Last year, Tamara Todevska gave North Macedonia its best Eurovision result ever with “Proud”. Now broadcaster MRT has confirmed the next artist who will represent the country. Macedonian singer Vasil Garvanliev will be North Macedonia’s act for Eurovision 2020.
Vasil has previously been hotly tipped to represent North Macedonia at Eurovision. One year ago, we included him on our Eurovision wishlist for North Macedonia. But now the speculation has become a reality.
In a statement, Vasil spoke about his excitement. He said: “I am beyond honoured to present my country at the Song Contest in Rotterdam and I can hardly wait to put all my experience and knowledge into creating a magical journey that will touch people’s heart across Europe.”
Vasil is no stranger to Eurovision. In Tel Aviv he was one of three backing vocalists who helped Tamara Todevska win the Eurovision jury vote en route to securing North Macedonia’s best-ever finish.
5 cool facts about Vasil Garvanliev, one of my backing vocalists. Check #4. ?#teamtamara #proud #esc2019 pic.twitter.com/YdFgxhxQ90
— Tamara Todevska (@TamaraTodevska) May 2, 2019
Vasil’s song for Eurovision 2020 will be released at a future date.
Who is Vasil Garvanliev? Meet North Macedonia’s Eurovision 2020 star
Vasil was born and raised in North Macedonia. He began inching toward celebrity as a child, having made his professional stage debut at the age of seven. But during the Balkan conflict of the 1990s, his family fled to the United States. He eventually established himself as an opera singer in Canada.
But he’s not just limited to opera. In 2016, Vasil contributed backing vocals to several tracks on Chance the Rapper’s critically acclaimed album Coloring Book.
Now back in North Macedonia, Vasil is focusing on his own solo music career. In October, he released his single “Patuvam”. The song takes traditional Balkan sounds but builds a contemporary track — one that comes with flourishes of dance and pop.
Vasil explained it to us like this:
“‘Patuvam’ is a celebration of love through dance and voguing. Getting in touch with your inner child who is made of pure curiosity and love, ready to take on any challenge in the world. The lyrics go like, ‘I travel with an empty backpack but a full soul. I travel where the dream is a dream come true.’ […] In Macedonian media, many critics are already reviewing this as the first brave and bold move in queer culture and freedom.”
When wiwibloggs met Vasil Garvanliev
Wiwibloggs first met Vasil last year in Tel Aviv, where he was supporting Tamara Todevska. During our interview with him, the singer oozed quiet confidence and self-assurance. He seemed largely unfazed by all the hoopla surrounding North Macedonia’s 2019 entry and was focused on the music.
“Everyone keeps saying it’s a feminine song — women, women, women,” he said. “So from a guy perspective, it’s much deeper than that. Be proud of who you are, where you come from, what you have to say. I always say if you come from truth, this truth inside of you, no one can touch you.”
What do you think? What sort of song should Vasil sing in Rotterdam? Tell us your thoughts below!
Okay, we already know North Macedonia will win the jury vote again this year..
Tamara was great. Take a positive pill
You are programmed to see negative comments.. it was actually a positive comment, I said he will probably win the jury vote.. chill..
He is not Macedonian singer. He is a Fyrom’s singer.
History will fix this
bye felicia 🙂
Well, I’m reading online North Macedonia is not even honouring the Prespa Agreement so they might go back to their old name.
I honor prespa agreement and I respect our new name, Republic of North Macedonia
MAKEDONIJA is taken with human lives.
“North Macedonia” is bought with dirty money.
So you respect more money or peoples lives ?
The name Macedonia was stolen by the Slavs of Skopje from the Greeks,the real owner!
To day there are the Contry:North Macedonia and :
the greek Region MAKEDONIA with its Capitol Thessaloniki!Just take it at least!The prespa solution was the best you can get and the the maximum we could give you from our cultural tresure,dont overdo it!you may lost than everything.
MAKEDONIJA is taken with human lives.
“North Macedonia” is bought with dirty money.
So you respect more money or peoples lives ?
By the way…Iron Maiden have a song called ‘Alexander the Great’. I just checked the lyrics and they are very interesting.
