Croatia: No audience will attend the national final Dora 2021

Sunday, 10 January 2021

• The Croatian national final for Eurovision 2021, Dora 2021, will take place without any audience attending the event. 

  With the covid-19 pandemic still escalating in cases and several states falling back to lockdowns, the Croatian national broadcaster, HRT, has decided to hold this year's national final without any audience present. Thus, Croatia follows the same path as Albania, Finland and Sweden which have ruled out the presence of an audience during the national selection shows. 

  In addition, according to Croatian media outlet 'Gloria' HRT will upload a platform via which the fans will be able to cast their votes for their favorite contestants. 

  A jury of experts made up by five members assessed the 140 submitted entries and came down to a total of 18 acts (14 +4). The jury members are: Andrej Babić, Hrvoje Prskalo , Matija Cvek , Monika Lelas  and Uršula Tolj .

  Thus the 14 competing acts are : 

  • Filip Rudan- Blind  (F. Rudan / A. Franić / H. Domazet – F. Rudan / A. Franić)
    
  • Bernarda- Colors  ( (B. Georgiev Milanov / B. Brunović)
    
  • Ella Orešković- Come this way  (S. Reljić Simba – E. Orešković)
    
  • Sandi Cenov- Kriv  (S. Reljić Simba – Fayo) 
    
  • Beta Sudar- Ma Zamisli   (P. Martinjak) 
    
  •  Brigita Vuco- Noci Pijane   (B. Vuco)
    
  •  Toma- Ocean of love  (A. Pupavac / A. Bjorkman / K. Persson / T. Marić – A. Pupavac)
    
  •  Eric- Reci Mi  (E. Vidović)
    
  •  Nina Kraljić- Rijeka  (H. Librenjak – Miki Solus / N. Kraljić)
    
  •  Ashley Colburn & Bojan Jambrošić- Share the love   (I. Škunca – A. Colburn / I. Škunca)
    
  •  Mia Negovetić- She’s like a dream  (M. Negovetić / L. Deb / D. Jamm / D. Kertes)
    
  •  Albina- Tick-tock  (B. Mihaljević – M. Cinnamon / T. Buklijaš Bakić)
    
  •  Cambi- Zaljubljen   (M. Mirković) 
    
  • Tony Cetinski & Kiki Rahimovski- Zapjevaj, Sloboda Je!  (K. Rahimovski)

  The 4 reserve candidates are :

  • Elis Lovrić- B rodolom
    
  •  Endi (Feat. Lora)-Megaloman
  •  Pjerino Ružević-  Soldier
    
  •  Z/11- Only love

   

  The four additioanl entries are selected as reserves in case their is a withdrawal before the rehearsals kick off in Opatija. After that, if there is a withdrawal, no replacement will take place.

  In the final line up we see two former Croatian representatives. Namely, Nina Kraljić who represented the country in Eurovision 2016 and Tony Cetinski who defended the Croatian colors in the nation's second participation are back and ambition to reach once again the Eurovision stage in Rotterdam. In the team behind the songs the ESC 2017 act is one of the song writers of Endi's Megaloman (reserve candidate), while Boris Milanov who has been behind several ESC entries among which the ESC 2016 entry , has contributed to Bernarda's song 'Colors'. Linnea Deb who was behind the winning ESC 2015 entry, has co-written the entry She’s like a dream .

   Dora 2021 is set to take place  in Opatija on Saturday 13 February. 

   

  Croatia in Eurovision

  Croatia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with the group Put and their entry Don’t ever cry.  In 1996 Maja Blagdan and in 1999 Doris Dragovic, finished in 4th place in the Grand Final, marking the country’s best results so far in the competition.

  In 2018 Croatia selected internally Franka Batelic to represent the country in Lisbon with her song Crazy. Despite her dynamic performance she failed to qualify to the Grand Final.

  In 2018, Croatia determined its Eurovision act through the return of national selection “Dora”.  Roko won Dora 2019 and represented Croatia at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest with his entry The Dream. Despite his amazing vocal performance the Croatian artist didn’t make it to the final.

  Damir Kedzo won this year's national final with his entry "Divlji Vjetre" but never had the chanece to perform on the Eurovision stage in Rotterdam as the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. 

  News Source: Eurovoix