Junior Journals: Pathway to Paris 🇫🇷

Just imagine 65 children who knew the song by heart, and who exploded at any moment but with a super discipline. They were all children of the age 11–14, from the Ballet School of Tirana. In fact, I really wanted to shoot the video at the school where I study, World Academy Tirana.

I was a little stressed, but Director Redi and the Producer Ols calmed me down at every moment.

When two days of non-stop filming ended, I was sorry I didn’t have at least a third day.

I was a little scared because during the filming the whole school became a mess, but fortunately, there were two days off: Saturday and Sunday.

When I went on Monday morning, I found the school as it had been, everything was fine.
Was it all a dream!!

Denislava writes:

November 9th – recording our song in the studio…

Today was a particularly exciting day because we were recording our song for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. With us in the studio were Davor Jordanovski – one of the authors of our song, as well as our vocal pedagogue Elena Karabeliova.

It was a unique experience and I would definitely do it many more times! I had fun, but at the same time, I tried to show my best. I think Martin and I did great and I sincerely hope people enjoy our song!

Maiú writes:

I love this song, for me it’s an upbeat uplifting useful and defiant take on the reemergence of young people after the pandemic lockdowns and all that occurred. Time felt like it stood still for so many of us and then came the reopening of society, which allowed us to reunite with our friends, get back to school and our activities.

Our resilience has been tested but we are here and our voices are actions and our lives continue with more zest and determination than ever. We haven’t disappeared! Everyone in the world has been young! There will always be young people. I think young people should be listen to, not just heard, we have opinions and ideas to you know!?! :)

Simão writes:

October 30, was the first filming day for my official music video. We went to Ílhavo, a wonderful town in Portugal, and it was very exciting. The place was beautiful and the weather was on our side to record outdoors. I’m so curious about the final result…We will watch it soon, and I hope you like it!

Levi writes:

October 29th – It was the best day of this Eurovision adventure. The video was shooting in a theatre called Teatro Cruce de Culturas, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

I met the dancers (Lorena Hernández, Francisco Javier Gonzáles, Claudio Sánchez y Kiara García) who are already part of my family. That day I got up at 6:30am because filming started at 8am.

First, they made us up and dressed us with the jean look that the video required. Before starting the shooting, we rehearsed the positions and the choreography created by the dancer Fran Santana. It is a very fun and cool dance for a Tik Tok challenge.

And then, we record the official video until 4pm. At the end, the team went to the Canteras – sea walk of Las Palmas with views of the Teide volcano to celebrate the end of shooting. It was very special.

Ike & Kaya write:

3rd & 5th November were two amazing days – we shot the music video of our song My Home.

The filming took place in 2 locations: Valletta Cruise port and Rulina Fun Park.

During the filming we had so much fun, especially at the Rulina Fun Park cause in between scenes we were trying some of the rides.

Wednesday we filmed for 12 hours! But Friday we were much more relaxed :)

The experience of a life time!

Olena writes:

On November 7 we shot a music video for my song Vazhil. I gave the idea for the music video. My message in the music video and in the song is very important to me and I want to share it with you! I believe you will like the clip! Love you.

The band writes:

DAY 1: NEW DAY – NEW BEGINNINGS.
New ideas, new format, good old friends behind the cameras!
We have the best crew to IMAGINE!
The whole crew gathered in a studio on the outskirts of the city and we REALLY enjoyed!
PS: All health and safety protocols were obeyed!

You are wondering why we were all dressed in black?! Just wait and you will see soon!
It’s a trick ;)

DAY 2: SHOOTING THE MUSIC VIDEO
But heeey, we are not alone in this project! Our family counts around 40 members!
More voices, make more noise definitely! No one is louder than our younger siblings
and we were glad to see them take the stage! Us and them… then them and the
youngest ones?! They are the best hoppers ever! Even the cameras could not catch
them!

DAY 3: ARE WE DOING OK?!
So the production assembled the materials and we were shown a sneak peak of the
effects.
This is where is came clear to us WHYY we were wearing black clothes. Although we
looked good in these, didn’t we?!
The motion graphics director used our contrasting silhouettes to present images
across them. But black is power, and we are a force, and for us the video really was
impressive! It was all WOWs on our behalf. What do you think?

À bientôtà Paris!

