# Ladaniva (Լադանիվա)

**Ladaniva** (Լադանիվա) is a French-Armenian world music duo from Lille, formed in 2019 by Armenian singer Jaklin Baghdasaryan and French multi-instrumentalist Louis Thomas, whose music fuses Armenian folk with Balkan, maloya, jazz, and reggae influences<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup>. The duo represented Armenia at the [Eurovision Song Contest 2024](https://www.edgepedia.org/eurovision-song-contest-2024) in Malmö with the song "Jako"<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup>.

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | Lille, France; duo founded in 2019<sup>[2](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-dancing-duo-its-la-la-ladaniva/)</sup> |
| Members | Jaklin Baghdasaryan (vocals, born 1997) and Louis Thomas (multi-instrumentalist, trumpet)<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://the-armenian-highland.org/2025/04/23/%D5%B6%D6%80%D5%A1-%D5%AD%D5%B4%D5%A2%D5%AB-%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%A3%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%AF%D5%A8-%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%B7%D5%B6%D5%B9%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%AE-%D5%A7-%D5%B4%D5%AB-%D5%AF%D5%B8%D5%B2/)</sup> |
| Name | Taken from the Lada Niva off-road vehicle; both members' fathers drove the same model<sup>[4](https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2024/05/05/a-l-eurovision-l-armenie-au-diapason-de-la-france_6231594_4500055.html)</sup> |
| Breakthrough | "Kef Chilini" (2020) reached 27 million YouTube views by one count and 28 million by another<sup>[5](https://www.zinio.com/gb/publications/songlines/39128/issues/588637/articles)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.telerama.fr/musique/ladaniva-du-folklore-survitamine_cri-7029727.php)</sup> |
| Debut album | *Ladaniva*, released 2023 on the French label PIAS<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup> |
| Eurovision 2024 | Internally selected by Armenian public broadcaster AMPTV, announced 9 March 2024; performed "Jako" in the second semi-final in Malmö<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-song-for-malm%C3%B6-is-released-jako-by-ladaniva/)</sup> |

## Formation and members

Jaklin Baghdasaryan was born in 1997 in Yeghegnadzor, Armenia, and moved with her family to Minsk, Belarus, at the age of three, where she attended a music school and later studied at a university of culture and arts before settling in Lille, France<sup>[3](https://the-armenian-highland.org/2025/04/23/%D5%B6%D6%80%D5%A1-%D5%AD%D5%B4%D5%A2%D5%AB-%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%A3%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%AF%D5%A8-%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%B7%D5%B6%D5%B9%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%AE-%D5%A7-%D5%B4%D5%AB-%D5%AF%D5%B8%D5%B2/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[8](https://bravo.am/news/73999)</sup>. In France she took private vocal lessons and entered a conservatory<sup>[3](https://the-armenian-highland.org/2025/04/23/%D5%B6%D6%80%D5%A1-%D5%AD%D5%B4%D5%A2%D5%AB-%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%A3%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%AF%D5%A8-%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%B7%D5%B6%D5%B9%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%AE-%D5%A7-%D5%B4%D5%AB-%D5%AF%D5%B8%D5%B2/)</sup>. [Le Monde](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-monde) reports that she spent most of her life in Belarus and obtained refugee status in France<sup>[4](https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2024/05/05/a-l-eurovision-l-armenie-au-diapason-de-la-france_6231594_4500055.html)</sup>.

**The meeting.** Baghdasaryan and Louis Thomas met in Lille, at the jazz class of the city's conservatory<sup>[4](https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2024/05/05/a-l-eurovision-l-armenie-au-diapason-de-la-france_6231594_4500055.html)</sup>. Thomas, who began playing trumpet at age seven, plays a range of instruments<sup>[2](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-dancing-duo-its-la-la-ladaniva/)</sup>. The pair first performed jazz repertoire in English; when Thomas heard Baghdasaryan singing Armenian folk songs, he encouraged her to sing in Armenian, and the duo took shape around that repertoire<sup>[9](https://arm.sputniknews.ru/20210528/chem-hamberum-erb-en-cogol-utelu-fransiakan-ladanivan-arajin-angam-hayastanum-e-27720452.html)</sup>.

**The name.** The duo is named after the [Lada Niva](https://www.edgepedia.org/lada-niva), a Soviet-era off-road vehicle. Baghdasaryan and Thomas discovered by chance that their fathers, living in Armenia and in France, had each driven the same car model<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup>. She described the choice as fitting the band's spirit: the Lada Niva is an off-roader that can climb unexplored heights, as the duo does in its music<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup>.

## Music

Ladaniva's style blends Armenian folk with traditional music from the Balkans, Russia, and Latin America, alongside jazz, reggae, and maloya, the percussion-driven music of the French island of Réunion<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.doornroosje.nl/en/event/ladaniva/)</sup>. Thomas has said the group was struck to find that Réunion's rhythms closely resemble those of Armenian songs, and that audiences dance whenever they play grooves of this kind<sup>[7](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-song-for-malm%C3%B6-is-released-jako-by-ladaniva/)</sup>.

**Early virality.** In September 2020 the duo posted "Kef Chilini", a song in Armenian with a strong Balkan groove, on YouTube; the video reached 27 million views according to Songlines<sup>[5](https://www.zinio.com/gb/publications/songlines/39128/issues/588637/articles)</sup>, while Télérama gives 28 million<sup>[6](https://www.telerama.fr/musique/ladaniva-du-folklore-survitamine_cri-7029727.php)</sup>. The song became popular with the [Armenian diaspora](https://www.edgepedia.org/armenian-diaspora), and the group's earlier clip "Vay Aman" also spread widely in Armenia<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[11](https://wspectacle.com/artiste/ladaniva)</sup>.

**Debut album.** The self-titled album *Ladaniva* was released in 2023 on the French label PIAS, produced by the Belgian Jasper Maekelberg<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[12](https://www.ladepeche.fr/2023/10/13/a-jazz-sur-son-31-la-pop-fougueuse-de-ladaniva-de-larmenie-a-lile-de-la-reunion-11514490.php)</sup>. Its eleven tracks mix Armenian traditional song, Balkan music, and Réunionnais maloya, with some lyrics in French, Russian, and English in addition to Armenian<sup>[13](https://www.lestrans.com/article/decouvert-par-les-trans-en-2020-ladaniva-sort-enfin-son-premier-album/)</sup>. Songlines' review highlighted the trumpet playing of Thomas and the range of the album, from the Balkan-flavored "Shakar" to the reggae-tinged "Ne Do Sna"<sup>[14](https://www.songlines.co.uk/review/ladaniva)</sup>.

## Eurovision 2024

Armenia's public broadcaster AMPTV internally selected Ladaniva as its Eurovision 2024 entrant, a decision announced on 9 March 2024<sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup>. Their song "Jako", premiered with a music video on 13 March 2024, is built on traditional folk sounds and takes its title from Baghdasaryan's childhood nickname; its lyrics assert the right to be free of imposed rules about how girls should behave<sup>[7](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-song-for-malm%C3%B6-is-released-jako-by-ladaniva/)</sup>. The song was composed by Baghdasaryan, Thomas, and Audrey Leclercq, with lyrics by Baghdasaryan and Thomas; the video was directed by Artur Manukyan in deliberate homage to the Armenian filmmaker [Sergei Parajanov](https://www.edgepedia.org/sergei-parajanov)<sup>[7](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-song-for-malm%C3%B6-is-released-jako-by-ladaniva/)</sup>.

The duo performed in the first half of the second semi-final at the contest in Malmö, held 7 to 11 May 2024<sup>[7](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-song-for-malm%C3%B6-is-released-jako-by-ladaniva/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)</sup>. Le Monde noted the scale of the contest's audience in Armenia, where about 70 percent of viewers watch the final each year according to the public broadcaster Armenia 1<sup>[4](https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2024/05/05/a-l-eurovision-l-armenie-au-diapason-de-la-france_6231594_4500055.html)</sup>.

