On February 24th, the final of Una Voce per San Marino 2024 took place, the preselection for the smallest country competing in the Eurovision Song Contest. In that final, the Madrid-based band Megara were not among the top favorites, but the unexpected happened and the jury, which held all the decision-making power, gave them the victory. As a result, they will represent San Marino in Malmö this coming May.
At ESCplus, we continue to delve into each representative of Eurovision 2024. This time, we head to San Marino to learn more about this band. While we already know some things about them, there’s still much to discover.
Who are Megara?
Megara was formed in 2015 in Madrid with Kenzy, the band’s lead singer, and Rober, the guitarist. They were joined by Xavi on bass and Ra Tache on drums. That same year, they released their first three songs in the EP “Muérase quien pueda.” A year later, their first album, “Siete,” was released, which they presented live in Madrid with a concert that already began to emphasize the visual aspect, garnering praise from specialized media.
Their music is defined as “fucksia rock,” a genre they created themselves after realizing that they were always being pigeonholed into a specific style. In 2018, they released their next album, “Aquí todos estamos locos,” inspired by Alice in Wonderland, with a more electronic sound but still within the rock genre.
The band has attempted to go to Eurovision on several occasions. In 2022, they submitted “Hocus Pocus” through an open call to the Benidorm Fest, but it ultimately didn’t get selected. This setback did not deter the group, and they decided to try again in 2023, achieving a selection with “Arcadia” and reaching the fourth place in the final.
After the success of “Arcadia,” the band publicly announced their intention to submit another entry to the Benidorm Fest 2024, but they were not selected. Following this setback, they decided to enter Una Voce per San Marino 2024. They made it to the final through a wildcard and faced competitors like Loredana Bertè and Marcella Bella, ultimately winning the San Marino final. They are now set to head to Malmö to achieve their long-desired goal.
“11:11” the Sammarinese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024
Their song “11:11” is composed entirely in Spanish, with a title that refers to a time considered magical or miraculous. It maintains the fucksia rock style, but also includes other elements, such as a Spanish guitar during the song’s bridge. The lyrics allude to the band’s rise in popularity following their experience at Benidorm Fest, taking jabs at their haters and using themes from various fairy tales. The band states in this song that they don’t care about criticism and that there will always be people who appreciate them.
Lyrics of «11:11»
Spanish
Tengo roto el corazón
Pero es algo irónico
Nada romántico
Una herida entre los dos
Se que suena trágico
Pero no
¿Puedes parar de perder el tiempo
Buscando mis venas?
Se que no hay na’ que hacer
¿Pero usted quién es?
Por favor, sáquenlo pa’ fuera
Vas a poder saltar
Toda la noche
Ven y dame una razón
Para querer cambiar
Esas voces
Sabes que unas mienten
Y otras no
M.E.L.A.P.E.L.A.
Que si tu no me quieres
Otra gente me querrá
Quieres ser lobo feroz
Y eres el patético mal menor
Piensas que puedes abatirme
Prendimos Benidorm
Dices que es ilógico
Incluso mágico
Y solo es rock and roll
Vas a poder saltar
Toda la noche
Ven y dame una razón
Para querer cambiar
Esas voces
Sabes que unas mienten
Y otras no
Dame una señal
Siempre quiero más
No daré ni un paso atrás
Si estoy donde tú estás
We like to party
But we love rock
Vas a poder saltar
Toda la noche
Ven y dame una razón
Para querer cambiar
Esas voces
Sabes que unas mienten
Vas a poder saltar
Toda la noche
Ven y dame una razón
Para querer cambiar
Esas voces
Sabes que unas mienten
Y otras no
M.E.L.A.P.E.L.A.
Que si tu no me quieres
Otra gente me querrá
English
My heart is broken
But it’s kind of ironic
Nothing romantic
A wound between the two
I know it sounds tragic
But not
Can you stop wasting time
Looking for my veins?
I know there is nothing to do
But who are you?
Please take it out
You will be able to jump
All night
Come and give me a reason
To want to change
Those voices
You know that some people lie
And others don’t
M.E.L.A.P.E.L.A.
That if you don’t love me
Other people will love me
Do you want to be a big bad wolf?
And you are the pathetic lesser evil
You think you can bring me down
We lit Benidorm
You say it’s illogical
Even magical
And it’s just rock and roll
You will be able to jump
All night
Come and give me a reason
To want to change
Those voices
You know that some people lie
And others don’t
Give me a sign
I always want more
I won’t take a step back
If I am where you are
We like to party
But we love rock
You will be able to jump
All night
Come and give me a reason
To want to change
Those voices
You know that some people lie
You will be able to jump
All night
Come and give me a reason
To want to change
Those voices
You know that some people lie
And others don’t
M.E.L.A.P.E.L.A.
That if you don’t love me
Other people will love me
San Marino’s participation in Eurovision
San Marino made its Eurovision debut in 2008 with Miodio and their song “Complice,” earning just 5 points and finishing last in their semifinal. The following two years, they took a break from the European contest for a period of reflection.
They returned in 2011 with Senhit and her song “Stand By,” which only managed to reach 16th place in the semifinal, far from qualifying. From 2012 to 2014, they participated with Valentina Monetta, who, on her third attempt with the song “Maybe,” became the first representative from San Marino to qualify for the final, finishing in 24th place.
From 2015 to 2018, their bad streak returned, failing to make it to the final. During these four years, Valentina Monetta returned in a duo with Jimmie Willson. The singer Serhat came back in 2019, securing San Marino’s second historic final appearance and their best position to date, finishing in 19th place.
As if to repeat history, Senhit returned in 2020 after her 2011 attempt. That year’s contest was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but San Marino decided she should return in 2021. This time, she was accompanied by the famous rapper Flo Rida with the danceable “Adrenalina,” maintaining their presence in the final, albeit with a 22nd place finish.
In the last two years, where Una Voce Per San Marino has served as the national selection, results haven’t been so favorable. Achille Lauro in 2022 and Piqued Jacks in 2023 both failed to advance from the semifinals.