With their ethno-punk song entry So Lucky and sporting their very tall traditional cone-shaped pointed hats, which are “like antennae, tuned to the positive energy of space and cosmic power” they hope to “destroy the stereotypes of the Eurovision as a pop-music contest…hopefully we will bring happiness and a smile to people’s faces,” says Roman Iagupov, lead vocalist of the group.
They are competing in the Contest for the second time after delivering Moldova’s Eurovision debut in 2005, performing their song “Boonika Bate Toba" ("Grandmamma is beating da drum-a"). The band is particularly popular at music festivals, for which they have toured more than 20 European countries.
In So Lucky, the song and video feature Roman playing “the glamorous bad guy” contrasted with the lovely “good fairy” Tatiana Navka, who rides a unicycle on stage and conquers Roman’s heart. The song is about transformation and energy, and performed with humour.
The band has been promised 1 million Moldovian leus (about €59,000) by their government if they win, but the band is simply content to have fun and represent their country in a positive way. When Zdob și Zdub takes the stage, Roman recommends that everyone “sit near the screen with some ice cream and enjoy.”
