LATVIA 2025

The Latvian act and song was selected on February 8th via the show "Supernova". A semi final was held the week before the final when the 19 contenders were reduced to 10. The winner was chosen through an equal weighting of televoting and jury. Going to Basel is Tautumeitas with the song "Bur Man Laimi" (Bring Me Happiness)

Tautumeitas are a Latvian folk and world music group whose current members are Asnate Rancāne, Aurēlija Rancāne, Laura Marta Līcīte, Annemarija Moiseja, Gabriēla Zvaigznīte and Kate Slišāne. Most of their output is in the folk and world music spheres and focuses on songs in the Latvian language and on Latvian heritage. The group's first release 'Lai māsiņa rotājās!' was a collaboration with Auļi and it received the 2017 Latvian Music Recording Award as the Best Folk music album. They also have 3 more albums under their name. Their most recent release "Skrejceļš" won the 2023 Golden Microphone for "World Music Album of the year"

The song is mostly made up of small repetitive verses and choruses, each with its own audio and visual identity. The song is wholly in Latvian although the delivery of the song's parts is almost more important. At the start the six members are in blue lighting, hidden behind a curtain of fringing. While singing the chorus the lighting pulsates, the dancing is tribal and a rainfall overlay is seen on the camera. As the verse starts we see them come out from the fringing. The lighting becomes more natural and we see all six dressed in beige outfits with translucent headdresses. They walk majestically and interact with each other. The verses look and sound more flowing and natural, while the choruses are chanted and suggest urgency and power. The beat drops and beat pick ups feel natural and keep the song driving. During the last part of the song, the group comes together as one and do some very clever 'follow the leader' choreography over some strobe lighting.  

This staging takes a leaf of out the Swedish 'music video' style of setting a Eurovision song, however this is much more earthy and ethnic than most of Sweden's ESC output. The staging is actually very simple but the camera angles, studio lighting and on-screen graphics do most of the heavy lifting. The song does, however follow suit from Ukraine's (and some others) penchant for ethnic bops. The chorus is extremely earwormy as the rhythm is incessant. Although the song has Latvian lyrics, the chanting conjures up Pagan spirits and medieval priestesses and this is helped with the dancing elements of the show. It must also be noted that some of the harmonies in the song are beautifully blended and you can tell that the band are tight and know their skill. I would say that possibly its polish, lack of a killer blow or crescendo moment might be the one thing that memory holes the song. That said, this song covers well trodden ground so Eurovision watchers will be expecting this.

ARTIST - Tautumeitas

SONG - Bur Man Laimi

WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - Asnate Rancāne, Aurēlija Rancāne, Laura Līcīte, Gabriēla Zvaigznīte