Goran Karan has withdrawn from competing in Dora 2020, after questions regarding his song was eligible to compete.
Goran Karan, who represented Croatia at Eurovision 2000, has withdrawn from competing in Dora 2020. The singer withdrew from the competition just hours after the line-up was announced by the Croatian broadcaster HRT. The singer released a statement saying:
The song “My Legacy Is Love” in the form it was sent to Dora differs significantly from the lyrics, music, arrangement and length from what I played in my concert in Visoko in Bosnia & Herzegovina. So in order to eliminate all possible misinterpretations, I decided to withdraw the song “My Legacy Is Love” from Dora. This way I want to close the space for any controversy and side effects, because, as the lyrics of that song say – my legacy is – love.
Goran Karan has been replaced in the line-up by Elis Lovrić with the song “Jušto”. Elis was one of four artists that HRT announced as back-up acts should artists from the original line-up withdraw. The 16 acts taking part in Dora 2020 are:
- Marin Jurić Čivro – Naivno (Naive)
- Edi Abazi – Coming home
- Mia Negovetić – When it Comes to You
- Colonia – Zidina (Walls)
- Zdenka Kovačićek – Love, Love, Love
- Lorenzo feat Dino Purić & Reper iz sobe – Vrati se iz Irske (Come back from Ireland)
- Jure Brkljača – Hajde nazovi me! (Come on, call me!)
- Damir Kedžo – Divlji vjetre (Wild winds)
- Lorena Bućan – Drowning
- Alen Vitasović & B. Matija Čerina – Da se ne zatare (So as not to get old)
- Aklea Neon – Zovi ju mama (Call her mama)
- Indira – You Will Never Break My Heart
- Nikola Marjanović – Let’s forgive
- Đana – One
- Bojan Jambrošić – Više od riječi (More than words)
- Elis Lovrić – Jušto
There are also three remaining reserve artists should anything happen to the sixteen finalists:
- Marcela Orosi – Let me Break Your Heart
- Dino Petrić – Što si meni ti (What you are to me)
- Singrlice – Zavičaj (Homeland)
Dora 2020 will take place on February 29th in the Marino Cvetković Hall of Opatija.
In 2019 Dora returned to Croatian television screens after eight years absence, having previously been used to select every Croatian entry from the country’s debut in 1993 until 2011. HRT cancelled the selection after 2011, citing Croatia’s poor results in the last ten years and decreasing public interest. All Croatian entries since then have been chosen through internal selection, excluding their 2019 entry.
This year Croatia was represented by Roko with the song “The Dream”, who was the first Croatian entrant since 2011 to be selected through Dora. He finished 14th in the second semi-final scoring a total of 64 points. Croatia was 12th in the televote with 38 points and 14th with the juries on 26 points.
Source: ESC Bubble / HRT
Croatia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993, they were one of three countries to debut in the contest that year. Croatia’s best result came in 1999 when Doris Dragovic finished 4th in Jerusalem. She performed the song “Marija Magdalena” which scored a total of 118 points, this included 12 points from Slovenia and Spain. Croatia returned to the contest in 2016 having withdrawn after the 2013 contest due to a string of poor results and financial difficulties.
