| LT UNITED - "We Are The Winners" - Lithuanian Eurovision Entry 2006
Breaking news – the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest already has a winner! Simple as that. Sung in English and French, "We Are the Winners" is this year's Lithuanian entry and has already caused controversy in many European countries. "We are the winners of Eurovision" goes the chorus. Surely, they must be joking?
Well, it seems they are not. Or maybe they are, but they do it with a charm. LT UNITED, the band responsible for this year's entry, is an ‘all star line-up’ of Lithuanian pop performers. Created and masterminded by Andrius Mamontovas, the famous Lithuanian rock singer, they deliver this catchy song with a message that's hard to resist. The Lithuanian President is a fan - he invited LT UNITED to his office to perform on Lithuania's Independence Day. Two weeks later, the nation made the same choice - LT UNITED witnessed unprecedented support during the national selection, gaining almost twice as many votes from the viewers as the closest runners-up. And their popularity keeps growing – in March, LT UNITED became Lithuanian ambassadors of the United Nations Development Programme ‘Time To Help The Others’.
"The idea of this song came to me during a live TV discussion about Eurovision,” sais Andrius. “It just stuck in my head. Is the song ironic? Well, there's certain element of irony involved, of course. But the fact is, this is a song for the winners. A happy, uplifting song."
Viewers of the same broadcast witnessed his promise to write a song for Eurovision 2006. Everybody thought he was joking. But he wasn't. Immediately fascinated by his idea, five Lithuanian pop stars jumped aboard, forming the most ambitious line-up in Lithuanian pop history.
"This is the musical equivalent of a national basketball team,” he says. “Combined, the members of this line-up have the biggest experience of touring and performing in foreign countries. Our strength is our unity, so I'm 100% sure about this idea.”
After winning the Lithuanian Eurovision selection, LT UNITED chose an alternative approach of promotion. Forget the trips to European capitals and performances in nightclubs.
"There will be no public performances of this song until the day of the Eurovision Semi Final,” Andrius said. “No radio promo CDs will be issued, either. One might spend a lifetime trying to get into the spotlight, trying again and again to sneak in through the back door of this thing called ‘showbiz’. We chose a different approach - we'll take a limo and arrive right at the main entrance. We're not going to Athens to compete against anybody. The fact is, we have the song of the Eurovision winners. And we are going to perform it."
So, ladies and gentlemen, let's meet the winners...
Andrius Mamontovas is by far the most famous Lithuanian rock singer. During his two-decade career he has written and recorded more than 20 platinum albums – both as a leader of hugely successful (now defunct) group Foje and as a solo artist. Foje’s stadium performances attracted crowds of 60,000. Such an authoritative position in the Lithuanian music scene allowed Andrius to organize the concert that on April 1990 rescued the House of Press of Vilnius from being invaded by Soviet Army. During the difficult days, when fighting for the independence of Baltic countries reached its peak, an audience of 20,000 at the concert of the most popular rock and pop artists forced the Red Army troops (who were ready to invade the palace) to retreat.
Since going solo ten years ago, Andrius has shared the stage with artists like Bryan Adams and Sting. He regularly performs in Germany and the US. Having won every Lithuanian music award imaginable, he's also known for his acting skills. Andrius performs the main role in a critically-acclaimed theatre version of ‘Hamlet’ directed by Eimuntas Nekrosius, which so far has been performed more than 170 times in 40 countries.
Marijus Mikutavicius is the Lithuanian definition of a ‘household name’. Enjoying parallel careers as a singer and popular TV host, he's been around for more than 10 years. His first solo album was a smash, breaking many Lithuanian sales records. He is the man responsible for a wildly popular special anthem written for Lithuania's participation in the Olympic games of 2000. Known for his energy, sense of humour and friendliness, Marijus is one of the most popular people of Lithuanian showbusiness. And he's loved by the ladies as well, being a regular winner of ‘Lithuania's most handsome man’ polls.
Victor ‘Vee’ Diawara adds his cosmopolitan touch to LT UNITED. Born in Mali, he has lived in Germany and Ireland. Now he's the creative force behind Skamp, one of the most popular Lithuanian bands – the same band, one might remember, that brought Lithuania its highest Eurovision placing of 13th in 2001. As a member of Skamp, Victor has performed gigs in many European countries and shared the stage with international stars such as the Black Eyed Peas, Reamonn, Bomfunk MCs, Macy Gray, Kraftwerk, Robert Plant and many more. He's also a prolific producer, sharing his talent and advice with many young bands.
Saulius ‘Samas’ Urbonavicius is another Lithuanian rock legend. His band Bix was a pain in the ass for Soviet authorities during the late 80s. With brave lyrics, innovative music and sometimes scandalous behaviour Bix were the leaders of the Lithuanian alternative scene. Sometimes described as a Lithuanian Talking Heads, Bix once shared the stage with Nirvana and became the first Lithuanian group to appear on MCM music channel. Currently, as well as being a musician, Saulius is a TV personality and works as a producer of reality shows.
Arnoldas Lukosius is described by his friends as “Lithuania's first rock accordion player”. A former member of Foje, he's editor of a popular Lithuanian magazine and also plays in Andrius Mamontovas’ band. Freaky costumes and wild behaviour on stage are what the audience expects from him. And he surely delivers. Just wait until you see him performing a ‘special Eurovision dance’ on stage in Athens. "I might be opening a private dance school after this," he said.
Last, but not least, Eimantas Belickas is a violin player extraordinaire. Having lent his talent to a number of Lithuanian rock bands, including hugely influential Airija, he's always in demand as a musician. And a model as well – he has appeared in a number of commercials. Nowadays he plays with Andrius Mamontovas and works as an editor in a TV studio. |
