Today the rehearsals for Eurovision 2023 continue in Liverpool. Countries rehearsing on Day 5 include Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, Spain and the UK, who are having their first rehearsal on the Liverpool stage. Up next is TVORCHI, representing Ukraine.
TVORCHI’s first rehearsal
The fourth act to take to the Eurovision 2023 stage at M&S Bank Arena today in Liverpool was Ukraine’s TVORCHI. TVORCHI will be competing in this year’s competition with their entry “Heart of Steel” following on from their win at Vidbir.
Following TVORCHI’s first rehearsal, a clip of what went on was posted on the official Eurovision Song Contest TikTok account. The clip showed TVORCHI before and after they took to the Eurovision stage for the first time, as well as giving us some insight into how their first rehearsal went.
What did we learn about Ukraine’s staging?
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
Ukraine’s performance takes similar themes from TVORCHI’s winning performance in Vidbir and elevates them. The four-square LED prop returns, but is made into a 3D sculpture that shows Jeffrey’s face. The visuals move from radioactive warfare to Terminator-style graphics, with silver colour pallete that runs into the band’s outfits. As well as this, blue and yellow run through the entire performance, reflecting the colours of Ukraine. There is extensive use of pyrotechnics at the very end of the song.
What we thought of TVORCHI’s first rehearsal
After TVORCHI’s first rehearsal, Rory gave his initial thoughts on the snippet that we saw.
Who are TVORCHI?
TVORCHI formed in 2017, when producer Andrii Hutsuliak and singer Jimoh Augustus Kehinde (alias Jeffrey Kenny) met as pharmacy students at Ternopil National Medical University. Hutsuliak is a self-taught producer, who moved into music through a love of video games, he shared in an interview with Eurovision World. Later that year, they released their first single, “Slow”, and their second, “You”.
TVORCHI have released four albums so far – The Parts (2018), Disco Lights (2019), 13 Waves (2020) and Road (2021). 13 Waves was recorded remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, and was awarded the YUNA Music Award for Best New Album.
In an interview with 20 Minut, the pair described their sound as:
“Наш стиль музики не має точного визначення, оскільки він поєднує багато різних стилів. Ми хочемо, щоб люди танцювали, розслаблялись, а також відволікались від буденних речей і відчули спектр емоцій, які ми помістили в кожну з композицій.”
“Our style of music does not have a precise definition, as it combines many different styles. We want people to dance, relax, and also get distracted from everyday things and feel the spectrum of emotions that we put in each of the compositions.”
TVORCHI
“Heart of Steel” marks TVORCHI’s second entry into national selection Vidbir. The two first participated in the contest in 2020 with the song “Bonfire”, placing fourth in the final.
In an interview with Why Now, Hutsuliak shared how the song was inspired by the defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol.
“We came across a video of the defenders of Azovstal…When I looked into their eyes, I saw fire, strength and steadfastness. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was, but what I saw gave me goosebumps. And we transferred those emotions to this song.”
Andrii Hutsuliak
“Heart of Steel” is written entirely by the duo.
Ukraine’s Eurovision Journey
Ukraine is one of the most successful countries to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. The country has scored eight top five placements, with an extra three top ten finishes. Ukraine won the contest in 2004 with Ruslana’s ‘Wild Dances’ and again in 2016 with Jamala’s ‘1944.’ Jamala’s win made history for Ukraine, as it became the first ex-Soviet country to win the contest more than once.
In 2022, Kalush Orchestra represented Ukraine in the 66th edition of the contest with their song ‘Stefania.’ The band finished in first place with 614 points, marking Ukraine’s third Eurovision victory.
What do you think of Heart of Steel? Can TVORCHI get Ukraine a fourth win? Let us know your thoughts! Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as we prepare for Eurovision 2023!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Corinne Cumming / EBU
