French Eurovision Hopeful La Zarra Abruptly Cancels Amsterdam Concert Appearance

A "day of multiple twists and turns" on Saturday. La Zarra arrives at AFAS Live, a performance venue on the outskirts of Amsterdam, in the afternoon, "plays the selfie game," multiplies "short interviews," before taking the stage for sound checks. The rehearsal was not easy. "If I don’t have any sound, I won’t sing the Great Fraaaance (lyrics of her song, Évidemment)," she says, annoyed. The singer is not at the top of her voice. "I lost my voice for 6 months. It’s been better for three weeks. I have ups and downs about the competition. Sometimes I tell myself that I’m going to win and other times that it’s too much. But I’m here to do my best," she explains to Le Parisien. Recent issues have led her to consult an ENT specialist.

At 5 p.m., she takes a taxi to her hotel. After a brief dinner and a makeup session, she heads back to AFAS Live. Around 8 p.m., the phone rings. La Zarra bursts into tears. She mentions a "personal problem" - without providing details - that forces her not to perform on Saturday evening. "She was very emotionally weak," admits her very mysterious entourage about the "family event" behind this turnaround. Her team convinces her to do her show around 11 p.m. "We’ve found a solution, we’ll be there in 30 minutes," her relieved relatives say.

New turnaround. La Zarra "demands that the driver turn around, just a few meters from the venue." She locks herself in her room again, thus canceling her performance. A disappointment for the fans. On Sunday, she explained in a message posted on Twitter to her fans that she "needs a few days to manage these difficult times," that "moments of intimacy (which) will be important" and that "we’ll see each other in Liverpool for the Eurovision 2023 final."