Profile of Eda-Ines Etti on Famous Like Me

Eda-Ines Etti (born 26 May 1981 in Haapsalu) is a singer and celebrity in Estonia, also known to a wider international audience for her association, in various forms, with her country's enthusiastic participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2000, under her abbreviated stage name Ines, she was Estonia's representative for the contest in Sweden. Her song "Once In A Lifetime" had been tipped for what would have been a famous victory, but in the end came fourth, which in fact represented only a modest advance on the encouraging results Estonia had enjoyed in previous years.

In a strange twist of fate, however, one of her backing singers, Tanel Padar, won the right along with Dave Benton to represent Estonia the following year, but this time a serious challenge did not appear to be on the cards. Against all the odds, the pair stormed to victory with the song "Everybody", claiming for Estonia the cherished right to become the first former Eastern bloc country to stage the contest in 2002. This had an unusual political significance, as Estonia was in the midst of negotiations to join the European Union, and hosting the contest offered an invaluable opportunity to present the country to the rest of continent as a modern, vibrant European nation. There seemed every chance that Ines would once again be Estonia's public face at this pivotal moment, as she had reportedly been lined up to sing "Runaway", the front-runner for Eurolaul, the Estonian national selection contest for Eurovision.

However, she pulled out at the last moment, apparently concluding that one appearance at the Eurovision was enough for her. Given the unfortunate timing, an experienced Swedish singer, Sahlene, was hurriedly drafted in to perform "Runaway" at Eurolaul. The song was deservedly still selected, but this left Estonia in the odd position of having a Swede represent them during their precious moment in the spotlight. This caused a great deal of controversy, with Ines' role in the affair inevitably coming under question.

Given her cold feet about singing in Eurovision again, it is perhaps surprising that Eda-Ines Etti has since gone on to practically become her country's 'Miss Eurovision' in a number of other ways, from taking on the role of national spokeswoman during the voting procedure, to becoming a co-presenter of Eurolaul in 2005.

Eda-Ines Etti maintains a high profile in the popular imagination of the Estonian public. She and Martin Saar - a controversial young New York artist who has remained her close companion for a number of years - are seen as the young golden couple of Estonia.

Weblinks

• International Forum for Eda-Ines Etti

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