The second edition of new format of Serbian national selection “Pesma za Evroviziju” will take place next week with the semi-finals scheduled for 1st and 2nd of March while the final is set to take place on 4th of March. Eight acts will be qualifying from each semi-final and one of the artists who will be competing as 9th in the evening of the second semi-final on 2nd of March is Igor Mišković who is better known as Eegor. This musician was educated as classical/jazz guitar player but he decided to go for trap-pop. You can find out more about the symbolism in the his entry “Starac dana” as well as about the importance of teddy bears in his artistic expression in our interview below

Hello Eegor, first of all I would like to congratulate you for being selected forPesma za Evroviziju 2023. How does that feel and what made you decide to take part at the show?
For me, as for every other vocal-artist, this kind of performing opportunity is a great chance to check the creation and aesthetics with your audience and the audience that will hear and see you for the first time. Conclusions an artist can draw from this kind of opportunity are very important for further development of his music form and content and with that the whole future career leading. It is also a big challenge to expose your personality in this way. Those things drive me as an artist to look forward to Pesma za Evroviziju 2023 and give it my best.

How did you get involved with singing? Can you tell us more about your musical beginnings?
I came a long way from a classical/jazz guitar player. I got from academic music to trap-pop and it needed a lot of bravery and standing out to most people who told me I could never do it. My first song – manifest is called Ahedonism and it is about a state of a bigger enjoyment of life, that comes after you pass a first phase of hedonistic needs. Just resist the first wish you get and try to suffer a bit and take a life’s serious face and turn it to a happiness through acceptance and love for yourself, because all of us are created exclusively to be remarkable and beautiful and we are if we start loving ourselves.

The song “Starac dana” was inspired by a fresco in a monastery. What usually inspires the music you create?
Inspiration for an artist is like a food for a bodybuilder. There are all kinds of different inspirations and different philosophies on “how to be inspired to create art”. The only sure thing is that you must feel it naturally and get kind of obsessed with it in a way. So, in order to export authentic spiritual content you must import in yourself adequate experiences. In my case, old orthodox Christian heritage, that Serbia is well known in the world(medieval orthodox monasteries with masterpieces all around),comes back to life in an ancient orthodox praying ceremony that is known as a liturgy which takes place every Sunday also in all of those old monasteries making them an ancient living creatures you actually can communicate with in a strange way through meditative energy senses. That is what I find extremely inspiring and crazy in a way.

Can you tell us a bit about “Starac dana” and how did it came to life?
“Starac Dana”, or translated “Ancient of Days” is a name of a fresco that depicts Jesus with white beard and in full glory.He arrives from the East on the throne at the end of the time followed by the angels. It is a mighty message of salvation and belief in the best outcome of the life we live after death – Resurrection of our soul and the final win of the Good proclaimed not by man and politicians but by the divine Creator. I really do believe Jesus loves all the people and forgives usour mistakes, and has a lot of patience with us and guides us to the right paths.

That fresco “Starac Dana” is in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. It is painted in 14th century in a Serbian monastery Pećka Patrijaršija. It is a monastery located in Kosovo that is unfortunately a very politically hot area today. I love Albanian people and have many friends. I also very often visit Kosovo to go to the monastery and also to meet my Albanian friends. I call for piece and diplomacy and love with this song because God calls for love and forgiveness. Also,there is a great depiction of “Ancient of Day” by the great English artist William Blake.

What’s the connection between the teddy bears you have in the cover photo of the song and the song itself? Can you tell us more about that? Will we be seeing you hug a teddy bear on the stage of PzE 23?
Teddy bears are an organic part of my artistic symbolism. They should reflect the innocence of a child in every one of us that must be protected and nurtured. I am a father of a three wonderful human beings and I reconstructed my spirit inspired by their forgotten toys. Also for me as a man, flowers and teddy bears are a very simple symbol of a gift and care and empathy that is what makes us human in a way. There will be two “teddy bear angels” on the stage with me, with angel wings. That is all I want to say for now. But teddy bears shouldn’t be a goal, they are there to help communicate a deeper message I am trying to deliver, and really get people to believe it is a message that is very honest and very personal.

What can we expect from your performance? Can you give us a hint?
I will surprise a lot of people with something they will never forget, and I don’t know if it was ever done on Eurovision stage. Just follow @eegorizam and you will be delighted.

Your song is the 5th most watched PzE 23 entry at the official YouTube channel. Have you expected that amount of views and how does it feel?
Being a true underdog of the competition and the least known artist in the competition, I can say views on YouTube seem to show that people understood what I sing about and relate to the lyrics and believe my delivery. It is a perfect chance for my art to get to wider audience and that is the goal of every artist and of course, it makes me happy and it makes all the time I spend every day on my art worth it.

Do you watch Eurovision regularly, if so would you like to share a memory which you have of it or a favourite song from the contest?
Actually I have always been a big fan of most of the pop music. That is why Eurovision is a great platform for me to hear new ideas, sounds and visuals that can inspire me. I watch every Eurovision and listen every song very carefully because I always find songs that are done in a way that make me enjoy listening it. I remember at this moment Anouk – Birds song, Portuguese Salvador Sobral with an amazing song Amar Pelos Dois and of course a wonderful ballad Molitva, Marija Šerifović sang on the night Serbia won the competition.

If you had a chance to make a duet with any Pesma za Evroviziju/Eurovision participant, who would you choose?
Serbian musician I would like to duet with from the contest is Adem Mehmetović, because I just met him a few days ago and we have a good vibe, maybe because we both come from Classical Music Academy environment. He is also an amazing pianist, and I am not such a bad guitar player so who knows, we could cross strings and vocals in the future…
Vesna – My Sisters Crown is a very artistic song, specially with that amazing video that I have watched many many times. It would be amazing to work with such greatly talented musicians. I would do a duet with an Albanian singer, that could be a great thing.

What are the three things you never leave your house without?
Teddy bears on my sneakers. Book. I love wearing undershirts.

What do you do when you are not singing or creating music? Any hobbies?
My hobbies are many, but some of them are: Having a good time with Family, reading and analyzing Serbian and international contemporary literature with my friends on a private Viber group “Hard Reading”, going to church, going to alt-rock concerts, hanging out with a lot of cool people, playing Catan game with my closest friends and going to gym.

What are your plans after Pesma za Evroviziju 2023?
Finally releasing crazy songs and videos that I already have recorded videos for, and organizing the most insane concert in the Europe where I will play guitar in my experimental rock-jazz band EegorHashima for 40 minutes, then switch to my new electro-pop band Eegor Sentysh for another set and finish of with my grand solo project Eegor an art-pop/trap for the big ending. All with my original music in 3 totally different genres.

Thank you so much for your time Eegor. We wish you the best of luck at Pesma za Evroviziju. Do you want to share something else or you maybe have a message for readers of escbubble?
Yes, enjoy life in a good way. And this act on PzE 2023 will be my message to all those who believe in themselves and know it is reasonable goal to change and become your true self. I am the underdog of Serbian PzE 2023,but I will give my best shot at making the best possible performance and prove people my art is worth a lot. Love to U my beautiful Universe and thy Creator.

You can listen to “Starac dana” by Eegor below:

If Eegor is one of your favorites in the Serbian national final, make sure to vote for him and your other favorites in our poll right here:

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