Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
participated in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Helsinki, Finland, following the country's victory at the with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" by Lordi. Organised by the European Broadcasti ...
with the song "Questa notte" written by
Kjell Jennstig, Torbjörn Wassenius and Francesca Russo. The song was performed by the group
Bonaparti.lv. The Latvian broadcaster
Latvijas Televīzija
Latvijas Televīzija (''Latvian Television'', LTV) is the state-owned public service television broadcaster in Latvia. LTV operates two channels, LTV1 in Latvian and LTV7 (previously called LTV2) in Latvian with selected programming in Russian ...
(LTV) organised the national final ''Eirodziesma 2007'' in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2007 contest in
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, Finland. Twenty songs were selected to compete in the national final, which consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. In the semi-finals on 27 January and 3 February 2007, five entries were selected to advance from each show: three entries selected based on a public televote and two entries selected by a seven-member jury panel. Ten songs ultimately qualified to compete in the final on 1 March 2008 where two rounds of public voting selected "Questa notte" performed by Bonaparti.lv as the winner.
Latvia competed in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest which took place on 10 May 2007. Performing as the closing entry during the show in position 28, "Questa notte" was announced among the top 10 entries of the semi-final and therefore qualified to compete in the final on 12 May. It was later revealed that Latvia placed fifth out of the 28 participating countries in the semi-final with 168 points. In the final, Latvia performed in position 14 and placed sixteenth out of the 24 participating countries, scoring 54 points.
Background
Prior to the 2007 contest, Latvia had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest seven times since its first entry in 2000.
Latvia won the contest once in
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
with the song "
I Wanna" performed by
Marie N
Marija Naumova-Bullīta (born and professionally knows as Marija Naumova 23 June 1973) is a Latvian singer of Russian descent. Under the stage name Marie N, she sings a broad range of music ranging from pop to musical theatre and jazz, and has ...
. Following the
introduction of semi-finals for the
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, Latvia was able to qualify to compete in the final in 2005 and 2006 including with their
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
entry "I Hear Your Heart" performed by
Vocal Group Cosmos.
The Latvian national broadcaster,
Latvijas Televīzija
Latvijas Televīzija (''Latvian Television'', LTV) is the state-owned public service television broadcaster in Latvia. LTV operates two channels, LTV1 in Latvian and LTV7 (previously called LTV2) in Latvian with selected programming in Russian ...
(LTV), broadcasts the event within Latvia and organises the selection process for the nation's entry. LTV confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest on 15 September 2006.
Latvia has selected their entries for the Eurovision Song Contest through a national final. Since their debut in 2000, LTV had organised the selection show ''
Eirodziesma
Latvia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 22 times since making its debut at the contest in 2000, where the group Brainstorm finished third with the song " My Star". Latvia won the contest in 2002, with Marie N and the song " I W ...
''. Along with their participation confirmation, the broadcaster announced that they would organise ''Eirodziesma 2007'' in order to select the Latvian entry for the 2007 contest.
Before Eurovision
Eirodziesma 2007
''Eirodziesma 2007'' was the eighth edition of
Eirodziesma
Latvia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 22 times since making its debut at the contest in 2000, where the group Brainstorm finished third with the song " My Star". Latvia won the contest in 2002, with Marie N and the song " I W ...
, the music competition that selects Latvia's entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition commenced on 27 January 2007 and concluded with a final on 24 February 2007. All shows in the competition were hosted by Uģis Joksts, Kristīne Virsnīte and Kārlis Streips and broadcast on
LTV1.
Format
The format of the competition consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. The two semi-finals, held on 27 January and 3 February 2007, each featured ten competing entries from which five advanced to the final from each show. The final, held on 24 February 2007, selected the Latvian entry for Helsinki from the remaining ten entries over two rounds of voting: the first round selected the top three songs and the second round (superfinal) selected the winner. Results during the semi-final shows were determined by a jury panel and votes from the public. The songs first faced a public vote where the top three entries qualified. The jury then selected an additional two qualifiers from the remaining entries to proceed in the competition. In the final, a public vote exclusively determined which entry would be the winner. Viewers were able to vote via telephone or SMS.
Competing entries
Artists and songwriters were able to submit their entries to the broadcaster between 4 October 2006 and 20 November 2006. A record 106 entries were submitted at the conclusion of the submission period, including songs in
Latvian,
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
,
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
and
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
. A jury panel appointed by LTV evaluated the submitted songs and selected twenty entries for the competition. The jury panel consisted of
Wig Wam
Wig Wam is a Norwegian glam metal band formed in Halden in 2001. Wig Wam's lineup—consisting of vocalist Glam (Åge Sten Nilsen), guitarist Teeny (Trond Holter), bassist Flash (Bernt Jansen) and drummer Sporty (Øystein Andersen)—has remain ...