Lol, Balkan mentality: feeling angry about events that occurred 400 years ago ,thinking everybody else should share your mourn over that! Only in Balkans you fight petty fights over battles you lost in the 12th century. No one cares..
Ancient Macedonia of the past doesn’t exist any more, get over it!
Petty fights in the Balkans? With all due respect, your comment is inappropriate. The Balkan region has experienced wars even in recent years. And it’s not nations fighting each other, it’s usually other powerful countries interfering. Countries in the Balkans are poorer than other Western European countries and that’s mostly because of the wars.
Greeks are angry turks. You behave like your ancestors did
litterally someone ban this racist piece of s*it from this site. Trash.
FYROM doesn’t exist anymore
Your wishes for Santa ??
Somewhere out there in Internet Land there is a Blog on the politics of the naming of Macedonia where all users have gone off topic and are all somehow arguing all things Eurovision 😛
Esc should have a new name – Sausage song contest 2020 ….
I meant where is diversity ? Ok we had a lot of girls in 2018 but, there is just one group so far and 2 girls, but yes i hoping for some groups or more girls …still there are 31 countries …but mostly in national selections, there are just mans or womans and not groups/pairs 🙁
is that a problem? jesus haha. you people ALWAYS find a problem. Impressive.
Rather than 2019, which had a lot of male acts and had male acts making the most impact, this year seems more like 2016, when you also had a fair amount of men but the women ended up having the best songs on the whole.
Everyone is gushing over the French guy, but here we actually have a cutie and based on the Patuvam video, the one that would be a fun company. Good luck!
imagine a roast about last years invalid results. Jon Ola would be cancelled instantly
He’s definitely the artist I’m most excited about this year, and I hadn’t heard of him. Based on Patuvam, he’ll bring something very unique (and also very gay) to the stage. Hope he goes with something uptempo. Can’t wait!
Macedonia with the exception of last year have had a poor track record at Eurovision in recent years so I’m not sure whether or not he would end up being a success.
It’s North Macedonia now. There is no county anywhere officially recognised by the name ‘Macedonia’. The only Macedonia that exists is a region in North Greece.
Stop writing about this evil country! I am GREEK and I do not care about FYROM and their thieving of HISTORY. Never write about this country because if you writes about this country ever then you support their history STEALING. FYROM needs to be expelling from Eurovision forever. DO NOT allow them in this contest PLEASE we the people of Greece BEG YOU!!!!!
wtf
I said it was only crazy greeks here. and here one is haha. Its Northernmacedonia in ALL textbooks and will forever be. And the best thing is you cant do ANYTHING about it:)- bye
Ok, and what about books all over the world like, travel guides, books in the library, books in schools all over the world….what about professors and classical scholars who are teaching about Greece’s history? What about colleges and universities? I studied in the USA and my history professor taught Greek & Roman history. Should she change her textbooks? She even went to Oxford to give a lecture about Greece’s history, including Macedonia of course! Crazy!!
By the way…Iron Maiden have a song called ‘Alexander the Great’. I just checked the lyrics and they are very interesting. Should they change their song??
The weird thing is that you are still crazy when they arent even called Macedonia anymore. get a life!
the fact that a crazy guy is writing these things doesnt justify your hate towards balkan countries. I guess if they voted for sweden you would love them bjorn
Its still called Northmacedonia and i support Northmacedonia. And you have only talked about Sweden for years. Get over Sweden. I bet 1 million you are going to hate all 28 songs in Melfest and artists and call all generic like you have done for years. Yes i have noticed you ALWAYS do it and love other popsongs who are not swedish. Its really sad you do always hate Sweden but if that makes you happy. ps ALL songs are generic because there always one similar to another. so get over the generic thing. it dont exist.
you must be 15 years old cause you cant understand the difference between hating a country and disliking a country’s songs and practises in a song contest. Grow up, and stop bashing other countries because they dont vote Sweden. At least Greeks invented democracy, what have you done? IKEA? lol
You are being ageist when you relate being 15 to being dumb. Plenty of smart young people and plenty of dumb old ones. Dumb young people usually stay dumb and become dumb old people. Smart young people usually stay smart.
Actually im not 15 haha. All opinions you have had are really a fantasy based on nothing. You just like to hate all that are swedish.
