Czech Republic in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019
The Czech Republic participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 with the song "Friend of a Friend" written by Jan Steinsdoerfer, Mikołaj Trybulec and Albert Černý. The song was performed by the band Lake Malawi. The Czech broadcaster Česká televize (ČT) organised the national final Eurovision Song CZ 2019 in order to select the Czech entry for the 2019 contest in Tel Aviv, Israel. Eight entries competed in the national final and "Friend of a Friend" performed by Lake Malawi was announced as the winner on 28 January 2019 following the combination of votes from an eleven-member international jury panel and a public vote.
Lake Malawi during a rehearsal before the first semi-final
Lake Malawi is an English-language Czech indie pop band from Třinec, formed in 2013. It currently consists of lead vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Albert Černý, and bassist and keyboardist Jeroným Šubrt. The band was formed by Černý following the breakup of his former group, Charlie Straight. Their debut EP, We Are Making Love Again, was released in 2015 and followed by the album Surrounded by Light in 2017. They represented the Czech Republic in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Friend of a Friend", finishing in eleventh place. In 2022, they released their second album, The Great Video Game Crush.
Lake Malawi performing in 2019
Lake Malawi original lineup, 2015
Lake Malawi in 2018