Zlata Ognevich to represent Ukraine at Eurovision-2013

It is Zlata Ognevich who was chosen to travel to Malmo, Sweden, in the coming spring to sing the song “Gravity” at Eurovision-2013. The national selection was held by way of a mixed vote of the jury and TV audiences. Ognevich won 20 points from the jury as well as from the audiences, which finally allowed her to score a victory over the other contenders.

Also vying for the right to sing at Eurovision-2013 were Oksana Pekun and Maksym Novytsky, Maria Yaremchuk, Marietta, Dmytro Yaremchuk, Inesh, Duet Emotion, Ensemble Hvozdivchanka, Realivanna, Tetiana Shyrko, Trinity Group, Ana Stesia, Alina Grosu, Dasha Medova, Olena Kornieieva, Angelia, Eduard Romaniuta, Matvii Vermiienko, DiOfilmy band, Dmytro Skalozubov.

The composer Mykhailo Nekrasov, Zlata’s producer who has long and successfully worked in Europe, wrote music for “Gravity.” The lyrics were written by Karen Kavalerian, a Eurovision record holder who is the author of seven songs for contestants from five countries. His songs were twice chosen as second best – “Never Let You Go” sung by Dima Bilan in 2006 and “Shady Lady” sung by Ani Lorak in 2008.

It will be recalled that Zlata was trying herself out for a second time in the national selection. Incidentally, two years ago Ognevich, who sang “Cuckoo,” outdid Mika Newton. This time fortune smiled on Zlata. She chose an “in” song, and her backup singers were four black British musicians who had once worked with such world-level stars as Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan.

Zlata Ognevich was born as Inna Bordiug in Murmansk, Russia, to the family of a serviceman and a teacher. The girl spent her childhood in Sudak, the Crimea, where she began to study music. Zlata became a professional singer in Kyiv, where she entered the jazz vocal division of the Gliere Institute of Music. Ognevich won the project “The Only Radio Hostess Who Sings.” He preformed the songs “Island of Love” and “Angels,” as well as the Artek international children’s holiday center’s anthem. In 2011 she won the first prize and the press award at the Crimea Music Fest. In 2012 Zlata became the face of a company that advertised Crimean health resorts.

“Today, Zlata is one of the brilliant representatives of contemporary Ukrainian pop singing,” Oleksandr ZLOTNYK, composer, Rector of the Kyiv Gliere Institute of Music, told The Day. “The song ‘Gravity’ has been done in a highly professional manner, as far as the vocal, backup singers, and arrangements are concerned. Zlata Ognevich has a bright and wide-ranged timbre of voice. The singer possesses a vocal technique that allows her to convey various nuances of the composition she performs. She is beautiful and very attractive on stage and has a combative spirit (she has victories at song competitions to her credit). I think Zlata stands a chance to win at Eurovision [2013].”

It will be recalled that semifinals of the 58th Eurovision Song Contest are scheduled for May 14 and 16, and the final for May 18. Incidentally, the current song forum is running short of participants from 10 European countries, armtoday.info reports. Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, and Slovakia have refused to take part in Eurovision-2013 due to financial constraint. Greece and Cyprus are also considering a refusal – also for purely financial reasons. Another potential participant, Turkey, is boycotting the contest in protest against unfair, in its opinion, rules of voting. Ankara is taking a dim view of a reduced influence of TV viewers in a combined vote with jury members and of the fact that the Eurovision founders and main sponsors – Germany, France, the UK, Spain, and Italy – can automatically qualify for the final.