And all that are 15, apparently. 😛 lol
I’m from Cyprus, and you are embarrassing all Greeks with this attitude. Please stop and realize how brainwashed you are by the hateful Greek politicians who spread such ignorance. North Macedonia even changed its name to please Greece!
Sour grapes over North Macedonia royally trouncing Greece in Tel Aviv, perhaps?
What do you mean? I dont say that someone should express their opinion this way but at the end of the Day Macedonia is greek territory… The fact that they took the name now doesnt mean that it was legal in the past nor that it expresses the majority of the greek People right now Just beacuase a bunch of politics decided so.. Its simple history. Al though i wish them good luck in the competition, facts are facts and they stole our name and tried to steal our history too saying things like Alexander the Great was from that… Read more »
haha god, Are you still talking about this. By felicia. And Greece was part of Turkey before so greeks are turks. you are a turk:). So then its even
Evil country does not exist. Evil, uneducated, ignorant and primitive people who have no idea of the real history, influenced by politic, do exist, I am MACEDONIAN, my parents, my grandparents, and many generation before them were MACEDONIAN. Is not FIROM, is not NORTH! Is MACEDONIA!!!
I feel sorry for all of you poor people who are full of anger and hatred, and in the same time have no idea what you are talking about!
There is NO country officially recognised anywhere in the world by the name Macedonia. You have been refused entry to EU because you are using a name that is also a region in another country. Macedonia is part of Greece’s history for thousands of years. Classical scholars are proving you wrong all the time. Even the Pope told you so! Why don’t you do research and find out for yourself what Macedonia, Alexander the Great and the Star of Vergina really are??
Alexander the Great’s Macedonian.. don’t Greeks love him?
Fyi alexander the great spoke greek. People living in north macedonia are slavs who came in the area ages later. No shade, just facts
i knew you were a greek. BUSTED!
the fact that i know history makes me greek? go to hell idiot
That is true! They speak Bulgarian and Albanian or other slavic languages. I can’t believe people don’t research online or ask somebody, like classical scholars to find out the truth. All this time this issue has been going on and still people are so stubborn!
Why my post is being delate? Xd
I dunno what to think tbh but North Macedonia is just killing lately. The country just got its 2nd Oscar nomination this year for Foreign Film with “Honeyland” and made history being the 1st country to land a double nomination in the Foreign and also in Documentary (Germany and Italy were very close to achieve that this decade but North Macedonia is the 1st country to do so). The good will is there I guess
Hope they’ll not give him Proud 2.0. I mean, yea…good for them, they’ve passed the semifinal after all these years, they were the juries’ favorites, but… I hope they’ll not send another ballad. Don’t play it safe, North Macedonia! Go wild!
Wild like girl from Norway?
Have you seen the pictures of his chest?! DAMN!!
Yeah, horrible. We’re not in Neanderthal anymore, monkey men… Shaved chest and armpits mean common sense and hygiene
Greeks arent allowed in here. 99% oh these comments are ALWAYS by greeks
take a chill pill benny
im starting to wonder if you are greek to. You are neagtive like one
I am not greek, i am for sure disgusted by people feeling better than others just cause their country does well in eurovision. Chill
for the 100th time. I cant vote for Sweden.
message Bjorkie to allow that from next year frida
Thats another country who found their groove, so I have high hopes.
Just because they did well last year doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to do well this year also.
Hmm. Good voice and sound but so far from Patuvam it’s nothing special. Generic radio.dace pop song. Where is the individuality?
It is however up tempo pop and in these rare days it is needed, so let’s hope he brings a banger!
I love that song:) You know people here say pop, ballads, alternative ,disco,schlager etc are generic. So whats left?
For me generic means that it can be sung by anybody. Like you can give that song to 10 other artists and it will sound the same. Generic can be good if the artist does something own with it. Like Euphoria. The song would be generic had anybody else sung it but it’s thanks to Loreen doing her own thing with it that it became something else. It became her own identity. I don’t see that with Vasil. But I hope I’m wrong..
its not generic to me: If you are from balkan they think scandinavian pop are exotic and if you are from Sweden you think balkan pop are exotic. So generic to me is a song that makes me feel nothing like UK in 2019 who came last.
