La Zarra has been chosen by France Télévision to represent France at Eurovision on May 13. The singer will perform the title “Evidemment” finally revealed on Sunday, February 19.
[Updated February 20, 2023 at 8:12 a.m.] Eurovision is just four months away! The international singing competition will be held on May 13 in Liverpool, but will still feature former winners Ukraine. This year, France 2 chose the candidate who will represent France, citing a “coup de coeur” for the artist. This is La Zarra, a Canadian singer on the rise in France. She will defend the tricolor with the title “Evidemment”, unveiled during the 8:30 p.m. Sunday broadcast of the public service channel, February 19.
The piece which skillfully mixes voice and piano with disco-funk inspirations concentrates the hopes that the French delegation of Eurovision. “Evidemment” is “a French anthem about universal love, self-love, the love of absolute happiness in such a complex world, the battle of a lifetime to arrive at sincere love”, has describes Alexandra Redde-Amiel, head of the delegation at a press conference on Friday 10 February. To collect points and try to win the La Zarra singing competition and the French Eurovision team are counting on this title “poignant and thrilling at the same time, authentic and realistic”.
La Zarra, known in the city as Fatima Zahra Hafdi, is a Quebec singer revealed in 2021 with her title “Tu t’en iras” and her first album, “Traîtrise”. She had thus been named at the NRJ Music Awards for the French-speaking revelation of the year and, if she had not won the statuette, there is no doubt that the artist will still continue to be talked about. She is already planning an album, due out in June, after her Eurovision performance.
The announcement of La Zarra’s candidacy for Eurovision 2023 was made on January 12, 2023. To those who would be offended that a Canadian represents France in the singing competition, she retorted to 20 minutes: “The Quebec and France are very, very close cousins. We have great sympathy for each other.” In an interview with Télé 7 Jours, La Zarra confides in her musical influences, citing Barbara, Edith Piaf and Dalida. “I’m a fan of that time, where love songs gave you chills. I like simple and strong lyrics, which speak of love, emancipation, dreams and hope”, explains- it to the media specializing in television. The artist said she was “honoured” to represent France. “I would like to show the world what I am capable of and share it with them. For me, music is above all a message of love and hope that I want to convey to as many people as possible.”
Eurovision 2023 will be held on May 13. Liverpool was chosen to organize the event, replacing Ukraine, which could not ensure sufficient security conditions according to the organizers. As a reminder, France is automatically qualified for the final of the competition, on May 13, because it is one of the Big Five, that is to say the five countries contributing financially the most to the organization of the event.
