Ever the diplomat, Dami said she couldn’t possibly play favourites, but that these were the acts that stood out most in her Eurovision memory.
4. Lordi
Dami: “Probably one of the most memorable. I mean who couldn’t forget a group of singing monster men?”
Finland’s Lordi famously won the song contest 10 years ago in 2006 with their heavy metal anthem ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’. Watch them perform below.
3. The Buranovskiye Babushki
Dami: “I loved the baking grannies! They were great.”
Russia’s ethno-pop group the Buranovskiye Babushki is made up of eight singing grannies who showed off some of their traditional baking skills when they came runner-up in 2012 with their hit ‘Party for Everybody’. See them in action below.
Dami: “I think it’s the more weird, unusual and gimmicky ones like these guys, and Lordi that really stick out in your memory.”
2. ABBA
Dami: “Of course I couldn’t NOT mention ABBA. They’re just the most classic Eurovision icons of all time. Everyone is still dancing to that song!”
Swedish mega band ABBA are arguably Eurovision’s most famous alumni of all time after they shot to fame with their song ‘Waterloo’ after winning the contest with it in 1974. Relive the moment below.
1. Loreen
Dami: “Euphoria is one of my absolute favourites of all time. I mean everyone loves it – from grannies, to young kids, they all sing along – it’s got something for everyone.”
Loreen won the Eurovision song contest in Baku, Azerbaijan with the song ‘Euphoria’ which went on to become a best seller in the charts and a club classic around the world – especially in Australia where it reached number four in the Aria dance charts. See Loreen in action below.
Dami: “I really look up to that performance as inspiration for my own performance. She wasn’t just all about the ‘shock’ factor, instead she just really connected with the audience.”
“That’s what I aim to do with my performance for 2016. No matter how many people I’m performing for, I always try to keep it as intimate as possible – like I’m just singing for one person and really connecting with them.”
See a glimpse at what’s to come from Dami’s performance of ‘Sound of Silence’ in Stockholm at her second rehearsal, below:
