We were lucky enough to meet The Ludviga promising talent on the Latvian scene, who is preparing for the Supernova 2025 samedi. Dans cette interview, il nous parle de son parcours, de sa chanson « Līgo », de son retour aux racines culturelles lettones, et de son expérience avec l’Eurovision. Un échange sincère et passionné, où il dévoile ses inspirations et ses ambitions pour l’avenir.
How are you feeling ahead of the semi-final? (from Supernova 2025) on Saturday?
Frankly, I feel great. Thanks for the support, it's been a real pleasure. But honestly, it's super intense. There's still so much to do, and the show is coming up so quickly. I've had some great feedback on my song, and knowing that people appreciate it puts a lot of pressure on me.
I'm a pretty anxious person, so even small things can stress me out. This is a big one, but I'm going to do my best. I'll be fine. But it's true that the waiting is killing me a bit.
Can you introduce yourself for those who don't know you yet?
Yes, of course. My name is Jēkabs Ludvigs Kalmanis, but people call me The Ludvig. I come from a very small town - not even a town, a village - called Palsi. I started music by playing the trombone, I didn't even know I could sing.
In fact, when I started out, I was a bit like the kid they teased at school. I didn't know what made me special, or really who I was. Then I took part in a little singing competition in my village, and I won. That day I felt a strength I'd never known before. It gave me confidence and pushed me to pursue this path.
Long story short, this is my second time at Supernova. The first was in 2017. I was 16, and at the time, the rules said you had to be 18 to take part. But after my audition, they changed the rules because of me, which caused quite a stir in the media. I came second that year, which was perfect, because I couldn't have managed a win while still at school.
Tell us about your song ‘Līgo’. What's the story behind it?
‘Līgo’ was born in a writing bootcamp dedicated to Eurovision. Basically, I was there as a producer, not a singer. I produced three demos in three days, two of which are taking part in Supernova this year on behalf of other artists (Editor's note; including « Chemical » from Rūta Dūduma) . But ‘Ligo’ wasn't my initial idea. The main producer, Jānis, sent me a demo of the song at the last minute, literally five hours before the deadline.
Quand j’ai entendu le morceau pour la première fois, j’ai su direct que c’était un banger. J’ai écrit les paroles anglaises et participé à la finalisation. C’était complètement spontané et impulsif, mais ça a marché. La chanson n’avait initialement que le beat et bien sûr le refrain principal. D’ailleurs la voix que vous entendez sur le morceau, c’est celle de Rūta Dūduma.
For me, this song is above all a celebration of fun and experimentation. When we created it, it was almost a game: ‘What if we mixed this with that, just to see?’ No pressure, no expectations, just this desire to have fun with sounds and break codes. We sometimes forget that not every song needs to have a profound message to be important. Sometimes what counts is the energy, the spontaneity, that feeling that it comes from a real moment. With this song, that's exactly what we did, and that's how it came to life.
That's what music is all about: alchemy, not because it follows a recipe, but because it moves you. Maybe that's the secret to making music for its own sake.
The song is about the nights of the summer solstice, a very important tradition in Latvia. In the lyrics, I seem to be talking about love, but there are also nods to an old custom where young people look for a ‘magic flower’ - which is in fact a symbol for... finding love, let's say.
Is it important for you to show your cultural roots in your music?
Yes, absolutely. And even more so today. A lot of young Latvian artists write in English, with this dream of going elsewhere, convinced that the grass is greener elsewhere. But over the last two years, I've rediscovered and learned to appreciate my culture, and today I'm really proud of my country. This back-to-basics movement, which is still going strong, reflects a desire for authenticity and a new-found pride in local identity.
Je me suis lancé dans un projet musical entièrement en letton, et ça m’a reconnecté à mes racines. Aujourd’hui, je suis très patriote, et je vois mon pays avec de nouveaux yeux. Il y a tellement de richesse ici, et ça me rend fier de partager cela avec le monde. Finalement, j’ai compris que l’endroit où on se sent le mieux, c’est toujours chez soi.
Why return to Supernova this year?
I always thought about it, but I wanted my second participation to be as good as my first. I didn't want to come back with a run-of-the-mill song. After my first experience, some difficult things happened, and I had to refocus on myself. But this year, it made sense to come back and reawaken that part of me.
Do you have any secrets to tell us about your performance on Saturday?
Haha, je n’ai que des secrets ! ^^Mais je peux dire une chose : tout ira bien. Je vais essayer de ne pas vomir sur scène, c’est ma plus grande peur ! Si j’oublie la chorégraphie, je peux m’en sortir, mais vomir ? Là, c’est fini, tu ne peux pas te rattraper.
Est-ce que tu as le temps de suivre d’autres sélections nationales ?
Pas vraiment. J’ai regardé ce qu’a fait la Lituanie car la sélection se déroule en ce moment. Je connais Gøya, c’est l’amie d’amis, elle part en finale, c’est vraiment bien pour elle. Et puis bien sûr Tommy Cash.
Ton premier souvenir marquant de l’Eurovision ?
Mon premier vrai souvenir de l’Eurovision, c’est probablement « Fairy Tale » de Alexander Rybak. C’était la première chanson que j’ai vraiment ressentie comme étant ma préférée. C’était un moment marquant pour moi, une sorte de révélation. Ce morceau était tellement mémorable, et je me souviens encore de la scène avec lui jouant du violon. Cela m’a vraiment marqué, au point que l’année suivante, il y a eu sept artistes avec un violon à l’Eurovision ! C’était comme une sorte d’inspiration.
Le deuxième souvenir marquant pour moi, c’est quand j’ai participé à Supernova. J’ai fini deuxième, et après ça, on m’a invité à aller voir l’Eurovision en personne. À ce moment-là, mes proches vivaient à Kiev, et je suis allé à la finale. C’était une expérience incroyable, même si à l’époque, je n’étais qu’un spectateur, assis dans le public. Mais c’était déjà un premier pas dans l’aventure Eurovision.
Any final message for your fans?
Thank you for all the love and energy you send my way. I was a bit nervous about coming back, wondering what people would think. But your feedback has been incredible, and I'm so grateful. I'm going to do everything I can not to disappoint you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Interview by Alexa and Loic.
The Ludvig – Artist details - Instagram