## Public positions

In 2020, after the forty-four-day war between Armenia and [Azerbaijan](https://www.edgepedia.org/azerbaijan), Ladaniva released "Oror" ("Lullaby"), a song expressing their opposition to war; Baghdasaryan has described the duo as pacifists and said their universalist message drew criticism from some who wanted stronger engagement for Armenia<sup>[4](https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2024/05/05/a-l-eurovision-l-armenie-au-diapason-de-la-france_6231594_4500055.html)</sup>. In September 2023 the group shared a link on Facebook to a fundraiser for refugees from [Nagorno-Karabakh](https://www.edgepedia.org/nagorno-karabakh), while keeping the post free of flags or slogans<sup>[4](https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2024/05/05/a-l-eurovision-l-armenie-au-diapason-de-la-france_6231594_4500055.html)</sup>.

## References

1. [«Լադանիվա»-ն կներկայացնի Հայաստանը «Եվրատեսիլ 2024»-ում, eurovision.am (AMPTV)](https://eurovision.am/hy/news/1314)
2. [Armenia's dancing duo: It's la-la-LADANIVA!, Eurovision Song Contest](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-dancing-duo-its-la-la-ladaniva/)
3. [Նրա երգացանկը ներշնչված է հայկական և լատինաամերիկյան երաժշտությունից, The Armenian Highland](https://the-armenian-highland.org/2025/04/23/%D5%B6%D6%80%D5%A1-%D5%AD%D5%B4%D5%A2%D5%AB-%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%A3%D5%A1%D6%81%D5%A1%D5%B6%D5%AF%D5%A8-%D5%B6%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%B7%D5%B6%D5%B9%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%AE-%D5%A7-%D5%B4%D5%AB-%D5%AF%D5%B8%D5%B2/)
4. [A l'Eurovision, l'Arménie au diapason de la France, Le Monde (5 May 2024)](https://www.lemonde.fr/m-le-mag/article/2024/05/05/a-l-eurovision-l-armenie-au-diapason-de-la-france_6231594_4500055.html)
5. [Songlines, November 2023 table of contents (Ladaniva review extract)](https://www.zinio.com/gb/publications/songlines/39128/issues/588637/articles)
6. ["Ladaniva", du folklore survitaminé, Télérama (16 November 2023)](https://www.telerama.fr/musique/ladaniva-du-folklore-survitamine_cri-7029727.php)
7. [Armenia's song for Malmö is released – 'Jako' by LADANIVA, Eurovision Song Contest](https://www.eurovision.com/stories/armenias-song-for-malm%C3%B6-is-released-jako-by-ladaniva/)
8. [«Ուզում եմ բացահայտել իմ հայրենիքը». Ժակլին Բաղդասարյան, Bravo.am](https://bravo.am/news/73999)
9. [«Լադանիվա» խմբի մենակատար Ժակլին Բաղդասարյանը երգել է ասուլիսի ժամանակ, Sputnik Արմենիա](https://arm.sputniknews.ru/20210528/chem-hamberum-erb-en-cogol-utelu-fransiakan-ladanivan-arajin-angam-hayastanum-e-27720452.html)
10. [Ladaniva, Doornroosje event page](https://www.doornroosje.nl/en/event/ladaniva/)
11. [LADANIVA, Wspectacle booking page](https://wspectacle.com/artiste/ladaniva)
12. [A Jazz sur son 31, la pop fougueuse de Ladaniva, La Dépêche (13 October 2023)](https://www.ladepeche.fr/2023/10/13/a-jazz-sur-son-31-la-pop-fougueuse-de-ladaniva-de-larmenie-a-lile-de-la-reunion-11514490.php)
13. [Découvert par Les Trans en 2020, Ladaniva sort enfin son premier album, Les Trans](https://www.lestrans.com/article/decouvert-par-les-trans-en-2020-ladaniva-sort-enfin-son-premier-album/)
14. [Ladaniva album review, Songlines](https://www.songlines.co.uk/review/ladaniva)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Folk, world, and traditional ensembles › Regional, traditional, and steel-band ensembles › European ethnic and klezmer ensembles*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license