Tina Vukov is a well established Croatian musician from Rijeka. She graduated from the music school I. M. Ronjgov and has participated in Dora on four occasions. Her first Dora entry was in 2004 with the song Tuga Dolazi Kasnije with the Matija Dedić trio but unfortunately didn’t advance to the final. Her second Dora participation in 2006 was way more succesful though. With Il treno per Genova, she won the semi-final and finished in third place in the final. Just a year later, Tina returned to Dora with the song Tata, where she finished 4th in the competition. In the same year, in 2007, Tina Vukov won the Porin Award in the categories New Artist Of The Year and Best Female Vocal Performance with “Il treno per Genova“.

In 2021 Tina Vukov released the album ‘Što me čini sretnom’, where she covers a lot of old Croatian songs and also released five new singles. This year, Tina is one of the 14 participants in the Dora final. She will participate with the song “Hideout” on February 19th.

We had the chance to meet Tina ahead of Dora 2022!

Hello Tina and thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us today! We cannot wait to find out more about you, your music and your participation at Dora 2022!

You have previously participated in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2011.. What made you return to Dora after so many years?
Thank you for the invitation! I have decided to return to Dora this year because I felt it was the right moment and platform for my song “Hideout”. I have had the demo, originally written in English, for quite a few years now and waiting to be released, so when I saw the open call for Dora, I thought I should give it a try. After so many years it feels new and exciting to be back.

This is going to be your fifth time at Dora. What does Dora mean to you?
It means a lot to me, given that two of my most popular songs, “Tuga dolazi kasnije” and “Il treno per Genova” debuted on Dora. It’s an incredible opportunity for young artists, as well as anyone who wants to present their music, especially in this era of social media where everything is interconnected and we get to follow other countries as they compete.

What is your favorite memory from all your Dora participations?
There are many, but it is probably the moment I realized I was going to come in first in the semi-finals of 2006. and the song had a chance of reaching a wide audience. It was completely unexpected for me at that point.

You just released a new album and five new singles in 2021 – How were the reactions to your musical comeback?
I have just recently released a new album of covers, mostly old Croatian music, and I can say the reactions are very positive. Old music is a passion of mine, every song I selected means something to me, so it’s amazing to see them come to life in my versions. I feel happy and humbled, especially when it reaches someone who has never heard them

Your previous Dora entries were in Croatian – Why have you decided to compete with an English song this time?
Singing in English has always come naturally to me, and we have now come to a point in which young people listen to foreign music and sing in English a lot more than before, so I happily jumped on the bandwagon.

Can you tell us more about your song “Hideout”?
I am not sure what I am allowed to reveal, but I would say it is a quality pop song with a strong message.

Would you like to give us a small taste on what your performance is going to look like?
Minimalistic but effective.

What is your personal goal for Dora 2022?
I want to deliver the song the best way I can, have a great time and hopefully see the audience like it.

Do you consider yourself a Eurovision fan? Do you maybe even have a favorite ESC song?
I can’t say I’m a fan, but I do watch Eurovision every year. The song that absolutely stunned me was “Amar pelos dois” by Salvador Sobral.,it’s a beautiful timeless ballad and I was really happy to see it win. Another classic performance I love was by Verka Serduchka in 2007., my friends and I used to dance to it all the time, and I still re-visit it every once in a while.

How would you feel if Croatia decided to send you to the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 in Turin?
I would be very honored, of course, but let’s wait and see!

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us, Tina! We wish you the best of luck for your performance at Dora!

You can listen to Tina Vukov’s full song “Hideout” here:

If you want to support Tina, don’t forget to vote for her in our poll!

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