Did you know the first official Eurovision semi-finals in 2004 weren’t the inaugural international pre-selections for our favourite TV show? There was one in 1993 – yes, 30 years ago. It was a sedate seven-nation affair in sunny Ljubljana. Three nations went on to Milstreet, leaving four in a sort of limbo.
Our friends in Slovakia were one of those unlucky four half-forgotten entrants. They sent legendary band Elán, fronted by today’s birthday boy Jozef ‘Jožo’ Ráž. They gave Eurovision one of its first tastes of rock, and it’s a genre Slovakia used for some of its subsequent appearances. Elán had to rely on scores from six jurors and finished fourth, losing out by one measly solitary point. Is this Slovakia’s best ever?
Jožo is 69 today.
Všetko najlepšie k narodeninám, Jožo!!