Quebec singer La Zarra represented France at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, finishing 16th out of 26 participating countries.
The main prize went to the Swedish singer Loreen with her powerful song “Tattoo”.
La Zarra sang her song “Évidemment” from a high dais, dressed in a sequined black and red dress and matching hat. The crowd cheered as she played the last note of her song and the stage was lit with twinkling lights and jets of flame.
Although La Zarra is not a French citizen, she currently resides in Paris and was selected to compete for the country with her title Évidemment (Evidently). She co-wrote the song with fellow Montrealer Benny Adam and co-produced it with Montrealers Banx & Ranx.
Born and raised in Montreal, the Montreal native followed in the footsteps of Quebec’s number one singer, Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest.
And in 2024, non-participating countries were able to vote for their favorite song in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time.
La Zarra – real name Fatima Zahra Hafdi – worked part-time as a hairdresser in Montreal before embarking on her music career.
Her 2021 hit Tu t’en iras (You’ll Leave) was certified platinum in France and earned her the French-language Breakout Songwriter Award at the 2022 Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Awards.
Before the Eurovision Grand Final on Saturday, she finished sixth out of 26 participants.
With files from The Canadian Press.
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