Finnish electronic dance music artist Darude will represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, in May.
Many are familiar with “Sandstorm,” Darude’s hit song of ’99, among others, in his almost 20-year-long career.
“This is a huge challenge for me in many ways. When I was asked to represent Finland, I felt a bit scared at first, but there was no way I could say no to my country! It is an honor to be part of this incredible experience and I only have positive expectations,” Darude said in a statement.
According to the Eurovision’s rules, an artist cannot compete by playing instrumentals, so Darude has asked vocalist Sebastian Rejman, known from a band called The Giant Leap, to share the stage with him.
The winning Darude track that finally represents Finland in the ESC 2019 will be decided by a combination of public vote and an international jury’s points via live stream and TV broadcast UMK19: Darude on March 2.