Tamara’s promotion makes me warm up to him a little more. As a fellow Scorpio, I know Scorpios are the best. I also like(d) Nelly Furtado (the “Folklore” and “Loose” Nelly mostly. Which was like a hundred years ago but I just heard it like a year ago and liked it a lot) and haaaate spiders. Tamara should make more promo videos, they are working. Although I don’t know if I would be so happy about number 4. Placing 19th at anything doesn’t seem that charming.
It will be male contest after many years of pop diva contests! Give us more groups, they have their own music, unique styles. These soloists with generic Eurovision songs are boring.
What song IS NOT generic to you? say one? I bet i have heard something who sound like that so thats generic to then. So that generic talk is really stupid
I don’t understand the complain about too many guys in the contest when we still have 30+ countries to go. And most of the national final favourites are women:
Vanessa Amorosi (AUS)
Shira (EST)
MADARA/Samanta Tina (LAT)
Indira/Colonia/Lorena (CRO)
Monika Marija (LTH)
Destiny Chukunyere (MLT)
Raylee (NOR)
Marriette/Anna Berghendal (SWE)
Hurricane (SRB)
Lina Kuduzovic/Tinkara Kovac (SLO)
Barbora Mochowa (CZE)
How is Shira s favourite to win in Estonia? I have heard different..
Jaagup is the fandom pick, but her and Rasmus are popular as well, it’ll likely be one of the three especially as Estonia tends to go with fan favourites when it comes to NFs
I thought it was that guy with the thing. You know, him.
I thought it was the pretty one with “When the party at the Arcade is over”.
Yeah, him! I like him.
Barbora from CZ is not favourite at all, Ben and the other girls are more popular, so if she did not receive a lot of points from jury,she will be out …..
Hurricane in Serbia? Maybe but there are a lot of strong artists this year, so we will see
Sweden same (mostly mans winning Mello)
Lithuania is always open …Madara is out and about Australia and Estonia- i did not heard they are favourites to win at all
Almost every rumored artist is getting confirmed, I suppose it’s time for Greece to move and say if Stefania is in or out.
I agree
We might have a surprise my friend. Doron medalie has written a song for a greek singer Eirini Papadopoulou, which is also considered. Praying they choose that and not stefania and “dream team”.
inb4 it turns out we jynxed Aly Ryan
good choice. They better hire last year’s stage choreographers to avoid the mess of previous years.
He’s great, any news on the song? Will it be Patuvam? I hope he pulls a Tamara and sings en empowerment ballad.
I love that song
I love Northern songs
I think he is a strong contender for the last place in the semi
based on? i like facts. you live in a fantasyland. I dont like that.
Not thrilled about this choice at all. I know a lot of Macedonian singers and I want many of them in Eurovision. I’ll wait for the song and give it a fair shot, though.
Why does everyone complain about there being too many guys? For real we still have like…what 35 more entries to be decided?
As for Vasil he seems like a great performer and singer! Looking forward to what he brings.
I think it’s more a concern of having too many “sensitive guys” trying to replicate Duncan’s success, but it’s early to tell which route they will take with their entries. I can see Vasil taking a more performatic path, which can be interesting. I wasn’t excited by Tamara last year and the final product positively surprised me, hope North Macedonia does the same again.
Nice he has a connection to the country i live in Canada <3
Please Opera , amazing voice on italian opera :).
You basically said he was going to represent NM months ago, but I was hoping you were right and I’m glad you were! What a cool, forward-thinking act for them. I hope this builds on their momentum from last year.
This could go either very well or very wong…
We don’t even know all of the artists yet and there’s already too much testosterone in this year’s contest.
He’s the first one I’m not excited for …
I agree , cause I still don’t know how north Macedonia won the jury vote or even came close !!!
And he was part of the same act !
I sincerely hope that they don’t repeat what they did in 2019
So negative. Im excited when you dont comment:). GO NORTMACEDONIA! i like his style
Too many guys !
There are still over 30 countries to reveal their participant and youre saying that there are too many guys? Cmon
Found the heterosexual.
Great choice! Good luck!!!