Introduction

• Participant(s): Damir Kedžo
• Song: Divlji Vjetre
  
• Writer(s): Ante Pecotić
• Composer(s): Ante Pecotić
• Broadcaster: HRT
• Social media:      
• Team review: 

Since last year the national final DORA has been revived. Among a lot big names Damir Kedžo could win the majority of the public votes. He should have been the Croatian hope for Rotterdam. But due to the Corona crisis the whole event has been postponed to 2021. It’s in the hands of the national broadcasters if the selected singers from this year are allowed to participate next year as well. A big disappointment for all singer, who have been selected this year.

Damir Kedžo was born in Omišalj, on the island of Krk in 1987. He attended a music school and church choir when he was young. He firstly brought his name to people’s mind when he became 7th in the Story Supernova Music Talents in 2003. Damir was also part of the boy group Saša, Tin i Kedžo. With this group he could have his first #1 hit for six weeks in Croatia called “365”. With “Zašto” the boy group took part in the Croatian DORA 2015. After a break of a year Damir started his solo career. By now he is one of the most listened-to male singer and most recognizable face in Croatia and achieved many awards, played on many festivals, a great career for the 32-years-old pop-folk singer.

The song “Divlji vjetre” means wild wind and was composed and written by Ante Pecotić. It’s about the sadness of a lost love:

“All I am left with is sadness in the colours of the fall.
(What you're not anymore)
Cold like frozen rain
when you stop loving”

From the point of music the song is too exchangeable and does not have a great climax or melody to convince or even to win the ESC. People would hardly remember this song, beside of the great voice of Damir this song would have been overheard.

History

• Debut: 1993
• Participations: 26
• Victories: 0
• Finals: 18 (7 since 2004)
• Top 10: 6
• Chances for Top 10 placing: 23% 
• Chances for Final: 54%

It should have been the 26th Croatian entry this year, but the Corona pandemic was the reason for the cancellation of the ESC in Rotterdam. As a former part of Yugoslavia, Croatia immediately participated in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest with the debut entry “Don’t Ever Cry” sung by Put and made a good 15th place. In that year Croatia had to enter an international pre-contest, which was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Only Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Slovenia could qualify on that special occasion for the ESC in Millstreet, Ireland.

The former Yugoslavia has joined the ESC in 1961, there were 27 contributions and one victory “Rock me” by Riva in 1989. In the following year the ESC has taken place in the now Croatian capital of Zagreb which was hosted by Oliver Mlakar and Helga Vlahović. A truly memorable contest with very nice intro, postcards and interval act.

With all the new countries in the ESC since 1993 not only the number of the participating countries has increased, also the variety of music has grown. The ESC gives a lot of artists a great opportunity to step on an international platform. It has often been criticised that the ex-Yugoslav countries vote for each other in a preferred way. It should not be forgotten that all these countries have singers which are popular all over the Balkan so it’s more than natural that such a singer gets votes from the whole region.

The best results for Croatia could have been achieved between 1995 and 2002 a lot of Top 10 places. After that it seems that the interest has decreased massively, both in the quality of the songs as well as the points from the other countries. This has caused a time when Croatia did not pass the semi final round four times after another, then they paused for two years and the DORA came back, that’s the Croatian national final. Both entries in 2018 and 2019 did not make it to the Grand Finals neither.

Biggest successes

• 2x 4th place
  “Sveta Ljubav” | Maja Blagdan (Oslo 1996)
  “Maria Magdalena” | Doris Dragovic (Jerusalem 1999)
• 1x 5th place
  “Neka Mi Ne Svane” |Danijela (Birmingham 1998)

Video Nostalgia

• “Nek'ti Bude Ljubav Sva” | Tony Cetinski
  Rank 16, Dublin 1994

   

• “Kada Zaspu Andeli“ |Goran Karan
  Rank 9, Stockholm 2000

   

• “Moja Stikla” | Severina
  Rank 12, Athens 2006