Junior Eurovision preview - Part 1: Albania to Kazakhstan 🇫🇷

🎧 Listen: Official Junior Eurovision Album: Paris 2021 🇫🇷

🎧 Listen: Official Junior Eurovision Album: Paris 2021 🇫🇷

With 19 participants in competing, it’s time to take a look at the first 10 runners and riders from Albania to Kazakhstan:

Albania: Anna Gjebrea – Stand By You

Anna is a ‘culture vulture’ from Tirana, where lives with her parents and a pet turtle named Tasha.

📺 Watch: Anna Gjebrea – Stand By You

She enjoys watching international music competitions like Junior Eurovision, X Factor and The Voice so she can find out more about different countries and the people living there.

Armenia: Maléna – Qami Qami

In 2020, Maléna had been internally selected to perform Why at the Contest before Armenia withdrew. She will now fulfil her destiny with a brand new song.

📺 Watch: Maléna – Qami Qami

Maléna spends a lot of time in the studio, experimenting with different music genres and joining in with songwriting workshops.

Azerbaijan: Sona Azizova – One Of Those Days

Baku born Sona is a globetrotter, having lived in both Serbia and Romania where she has represented Azerbaijan at a number of events and festivals.

📺 Watch: Sona Azizova – One Of Those Days

The singer’s hobbies include playing piano, gymnastics, and crafts, and she is very skilled at copper embossing – having several metal artworks on display in her hometown!

Bulgaria: Denislava & Martin – Voice Of Love

The Dobrich duo have been performing and creating together for over 4 years, and representing Bulgaria at Junior Eurovision has long been a goal of theirs.

📺 Watch: Denislava & Martin – Voice Of Love

Both have been singing since the age of 5 and have participated in many concerts and festivals – so they’re no strangers to a big stage!

France: Enzo – Tic Tac

Born in 2008, Enzo is a self-described ‘lifelong Eurovision fan’ having watched the show for as long as he can remember; representing France is a dream come true for the young singer.

📺 Watch: Enzo – Tic Tac

His love of travel and music makes him the perfect participant, and with his passion for performing, the French delegation hope he’ll be unstoppable.

Niko Kajaia – Let’s Count The Smiles

Make some noise for Niko! He fought off fierce competition to become Georgia’s 15th Junior Eurovision participant.

📺 Watch: Niko Kajaia – Let’s Count The Smiles

Niko was born and raised in the capital city of Tbilisi, where he spends his free time learning to sculpt, watching cartoons and, of course, practicing his singing.

Germany: Pauline – Imagine Us

Pauline stormed to victory in Germany’s participant selection show, Wer Fährt nach Paris?, where she impressed audiences with her fantastic vocal abilities.

📺 Watch: Pauline – Imagine Us

The 12 year old from Koblenz in Rheinland-Pfalz is a skilled drummer, pianist and singer, and loves to practise her abilities as music makes her feel free.

Ireland: Maiú Levi Lawlor – Saor (Disappear)

Maiú hails from Greystones, a coastal village in County Wicklow, known as the ‘Garden of Ireland’. It is located on the east coast of Ireland, flanked by beautiful beaches and the magnificent Wicklow Mountains.

📺 Watch: Maiú Levi Lawlor – Saor (Disappear)

The talented young singer also enjoys youth theatre, basketball and playing the piano (which he took up as a hobby at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Italy: Elisabetta Lizza – Specchio (Mirror On The Wall)

Elisabetta is from Ardo, a small town in the province of Brescia known as ‘Franciacorta’ (‘Little France’).

📺 Watch: Elisabetta Lizza – Specchio (Mirror On The Wall)

Her favourite artists are Sam Smith, Bruno Mars and Måneskin… naturally.

Kazakhstan: Alinur Khamzin & Beknur Zhanibekuly – Ертегі әлемі (Fairy World)

After a thrilling national final, it was decided that Beknur and Alinur could not be separated on points and that they should both represent Kazakhstan in Paris.

📺 Watch: Alinur Khamzin & Beknur Zhanibekuly – Ертегі әлемі (Fairy World)

Born in Strasbourg, France, Beknur loves music, singing and making new friends – so Junior Eurovision is the perfect place for him! A gifted student, Beknur’s motto is ‘nothing is impossible’, and it’s this attitude that has allowed him to excel at school in geography, mathematics and art.

Joining the 9 year old is his new friend Alinur from Uralsk in Kazakhstan. Alinur dreams of becoming a famous singer and has already competed in many vocal contests, despite being only 11.

👀 Read: Part 1 – Malta to Ukraine

You can find out more about each of the 19 participants over on JuniorEurovision.tv, and be sure to follow the official Junior Eurovision Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook channels.