I was excited to see Dora back again this year. Even though Netta cancelled her scheduled special guest performance, the show went on! The following were the 16 hopefuls who took the stage in Opatija, Croatia on February 29, 2020. My quick thoughts follow each!
Elis was kind of robbed last year, so I was glad to see her return even though she only got the spot after Croatian musical legend Goran Karan withdrew. Looking at this year’s performance, though, I am a bit confused. I love her voice, but the performance was strange. She still reminds me of Eva Maria Marold in tone and style, but this song was far from memorable and far from spectacular. It almost felt like a combination of interpretive dance and aerobics, but at least it was something unique
Bojan Jambrošić – Više od riječi (More than Words)
Bojan’s number was far more traditional, but in this case, “traditional” feels like a synonym for boring. The staging and performance were relatively uneventful – Bojan mostly just stood in place and held the microphone. Very little here to remember.
Following Bojan’s sleepy number, Edi’s song started out sounding kind of the same. Edi’s accent is a bit of a problem – it took a bit before I recognized he was singing in English and he was often hard to understand, but fortunately he has subtitles behind him on the screen! Had this been selected, hopefully a native speaker would have been hired to correct the grammar of the song. I am also not sure Edi opened his eyes once during the performance, so it’s a good thing he just stood in one place.
Zdenka Kovačiček – Love, Love, Love
Zdenka started her song with a failed attempt at a Kaliopi-esque scream, a trick she repeated a few too many times in the song. Unfortunately, it sounded like she might have been battling a cold and each try was a failure. I did like her outfit and the almost bluesy vibes of the song. The performance, however, was forgettable. For those who love boardgames, though, the background looks like the cover from Fog of Love. The performance was upbeat, but as the title says, all the song really amounted to was “love, love, love and nothing more.”
Alen Vitasović & Božidarka Marija-Čerina – Da se ne zatare (Don’t Crumble)
This one felt kind of like the Polish milkmaids from 2014, and then someone’s drunk uncle wandered in. This was a train wreck from start to finish!
This one felt like it belonged more in Melodifestivalen rather than at Dora. It wasn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t have minded if Đana had bothered to do her hair before going on stage. This was ultimately fairly trashy!
Aklea Neon – Zovi ju mama (Her mother is calling her)
This one feels like Croatia wanted to try for the Barbara Dex Award again (she is at least competing with Indira). The song is pretty bad, even worse if you can understand the lyrics (which make about as much sense as Moja Štikla did) – it is basically “mama, hei, zovi mama mama” on repeat with random wolf howls mixed in for effect. Certainly memorable, but more for being a train wreck from start to finish.
Nikola Marjanović – Let’s Forgive
Need some high fructose corn syrup in your song festival, here you go! Add in a super boring performance of a bald guy walking two steps forward and then back again, a couple forced rhymes, and throw in a sassy finger wag for effect and you’ve got Let’s Forgive!
Lorenzo, Dino Purić, & Reper iz sobe – Vrati se iz Irske (Come back from Ireland)
This one pretty much speaks for itself. It features a hipster with a yellow guitar rapping in a Dalmatian accent, with a random “Come Back for Ireland” in English thrown in among all the Croatian for no reason at all. The lyrics are also kind of ridiculous: “Come back from Ireland, their streets are slippery. They don’t have sunshine or olive oil there.”
Marin Jurić Čivro – Naivno (Naïve)
This one is also pretty forgettable. The guy has nice hair, though. The dancers are random and hard to see until they lie down on the floor and start rolling around. I didn’t really get anything out of the song.
This one’s nice. Lorena, who sang the fairly mediocre “Tower of Babylon” last year, is back! She does have a great voice, and the song starts out pretty good. Unfortunately, once the refrain starts, the song and the performance kind of …um…drowns.
Indira – You Will Never Break My Heart
This one is at least colorful! Indira is very pink and noticeable. The performance kind of feels like it should be sung by a drag queen, though. Strangely, though, I really like Indira’s deep voice, and although I don’t really understand why she switches to English to shout “You will never break my heart!” I actually liked this one even though I can admit it’s far from a great song or performance.
Jure Brkljača – Hajde nazovi me! (Come on, call me!)
This one is upbeat, and the singer seems much more alive and relatable than most of the night’s other offerings. While it’s not the kind of song that would ever win Eurovision, I enjoyed it. Even though Jure just sits on a stool and strums his guitar, the song feels kind quite authentic.
Colonia was quite popular in the early 2000s when I lived in Croatia. However, even though 20 years have passed since their prime, the group’s prime, Ivana Lovrić, the new lead singer, is a fantastic addition and has really revitalized the group! The use of the LED screens to multiply the dancers wasn’t really effective, but otherwise this was easily the best performance of the night and I am kind of surprised it didn’t end up winning.
Mia Negovetić – When It Comes To You
Although I quite liked Colonia, I LOVED Mia. Her performance feels authentic and meaningful. I don’t quite understand her decision to wear only a sports bra on top, but I really loved the song and her energy.
Damir Kedžo – Divlji vjetre (Wild Winds)
Damir wasn’t bad, but for some reason it looks like the lighting team may have been on a break until about a minute into the song. Damir’s voice is good, and he sings the song well and with commitment, but the song doesn’t really offer anything interesting. Since this one ended up winning, I hope HRT will hire a staging consultant, because this is pretty boring to watch.
As mentioned, the winner is Damir Kedžo, Will the wild winds carry him into the final at Eurovision?
On the whole, the entries this year were pretty mediocre. It’s a pity Goran Karan withdrew, as he is always legendary. Croatia has lots of great talent, but this year’s lineup was most certainly not my taste. It looks like HRT has already renewed Dora for next year, though, so here’s hoping for an exciting national selection show in 2021.