He is 29 years old, and music has been playing in his soul for a long time. However, it was not easy for him to break through and make music his source of income. He wrote for others, sang in several, if not a dozen bands (he himself does not remember how many there were), lived in Germany and worked as a waiter, receptionist, and also a hotel room attendant. However, he never gave up music for good. And it is good, because 2024 has come and he gave his country the highest place in history at the world’s largest music competition.
Marko, as he is called, is the complete opposite of Baba Lasagna. On stage, he is a volcano of energy and a skilled master of ceremonies. In the privacy of his home or at an intimate meeting, he turns out to be an introvert and – as he himself says – a guy who is a bit afraid of his surroundings. In a conversation with Interia Muzyka, he admits that he is tired of the concert tour, but at the same time grateful that it all turned out this way. He knows that interviews and meetings with the media are part of being in this industry. So he takes it calmly.
He gave his first concert in Wrocław. He called it the best in the band’s history. “I feel at home in Poland. It’s also a Slavic country,” he admits. When asked about the warm welcome in Zagreb (about 30 thousand people gathered in the main square of the Croatian capital!) he says that he absolutely did not expect it. “I was afraid that maybe 200 people would come and it would be embarrassing. When I arrived, I saw a crowd of people. It was amazing,” he says. While at Eurovision in Malmo, he did not follow the comments and information in the media, so Marko did not know that he had become so popular.
The welcome was just a preview of what happened next. Thousands of fans come to his concerts knowing all the band’s songs and perfectly recreating the dance moves from the song “Rim Tim Tagi Dim”“It was invented by our dancer. I wanted it to be something simple that anyone could repeat. One of the ideas was this move. I said: ‘Yes, that’s it!'” – reveals Marko. It’s a kind of new “Macarena” because on the Internet you can find a lot of videos showing young and old people and even local authorities dancing to his Eurovision hit. The central authorities, in the person of the prime minister, wanted to give him a prize of 50 thousand euros for his great result and representing Croatia at Eurovision. Marko did not accept it and asked that the money be given to orphanages.
With his modesty and maturity he stole the hearts of Europeans who voted for him en masse during Eurovision. However, the contest in Malmo, Sweden was not free from controversy. The disqualification of the Dutch representative, Joost Kleinthe inappropriate – according to some participants, including Luna representing Poland – behavior of the members of the delegation from Israel or the outrageous performance of many Bambie Thug from Ireland. When asked about what really happened behind the scenes, Marko says briefly: “Nobody bothered me, I didn’t bother anyone. That’s all I can say about it.” However, after one of the interviews, Bambie Thug, Marina Satti from Greece, and even Nemo from Switzerland, who won the entire competition, stopped following Baby Lasgana on Instagram. “Anyone can follow whoever they want. Nemo doesn’t follow me anymore, but I follow him. It’s just social media, I don’t care,” the Croatian cuts off.
There is no shortage of controversy in the latest video clip by Baba Lasagna. In the video for the song “Biggie Boom Boom” the artist lies down… in a coffin. This is interesting because in many interviews he openly said that he suffered from depression, and that religion helped him overcome it. “You know, atheists are also buried in coffins, right?” – replies the 29-year-old and adds: “I wanted to make a video with a funeral. We showed our version of this event. The coffin in this video means anxiety, fear and depression. At the end we break the coffin, so I think that the song ultimately has a positive message.”
His father helped him get out of the darkness. He took him to a priest, who started talking to Marko. He advises those struggling with similar depressive states to tell themselves and others out loud what’s going on. “There’s nothing wrong with not feeling well. I know it sounds trite, but saying out loud that I’m having panic attacks, for example, although it might seem that it will make things worse, will actually make you feel better.” The Croatian suggests talking about depression, talking to others and seeking help wherever you can.
The leader of the Baby Lasagna band understands the comments of some that Eurovision is trash and something that is not worth being interested in. For him, however, it became a breakthrough stage in his career. “Ask Nemo, Kaarija or me what Eurovision gave us. We were unknown artists, and now we are selling out our concerts in Poland. I understand that someone may be bitter about the defeat, because most often such negative comments come from those who simply did not succeed, but it is important to have your own material, new songs, to release something after the competition when going to Eurovision. If you do not do this, everyone will forget about you,” explains Marko.
He admits that Eurovision and its pre-selections are a great platform to showcase and promote one’s own music, but he hopes that the exploding popularity of this contest in Croatia will not make only well-known, experienced musicians want to represent the country. “I think that’s the problem, many well-known artists simply copy themselves, and there are young, unknown artists who are just waiting for their chance,” he says in an interview with Interia Muzyka.
When asked about his nearest plans, Marko talks about his finished album, which will be released at the beginning of the year, new singles and… holidays. “I’m going to Scotland. I like grey weather, rain,” reveals the winner of second place at this year’s Eurovision. He also plans to get married. This year, Marko will become the husband of Elizabeta, with whom he has been in a relationship for several years.
Baby Lasagna: “It helped me come out of the darkness”INTERIA.PL