From the Theater to Eurovision: The Story of the LELÉKA Project
LELÉKA will present her entry in the second Eurovision semi-final today. Her music blends Ukrainian roots, a contemporary sound, and a very personal perspective on the world, in which home always remains the ultimate point of return, according to the official Eurovision website.
Behind this project is Viktoria Leleka—an artist who began her career as an actress in Kyiv and later built an international music career spanning Ukraine and Germany.
LELÉKA emerged in 2016, when the artist was living in Berlin and began working on her own music project. Her journey began not on the pop scene, but in the theater—Victoria graduated from the Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema, and Television and worked at the Molodyi Theater.
She later continued her studies in Europe, earning a master’s degree in jazz composition in Dresden and additionally studying film music at the University of Babelsberg. “It has always been important to me not just to sing, but to create my own world through music,” the artist said.
Over the past ten years, LELÉKA has released five albums and numerous individual tracks, as well as worked on soundtracks, including for the popular series “And There Will Be People.” Her style is often described as a blend of traditional Ukrainian motifs with contemporary electronic music and a signature sound that is hard to confuse with anyone else’s.
Some critics note that LELÉKA does not try to conform to the commercial pop format, which makes her music sound more “artistic,” but this is precisely what makes her recognizable.
There have been no major scandals surrounding the artist; instead, her work has occasionally sparked debate due to her bold reinterpretation of folklore and the blending of traditional Ukrainian motifs with contemporary music. The symbol of the project is the stork, a bird that always returns home, and for the artist, this is not just an image but a personal life story spanning countries, stages, and languages.
Today, LELÉKA will perform twelfth in the second Eurovision semifinal. A total of 15 contestants will take the stage to compete for a spot in the contest’s grand final.
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Azerbaijani singer JIVA will perform today in the second Eurovision semi-final. This is not the artist’s first time in the contest—back in 2011, she was among the finalists of the national selection in Azerbaijan, and now she returns as one of the country’s leading music stars.
Romanian singer Alexandra Căpitănescu will take the stage in the second Eurovision semifinal today. The artist rose to fame after winning “The Voice of Romania” in 2023 and is now considered one of the country’s most promising young performers.
Eva Marija will represent Luxembourg in the second Eurovision semi-final today. Her musical journey began at the age of three—after she saw Oleksandr Rybak win Eurovision 2009 with the song “Fairytale.”
23-year-old Daniel Zizka will represent the Czech Republic in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The young artist is already being called one of the most promising new voices on the Czech music scene.
SIMÓN will represent Armenia in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The artist has come a long way from being a dancer in show business to becoming one of the country’s most prominent young singers.
Veronica Fusaro will represent Switzerland in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The singer has long been hailed as one of the strongest and most recognizable voices on the contemporary Swiss music scene.
Antigoni will represent Cyprus in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The singer has long been building her career between London, Cyprus, and the Greek music scene, and now she is taking the stage at one of Europe’s biggest events.
Atvara will represent Latvia in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The singer rose to fame on TikTok, but in just a few years has managed to become a full-fledged star of the Latvian music scene.
Søren Torpegaard Lund will represent Denmark in the second Eurovision semi-final today. The artist came to the music contest already well-known in Denmark’s theater world—as a singer, actor, and dancer.
Delta Goodrem will represent Australia in the second Eurovision semi-final today. She is an artist who has long transcended national borders and become one of the most successful singers of her generation in global pop music.
