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Ticket to Tel Aviv: Meet Joci Pápai from Hungary

21 April 2019 at 18:00 CEST
Joci Pápai, winner of 'A Dal 2019' MTVA
With the song ‘Az én apám', Joci Pápai will represent Hungary this year. Joci is set to perform seventh in the first Semi-Final on Tuesday 14 May in Tel Aviv, Israel. This is 'Ticket to Tel Aviv', our feature counting down to the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest.

Joci Pápai was the winner of 'A Dal 2019', Hungary's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest. After three heats, two semi-finals and a national final, the competition came to a rousing close when Joci was chosen ahead of the rest entirely by public televote. The artist returns to represent Hungary for a second time; Joci came eighth at the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv with his song Origo.

Who is Joci Pápai?

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 his breakthrough did not happen at that time. He was on the verge of abandoning his dream to become a mainstream artist and stopped listening to music for a whole year. All that desperation lead to the composition of the song Origo in 2016, and the rest is history.

Joci is not only a talented singer, he has been writing songs since the young age of four. Growing up, he watched his father lead a big gipsy orchestra. At the age of four, Joci chose the same path as Pápai senior when he first picked up a guitar, an instrument he has not let go of since. It is no wonder that his father plays a central role in Joci’s life – he is also a proud father himself. Joci has released two albums, one in 2005 and another in 2017. 

READ MORE: Joci’s participant profile

You can follow Joci Pápai on the following social media platforms:

Joci Pápai's song

Joci Pápai will sing his song Az én apám in Tel Aviv, in honour of his father. Az én apám was written by Ferenc Molnár and composed by Joci Pápai and Ferenc Molnár.

LISTEN: Stream or download Az én apám via your favourite music service

Hungary at Eurovision 2018

Last year Hungary was represented by metal band AWS. The flame-filled performance of their song Viszlát Nyár took them to the Grand Final in Lisbon where they placed 21st with 93 points. 

READ MORE: Hungary's country page

What do you think of Joci Pápai's song for the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest? Let us know in the comments!