Ukraine’s Kateryna Pavlenko will be able to perform on the Eurovision stage next week following a negative COVID-19 test.
Yesterday morning Kateryna, lead singer of Go_A, felt unwell and had taken a PCR test for COVID-19. She didn’t perform with the rest of her band during their second rehearsal yesterday. However, her test has come back negative, meaning that she will be able to perform next week.
Dutch singer Emmie van Stijn stood in for Kateryna at yesterday’s rehearsal.
Who are Go_A?
Go_A is a folktronica group that was formed in Kyiv in 2012. The band is made up of Kateryna Pavlenko (vocalist), Taras Shevchenko (multi-instrumentalist), Ihor Didenchuk (sopiklar), and Ivan Hrihoryak (guitar). They combine Ukrainian singing styles with modern dance beats, African drums, and guitar.
Source: eurovision.tv | Image source: EBU / Thomas Hanses
Ukraine first participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, when Oleksandr Ponomariov performed “Hasta la vista”. The following year Ruslana brought the country their first win with the song “Wild Dances”. It was a feat that would be replicated in 2016 by Jamala with her song “1944”; her emotionally charged song scored a record 534 points to take victory in Stockholm. In 2017 O.Torvald represented the country on home soil with the song “Time”. The group finished in 24th place, Ukraine’s worst result at the contest to date.
