Latvia had one of the most impressive starts for a country at Eurovision ever, with a third place on its first attempt and a victory on its third. However, the Baltic country has failed to qualify for the final ever since 2009.
In the national selection format Dziesma 2014, two semi-finals were held in Riga followed by a final in Ventspils. 12 songs competed in each show, and Cake To Bake ultimately emerged from Dziesma as the Latvian entry.
Aarzemnieki means “(the) foreigners”, as the singer (and Brainstorm fan) Jöran Steinhauer comes from Bochum, Germany. Unlike the rock band Foreigner, the Latvian Eurovision entrants’ style can be described as something like “country-schlager”. The band’s name reflects the struggle to integrate into a new culture, and also gives us the hint that everyone is a foreigner as soon as he leaves his home country.
Cake To Bake is a happy campfire tune (as the preview video also suggests), and when watching the live performance at Dziesma, you can’t fully fade out the impression that the band members have just wandered straight out of an auditorium at the University of Latvia.
My verdict is that this is a dark horse. The unprofessional aura around the band might be their biggest bonus in Copenhagen, and I don’t doubt their musical and – for Eurovision more importantly – vocal qualities. In between all the polish and overproduced songs, many of which lack any kind of vibe, this will stand out. I like this a lot, and I’m sure many people will be very surprised to see this not only qualifying, but also sneaking into the top 10 on the Saturday. Hardly ever was my verdict-smiley more appropriate!
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