Alinur & Beknur write:

Hello everyone! Today we worked with the vocalist, played the song for both of us. It was great working in tandem. We are sure that in two voices our song will sound even brighter and more confident. I can’t wait to share it with the audience. But it will be only on December 19th. In the meantime, we are getting ready!

Maléna writes:

My song is about the wind and a 'wind girl’, who can speak to the wind and it can take her to anywhere she wants and show places that are invisible to the human eye.

When the girl goes up high in the sky, she feels safe and free and has no fear of falling because the wind protects her.

I have waited for this since 2014. It’s been my dream for 7 years. Imagine how excited I am right now to finally have the chance to be a part of this. I can’t describe it with words.

Jovana writes:

This was the most beautiful day of my life. I was very happy because besides Dunja and me, my friends from the music studio where I sing, my sisters and my brother were also there, at the filming of our video. Everyone was happy and excited, smiling and playful, and I wish this day had lasted much longer. I can’t wait to meet other children with smiling eyes in Paris.

Ayana writes:

On the 21st of October I had a photoshoot for my official press photos for Paris! During this day I took a lot of photos in a lot of different outfits. I also made TikTok videos for Junior Eurovision and I recorded the Imagine If video. In this photo you can see me in my red dress standing between all the lights. The Junior Songfestival team also made a video of this day:

📺 Watch: Ayana on set

Tanya writes:

Today is November 12, I came to the program Good morning, kids! to visiting the hosts: Piggy and Anton Zorkin.

I will sing the song Mon Ami, and I will tell you about the preparations for the competition. The program will be aired on December 17 at 07:00am by Moscow time on the family TV channel Karusel, just before the final of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2021 in Paris.

The band writes:

In the middle of the preparations for season 3 of our show 'Dajte Muzika', our producer asked: 'would you like to participate at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.'

We were all like WOW??! How come?!

BUT, we all liked the idea! Why not?! As actors who took part in 90 episodes of the show in 3 years, 3 music CDs, plenty of theatre shows – we were challenged to GO for it.

Then came the topic of the song. We came out with lots: love, friendship, children’s rights, life as life is … these all came and gone in the process of brain storming!

We all still remember the recent Amazon rainforest fires, bushfires in Australia, floods in Indonesia, hurricanes in US, typhoons in Philippines, the green snow in Antarctica – all caused by human negligence and climate changes.

All these natural disasters cause great sufferings to our planet Earth, and do you know what these are? Cries for help by Mother Nature. And why is that – because sadly, we all do not care enough.

Our planet needs us.

Just to make it clear: We cannot solve all problems, but each and every one of us, of you, CAN make a huge difference!

My friends and I in our new song assumed the roles of the 'Green Forces’ united in the name of LOVE FOR OUR PLANET! Let’s all do something!

GO Green Forces!

Levi writes:

October 11th: Reír was launched and we where to the national television to introduce it to the audience.

It was very exciting day and I felt like a real artist or famous because they brought me to TV.

First of all, we went to makeup, hairstyle and wardrobe department. Then, we did the first interview on a live show for La 1.

After this, we did a press conference with journalists and Eurovision fans.

In the afternoon, I loved talking with Julia Varela for her show in national radio. She is super nice and also the Spanish commentator for both JESC and ESC.

It was a very long day, but very exciting too.

Alinur & Beknur write:

November 6th. The final of the National Selection was very interesting and exciting. We scored equal points, and the jury had to choose who would represent our country in Paris. When, after a short pause, they said that both would go, we were very happy. Now we are together, as one family, spending a lot of time and preparing for this serious and largest competition in Europe.

Anna writes:

Returning to the studio, to record my song Stand By You, was just as exciting as the first time I entered a recording studio, 4 years ago, when I was just 7 years old. I had tried the song many times at home. Even though I felt safe, I still had emotions. When I started to sing the back vocal parts, there was a moment when I was thinking: how is it not possible for a person, to make two voices at the same time !!!

Maiú writes:

In mid-October on a cold dark afternoon somewhere on the outskirts of Dublin it was time to record my song! It was really exciting getting mic’d up and seeing all the tech in the studio. The songwriter, engineer and producer were all on hand making sure the long day was fun and interesting for me great experience.

I’m so excited to be representing my country in Paris! It will be my first time to visit and I can’t wait to explore and see the sights. I’m really looking forward to meeting my fellow finalists, we all love singing and performing so we’ll have lots in common. It will be a great chance to talk and learn about life growing up in each other’s countries and the similarities and differences.

My prize for winning Junior Eurovision Ireland is to perform an upbeat song on a magnificent stage in a beautiful city, representing my country and my fellow young people. I hope you all feel joyful and hopeful when I sing. Dance and sing along with me ‘I’ve Les Jeunes!!' and don’t forget to vote for me!

Martin writes:

November 6th – a nice sunny autumn day…

It is our last rehearsal before going to the recording studio. Together with our vocal couch, we prepare the song in detail – the solos and the parts where we sing together in unison.

We also discuss the message of the lyrics, in order to feel it with our heart and to be able to bring the necessary emotion into the final performance. We really like the song and we hope you like it too! We can’t wait to perform on the big stage of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest!

Sara James writes:

27.09.2021: This was an amazing day! We just finished recording a music video to my Eurovision single Somebody!

It was an amazing adventure, I met beautiful and kind people and we had the best time ever! There was a lot of fun, dancing, talking and laughing! I was surrounded by an amazing team of Mind Productions, my management and brand new friends: Sara, Jan, Karolina and Joanna who took part in my music video!

I am grateful for everything that happened today and can’t wait to go to Paris and perform my song during JESC 2021!

Ayana writes:

On the 18th of October I went shopping for my official photoshoot for Paris. I went to Hilversum, that’s the city where the AVROTROS is located. AVROTROS is the broadcaster of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in The Netherlands. I went to a lot of stores to buy my clothes, it was so much fun! There was also a fun fair in Hilversum that week, so we went there as well! Do you want to see how the shopping went? You can check the video here:

📺 Watch: Ayana goes shopping!

Simão writes:

03 October: This was a wonderful day! I went to the studio to record the voice for my song. I was with the song composers Fernando Daniel and Diogo Clemente. Fernando was my coach in The Voice Kids – Portugal, and Diogo is a brilliant Portuguese composer that works with a lot of famous artists and he plays the Portuguese guitar really well. It was great to be with them recording the song. I’m sure that in the end we will have a wonderful song with a strong Portuguese soul!

Olena writes:

On November 6, I had a photo session and I was filming in the most beautiful images! It was fun and productive! I love photos, I love being in the frame.

Tanya writes:

Today is November 10, at 9:00am by Moscow time. We are shooting a video for the song Mon Ami.

We worked on the idea of the video for a long time together with the director’s group. More than 120 children from different dance studios in Moscow participate in the video.

Today is a difficult day for me and I am maximally motivated to work in order to get an excellent result. I really want to share the clip with you!

Pauline writes:

It’s November 2nd, 2021. Today, we’ve shot the video for my song Imagine Us. That was sooo exciting! We were shooting in a studio which looked really cool! The lights had a lot of different colours and shades and were awesome, too.

I liked best that so many of my friends were at the set and that we all acted together. Some dancers from my dancing school also joined us. They danced sooo awesome! It’s been such an exciting day that I will never forget! I’m really curious how you like my music clip!

Dunja writes:

My dream came true! I will sing on a big, beautiful stage and represent my country. I am especially happy because the song I will be performing with my friend Jovana has a message of hope that one day, all children will be happy and that this happiness will be reflected in their eyes.

Sona writes:

Final preparations for my song. Lyrics, music, vocal skills. Working hard to convey the message of love for people, world and peace through the music. I hope to see a better world, one of those days… Oh, by the way, that’s the name of my song.

Ike & Kaya write:

27th October was the day when we recorded the final version of the song 'My Home’… we already loved they way it sounded but it was decided to make some small changes.

The changes now makes the our song sound complete. Together with our vocal coaches, Gillian Attard and Owen Leuellen, the recording session went really good.

The composer and recording engineer Cyprian Cassar did a great job in finalising an already amazing song. Matthew Mercieca and Owen Leuellen both of them authors of the song followed us throughout this whole journey, which it was an AMAZING experience for the two of us… Hope that all of you will enjoy the final product!

Enzo writes:

Today’s plan was to have a vocal coaching with my vocal coach Léa Ivanne. While waiting for her, I was pretty worried since I was still waiting for a call or message to know if I was going to participate to Junior Eurovision. I was very stressed but very hopeful.

Finally, I heard a knock on my door, but it was not who I was expecting! I jumped with excitement and joy because it was Alexandra Redde-Amiel announcing to me that I was going to represent France at Junior Eurovision in Paris!!!!!!

This was the best day of my life.