Bzikebi
Bzikebi | |
|---|---|
Bzikebi in 2008 (from left to right: Shiolashvili, Tatulashvili, and Kikuashvili) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Members | Giorgi Shiolashvili Mariam Kikuashvili Mariam Tatulashvili |
Bzikebi (Georgian: ბზიკები, lit. 'Wasps') is a Georgian musical group, best known for winning the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008 for Georgia with the song "Bzz..". The group consists of Giorgi Shiolashvili (გიორგი შიოლაშვილი, born 7 March 1998), Mariam Kikuashvili (მარიამ კიკუაშვილი, born 22 January 1998), and Mariam Tatulashvili (მარიამ თათულაშვილი, born 5 April 1998),[1][2] who were all ten years old during the contest.[3][4]
They are set to represent Georgia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with their song “On Replay”, becoming the fourth winners of the junior version to participate in the adult competition, after the Tolmachevy Sisters in 2014, Destiny Chukunyere in 2021, and Iru Khechanovi in 2023.
Career
Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Bzikebi won the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Lemesos, Cyprus on 22 November 2008 with their song "Bzz..".[5] During their performance they were dressed in outfits with black and yellow stripes resembling bees[3][6][7] and they sang in a made-up language.[2] They won the competition with a total of 154 points.[5][8]
Bzikebi made frequent appearances at Junior Eurovision in the years following their win. They performed with the previous winners as an interval act in the 2010 contest, and also made a guest appearance during the voting in the 2011 contest. They also performed frequently in Georgia, before eventually going on hiatus as a group from 2012 onwards, until reappearing as guests at the opening ceremony of the 2017 contest on home soil, and in 2022 as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the contest. They performed as an interval act during the 2025 contest on home soil.
Eurovision Song Contest 2026
In January 2026, Bzikebi were announced as Georgia's representatives in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Their song, “On Replay”, was released on 11 March 2026. Bzikebi is due to compete during the first half of the first semi-final of the 2026 contest in Vienna, Austria on 12 May 2026.[4]
References
- ^ Montebello, Edward (4 October 2008). "JESC 08: Georgia Selected Bzikebi". ESCMALTA.com. Retrieved 24 November 2008.
- ^ a b van der Molen, Rianne (24 November 2008). "Bijtjes uit Georgië winnen songfestival, Marissa 13de". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). p. 6.
- ^ a b "Georgië wint Junior Songfestival 2008". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
- ^ a b "საქართველოს ევროვიზია 2026-ზე საბავშვო ევროვიზია 2008-ის გამარჯვებული ჯგუფი „ბზიკები" წარადგენს" [The winner of Junior Eurovision 2008, the group "Bzikebi", will represent Georgia at Eurovision 2026] (in Georgian). Georgian Public Broadcaster. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Georgia has won!". esctime.com. 22 November 2008. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
- ^ "Bzikebi to leave for Cyprus for Eurovision Junior". The Georgian Times. 13 November 2008. Archived from the original on 4 September 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
- ^ "'Wasps to represent Georgia in the Junior Eurovision 2008'". oikotimes.com.
External links
- Jensen, Charlotte (22 November 2008). "Summing bees from Georgia wins the 2008 Junior Eurovizzzion Zzzong Contezzzt". Eurovisionary.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2008.