The Czech Republic has surprised us.
The song "Kemama" has beaten the favorite songs, "We All Pop" and "Elis Mraz", and has given the ESCZ 2020, the virtual pre-selection that the Czech Republic used for the first time this year, a big plot twist.
Benny Cristo got the maximum score of the TV vote and the second best mark from an international jury that included Eurovision singers such as Stig Rästa (Estonia 2015), KEiiNO (Norway 2019), Kristian Kostov (Bulgaria 2017), Katerine Duska (Greece 2019) or Miki Núñez (Spain 2019).
Thus, Benny Cristo has won the one-way ticket for the Eurovision Song Contest. It will be held in Rotterdam on the 12th, 14th and 16th of May. After the semi-final drawing celebrated a few weeks ago, the Czech Republic will try to qualify for the final by performing in the second semi-final.
"Kemama" is a completely rap song so new for the Festival but not for the commercial hits. It follows the country's line established in 2018 by Czech Mikolas Josef and his song "Lie To Me".
Benny Cristo is an artist with flow and style with a static song and African influences, just like its author. He is looking to set up THE party at Eurovision. "Kemama" is a song that is not far from other famous songs like "Cheerleader" by OMI, "Danza Kuduro" by Don Omar or even, it could be an "Allez Ola Olé" (France 2010) with less rhythm, to compare it with something from the Eurovision Song Contest.
Who is Benny Cristo?
Ben Cristovao, known artistically as Benny Cristo, is a renowned artist in the Czech Republic. At 32 years old, he has three albums and twenty singles: "Asio", "Posledni", "Padam" or "Aleiaio" stand out.
The brother of Czech comedian Bianca Cristovao and the dancer, actor and 2017 European Jiu-Jitsu champion, was born in Pilsen and has Congolese roots on his father's side, which can be listened in his music. He jumped to fame in 2009 when he became a finalist in the first edition of the Czech Idol program. Last year, he joined 15 thousand people in the O2 in Prague in the concert of his last tour. Benny is also known and acclaimed for his commitment to different solidarity causes.
The Czech Republic at Eurovision
The Czech Republic is one of the youngest countries at this festival. It made its debut in 2007 and its performances were not successful until 2018. The country made its first appearance in the Final in 2016 with Gabriela Gunčíková and the song "I Stand", coming in last place.
Czech Republic's rebirth was in 2018 with Mikolas Josef, who won the sixth position in the Lisbon final with the song "Lie To Me". The group Lake Malawi kept the successful line in 2019, lasting in eleventh position with the song "Friend of a Friend".
Benny Cristo's mission is to keep up the good Czech run with "Kemama" in this new edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
