Credits
News
© LTV
Part seven
Introducing the 2009 entries: Latvia
Basic information
| Performer: | Intars Busulis |
| Song: | Probka (Пробка - Traffic jam) |
| Language: | Russian |
| Music: | Kārlis Lācis |
| Lyrics: | Jānis Elsbergs, Sergej Timofejev |
| Draw: | 3rd in the second semi final |
The song
Probka, which was originally performed in Latvian as Sastrēgums in the national final, is a classic up-tempo rock song. The lyrics tell a story of the singer fighting himself through a traffic jam, which is most likely to be symbolic for today's busy world, to get to a woman he spotted in the crowd jumping over the roofs:
Эй, возьми меня наверх с собой!
Я устал трубить себе отбой,
Я хочу гулять по бамперам,
Я ведь не привинчен намертво!
Hey, lift me up to you!
I don't want to give up anymore,
I do want to walk on buffer-bars,
Nothing can really stop me!
The singer
Intars Busulis launched his musical career in 1999 as part of the boy group Caffe. The band took part in the Latvian national final for the Eurovision Song Contest twice: in 2002, they finished 12th out of 15 participants with Amberland and in 2003, they reached 12th place yet again with the song I am yours. The same year, Intars Busulis left the band to start his solo career facing mainly on jazz music.
He took part in various jazz festivals in Latvia, Estonia, Finland, France, Lithuania and Canada and starred in the musicals Cabaret, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mass. In 2007, he entered Eirodziesma again, this time as a solo artist. With the song Gonki (performed in Russian), he finished fourth in the televoting in the second semi final but still made it to the final as the winner of the jury voting. He would finish second overall behind Bonaparti.lv.
In 2008, he released his first solo album and the song Brīvdiena would become a huge airplay success. In 2009, he entered the Latvian national final for the fourth time and could win the selection this time. Probka will be the first Eurovision Song Contest entry entirely performed in Russian since t.A.T.u.'s Ne ver, ne bosya in 2003.
National selection
Latvia introduced a new version of Eirodziesma this year. Instead of two semi finals, one semi final with 20 participants was held and ten acts qualified for the final through televoting. The winners of the semi final were Kristina Zaharova & Annija Putnina, who would finish second in the national final. Intars Busulis won the national final - he had finished fourth in the semi final.
Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest
Latvia was the last Baltic country to debute in the Eurovision Song Contest when it did so in 2000. Brainstorm finished third in Stockholm with the song My star marking one of the most impressive debuts to that date. In 2002, Marie N won the contest with I wanna and after disappointing results in 2003 and 2004, Latvia would be in the final every year after. However, they have been finishing outside the top ten since 2006.
Novēlam Latvijai un Intaram Busulim panākumus un veiksmi Maskavā!
Videos
The live performance in the national (semi) final:
The preview video:
Intars Busulis in 2007 with Gonki:
The hit song Brīvdiena:
Intars Busulis in Cabaret:
Other parts of this series
Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Irish entry.
Related polls
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Melodi Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Milli Seçim Turu
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the final of A Dal
- Iceland: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Songvakeppni Sjonvarpsins
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the second semifinal of A Dal
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the third semifinal of Melodi Grand Prix
- Sweden: Vote for your favourite act in the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the semifinal of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Bulgaria: Vote for your favourite act in the Bulgarian national final 2012
- Latvia: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Eirodziesma 2012
- Belarus: Vote for your favourite act in the final of EuroFest 2012
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Reactions
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Well...it s a different kind of music it is not a just simple hearing...and thats why the most find it annoying or uniteresting..for me i really fancy with that entry,i like it very much the lyrics these theme with the traffic jam! and its even better in Russian but i find hard to pass the semi for the reason that in the same participate two other neighbours( Esthonia,Lithuania) whose songs are more easy and catcy hearings and have ( theoritically) more chances...
I´m really hoping he brings that Marilyn-shirt to Moscow! 
The song? Well...good luck.
