On March 4, 2023, the Moldovan public television TRM held the grand final of Etapa Națională 2023, their pre-selection to choose the representative for this year’s Eurovision in Liverpool. After several elimination rounds and the grand final, we got to know which artist would be the successor to Zdob și Zdub’s “trenecito”.
Despite not being one of the top favorites, Pasha Parfeni managed to garner the maximum support from both the Moldovan jury and televoting, winning the grand final of Etapa Națională 2023 with “Soarele şi Luna”. Thanks to this song, Pasha Parfeni will once again set foot on the Eurovision stage to represent his country.
Get to Know Pasha Parfeni (Eurovision 2023 Moldova)
Pasha Parfeni, formerly known as Pasha Parfeny, was born on May 30, 1986, in Orhei. A former member of the SunStroke Project band, music has always been present in his life since he was a child, as his mother was a piano teacher at the music school in Orhei and his father was a singer and guitarist.
At the age of seven, Pasha Parfeni began his piano studies at the music school in Orhei, a city located in the center of Moldova. His passion for music quickly awakened, and in 2002 he enrolled in the Tiraspol Music College, in the jazz department, where he perfected his technique and expanded his musical knowledge.
During his time at the music school, Parfeni participated in various music competitions, one of the most notable being the Vocile Transnistriei competition, where he was the winner in 2003, demonstrating his talent as a performer and his ability to handle different musical genres.
In 2006, Parfeni continued his studies at the Academy of Music, specializing in Theater and Fine Arts, and it was during this period that he began to develop his skills as a composer, demonstrating his ability to create music with his own style and personality. While studying at the academy, he also played in a rock band, where he had the opportunity to experiment with different styles and musical genres.
His talent as a composer and singer allowed him to win the third prize in the Stelele Elatului competition, where he performed his own creation, demonstrating that in addition to being an excellent performer, he also had the ability to create his own music and lyrics.
In 2007, Parfeni won first place in the Duetul Anului competition, and he also stood out in the Argintul Iantrei competition held in Bulgaria, where he once again demonstrated his ability as a singer and composer.
In 2009, as the vocalist of the band SunStroke Project, Parfeni participated in the Moldovan national selection for Eurovision with the song “No Crime,” earning third place in the competition. He also won the “Grand Prize” at the George Grigoriu International Pop Music Festival held in Braila, Romania, and participated in the Bazar Slaveanski International Music Festival held in Vitebsk, Belarus, where he competed against artists from 16 countries and received a cash prize of 6000 dollars.
In 2010, Parfeni ended his contract with the band SunStroke Project and left the group. Although he was not a Romanian national, he stood out in the Romanian national selection for Eurovision with the song “You Should Like”, coming in second place. His former band SunStroke Project, along with Olia Tira, came in first place and represented Moldova in Eurovision 2010 with the song “Run Away”.
Finally, in 2012, Parfeni won the national selection for Eurovision with the song “Lăutar”, representing Moldova in the contest held in Baku, Azerbaijan, where he obtained eleventh place with 81 points. Eleven years later, he will once again represent his country in the music competition, this time with the song “Soarele şi Luna” in Liverpool.
“Soarele şi Luna” his entry for Liverpool
Pasha Parfeni’s song “Soarele şi Luna” is a mix of ethno-pop sounds, combining elements of Moldovan folk music with modern electronic sounds. This fusion of styles creates a festive and joyful atmosphere that invites people to dance and celebrate life.
The title of the song means “The Sun and the Moon” in English, and refers to the duality of these two celestial bodies that, despite being different, complement each other and create balance in the universe.
The lyrics of the song use this metaphor to talk about two people who are meant to be together, despite their differences and obstacles along the way. The song speaks about the power of love to overcome all difficulties and unite people who love each other, just like the sun and the moon do in the sky.
“Soarele şi Luna” Lyrics
Original lyrics
Codrule cu frunza deasă
Cred că am găsit mireasă
(Așa, așa, așa, așa, așa, așa)
Nistrule cu apă lină
M-am pierdut și e de vină
I-am cântat cu doine multe
Pîn-a vrut să mă sărute ea
(Așa, așa, așa, așa, așa, așa)
Am cântat-o am dansat-o
În tot felul-răsfățat-o, da
(Așa, așa, așa, așa, așa, așa)
Soarele, soarele, soarele și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ține, ne-or ține cununa
Soarele, soarele, soarele și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ține, ne-or ține cununa
Soarele, soarele, soarelе și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ținе, ne-or ține cununa
Soarele, soarele, soarele și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ține, ne-or ține cununa
I-am promis miresei mele
Nunta sub un cer cu stele
(Așa, așa, așa, așa, așa, așa)
I-am dat în a șaptea seară
Un inel cu piatră rară
(Așa, așa, așa, așa, așa, așa)
Soarele și luna (Soarele și luna)
Ne-or ține cununa (Ne-or ține cununa)
Soarele, soarele, soarele și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ține, ne-or ține cununa
I-am promis miresei mele
Nunta sub un cer cu stele
I-am dat în a șaptea seară
I-am dat în a șaptea seară
Un inel cu piatră rară
Soarele și luna (Soarele și luna)
Ne-or ține cununa (Ne-or ține cununa)
Soarele, soarele, soarele și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ține (Ne-or ține cununa)
Soarele, soarele, soarele și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ține, ne-or ține cununa
Soarele, soarele, soarele și luna
Ne-or ține, ne-or ține, ne-or ține cununa
English lyrics
Dense leaf forest,
I think I’ve found my bride,
Like this, like this, like this, like this, like this, like this
River Nistru with pristine water,
I got lost, and it’s only her fault
Like this, like this, like this, like this, like this, like this
I sang her so many songs
Until she wanted to kiss me
Like this, like this, like this, like this, like this, like this
I sang to her, I danced with her,
I pampered her in all sorts of ways,
Like this, like this, like this, like this, like this, like this
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun and the Moon
Will hold, will hold, will hold our wedding crown
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun and the Moon
Will hold, will hold, will hold our wedding crown
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun and the Moon
Will hold, will hold, will hold our wedding crown
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun and the Moon
Will hold, will hold, will hold our wedding crown
I promised my bride
A wedding under a starry sky
Like this, like this, like this, like this, like this, like this
I gave her on the 7th evening
I gave her on the 7th evening
A ring with a precious stone
Like this, like this, like this, like this, like this, like this
The Sun and the Moon
The Sun and the Moon
Will hold our wedding crown
Will hold our wedding crown
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun and the Moon
Will hold, will hold, will hold our wedding crown
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun and the Moon
Will hold, will hold, will hold our wedding crown
The Sun, the Sun, the Sun and the Moon
Will hold, will hold, will hold our wedding crown
Moldova at Eurovision
Moldova made its Eurovision debut in 2005 at the Kiev contest with Zdob și Zdub. With “Bunica bate toba”, they achieved one of the best debuts with a sixth place in the final. Since then, despite not having many resources, the Eastern European country has managed to achieve good positions in Eurovision, making itself understood to the rest of Europe.
However, it has not been all sunshine for Moldova at Eurovision, as they failed to qualify for the Grand Final for three consecutive years (2014, 2015, and 2016). After Aliona Moon’s eleventh place in 2013, Cristina Scarlat, Eduard Romanyuta, and Lidia Isac all finished in low positions in the semi-final.
Last year, Zdob și Zdub returned to represent the country for the third time, but this time they were accompanied by the Advahov brothers. Their unique song, “Trenulețul“, which mixed Moldovan folk with the band’s ingenuity, won over the audience and earned them seventh place with 253 points. This is the country’s third-best result.