Balkanika has performed a new version of “Nova deca,” Serbia’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.
Folk group Balkanika, who performed this new version of “Nova deca” on a prime time game show on Serbian broadcaster RTS yesterday night, have subtly updated the song with a faster tempo, more prominent instruments, and some vocal post-production. This will reportedly be the version performed at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon.
You can watch the video of the performance below:
Earlier in the month, the band toured the Ribeira de Gaia in Porto to film the postcard to introduce their entry during the live Eurovision shows in May.
The 11-person group, composed of vocalists, percussionists, guitarists, and a flautist, is known for their folk sound. According to the band’s founder Sanja Ilić, Balkanika serves to “preserve, revitalise and modernise Serbian medieval and Byzantine music traditions”. Their music features old Balkan instruments incorporated into modern music. Over their 20 years together, the band have performed all around the world, and are increasing in popularity.
Learn more about Balkanika with Eurovoix’s Eurovision 2018 “Who Is?” series here.
Sanja Ilić & Balkanika will represent Serbia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal this May. They have been drawn to perform in the first half of the second semifinal on May 10. The group was selected after winning Beovizija with their song “Nova Deca”, which translates to “Our Children”.
Source: ESCXtra
Serbia have competed as an independent nation in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2007, and have seen great success in the competition. Their first entry in 2007, Marija Šerifović’s “Molitva”, won the contest in Helsinki with 268 points, making Serbia’s debut one of the most successful in Eurovision history. From then up to their year’s break in 2014, Serbia finished in the top 10 a further two times, including a 3rd place finish in 2012 with Željko Joksimović’s “Nije ljubav stvar”. They have only failed to qualify for the final on three occasions, the most recent being in 2017 when Tijana Bogićević’s entry “In Too Deep” finished in 11th place in its semi-final in Kyiv.
