14 May – Smooth like Cleopatra, an angel in a devil’s dress

Our friends in Greece were, to be fair, a country with very little success during the 20th Century. Everything changed in Copenhagen, and that win suddenly came within reach.

As we know, Helena Paparizou eventually pulled it off, and a crop up top 10s have followed since. One of these top 10s happened to today’s birthday boy Σαρμπέλ Μιχαήλ Μαρωνίτης/Sarbel Michael Maronitis. His pedigree makes him British, Cypriot, and Lebanese as well as Greek, something that may have given him the widespread appeal to warrant a seventh place in his Grand Final. His votes came from all over Europe, proving the Greek sound was still a popular choice. Sarbel is still a big in eastern Europe and the Arab world. And if you are called Maria, Hello!

Sarbel is 39 today.

Χρόνια πολλά, Σαρμπέλ!