Slovenia: Nika S. wins the first duel of EMA Freš 2022

Slovenia: Nika S. wins the first duel of EMA Freš 2022
Monday, 29 November 2021

  • Nika S. is the winner of the first duel of EMA Freš 2022, the competition for newcomer acts that will determine four spots for the Slovenian national final EMA 2022,  and will progress to this week’s final 

    The Slovenian broadcaster, RTVSLO, has announced that Nika S. was the winner of the first duel of EMA Fres and will advance to Saturday's weekly final round.  Nika S. is a singer who has been involved in music since she was a child, and is also a member of the duo Nika Et Nejc.

    Nika S comepted with the song “Počakaj me“   beating her opponent Katja Kos and her entry “Deadly flower” . However, Katja Kos has one more chance to qualify to the EMA Fres final later in the month via the second chance round. 

     

    EMA Freš 2022

    The commentators of Saturday's webcasts will be the former Slovenian representative at the Eurovision Song Contest Eva Boto (10 years have passed since her victory at the Eurovision Song Contest, which took her to the big stage in Baku this year), Joker Out singer Bojan Cvjetićanin and rapper Arne. Photo: Adrian Pregelj

    For three weeks in a row, two performers will be presented on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and through an online poll, voters will choose one each day to qualify for Saturday’s weekly finals. Out of the four winners of the day, voters will be able to vote for two winners in the new round, also via an online poll, and one will be selected by an expert commission.

    In Saturday's weekly final webcasts by Ema Freš, the weekly finalists will be scrutinized by three commentators, representatives of the young generation of musicians: singer Bojan Cvjetićanin, singer Eva Boto and rapper Arne. In the weekly final on Saturday two acts will be selected by the public and one from the jury to comepte in the televised shows later in January. 

    Of the 24 songs, 14 will remain after four weeks of online pre-selection by Ema Freš, with a number of duels to be held.  The 14 newcomers will re-introduce themselves in January, this time in two Ema Freš televised shows during which 7 contestants will compete in each show.

    Two acts from each show will secure a spot in the  Ema 2022 selection. One qualifier will be determined by the public and one from the jury, with a total of four EMA FREŠ acts advancing in  the Slovenian national final for Eurovision 2022. 

     

    Slovenia in Eurovision

    Slovenia participated at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with 1X Band and hasn’t won yet the competition. The country’s best results in the contest are the 7th placings, achieved  in 1995 (Darja Svajger) and 2001 (Nusa Derenda).

    Slovenia has competed 26 times in the contest since their debut in 1993, and has only missed out the contests of 1994 and 2000 when it had to stay out of the event due to the rules of the competition at that time. In 2018 Slovenia opted to select its Eurovision act and entry via its traditional national selection EMA. Lea Sirk flew to Lisbon with her entry Hvala, ne!, placing 22nd in the Grand Final.

    In 2019 the country was represented in Tel Aviv by the duo, Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl and their entry “Sebi” which finished in 15th place in the Grand final, marking Slovenia’s fourth semi final qualification the last six years of participation.

    In 2020, Ana Soklič  won the national final with her entry ‘Voda’, EMA 2020, back in February and earned the right to represent Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. Unfortunately the Slovenian act saw her Eurovision journey stay incomplete as the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 outbreak. 

    Nevertheless the Slovenian act was chosen internally for Eurovision 2021 having a second chance to complete her ESC journey in Rotterdam where she performed the song "Amen" in the 1st Semi final but failed to qualiied to the Grand final show. 

    News Source/Image: RTVSLO