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Russian, Armenian, Azerbaijani Singers Make Eurovision Finals


Russia's Sergei Lazarev poses on the red carpet during the official opening ceremony for the 61st annual Eurovision Song Contest.
Russia's Sergei Lazarev poses on the red carpet during the official opening ceremony for the 61st annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Russia's Sergei Lazarev on May 10 was selected as a finalist in the 2016 Eurovision song contest, along with singers from Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The musicians selected in the semifinals will compete in the final round on May 14 in Stockholm.

Lazarev's entry, You Are The Only One, was composed by an international team including Russian singer Filip Kirkorov and Greek composer Dimitris Kontopoulos, and is considered one of the favorites to win.

Also making the finals was Armenia's Iveta Mukuchyan, who co-wrote her song LoveWave, along with Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, and the Netherlands.

Viewers and professional juries in 21 countries selected the qualifiers from 18 countries. Musical styles in the semifinal round ranged from ballads, pop, and rock to country.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Moldova, and Montenegro failed to reach the finals on May 10. In all, 42 countries entered this year's contest.

Based on reporting by dpa and TASS

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