Peter Nalitch: Lost and Forgotten at Eurovision 2010

Russia’s Peter Nalitch, a 29-year-old composer, musician, and singer, became only 11^th at the Eurovision 2010 song contest in Oslo, Norway. Relying more on his song’s musical quality than on visual effects, Peter Nalitch, dressed in a green cardigan and scarf, didn’t make a single step when singing with a woman’s photo in his hand. But his sad Eurovision song Lost and Forgotten has to a certain extent lived up to its name.

The Eurovision results were not sensational. The 55^th song contest, watched by an audience of 18,000 in Oslo’s Telenor Arena and over 120 million TV viewers, was won by Lena Meyer-Landrut of Germany with her Satellite. Second place went to Turkey, and Romania came in third.

The choice of the Russian Eurovision selection committee was rather unexpected. At Moscow’s preliminary round, Peter Nalitch left behind more than twenty Russian contestants, though his Lost and Forgotten song doesn’t fit the epitome of the Eurovision show. After the choice was made, many predicted big failure for him and his band Peter Nalitch & Friends.

YouTube Sensation

Peter Nalitch became a YouTube sensation in 2007 with an amateur Guitar video clip, which gained huge success and attracted over 3,500,000 views. In this poorly filmed and edited clip Peter Nalitch makes fun of himself singing “Guitar, guitar, jump to my Jaguar” while seated in an old Russian Lada car.

Peter Nalitch (Nalich) is a good example of a self-made man.  He is a grandson of a Bosnian opera singer but was born in Moscow in 1981. His parents expected him to become an architect, following in their footsteps. But Peter Nalitch soon became bored with drawing and started singing.  He says he is inspired by Gypsy, French, Balkan, Latin-American, and Russian music.

Peter Nalitch’s Wife

Now a Russian celebrity, Peter Nalitch is married for the second time.  Peter Nalitch’s second wife, Natalia, is also an architect like his first wife. Peter has a 6-year-old son, Sasha, from his first marriage, and a small daughter, Varya, from his second marriage. His wedding with Natalia was of Gipsy style, and they spent their first night in a tent.

Peter Nalitch says that YouTube gave him a great opportunity, enabling people around the world to listen to his music and watch his band’s videos. He was full of expectations before the Eurovision 2010 results became known: If we win, I will believe that people like good music.

Lost and Forgotten Lyrics

Here are the unpretentious Lost and Forgotten lyrics:

Would you believe,

Lord of Mercy

Would you be so good, Lord

I wanna love her now

And I wanna feel that now with all,

All of those kisses and sweet embraces

Here am I

Lost and forgotten

For this cruel, cruel time

When I’m the first time in love

Now that is

Now that is why I sing,

Lord of Mercy,

And I hope now that you hear me

Oh yeah

— What are you doing man?

— I am looking at her photos

What should I do with them?

— Come drop them to the fire!

— Yes, man

I’m gonna burn them now

Cause I have to forget her now with all,

All of those kisses and sweet embraces

Here am I

Lost and forgotten

For this cruel, cruel time

When I’m the first time in love

Now that is

Now that is why I sing,

Lord of Mercy,

And I hope now that you hear me oh…

Here am I

Lost and forgotten

For this cruel, cruel time

When I’m the first time in love

Now that is

Now that is why I sing,

Lord of Mercy,

And I hope now that you hear me, oh

Bring her back to me.