@ Mario
that is the question no one can answer, unfortunately.
i think people don't want to lose and they think that english (or any other language) might be more successful, because more people understand it. Latvia is not the only country to have this opinion, i guess.
there has been one song in Latvian in ESC, but it has not been successful. strange as it may be - people think the language is to be blamed. 
@ Sanita
If your country are so worried about Latvian why you ever (except 2004) send entries in other languages???
@ Mario Mir
Well, it is not that bad. It is overexaggerated. The thing is that we don't want Russian to dominate. It is enough with Soviet times. We don't want the Latvian language to extinguish. Since there are quite many Russians who do not respect our language and still have not learnt a word of it, we have to do something about it.
I hope Intars Busulis will show that there is no war between Latvians and Russians in Latvia (as quite many people in the world think)..
It's the rhythm that ruins this song for me. I don't care for complex rhythm cycles and the 7/8 meter is one of the worst. The instrumentation and vocals are not bad, but the melody is lacking a hook and the performance is too frantic to get me jiggy with it. Combine this with a rhythm which is hopelessly advanced and you get ... a big mess, really.
Thank you for your reaction Marianna, I've send them an e-mail some days ago, but I have no answer back yet...
haha i love it.ull get my vote again Latvia 
I really like this entry, especially the contrast between the up-tempo rock elements and the soothing dream-like vocals, although it's not one of my favourites.
@ Sanita
Yes, all Europe know the efforts of your government in cleaning Russian from your country.
To DesirNL
You are looking for an original Latvian lyrics. If you can not find them anywhere, I think you can ask
Homesite: http://intarsbusulis(...)om/index.php?lang=en and contacts.
It is not THAT bad! Its better than some lack lustre ballad or cheap pop song! STOP COMPLAINING.
As the theme was about "eating goats" earlier so here's my bet:
I will eat "2 goats" if this passes to the final! hopefully, I'll be able to find a couple of wandering goats somewhere if it does..(and some mustard)
vote for your favourite here!!
http://three.flash-g(...)137197974&h=2499
I prefer Russian version. I think that Probka will succeed better in Moscow.
But I understand that some Latvians people don`t like the fact that their song was translated into Russian. It was chosen in Latvian.
I'm sorry but for me Latvia is bottom 3 this year together with Turkey and Macedonia .
i know that u like Latvia song but u like Finnish song more If Latvia pass in the final and Finland wont pass u r going to be happy with that?
Well, like Paschalis said, they are in different semis. But even if they were in the same semi, why would I complain that people liked Latvia's song more than Finland's?
And anyway what do you (and others) suggest we do? Ban all the ex soviets from participating in eurovision? Ban all ex yugoslavians, too?
What about if we also banned the scandinavians?
I just don't see the point in this constant whining.
Interesting song and a very talented performer. The Estonian and Lithuanian 12s are guaranteed. Bad draw for Latvia though and not sure whether the public will have already consummed the required amount of alcohol to appreciate this entry. The juries are expected to bury the song but a qualification to the final is overall possible.
I really like this song very much !! I hope Latvia will go to the final !!! Good Luck Latvia !!! I will vote for you !!!
I have a question: I am lookiing for the original Latvian lyrics of this song, but I can't find it. Can anybody help me please ??? I have the Russian lyrics allready. Thanks in advance !!
Oh dear, I can't believe I actually listened to this entry again. Sorry, Latvia ... I do wish you all the best, you just won't get that best from me though.
@Paschalis i know that, i m just want to say that some very good songs from both semifinals is going to stay out beacuse some countreys ( with bad songs in my opinion ) have diaspora/neighbour voting and this is a plus for them
what the hell was that all about?
i agree with lina here.100%
If Germany 1998 and Austria 2003 were successful I don't see why Latvia this year can't be successful either. And it's a much better song than the other two.
@ Lina
Latvia and Finland are in different semis
The song is catchy and from very simple and low it changes to slow and rhythmic. It will pass to final.
@Mina i just say my opinion like everybody ( and u also ) say it i know that u like Latvia song but u like Finnish song more 
If Latvia pass in the final and Finland wont pass u r going to be happy with that?
I actually like this song even though it reminds me a little of a really horrible time in music and in humanity in general... the 80ies
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