EuroDream Song Contest 9

EuroDream Song Contest 9 is ninth edition of EuroDream Song Contest. The contest was held in Pristina,Kosovo. 46 countries participated in Edition 9.

## Host

### Presenters

Dua Lipa
 Era Istrefi

## Participants

### Returning countries

 Azerbaijan
  Uzbekistan

## Vote

### Voting system

Each country awarded 12, 10, 8-1 point(s) to their 10 favourite songs

### Label

#08 | #09 | #10

## Location-Pristina

Pristina is the capital of Kosovo and the seat of the eponymous municipality and district. Its population is predominantly Albanian-speaking constituting the second-largest such city in Europe, after Tirana. The city is located in the northeastern section of Kosovo in a relatively flat plain close to the Gollak mountains.

During the Paleolithic Age, what is now the area of Pristina was involved by the Vinča culture. It was home to several Illyrian and Roman people at the classical times. King Bardyllis brought various tribes together in the area of Pristina in the 4th century BC, establishing the Dardanian Kingdom. The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, represented by ancient city of Ulpiana, that was considered one of the most important Roman cities in the Balkan peninsula. Between the 5th and the 9th century the area was part of the Byzantine Empire. In the middle of the 9th century it was ceded to the First Bulgarian Empire. In the early 11th century it fell under Byzantine rule and was included into a new province called Bulgaria. Between the late 11th and middle of the 13th century it was ceded several times to the Second Bulgarian Empire.

In the late Middle Ages, Pristina was an important town in Medieval Serbia and also the royal estate of Stefan Milutin, Stefan Uroš III, Stefan Dušan, Stefan Uroš V and Vuk Branković. Following the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans, Pristina became an important mining and trading center due to its strategic position near the rich mining town of Novo Brdo. The city was known for its trade fairs and items, such as goatskin and goat hair as well as gunpowder. The first mosque in Pristina was built in the late 14th century while under Serbian rule.

Pristina is the most important transportation junction of Kosovo, for air, rail, and roads. The international airport of Pristina is the largest airport of the country and among the largest in the region. A range of expressways and motorways, such as the R6, R7 and R7.1, radiate out the city and connect it to Albania and North Macedonia.

Pristina is as well as the most essential economic, financial, political and trade center of Kosovo mostly due to its significant location in the center of the country. It is the seat of power of the Government of Kosovo, the residences for work of the President and Prime Minister of Kosovo and the Parliament of Kosovo.Pristina covers an area of 572 square kilometres (221 sq mi). Strategically placed in the north-eastern part of Kosovo, the city is close to the Goljak mountains. Due to its status as the capital city of Kosovo, Pristina has grown over the past years, that it has connected with Kosovo Polje. By road it is 520 kilometres (320 mi) south of Belgrade, 90 kilometres (56 mi) north of Skopje, 250 kilometres (160 mi) north-east of Tirana, and 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of Podgorica.

Pristina is one of the urban areas with the most severe water shortages in the nation. The population of the city have to cope with daily water curbs due to the lack of rainfall and snowfall which has left the city's water supplies in a dreadful condition. The water resources do not fulfil the needs of the overgrowing population of Pristina. The water supply comes from the two main reservoirs of Batlava and Badovc. However, there are many problems with the water supply that comes from these two reservoirs which supply 92% of the population in Pristina. As such, the authorities have increased their efforts to remedy the situation and to make sure that such crises do not hit the city again.

After the war of 1999, the city has changed dramatically.[citation needed] The City Park of Pristina has been fully changed with new stone pathways, tall trees, flowers have been planted and a public area has been built for children. Lately a new green place called Tauk Bashqe has been built halfway between the Gërmia and the City Park. After the reconstruction of the Mother Teresa Square, many trees and flowers have been planted. Many old buildings in front of the government building have been cleared to provide open space.

## Venue-Fadil Vokrri Stadium

Fadil Vokrri Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Pristina, Kosovo, which is used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of FC Prishtina and Kosovo national football team. The stadium has a capacity of 13,500.The stadium's construction was started in 1951 and since 1953, it has been used by FC Prishtina. On 9 June 2018, the stadium was renamed from Pristina City Stadium to Fadil Vokrri Stadium, following the death of Fadil Vokrri on the same day, who was a football administrator, player and lastly president of Football Federation of Kosovo. The change was announced by Shpend Ahmeti, the Mayor of Pristina.

