Marija Magdalena (song)

Croatian song by Doris Dragović, represented her country in Eurovision Song Contest 1999

"Marija Magdalena" ("Mary Magdalene") is a song by Croatian singer Doris Dragović, released on 7 March 1999. It was written and composed by Tonči Huljić and Vjekoslava Huljić, and produced by Remi Kazinoti. The song won Dora 1999 and represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 where it finished in fourth place with 118 points. The song also functioned as the lead single for Dragović's twelfth studio album, titled Krajem vijeka. Within Croatia, the song achieved significant popularity and emerged as one of her most prominent musical successes.

Dragović had previously participated in the Eurovision Song Contest when she represented Yugoslavia at the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 in Bergen, Norway with the song "Željo moja". Her performance secured an 11th place finish with a total of 49 points. Croatia made its debut as an independent country at the 1993 contest. Since 1995, Dragović has been collaborating with songwriter Tonči Huljić, who would go on to compose "Marija Magdalena" for her twelfth studio album, titled Krajem vijeka. Lyrics were written by Vjekoslava Huljić, and production was done by Remi Kazinoti. The song was recorded at TM Studio in Zagreb and was officially released on 7 March 1998. It made its debut live performance at Dora 1999 where it won the first prize. Following her victory at Dora, the song was released in CD single format by Tonika Records and Orfej for the Croatian market, and it was also made available through Jupiter Records for the European market.

In addition to its appearances at the Dora and Eurovision events, the song "Marija Magdalena" has become a consistent feature in Dragović's concert repertoire, regularly performed as a solo piece or as part of a medley alongside her other songs in various shows and gigs. On 14 June 2018, during the Zlatni Studio Awards ceremony, Dragović and Danijela Martinović collaborated in performing a medley featuring a selection of their Eurovision entries, which included "Marija Magdalena", "Željo moja", and "Neka mi ne svane".

The song is widely regarded as one of Croatia's standout Eurovision entries and enjoys substantial support among Eurovision fans and critics. In a 2012 online survey on the Croatian Eurosong website, "Marija Magdalena" was voted as the country's best Eurovision entry. In a May 2018 poll conducted by Eurofest Hrvatska, the Croatian Eurovision Song Contest fan group, "Marija Magdalena" was ranked as the second best Croatian ESC entry, trailing behind Danijela Martinović's "Neka mi ne svane".

The song has undergone several cover versions in recent years, with notable renditions including one by the Russian singer and songwriter Philipp Kirkorov in the year 2000, performed in the Russian language. In 2021, another rendition of the song was presented by Croatian singer Albina Grčić, who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. The same year, ToMa, a Croatian singer who had taken part in the Dora 2021 music competition also rendered a rendition of the song as part of the "Eurosong od doma" online concert, an event orchestrated by eurosong. hr. Furthermore, this song has become a recurring favorite in talent shows across Southeast Europe. It is frequently selected as a showcase for impressive vocal abilities, and it has been featured in various talent competitions, including Zvezde Granda, Supertalent, and Your Face Sounds Familiar, among many others.