It’s the week of “Pesma za Evroviziju 23”. The first semi-finals of the show is just moments away, the second will take place tomorrow, 2nd of March while the final is set to take place this Saturday, 4th of March. Eight acts will advance from each semi-final and ahead of those we had a chance to talk with Zejna who will be competing as 4th act of the second semi-final. Zejna is a singer who made her breakthrough in group Luna, after which she went to pursue solo career. She took part at last years edition of PzE with a ballad “Nema te”. Find out what she told us about the most viewed song of Pesma za Evroviziju 2023, her entry “Rumba” in our interview below

Hello Zejna, first of all I would like to congratulate you for being selected for Pesma za Evroviziju 2023. How does that feel and what made you decide to return to the show?
I got a great song so I saw an opportunity to rock the RTS stage.

Serbian audience got to know you better after you joined group Luna in 2009 with whom you recorded two albums before you went to pursue solo career. Can you tell us more about your musical beginnings and what were the songs you performed first way before joining Luna?
I was singing some pop and rock songs in my city Loznica and then I was in some competition, “Operacija trijumf” and even though I was one of the best I didn’t get into the televised show so I got in the group Luna as the second prize.

Last year you performed a lovely ballad “Nema te” and now you went for a song with a completely different style “Rumba”. What inspired the change?
I like to sing fast songs, slow songs, I like to sing all kind of music and last year it was “Nema te” but this year I felt more like dancing and singing the “Rumba”

Can you tell us a bit about your entry “Rumba” and what it means to you?
It doesn’t have any special meaning it is like dancing, singing and being one in music and love and that is maybe the message of my song.

What can we expect from your performance? Can you give us a hint?
My performance will be energetic, wild and both me and my girls will be dancing and I will as much as I can because I need to sing so you will see the dance and my performance will be just like the song, energy and love of feeling the joy while being on stage.

Congratulations for “Rumba” being the most listened PzE song on YouTube with more than 1.5 million views. Have you expected that and how does it make you feel?
No I didn’t expect to get so many views, I am very happy about that.

In 2011 with Dee Monk you recorded a song in English “Tonight” you also sing in Romani and Spanish, do you plan to perform your song “Rumba” in any of those languages in case you win PzE 23 or it will stay in Serbian?
I would like to sing Rumba in Serbian in case I go to Eurovision but I know it would sound great in English and Spanish, maybe even English would be great too.

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?
Yes, I watched it since being a child and it was my dream and I watched it every year. My favourite song is “Qele Qele”

If you had a chance to make a duet with any Pesma za Evroviziju /Eurovision participant, who would you choose?
Loreen, I love Loreen and that would be the great duet.

What do you do when you are not singing or creating music? Any hobbies?
I make songs, I don’t have any other job besides music. I write lyrics, I am composing and that’s also my hobby, but I also like to cook.

What are your plans after Pesma za Evroviziju 2023?
I don’t know yet we will need to wait and see what will happen at the competition and after that I have plans to make some world music in English, Spanish we have some plans maybe even to create some musical, I’d really like that too.

Thank you so much for your time Zejna. We wish you the best of luck at the Pesma za Evroviziju. Do you want to share something else or you maybe have a message for readers of escbubble?
Thank you so much for having me.

You can listen to “Rumba” by Zejna below:

If Zejna is one of your favorites at Pesma za Evroviziju 23, make sure to vote for her and your other favorites in our poll right here:

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