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Moldova’s cosmic love: Pasha Parfeni wants to hold the crown

02 May 2023 at 18:27 CEST
Pasha Parfeni from Moldova in the Eurovision 2023 studio Corinne Cumming / EBU
Pasha Parfeni is bringing Moldovan folk tales to Liverpool via his Eurovision entry ‘Soarele Şi Luna.’ He’s made it to the Eurovision Song Contest before, but can he put a ring on it this time?
Pasha Parfeni rehearsing Soarele şi Luna for Moldova at the First Rehearsal of the First Semi-Final at Liverpool Arena
Chloe Hashemi / EBU

The road to Eurovision 2023 has been long for Pasha, with his first attempt to compete starting back in 2009 as part of the band Sunstroke Project. They came close to winning their national final, but missed out on a chance to represent Moldova. Pasha gave it another shot in 2010 as a soloist, but ironically lost out to his former bandmates at Sunstroke Project, and missed out again in 2011. But 2012 was his year, and he performed his song Lăutar in the Contest held in Baku, Azerbaijan, finishing 11th overall. Skip ahead a few years, during which time he composed for Moldova at Eurovision again, and we get to 2023; Pasha won the love of Moldova once more, and triumphed at the country's national final Etapa Națională.

If there was one thing guaranteed in Pasha’s performance, it was a sprinkling of the supernatural. When he hit the stage for his first rehearsal on Sunday 30 April, he brought Moldovan folklore to life with some eye-catching outfits and traditional instruments. We’re always happy to see a wedding on the Eurovision stage, and this story of cosmic love was presented to us against a stunning backdrop on screen. The sun is most certainly rising for our Pasha.

Pasha Parfeni rehearsing Soarele şi Luna for Moldova at the First Rehearsal of the First Semi-Final at Liverpool Arena Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Not distracted by starry skies and diamond rings, the official Eurovision Live Blog was paying close attention to Pasha’s first rehearsal. It noted: "There's so much to love about this performance from Moldova  – the huge drums, Sergiu the epic flute guy, Pasha's atmospheric vocals, the two backing singers with huge horned headdresses. It's the kind of ethno-banger we used to see a lot more often at Eurovision, and all together it creates a performance that’s pulsing through the arena floor."

To add even more magic to the story of Soarele Şi Luna, the lyrics about the sun and the moon blessing a cosmic union were actually written by his wife Yuliana, who he describes as his muse. They also wrote Aliona Moon’s Eurovision 2013 entry O Mie together. In 2014, Pasha released a single called Te Mai Lubesc, which translates as I Still Love You, and he dedicated it to Yuliana. The Soarele şi Luna lyrics “I sang her so many songs until she wanted to kiss me,” is clearly the beginning of a great love story.

Pasha was born into a musical family, with a piano teacher mother and a guitarist father. More recently, his music has been all about bringing change, and he considers himself a civil activist. His Eurovision 2023 entry, all about a cosmic union, might be just what people need to bring them together.

You can learn more about Pasha Parfeni from Moldova right here.

You can listen to all 37 songs of Eurovision 2024 via your favourite streaming service or watch the music videos on our YouTube channel.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmö, Sweden on Tuesday 7 May (First Semi-Final), Thursday 9 May (Second Semi-Final) and Saturday 11 May (Grand Final) 2024.

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