(
2005 Norwegian Eurovision entrant),
Zdob și Zdub
Zdob și Zdub (; , onomatopoeic for the sound of a drum beat) is a Moldovan folk punk band, based in Chișinău. The band represented Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 21 May 2005, finishing 6th. They also rep ...
(
2005 Moldovan Eurovision entrant),
Andrius Mamontovas
Andrius Mamontovas (born 23 August 1967) is a Lithuanian rock musician. He is also a songwriter, actor, performer and record producer. He was one of the co-founders of the Lithuanian rock band Foje and the initiator of the LT United project.
Pe ...
(
2006 Lithuanian Eurovision entrant as part of
LT United
LT United were a Lithuanian music group created in 2006 for the sole purpose of representing Lithuania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The group entered the Lithuanian pre-selection event with the song "We Are the Winners", winning with almost ...
), Mario Galunič (Slovenian television presenter),
Cosmos
The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity.
The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...
(
2006 Latvian Eurovision entrant), Guna Zučika (representative of
MTV Baltic) and Sandris Vanzovičs (music journalist). The twenty competing artists and songs were announced during a press conference on 11 December 2006.
Shows
Semi-finals
The two semi-finals took place on 27 January and 3 February 2007. The live portion of the show was held at the LTV studios in
Riga
Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
where the artists awaited the results while their performances, which were filmed earlier at the Riga Film Studio in Riga on 18 and 20 January 2007, were screened. In each semi-final ten acts competed and five entries qualified to the final. The competing entries first faced a public vote where the top three songs advanced; an additional two qualifiers were then selected from the remaining seven entries by the jury.
The jury panel that voted in the semi-finals consisted of
Mirdza Zīvere (singer and director), Elita Patmalniece (costume designer), Baiba Šmite (director of LTV1), Uldis Rudaks (music journalist), Juris Kulakovs (musician), Kārlis Auzāns (producer and composer) and Mārcis Gulbis (producer).
Final
The final took place at the Olympic Center in
Ventspils
Ventspils (; german: Windau, ; see other names) is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country. At the beginning of 2020, Ventspils had a population of 33,906. It ...
on 24 February 2007. The ten entries that qualified from the preceding two semi-finals competed and the winner was selected over two rounds of public televoting. In the first round, the top three songs advanced to the second round, the superfinal. In the superfinal, "Questa notte" performed by
Bonaparti.lv was declared the winner. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, guest performers included singer Jenny May together with the group Double Faced Eels, singer Ella together with the dance group Dzirnas, the group Labvēlīgais tips,
2006 Latvian Eurovision entrant Cosmos
The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity.
The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...
and
2007 Polish Eurovision entrant The Jet Set
The Jet Set is a Polish R&B duo which consists of English-born David Junior Serame (South African ancestry) and Russian-born Sasha Strunin. They represented Poland in the semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki.
Eurovision ...
.
Ratings
At Eurovision
![Bonaparti 2007 Eurovision](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Bonaparti_2007_Eurovision.jpg)
According to Eurovision rules, all nations with the exceptions of the host country, the "
Big Four" (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) and the ten highest placed finishers in the
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
contest are required to qualify from the semi-final on 10 May 2007 in order to compete for the final on 12 May 2007. On 12 March 2007, a special allocation draw was held which determined the running order for the semi-final. As one of the five wildcard countries, Latvia chose to perform last in position 28, following the entry from
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
.
The semi-final and the final were broadcast in Latvia on
LTV1 with all shows featuring commentary by Kārlis Streips. The Latvian spokesperson, who announced the Latvian votes during the final, was Jānis Šipkevics.
Semi-final
Bonaparti.lv took part in technical rehearsals on 4 and 6 May, followed by dress rehearsals on 9 and 10 May. The Latvian performance featured the members of Bonaparti.lv wearing suits with a top hat and appearing on stage one by one carrying white roses. The stage colours were in white and gold with the LED screens displaying a set of golden rings with hints of red accompanied by bright beams of light shooting from the roof to the stage and the surrounding areas of the arena.
At the end of the show, Latvia was announced as having finished in the top 10 and subsequently qualifying for the grand final. It was later revealed that Latvia placed fifth in the semi-final, receiving a total of 188 points.
Final
The draw for the running order for the final was done by the presenters during the announcement of the ten qualifying countries during the semi-final and Latvia was drawn to perform in position 14, following the entry from
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and before the entry from
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. Bonaparti.lv once again took part in dress rehearsals on 11 and 12 May before the final and performed a repeat of their semi-final performance during the final on 12 May. Latvia placed sixteenth in the final, scoring 54 points.
Voting
Below is a breakdown of points awarded to Latvia and awarded by Latvia in the semi-final and grand final of the contest. The nation awarded its 12 points to Estonia in the semi-final and to Ukraine in the final of the contest.
Points awarded to Latvia
Points awarded by Latvia
References
{{Eurovision Song Contest 2007
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
Countries in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...