Introduction

• Participant(s): Destiny Chukunyere
• Song: All Of My Love
  
• Writer(s): Bernarda Brunovic, Borislav Milanov, Sebastian Arman, Dag Lundberg & Joacim Persson
• Composer(s): Bernarda Brunovic, Borislav Milanov, Sebastian Arman, Dag Lundberg, Joacim Persson & Cesár Sampson
• Broadcaster: TVM
  
• Social media:     
  
• Team review: 

The traditional national Maltese final has been replaced by the far more popular X Factor show to find the right representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. This year a well-known face in Malta and beyond could win the ticket to Rotterdam: Destiny Chukunyere. She has won the Junior ESC in 2015 with the song “Not my Soul”  with the highest ever reached points. Destiny has was even honoured back in Malta with the Midalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika award. Since this time everybody knows and loves Destiny Chukunyere. Her music style can be described as a mix of Pop, R&B, Funk and Soul, her big idol is Aretha Franklin.

Destiny Chukunyere was born in Birkirkara, Malta in 2002. Her father is the former Nigerian football player Ndubisi Chukunyere, her mother is Maltese. Destiny has taken part at several festivals e.g. Festival Kanzunetta Indipendenza 2014 with the song “Festa t'Ilwien”  where she ended up third. She could also win the Junior version of the San Remo festival the year before. Destiny appeared in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016 as a guest star to bring more attention to the Junior version, which she had won. In 2017 she even participated in “Britain’s Got Talent”, 2018 in the X Factor Malta show. She has also supported last year’s singer Michaela Pace with the song “Chameleon” in Tel Aviv, where a 14th place in the Grand Final could be reached.

In this year’s X Factor Malta show, Destiny has been chosen to represent Malta in The Netherlands. The song has been revealed at a later stage. It has been co-composed by Cesár Sampson, who represented Austria in Lisbon 2018 and made a 3rd place with “Nobody But You”. Cesár Sampson is also part of the Symphonix producer group together with Borislav Milanov, who had several successful ESC entries in the past. Borislav is also responsible for this year’s entries from Germany and Bulgaria.

The video clip of “All Of My Love” is being made with a lot of attention to the detail, another masterpiece. The song itself has a touch of soul and is up-tempo with a repeating chorus. Many people believe in Destiny and her powerful voice is fascinating, but we will never know if she could have brought the first victory for Malta in the ESC. It’s an optimistic love song so sing along:

“Cus your great love is healing me
Renewing me through and through
I am free to live so I give you
All of my love
Like a river runnin' wild
Every brother mother child
Now we found each other don't let me down”

History

• Debut: 1971
• Participations: 33
• Victories: 0
• Finals: 25
• Top 10: 13
• Chances for Top 10: 39%
• Chances for Final: 53%

Malta would have participated for the 33rd time in the Eurovision Song Contest, if the 2020 hasn’t been cancelled due to the Corona pandemic. Malta had its debut in 1971 with a song in the Maltese language called "Marija L-maltija" by Joe Grech. The Maltese have only used their native language twice, due to the fact that English is the second official language it has always been used as advantage. Nowadays every country can chose the language of their entries by preference. Over the years Austria has send a song in French, Latvia in Italian or Cyprus in French, so it does not matter anymore. But English has been the main language in the Eurovision Song Contest for most of the countries, even France sings half French half English. That's why Malta does not enjoy the language advantage anymore.

The small islands of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea has about 493.000 inhabitants. For such a tiny country the enthusiasm and the extensive national finals are breath-taking, there is a lot of creativity and there are many talented singers. It’s also worth to mention that the lovely singer Chiara has participated three times for Malta in 1998, 2005 and 2009 and she could achieve one second and one third place.

There has been a long pause of 15 years in the Maltese participation between 1976 until 1990. Then Malta returned in 1991 with "Could it be” by Paul Giordimaina and Georgina and achieved a good 6th place. With this new enthusiasm and energy the Maltese reached a lot of good positions after. Out of 33 participation, Malta reached the Top10 for 13 times, so the chance to reach a Top10 position for Malta is approx. 39%, statistically. To reach the Grand Final is about 50/50.

Unfortunately, Malta has never won the ESC, but made a second place twice and a third place two times as well. Malta is so eager to win the contest one day, rumours said it should be the first open air contest in history. At least Malta won and hosted the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2014 and thanks to this occasion the Maltese broadcaster could show off a little bit what to expect if Malta wins the ESC, the introduction, the postcards were perfectly made. This is what we could expect if one day Malta will host the ESC.

Biggest successes

• 2x 2nd place
  “7th Wonder” |Ira Losco (Tallinn 2002)
  “Angel” |Chiara (Kiev 2005)
• 2x 3rd place
  “Little Child” |Mary Spiteri (Malmö 1992)
  “The One That I Love” |Chiara (Birmingham 1998)

Video Nostalgia

• “This Time” | William Mangion
  Rank 8, Millstreet 1993
  
  
• “To Dream Again“|Lynn Chirchop
  Rank 25, Riga 2003
  
  
• “On Again... Off Again” | Julie & Ludwig
  Rank 12, Istanbul 2004