Lauris and Kristina succeed in Ireland!

February 20, Dublin, Ireland – A song “I Wish I Could Pretend” composed by Lauris Reiniks and performed by Kristina Zaharova came 2nd in Irish Eurosong 2009 National finals. The final show was held on “Late Late Show Eurosong Special” and broadcast on RTE ONE television. With little odds over “I wish I could Pretend” the contest was won by Sinead Mulvey & Black Daisy with their song “Et Cetera” which is going to represent Ireland in Moscow in May.

The winner was decided in half by a regional jury vote and the other half by public televote. The regional juries were based in Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Dublin. The Dublin jury gave the 1st place to Lauris’s song.

The show was hosted by Pat Kenny, but all six final acts were analyzed and commented by Linda Martin (Irish singer who won Eurovision in 1992), Eurovision commentator Marty Whelan and American TV host Jerry Springer.

“Ireland made its choice in favor of Irish performers. I think if we were Irish or at least we had lived here, we might have won the finals”, admitted Lauris to an internet portal Baltic-Ireland.ie “However, this is a victory for all Latvians as we became runner ups in a competition of 300 songs and later competed among 6 finalists. We proved that Latvians can create and perform good music and succeed. I am really happy and satisfied”. The song was approved and highly appreciated by the whole judging panel the show organizers.

It is interesting to mention that a drummer Astra Mileriene from the winning band was Lithuanian.

The Latvian team in Ireland performing Lauris Reiniks and Gordon Pogoda’s song consisted of Lauris Reiniks himself, Kristina Zaharova, Backing vocalists Karīna Tropa and Vineta Elksne, dancers: Dmitrijs Gaitjukevičs, Aivars Gailums and Alise Kolosova. Kristina’s assistant Patricija Kraulke, hair stylist and Kristina’s bf Māris Vīgups and Guntars Racs, the director of “Microphone Records” accompanied by his wife Sintija.

Watch Kristina performing Lauris’s song in Ireland: