68th Song Contest:

Luxembourg returns after a 31-year break

Singer Tali is a Luxembourger with Israeli-Peruvian roots(Bild: APA/AFP/ANP/Sander Koning)

Luxembourg is returning to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) after 31 years with singer Tali. With the French-English song "Fighter", the Luxembourger with Israeli-Peruvian roots has a message. "I want to show that anything is possible if you work hard and if you believe that you can do it," said the 23-year-old. 

She herself has often had setbacks, but has always fought on. Now she feels "extremely honored" to be able to take to the ESC stage for Luxembourg in Malmö, Sweden, in May. "Music is my life."

Tali Golergant lived in Chile and Argentina until the age of ten before coming to Luxembourg with her family. After attending school, she studied in New York and now lives in the Grand Duchy again. Luxembourg is her home. "I definitely feel Luxembourgish," said the singer-songwriter, who also works as a singing teacher.

"Extremely excited"
"For me, Luxembourg is a place of peace and quiet. And of rest. I think I've always come here between hectic times and it's always been a place to recharge my batteries, to be with family and friends," she said.

Before her performance at the ESC, she was "extremely excited. But I think it's going to be one of the coolest things I ever do".

Five-time winner
Luxembourg was one of the participants in the first ESC back in 1956, when it was still known as the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson. By 1993, Luxembourg had won the ESC five times. One of the winners was Vicky Leandros with "Après toi" in 1972.

Since then, the country of around 660,000 inhabitants has refrained from participating, mainly for financial reasons.