There’s often plenty to enjoy in the Serbian national final but I’m afraid this song rather passed me by. In my national finals notes I had erroneously marked it down as not having qualified, so nobody was more surprised than me when I read that it had won.
I’m no expert in Balkan geo-politics but it was hard to miss the claims that one of the favourites included an implication of unwelcome nationalism. It didn’t win but given the Lilac Ramonda flower referenced in Teya Dora’s title is a poppy-like symbol of remembrance for Serbia’s casualties of war I can’t help wondering whether countering the message of the other song boosted this one’s fortunes.
The song is desolate. Its sparse melody is illustrated by Teya Dora alone on an outcrop of rock, in a barren wasteland, and atop a precarious ridge. Despite the late blossom of a single Ramonda, a flower prized for its sturdiness and ability to regrow in harsh conditions, this final glimpse of hope is a long time coming. I can’t see many still engaged by the end.
As pretty as it is at times, for a song taking its inspiration from a symbol of remembrance it’s remarkably forgettable. With little else to engage its audience the song’s attraction to the Serbian public is lost with no connection to its emblematic bloom. Even those deciding the running order have shoved it on second in the first semi-final, as early as they can to get it out of the way without boring viewers to death as the opening number. It’s one of the surest non-qualifiers for me.
Photo: Marco Suvic/EBU