Azerbaijani star Efendi speaks candidly in a local interview about her 2021 Eurovision entry, meeting Alla Pugacheva, and conditions for a potential contest return.
Photo: Andres Putting, EBU
Efendi, one of Azerbaijan’s most prominent stars who represented her country at Eurovision 2021 with the song “Mata Hari“, and was set to compete at the cancelled Eurovision 2020 with “Cleopatra“, continues to draw attention. In a new interview with an Azerbaijani news outlet, the singer spoke candidly about her Eurovision experience, the sense of missed opportunity that still lingers, and the chances of seeing her on the contest stage once again.
“We Were Treated Unfairly, Unfinished Business Remains”
Although over five years have passed since her Eurovision performance, Efendi feels that this chapter in her professional life is not yet fully closed. “I have probably outgrown Eurovision, but something there is still holding on to me,” she shared to 1News.az. “It is as if I left a piece of myself there and I have to go back to retrieve it.”
The artist did not hide her frustration regarding her 20th-place finish in the grand final: “For me, it was and remains a story about victory, because back then I felt we were treated unfairly. Everyone saw how hard we worked and how much effort we put in. When people asked me what my goal was, there was only one answer: we came for the trophy. Even our head of delegation asked me what we would do if we did not win, and I told him that was not an option. I had absolute belief that infected the whole team.”
The Condition for a Comeback: “Only to Close the Circle”
According to her, what remains is a sense of unfinished business, but a return to the competition will not happen at any cost. “If I return to Eurovision, it will only be to finally close the circle on this story. It will not be a return just for the sake of returning. I want to do something on a much larger scale – massive projects, films, or musicals involving a large team and featuring the best Azerbaijani artists. I would love to return to Eurovision, but only when everything is thoroughly planned and thought out.”
Meeting a Eurovision Legend
During the interview, Efendi shared a heartwarming memory from a musical event in Latvia, where she met music legend Alla Pugacheva, who represented Russia at Eurovision 1997. The Azerbaijani singer revealed that Pugacheva knew her from her time at Eurovision and described the honor of meeting her: “It was a huge privilege for me… What touched me most was that Alla listened to me very attentively and welcomed my performance with enthusiastic applause. Afterwards, during an interview, I even cried tears of happiness.”
Eurovision Participation in Danger?
Political instability in Eastern Europe could decrease the chances for an Azerbaijani Eurovision 2027 participation. The government of Azerbaijan is seriously considering a complete withdrawal from the Council of Europe, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced this week. In his opening address at the 4th World Media Forum held in Shusha, the President clarified that Baku is not merely considering a temporary freeze or suspension of activities, but is openly exploring a total exit from the body. Such a step carries significant consequences, including impacts on future Eurovision participation.
The dramatic implications of this decision lie within the rules of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Full membership or observer status in the Council of Europe serves as a core threshold criterion for holding membership in the broadcasting union. Consequently, if Azerbaijan materializes its threats and withdraws from the Council, its national broadcaster, İTV, would face a tangible risk of having its EBU membership revoked, thereby stripping the nation of its right to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Efendi – Who Are You?
Samira Efendiyeva, 35, has participated over the years in popular television music shows in Azerbaijan, such as “Yeni Ulduz” (in English: “New Star”), “Böyük Səhnə” (in English: “Big Stage”) (3rd place), and “The Voice of Azerbaijan” (3rd place). In 2017, she competed in the international contest “Silk Way Star” in Kazakhstan, securing 3rd place, and in 2019, she took part in the international competition “Voice of Nur-Sultan”, also held in Kazakhstan. Efendi was selected to represent Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with the song “Cleopatra“. Following the cancellation of that year’s contest, she was chosen to represent her country again at Eurovision 2021 with “Mata Hari“, which finished in 20th place. In 2025, she performed as an interval act with her song “Cleopatra“, alongside other Eurovision artists.
Azerbaijan at Eurovision 2026
“Just Go” is the song that performed by the singer JIVA, who represented Azerbaijan as song number 2 in the second semi-final on May 14th, in Vienna, Austria. The song reached 15th in the semi final with 2 points.
Eurovision 2026: This was Azerbaijan’s 18th participation in Eurovision. Azerbaijan joined the contest in 2008 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2011 when singers Ell and Nikki, won first place with the song “Running Scared”.
