Joci Pápai
Joci Pápai returns to represent Hungary for a second time. Previously, he came eighth at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv with 'Origo'. Music definitely runs in the family of Joci as his father was the leader of a big gipsy orchestra. No wonder that the father figure plays a central role in Joci’s life – he admires his dad and he is also a proud father. At the age of four he has chosen the same path as Pápai senior when he first picked up a guitar, an instrument he did not let go ever since.Joci's road to fame was not an easy one: coming from a poor family he struggled to get recognised through various television shows. He tasted success after appearing in a talent show in 2005, but the breakthrough did not happen at that time. He was on the verge of abandoning his dream to become a mainstream artist, stopped listening to music for a whole year – and all this desperation lead to the composition of the song Origo in 2016. And the rest is history.
Joci won the Hungarian Eurovision selection show A Dal 2017 and finished 8th at the 62nd Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv as the first gipsy musician with a song that features elements of traditional gipsy music. This stellar achievement placed him on the top shelf in the Hungarian music scene with sold-out concerts all around the country and music videos with tens of millions of viewers.
He returns with his instantly recognisable voice to the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv in 2019 singing Az én apám (My Father) in which he pays homage to his beloved father and his roots, while also stressing the importance of safeguarding and appreciating our personal and family relations.
