Latvia: Samanta Tina confirmed as Eurovision 2021 representative

Latvia: Samanta Tina confirmed as Eurovision 2021 representative
Saturday, 16 May 2020

  • Latvia's national broadcaster, LTV, confirmed today  that the country will be represented at the next editin of the Eurovision Song Contest by Samanta Tina. 

    The Latvian Eurovision 2020 act, Samanta Tina has a reasong to be happy today as the national broadcaster confirmed, while the  “Eurovision: Europe Shine A Light’  show was in progress , that she will be the country’s hopeful for Eurovision 2021.

    Samanta Tīna won the Latvian Eurovision national selection, Supernova 2020,  with her song “Still Breathing” last February. Notabel that  Samanta had made in the past seven attempt to reach the Eurovision stage by taking part in Latvian and Lithuanian national selections. Her song was composed by Samanta Tīna herself while behind the lyrics is  Aminata Savadogo, Latvia's ESC 2015 act and songwriter of the ESC 2016 entry.

    This is the first time that the Latvian broadcaster has opted for an internal selection as  Latvia has been holding national selections since its first participation in Eurovision acts.

    The Eurovision story so far

    Latvia participated in Eurovision first time back in 2000. The country on its debut participation, with Brainstorm finished in 3rd place with the song My Star. It didn’t take long for Latvia to win the contest, since in  2002, with Marie N’s I Wanna the Baltic country was crowned winner.

    Latvia only participated in 2002 thanks to the withdrawal of Portugal from the contest, as Latvia’s poor result in 2001 had relegated them from the 2002 contest. From 2009 to 2014 Latvia met disappointing results as it failed to qualify to the Grand final. In 2015 achieved its best results the latest year with Animata and her Love Injected which ended in 6th place.  In 2018  the country was represented by Laura Rizzotto with her song Funny girl which finished 12th in the semi final failing to qualify to the final .

    In 2019 Supernova winner Carousel represented the countey in Tel Aviv with their entry That night. The song didn’t make it to the final marking Latvia’s third successive failure to qualify to the final.