We will update this article with the TikTok and our reaction as soon as we get it.
Today the rehearsals for Eurovision 2024 start in Malmö. Countries rehearsing on Day 1 include Cyprus, Serbia, Lithuania, Ireland, Ukraine, Poland and Croatia. The last to rehearse today is Croatia’s Baby Lasagna.
Baby Lasagna’s first rehearsal
The final act to take to the Eurovision 2024 stage at Malmö Arena in Malmö today was Croatia’s Baby Lasagna. Croatia will be competing in this year’s competition with Baby Lasagna’s entry “Rim Tim Tagi Dim” following on from him winning the national selection Dora 2024..
Following Baby Lasagna’s first rehearsal, a clip of what went on was posted on the official TikTok account of the Eurovision Song Contest. The clip showed Baby Lasagna before and after he took to the Eurovision stage for the first time, as well as giving us some insight into how well his first rehearsal went.
What did we learn about Croatia’s staging?
The set-up of Baby Lasagna’s staging is a polished version of his winning performance at Dora, the official Eurovision live blog confirms. The folk dancing, frilly sleeves, and use of the entire stage return. Baby Lasagna’s outfit is a white shirt under a beautiful red and gold chest piece. Neon farm animals dominate the LED wall, with cats appearing towards the end. And during the final run-through for today we also finally get to see the large amounts of pyro Baby Lasagna will be using. From smoke jets during the violins to fire jets during the choruses and even some cracker fireworks during the bridge, Croatia seems to be planning on using all the pyro in the arena.
What we thought of Croatia’s first rehearsal
After Croatia’s first rehearsal, Jazzi gave her initial thoughts on the snippet that we saw.
Who is Baby Lasagna?
Marko Purišić, who goes by the stage name Baby Lasagna, is from Umag in Croatia. His journey in the music industry started in 2011 as he was the guitarist for the Croatian band Manntra, who competed in Dora 2019 with the song “In the Shadows”.
Marko’s solo career as Baby Lasagna kicked off in 2023 with his first single “IG Boy”, followed on by “Don’t hate yourself but don’t love yourself too much”. In 2024 Baby Lasagna was selected as a wildcard for Dora 2024 with his Eurovision song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”, however was later permitted into the competition following a withdrawal. The rest is history.
“Rim Tim Tagi Dim” his Eurovision song was written and composed solely by Marko himself. He states the song is about moving away from your home town to a big city, and the anxieties surrounding that.
Croatia’s Eurovision Journey
Croatia has been a part of the Eurovision family since 1961, as part of Yugoslavia. Ten Croatian artists went on to represent Yugoslavia in the Contest – the most famous of which being Riva, who gave Yugoslavia its only win in 1989. The 1990 Contest was held in Zagreb as a tribute to their Croatian heritage.
Croatia debuted in the Contest as an independent nation in 1993 with the band Put and their song “Don’t Ever Cry”. Since then, Croatia has gone on to score as high as 4th place in 1996 and 1999. For 2023, Croatia chose the well-known band Let 3 to represent the nation in Liverpool with their song “Mama ŠČ!”. Performing in the first semi-final, Croatia qualified for the Grand Final for the first time since 2017. In the Grand Final, the band finished in 13th place, with a total of 123 points – 11 of which coming from juries, whilst another 112 came from the televote.
What do you think of “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”? What are your thoughts on Baby Lasagna’s staging from the photos we have seen? Let us know your thoughts! Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok as we prepare for Eurovision 2024!
News Source: That Eurovision Site / Eurovision.tv
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Ružić
Rory Gannon