Markus Riva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Markus Riva
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Riva in January 2025
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Miķelis Ļaksa |
| Born | 2 October 1986 Talsi, Latvia |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2009–present |
Miķelis Ļaksa (born October 2, 1986), known as Markus Riva, is a singer from Latvia. He has released many albums since his first one, Ticu, came out in 2009.
Markus Riva used to work as a DJ at Capital FM. He has also created music for different TV shows. Some of the artists who inspire him include Beyoncé and Robyn. In 2025, he won a TV show called "Koru kari" with the Talsu baltais koris choir.
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Markus Riva's Music Journey
Competing in Eurovision Selections
Markus Riva is well-known for trying to represent Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest. He has entered Latvia's national selection show, called Supernova, many times.
His first attempt was in 2014 with the song "Lights On". He made it to the final but finished 11th. In 2015, he released a Russian song called "Taty". Later that year, he entered Supernova again with the English version, "Take Me Down". He came in second place in the final.
In 2016, he tried with "I Can" but did not reach the final. He also participated in 2017 with "Dynamite" and in 2018 with "This Time". In 2018, he made it to the final and placed fifth.
Markus Riva returned to Supernova in 2019 with "You Make Me So Crazy". He finished second in the final. He also tried in 2020 with "Impossible" and in 2022 with "If You're Gonna Love Me". In 2023, his song "Forever" qualified for the final, where it placed fourth.
Hosting X Faktors
Since 2017, Markus Riva has been the host of X Faktors. This is the Latvian version of the popular TV show The X Factor, where people compete to become the next big music star.
Markus Riva's Eurovision Attempts
Markus Riva has taken part in Latvia's national Eurovision selections many times. Here's a quick look at his journey:
| Contest | Song | Final Place | Semi-final Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dziesma 2014 | "Lights On" | 10th | 5th | |
| Supernova 2015 | "Take Me Down" | 2nd | Qualified | |
| Supernova 2016 | "I Can" | Did not qualify | ||
| Supernova 2017 | "Dynamite" | Eliminated | ||
| Supernova 2018 | "This Time" | 5th | 2nd | |
| Supernova 2019 | "You Make Me So Crazy" | 2nd | 3rd | |
| Supernova 2020 | "Impossible" | Eliminated | ||
| Supernova 2022 | "If You're Gonna Love Me" | Did not qualify | ||
| Supernova 2023 | "Forever" | 4th | Not revealed | |
| Supernova 2024 | "Lose Control" | Eliminated | ||
| Supernova 2025 | "Bigger than This" | 8th | Not revealed | |
Markus Riva's Albums
Markus Riva has released several studio albums throughout his career.
| Title | Release Year |
|---|---|
| Ticu | 2009 |
| Songs from NYC | December 2010 |
| How It Feels | November 2013 |
| MR | October 2015 |
| I Can | September 2018 |
| Laika Upe | December 2019 |
| Pazudīšu Pilsētā | December 2021 |
| Bigger Than This | November 2024 |
