This Saturday Croatia will find out who will represent them in Eurovision 2023 and our editor Marco had the chance to talk with Patricia Gasparini about her participation in Dora 2023. The winner of Dora will be selected 50% by the jury and 50 by the public. You can check out our interview with Patricia Gasparini below.

Hello Patricia Gasparini and thank you for taking your time for ESCBubble! First of all, how was your reaction when you heard you will be at Dora 2023?
Well, a combination of being nervous, euphoric and excited haha! These feelings were currently replaced by preparation for the contest, being disciplined, focused and working hard to prepare a good show for Dora’s stage.

What made you decide to enter Dora and what are your expectations from the contest?
In 2019., I also applied for Dora 2019. I was the first reserve with the song ”Pretend”. Now in 2022., I applied again and entered as a finalist with the song ”I will wait”. I am sure the energy will be great while meeting other contestants and sharing the same passion for music. Of course, I would love to represent my country in Europe but right now I am really focused on delivering the best performance ever! I have a great team behind me, producer Simba, label director Branko and stage director Luka who are really having my back in the contest.

Your song is called “I Will Wait”, what can you tell us about it, what’s the message behind it?
I definitely want to highlight my path in music and say that those who work hard, with luck and patience can succeed. Song ‘I will wait’, although at first listening it can be interpreted as a love song, it can also mean waiting on a better version of yourself. Working on yourself and waiting for the right chance and using that chance in the best way is the emotion I want my listeners to feel while watching my performance. 2022., has been really hard on me and I had many personal challenges, so this sincerity is something that I want to share with the audience.

How will the staging be at Dora 2023? What can we expect from your performance?
I am preparing a performance with 4 dancers that are going to accompany me on the stage. We are preparing an artistic, dynamic performance. I will be mainly focused on delivering a strong vocal performance, highlighting strong stage presence while the dancers will add the atmosphere and fulfil the vision that is planned for the stage.

Which of the other contestants are you excited to see on Dora this year? And who do you consider to be your biggest competitor?
I am very pleased that 6 of the other contestants are also from Rijeka, my hometown. It is nice to see people from your own city united, doing what you do with the same passion. I admire their work and I found it very powerful to be able to represent our small town. I don’t think of my competitors, you never know who can surprise you!

Do you follow Eurovision and do you have a favorite song from the contest?
Listen, I am a performer and of course, I love big shows like Eurovision that are bringing the best out of everything an artist can hope for. I have two favourite performances. The first one is Iveta Mukuchyan – LoveWave (Armenia 2016) and the second one, Eleni Foureira – Fuego (Cyprus 2018). Both artist were striving in drive, energy, passion on the stage that left everyone speechless. The stage presence is something that I pay a lot of attention to, I think it really separates people from having that x-factor and people who are perhaps not so great at performing live. I have always looked up to great performers because I think that combined with a great voice, having a confident and powerful stage presence creates a more believable performance as an artist.

And any other plans for 2023? Can we expect new music from Patricia?
Absolutely! Dora 2023., will give me enough space to showcase my abilities as an artist, my experience, and my talent and will push me forward. I am planning on releasing new music shortly after the craziness of Dora stops.

In the end, I want to thank you for your time and please, if you have a message for your fans and our readers here on ESCBubble?
I will make sure you guys don’t forget about me haha. I am definitely not a one-hit wonder but a committed artist who believes that hard work, good ethics, good songs and talent will open many doors. Whenever it gets hard, what really gives me strength are examples of great singers like Beyonce, she prepared for like 8 months for a concert of 2 hours! I have such positive energy and performing gives me strength. The energy you give is the energy you receive. I am thankful for my fans. Good vibes only, please!

You can listen to Patricia Gasparini’s 2023 Dora entry right here:

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