას ინსტაგრამაზე ეხმაურება და წარმატებას უსურვებს 2020 წლის ევროვიზიაზე.
Posted by Eurovision Georgian fans on Friday, January 3, 2020
6. He brought “Sunshine” to Georgia’s 2017 national final
In 2017, perhaps as an audition for hosting Junior Eurovision, the Georgian Public Broadcaster held a mammoth 25-song national final. The show attracted artists from all over Georgia’s music scene, including Tornike. He collaborated with producer Giorgi Bolotashvili on the industrial techno song “You Are My Sunshine”. Despite Tornike delivering his trademark vocal power, the song only placed 23rd.
7. He’s a father of three
Tornike doesn’t talk much about his personal life, but he has revealed that he’s a father of three. While Tornike is separated from his kids’ mum, he is still a devoted dad.
8. He originally got to Eurovision by winning Georgian Idol
In 2020, for the second year in a row, Georgia chose its Eurovision representative with the Georgian edition of the popular international talent show franchise. Tornike was a popular contestant and won six of the seven live shows — including, of course, the grand final. Unlike in 2019, Tornike’s Eurovision 2020 entry was written and internally selected at a later time. He was internally selected for Eurovision in 2021.
9. He’s a self-taught music producer
While Georgia perhaps doesn’t have as many opportunities for musical education that other countries might, Tornike didn’t let that stop him. He used online courses to teach himself music production techniques. The results can be heard on Tornike’s YouTube channel, which is full of his musical creations.
10. He’s an architect
Tornike says his parents wanted the best for him and urged him to study architecture. While architecture is his day job, Tornike has also followed his passion for music. He explained, “Architecture is also a beautiful art, but music is more mine.”
Can Tornike get Georgia back into the Eurovision grand final? Tell us your thoughts below!
Hes gorgeous. Weirdly, he also reminds me of an ex of mine who looked incredibly similar to him. He even had the same hair and beard.
11. He named Eurovision a sh*tty contest and promised to rape mothers of those who do not like his song in his now deleted Facebook post. This post caused an outrage in Georgia. As a result, people demanded to change the singer.
why all the downvotes? these are FACTS, but apparently this website decided to hide them
Apparently some people here are into abusers xd
No wonder he oozes some angry vibes. 🙁
11 he has anger issues
I don’t like his current hairstyle .
I like the song , it’s in my qualifiers from Semi 2.
watch his x factor performances… you wont regret it. tornike just has to open his mouth to turn me on
Nope, me too.
He’s gorgeous.
11. He’s incredibly cute
I like him too. He’s cute.
OMG, I remember when that Kylie Minogue cover came out on YouTube back then. I loved the guy immediately. Now I learned it was him! Good luck for Tornike. ?