Ladaniva have premiered the music video for ‘Jako’, the song that will represent Armenia at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.
“I will dance and you will watch”… Well, we don’t need to be told twice!
Ladaniva have dropped the invigorating video for their equally energetic song Jako, ahead of their trip to Malmö in May. There, the duo will be representing Armenia at the Eurovision Song Contest, performing in the First Half of the Second Semi-Final.
Jako is the nickname of Ladaniva’s own Jaklin. With this song, the artist asserts her right to think freely and to be whoever she wants to be.
Jaklin criticises the imposition of artificial rules and restrictions by the society, which she believes lead girls to forget their true selves as they are constantly dictated on how to behave and who to be. She explains:
“They used to call me ‘Jako’ when I was little. Growing up I have always been told that girls should behave, be humble, dress normally, not talk too much, not do crazy things.”
The song is a message to herself and to all the little Jakos in the world to be true to their real, wild, unapologetic selves, and to find their true calling – just like she did through her art. It’s an invitation to ‘get up and dance’, no matter what people say.
Armenia’s Head of Delegation, David Tserunyan, remarks that Jako is the best representation of Ladaniva’s musical diversity and creativity:
“The song touches upon a very important matter, but in a cheerful and playful manner. We hope to inspire people all over the world to embrace their inner Jakos and join this empowering dance of freedom!”
Ladaniva is a multicultural mix of ethnic sounds, unique experiences and authenticity. The duo is constantly on the go, and they unite all the spices and colours from different parts of the world in their music – delivering it through an Armenian perspective.
Like almost all of their songs, Jako has musical influences from various cultures. For this one, Jaklin and Louis have been strongly influenced by melodies and sounds inspired by Armenia, the Balkans, India and other diverse cultures.
Louis from the duo, tells us more about the music of Ladaniva:
“We have been very much inspired by the local music of the French Island Reunion. It’s one of our favorite destinations and we were surprised to have found out that their rhythms are very similar to the rhythms found in Armenian songs. When we play songs with these grooves, everyone dances – in Armenia and all over the world”
Artur Manukyan, the director of the music video, reflects on the story behind it:
“In the video, we tried to preserve the authenticity that has endeared Ladaniva to their audience. This time, in honor of the renowned Armenian filmmaker’s centenary, we seized the opportunity to showcase Ladaniva’s unique, cross-cultural artistry in the spirit of Parajanov – making sure that every detail in the video is Armenian. The elements and mood inspired by Parajanov complement the musical density and multi-layeredness of the band, preserving the free and natural style of Ladaniva’s clips.”
The song has been composed by Jaklin Baghdasaryan, Louis Thomas and Audrey Leclercq, and the lyrics have been written by Jaklin Baghdasaryan and Louis Thomas.
Artur Manukyan is the director of the video, while costume design and styling have been done by Mary Stepanyan and Astghik Samvelyan.
