Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl
Zala Kralj & Gašper Šantl will represent Slovenia at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv. They are a relatively new duo that joined forces in 2017. Before they met, they were both focused on growing their individual careers in Slovenia’s music scene.Zala started by playing covers and soon after began writing her own songs based on gentle narration and soft, melodic vocals. Gašper started playing the guitar at a young age and when he reached his teens, his music led him to Prague, where, under the wing of Faust Records studio, he studied to become an audio producer and a composer. After 2 years, on a quest for new inspiration, he decided took a cycling trip through Europe where he wrote the chorus for the duo's first single Valovi.
The singers first met on Instagram: when Zala’s videos were shared with Gašper, he knew he had found the right vocalist for his new song. Valovi was a huge success, taking over radio stations across Slovenia and winning the Slovenian annual music award Zlata piščal for the best song of 2017. The duo returned in 2018 with 2 new songs, each showcasing Gašper’s gentle electronic pop style and Zala's soft voice.
The band's fourth single Sebi was presented on Evrovizijska Melodija 2019. Zala and Gašper brought their charm and authenticity to the stage, and they won the ticket to represent Slovenia at the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. The duo remains calm and confident as they approach the contest, believing that there is no challenge they could not face together.
In the meantime, the duo has released an EP with their first 4 singles, aptly named Štiri (Four). When Gašper and Zala are creating new music, they try to be as honest as possible and pass on a meaningful message to their listeners. With their songs, they hope to find people for whom the music means something. The most important creative bond is their combined desire to tell stories with their songs and their ability to write and interpret each other’s music.