## Hosts-Dua Lipa and Era Istrefi

**Dua Lipa** is an English singer and songwriter. After working as a model, she signed with Warner Music Group in 2015 and released her self-titled debut album in 2017. The album peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart, and produced nine singles, including "Be the One" and "IDGAF", and the UK number-one single "New Rules", which also peaked at number six in the US. In 2018, Lipa won the Brit Awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.

Released in April 2018, the single "One Kiss" with Calvin Harris peaked at number one in the UK and became the longest-running number-one single for a female artist in 2018. It won her the 2019 Brit Award for Song of the Year. In 2019, she was also awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, and "Electricity", a collaboration with Silk City, won her the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. The success of the singles helped her self-titled album become one of the most-streamed albums on Spotify and achieve platinum certifications. Her second studio album, Future Nostalgia, was released in March 2020 to critical acclaim. It is her first UK number-one album; its lead single "Don't Start Now" peaked at number two on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100.

Lipa has received various accolades, including two Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards and two MTV Europe Music Awards. She has also been nominated for three Billboard Music Awards, an American Music Award, and ten MTV Video Music Awards.Lipa was born on 22 August 1995 in London to Kosovar Albanian parents who had moved from Pristina, FR Yugoslavia (present-day Kosovo) in 1992. Her father—Dukagjin Lipa—is a marketing manager and the lead vocalist in the Kosovan rock band Oda, while her mother—Anesa Lipa (née Rexha)—works in tourism. Through her maternal grandmother, Lipa is also of Bosnian descent. Her family is of Muslim background. Lipa has a younger sister Rina and a younger brother Gjin. She attended Sylvia Young Theatre School part-time before moving to Kosovo with her family in 2006 when her father accepted a job offer there. In Kosovo, Lipa attended the Mileniumi i Tretë (Third Millennium) school in Pristina, and became a fan of hip hop artists which would eventually influence her music style.

At the age of 14, Lipa began posting YouTube covers of her favourite songs by artists such as Pink and Nelly Furtado. She has stated that she was influenced by the discovery of Justin Bieber on YouTube which inspired her to achieve the same. One year later, she moved back to London with aspirations of becoming a singer, living with a friend and studying at Parliament Hill School during the week and at the Sylvia Young Theatre School on Saturdays. In order to earn money for music sessions, Lipa worked different jobs, such as hostessing restaurants and nightclubs. She began working as a model for the online catalogue ASOS Marketplace when she was 16, with the goal of meeting people who could help her pursue a music career, but she left after a manager told her to lose weight. In 2013, Lipa starred in a television advertisement for The X Factor.

**Era Istrefi** is an Kosovan singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Pristina, she rose to international recognition with the breakthrough single "BonBon", which drew comparisons to the musical works of Rihanna and Sia. Due to the success, she signed contract with record labels Sony Music and subsequently with Ultra Music a month later.

Istrefi's discography includes works in both Albanian and English among others "Shume Pis", "Redrum", "Nuk E Di" and "Live It Up". She has received a number of awards and nominations, including the European Border Breakers Award and Top Music Award. In 2018, she performed the official song for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, alongside Nicky Jam and Will Smith, at the closing ceremony of the grand final in Moscow.Era Istrefi was born on 4 July 1994 into an ethnically Albanian family in the city of Pristina, then part of the FR Yugoslavia, present Kosovo. Her father Nezir Istrefi, a journalist, died in 2004. Istrefi's mother, Suzana Istrefi (née Tahirsylaj), a musician active between the 1980s and 1990s, took a break from her career upon her husband's death. Her older sister Nora Istrefi is also a singer.

In 2013, Istrefi made her debut in the Albanian-speaking world with the single "Mani Për Money", eventually releasing material sung in Gheg Albanian featuring English phrases. A few months later, she released a follow-up recording, "A Po Don?", which was promoted with a music video; it similarly achieved recognition. Her third single "E Dehun" was filmed in a desecrated Orthodox church. Upon its release, "E Dehun" assured Istrefi three Videofest Awards, including one for "Best New Artist". In December 2014, the singer made the pop ballad "13", which was produced in the United States, available for consumption. Its accompanying music video was viewed almost 200,000 times within 24 hours on YouTube, which later resulted in it being featured in V Magazine. That year, she expressed her support of LGBT rights. She received Albanian citizenship in 2016.

# Results

From each Semi-Final 10 countries qualify to grand Final.And 6 countries participate automatically in Grand Final

### Semi-Final 1

 Belarus, Kosovo and  Netherlands also have to vote in this Semi-Final.

### Semi-Final 2

 Ukraine, Greece and  Denmark also have to vote in this Semi-Final.