Montreal singer La Zarra finishes 16th competing for France at Eurovision

La Zarra of France during the flag ceremony before during the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, England, Saturday, May 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Quebec singer La Zarra represented France at this year's Eurovision Song Contest, finishing 16th out of 26 countries competing.

The top prize went to Swedish singer Loreen with her powerful song `Tattoo.'

La Zarra performed her song 'Évidemment' from a high platform dressed in a black and red sequined dress and a matching hat. The crowd cheered as she hit the last note of her song, and the stage illuminated with twinkling lights and jets of flames.

While not a French national, La Zarra, currently lives in Paris and was handpicked to compete for the country with her track Évidemment (Obviously). She co-wrote the song with fellow Montrealer Benny Adam and co-produced it with Montrealers Banx & Ranx.

The born-and-raised Montrealer followed in the footsteps of Quebec's number-one songstress, Celine Dion, who represented Switzerland at Eurovision in 1988.

And in 2023, for the first time, non-participating countries could also vote for their favourite Eurovision song.

La Zarra -- whose real name is Fatima Zahra Hafdi -- was working on and off as a hairdresser in Montreal before her music career took off.

Her hit 2021 track Tu t'en iras (You'll Leave) went platinum in France and won her the francophone Breakout Songwriter Award at the 2022 Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) Awards.

Ahead of the Eurovision Grand Final on Saturday, she ranked sixth out of 26 contestants.

With files from The Canadian Press.