March 1, 2020 – The Dora was held in Opatija on Saturday night to crown the best song to represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam. Of the sixteen singers that competed, Damir Kedzo was named the winner with his song “Wild Wind”.
HRT reports that with the song “Wild Winds” (“Divlji vjetre”), Damir Kedzo will represent Croatia at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam in May! The Omišalj singer won Saturday night’s Dora competition in Opatija and thus fulfilled his childhood dream.
The winner of the 26th Dora was decided by the audience and an expert jury from five HRT centers. In the tense final, Rijeka singer Mia Negovetic and Damir Kedzo had an equal number of points, and since the song with more audience points won, Kedzo was crowned the winner.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v=CEaGo95C4c0
The 65th Anniversary Eurovision Song Contest will be held from May 12 to May 16, and Damir will compete in the first semi-final night to enter the grand finale.
This was Kedzo’s third appearance at Dora and, apparently, the time was a charm. The song “Wild Winds” is written by his permanent collaborator Ante Pecotic, along with composers Bojan Salamon Shalla and Matija Rodic-Matroda, the only Croatian to be on the list of the world’s best DJs and producers.
“When I got off the stage, I said, ‘this was really good, I can stand behind this’,” said the winner of this year’s Dora in his first public address at a press conference.
Kedzo was accompanied by five excellent singers – four Rijeka singers Anja Stanic, Ana Kabalin, Medea Market Sindik and Gina Skulic and Opatija’s Mateja Majerle who wore traditional Croatian jewelry from each region.
Kedzo was handed the Dora statue, created by artist Ivica Propadal, by the Director-General of Croatian Radio and Television Kazimir Bacic. The Dutch Ambassador HE Mr Hendrik Jan Voskamp wished him good luck at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam.
Second place went to Mia Negovetic with the song “When It Comes to You”, while the third place went to Indira Levak with the song “You Will Never Break My Heart”.
The full list of performers who fought for a spot in the Netherlands on Saturday were Elis Lovric, Bojan Jambrosic, Edi Abazi, Zdenka Kovacicek, Alen Vitasovic & Bozidarka-Matija Cerin, Djana, Akle Neon, Nikola Marjanovic, Lorenzo feat Dino Puric & Rapper from the Room, Marin Juric- Chivro, Lorena Bucan, Indira, Jure Brkljaca, Colonia, Mia Negovetic and Damir Kedzo.
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