Eurovision 2021: Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Malta.

Here are the final three acts of Eurovision‘s Semi Final 1 (Australia excepted):

Azerbaijan
Efendi
“Mata Hari”
A household name in Azerbaijan, Efendi is known for her success in popular TV talent shows such as ‘Yeni ulduz’, ‘Böyük Səhnə’ and ‘The Voice of Azerbaijan’. In 2017, the starlet competed in The Silk Way Star, an international singing competition which aired in Kazakhstan, before successfully representing Azerbaijan at The Voice of Nur-Sultan, another Kazakhstani competition. It took five attempts for Efendi to represent Azerbaijan at the Eurovision Song Contest. She was eventually chosen in 2020 by an international jury, which included music producers, composers, television industry professionals and journalists.

Ukraine
Go_A
“Shum”
Go_A are an electro-folklore outfit, that specialise in the modern retelling of traditional Ukrainian stories that have already passed through many generations by word of mouth. The story of the band began in 2012 when producer Taras Shevchenko met singer Kateryna Pavlenko, and after recording several songs, they realised that Ukrainian folklore and electronic music are a perfect match, combining energy and emotions into an engaging mix. Kateryna has studied folklore most of her life. She sings using the ancient folklore technique of “white voice” (based on an open throat and free volume with a bright colour) and has a command of extreme vocals.

Malta
Destiny
“Je Me Casse”
Destiny’s no stranger to Eurovision glory, having won the Junior Contest for Malta in 2015 with ‘Not My Soul’. Since then, it’s been the Maltese singer’s ambition to appear on the regular Eurovision stage and to produce a first Eurovision Song Contest victory for her country. On the long road to Rotterdam the fledgling pop star has showcased her talents on many stages, including that of Britain’s Got Talent. A milestone for the singer was winning X Factor Malta, having been mentored by Eurovision legend Ira Losco – but Destiny’s dream has always been to represent Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest.