Slovenia 2019: All you need to know about Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl and their entry “Sebi”
The Slovenian national final , “EMA 2019” (Evrovizijska Melodija), saw Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl win the national selection receiving 72,89% of the televoting. The duo released a total of three singles before applying to “EMA 2019”, in which a jury panel selected them as one of two super-finalists. They won their national selection and Slovenia’s golden ticket to Tel Aviv receiving 72,89% in the televote.
A few words about Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl
Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl are from the Slovenian city of Maribor. They have been performing as a duo since 2017 when they recorded their first joint song “Valovi”, which received several music awards in Slovenia. Before their collaboration as a duo, Zala played covers and wrote her own songs while Gašper played the guitar and was involved in music production. Their music consists of lo-fi και indie-pop elements. The two musicians met when Zala started to provide the vocals for some of Gašper’s songs after a mutual friend introduced them to each other. In 2018 they released three songs , which alongside with the Eurovision entry “Sebi” are included in their debut album entitled “Štiri ” that came out on February 16.
The entry “Sebi”
The song “Sebi” is an atmospheric ballad written exclusively in Slovenian. Behind the composition of the entry are Zala ans Gasper themselves. Zala Kralj and Gašper Šantl will perform in the first half of the first semi-final of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv on May 14.
English translation of the lyrics
When your mind is full of thoughts
you can listen to my heartbeat
When your burden is heavy
you can come to me
Ask what keeps me going forward
Is it distance and success
Like a leaf blows with the wind and resists it
I go with the flow and resist it
You can’t always see the stars
just stay true to who you are
stop apologizing to me
When there are tears in your eyes
let them be
When we have different wishes
I accept you and you accept me
Look at me, is it necessary, for everything to have a meaning
Eternity and this planet aren’t friends
and I’m like a snowflake, that’s waiting for the spring
You can’t always see the stars
just stay true to who you are
stop apologizing to me
You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone
We all share the same fears, the same tears
You can’t always see the stars
just stay true to who you are
stop apologizing to me
The Eurovision story so far
Slovenia debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 with 1X Band and hasn’t scored yet a victory the competition. The country’s best results in the contest is a 7th placing, achieved in 1995 (Darja Svajger) and 2001 (Nusa Derenda).
Slovenia has competed 24 times in the contest since their debut in 1993,and has missed out only the editions of 1994 and 2000 when the country had to stay out of the event due to the relegation rules of the contest back then.
In 2018 Slovenia opted to select its Eurovision act and entry via its traditional national selection EMA. Lea Sirk won the golden ticket to Lisbon with her entry Hvala, ne!, placing 22nd in the Grand Final.
