After winning this year's Eesti Laul with their song "(Nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi," zombie-folk duo Puuluup and hip-hop crew 5MIINUST are set to represent Estonia at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden.

Though the Estonians still have to negotiate the semis in order to make it through to the grand final on May 11, their cover of Alexander Rybak's "Fairytale," which won Eurovision in 2009 for Norway, has been included on the official 2024 Eurovision album.

The talharpa, which is also known in Estonian as the "Hiiu kanel," is a two to four-stringed folk instrument, played with a bow. Historically the instrument has been played mostly in the Estonian-Swedish regions to the west of Estonia.

As one of Estonia's most popular contemporary folk bands, Puuluup have howeve, brought the talharpa to the attention of newer audiences across the country and beyond in recent years.

In 2023, upon awarding the duo the annual Cultural Award in acknowledgement of their contribution to promoting Estonian culture worldwide, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said: "With their music mixing the talharpa and electronics, Puuluup are crossing Estonian folklore with contemporary music styles and spark adoration in Estonia as well as fascination across the world. Presenting Estonia's cultural heritage and our essence is crucial in cultural diplomacy and Puuluup have excelled at it."

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