oneurope.co.uk

Category: Greece

The Greek entry is chosen by ERT. Greece first took part in 1974 and has won once.

  • 1 December – Softly, softly I saw the night melting

    1 December – Softly, softly I saw the night melting

    Do you like tunes that reflect the country they come from? Or do you like a good dance tune that could come from anywhere? There’s a place for both, although their fortunes can be very mixed.

    Our friends in Greece have tried both tacks in their time, and even mixed the two up occasionally. In 1997, they were firmly in the ethnic camp, sending today’s birthday girl Μαριάννα Ζορμπά/Marianna Zorba. Her on-stage backing band (remember them?) had an assortment of instruments that [possibly] included a bunch of bizarre grapes. Marianna herself was either wearing cymbals on her fingers, or they were some exotic form of piercing. Anyway, Greece did lead for a very short time, and picked up votes from six countries – all juries. We’ll probably never get songs like Marianna’s in the 21st Century, so immerse yourself in the pleasant piece of ethnic 1990s.

    Mariana is 56 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά Μαριάνα!

  • Exciting news from *checks notes* Greece

    Exciting news from *checks notes* Greece

    It seems that the readers of this site who are “on da pulse” of the Eurovision Song Contest will already know this but…

    NEW NEWS!

    It appears that ERT have announced on some sort of daytime show – possibly Good Morning with Anne and Nikos – that Marina Satti, a 36 year old singer, songwriter, music producer, will be representing Greece at the upcoming Eurovision in Malmo.

    She has a rather interesting back catalogue which includes being a part of the EBU’s European Jazz Orchestra ( No – I’ve never heard of them either) and has been been performing Jazz in many places and has moved into “World Music” – whatever the **** that is – singing polyphonic songs with whiffs of her Sudanese Arab heritage, plus Balkan and Turkish rhythms.

    This marks a departure from the relentless carousel of identikit singers they have put in in recent years ( usually female and young and appealing to a certain demographic)  and I think it is fair to say that they haven’t 100 percent known what works at the contest with the hapless Victor not qualifying Greece for the 3rd time in 7 contests last year.  I’m not saying that Marina won’t appeal to the same demograph, it’s just a shift to the mature performer again.

    Will an experienced performer take the crown? –  Who knows ( or cares) but you have from 25th October to 1st December to get your songs into ERT… I’m hoping for a Rock-Polka fusion personally…

    Here is a sample of her previous work

  • 9 June – Somehow you may think I’m your other half

    9 June – Somehow you may think I’m your other half

    Being last to perform at our favourite TV show must be at least as tricky as performing first. If you’re on first, you’ve got an audience to warm up. If you’re on last, you’ve had to watch everyone else perform.

    Contests have been won from last place, but the nerves must definitely be there. In 1985, today’s birthday boy Panayiotis ‘Takis’ Biniaris had the dubious honour of closing the best contest of all time. He had some tough acts to follow, and he seemed a little nervous. Nevertheless, he was dressed really smartly and you can see hostess Lill was liking the song. In proof that you shouldn’t make assumptions, Takis didn’t get 12 from Cyprus, and he also finished with the same points as Aphrodite’s Isle. In a great contest, he clearly would have done much better in any other year.

    Takis is 68 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Τάκης!

  • Victor loves his mum and dad… awwww

    Victor loves his mum and dad… awwww

    Victor is the youngest contestant this year and says he feels no pressure, just so much love. His Second dress rehearsal was terrific; it had a compelling staging, and he says he did well vocally. A couple of things to fix, but he is very excited. Victor gets to express himself and show himself through his music.

    Song’s inspiration? – He wrote it two years ago about his anxieties and how to get everything off his chest, and it is an authentic song, and he leaves all his emotions out on the stage. He’s a good clean boy and has no Tattoos (But he likes Loreen’s song!) and loves his parents and the support they have given him.

    He loves Jazz, blues, soul, and funk…. basically, all music inspires him as he likes to have as wide a pallet as possible and choose the colours that suit him best.  Best Greek Entry? – My Number One (of course) and Amanda from last year inspired him to give the Eurovision a go.  He also likes Duncan’s staging and thinks it ranks up with the best performances in the contest.

    After Eurovision, Victor said he would release his music after the contest and would love to go to the Philippines… for some reason. Who are his favourite artists? Ed Sheeran (poor lad). He also loves stand-up comedy. Victor wishes he could perform it but loves watching it….  There is an argument he’s doing Stand-Up on Thursday?

    Besides singing, he loves cold water sports – swimming in the sea, boxing, football and eating!

  • Monty’s Eurovision Countdown 2023 Part 16 – Greece

    Monty’s Eurovision Countdown 2023 Part 16 – Greece

    What They Say by Victor Vernicos.

    The inner torture of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues is a common trope expressed through music. You could argue that it’s been the drive for many of our greatest artists.

    As a topic it wouldn’t ordinarily be my go-to for Eurovision, but it can undeniably fuel some good songs. Victor Vernicos pulls one off for Greece with this. He reflects on his own anxieties but also more positively about how those who have been hurt themselves help to pull others up.

    Victor’s just 16, and he wrote the song himself at just 14 years old. It’s an astonishingly mature performance, matching his impressive vocal talent for one so young. It’s sad to think of such a young man, then still a boy having the experiences which lead to putting such feeling down into song, but teenage mental health is a big subject and it’s good to know he has found an outlet to help process his feelings. With a younger audience turned on to Eurovision this will absolutely resonate with some younger viewers.

    Victor’s Greek of Danish descent and has had the good fortune to land in the same semi-final as Denmark, happenchance that may well boost his qualification chances with backing from his father’s homeland. Not that he needs it, this is a cool modern ballad that should easily make it to Saturday on its quality alone.

    My marks: 8 points

  • 17 April – There are moments that you feel you’ll never manage it

    17 April – There are moments that you feel you’ll never manage it

    As we often say, there were Eurovision Song Contests before the year 2000. Can you imagine that? A 20th Century contest? Well, some of them even churned out good songs. Can you believe it?

    Well today’s song comes from the 1980s. A distant decade now, when Greece had a love/hate relationship with our favourite TV show. They were in, they were out, they were, well, you know the rest. In 1989, The Hellenes sent today’s birthday girl Μαριάννα Ευστρατίου/Maria-Anastasia ‘Marianna’ Efstratiou with her flute and whimsical song. Her country hadn’t had a good time of it for several years, so her top 10 finish was well received. Naturally, in true tradition, she did less well on her second appearance as a main singer in 1996.

    Marianna is 68 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Μαριάννα!

  • Phil’s Eurovision Countdown 2023 – Part 16/37 – Greece

    Phil’s Eurovision Countdown 2023 – Part 16/37 – Greece

    Victor Vernicos – What they say.

    First thing is first, the shoot for the video must have been a health and safety nightmare. I’m sure there was a public information film in the 1970s which said not to mix Water and Electricals… or was it Crossply and Radial tyres on the same axis – anyway I digress because Panik Records, who have the monopoly on Hellenic Eurovision songs, decided to put a 17 year old in water and get him sopping wet – They clearly know the dempographic that watches the Semi Finals of the Eurovision.

    Sadly, they didn’t work out that whilst Victor is 17 *now* – he wrote this when he was 14. presumably for the equivalent of GCSE Music in Greek, clearly, and I suspect it was rejected as a submission becaiuse it’s a bit shit.  .

    It reminds me of that German song a few years ago that was just the singing saying how he hated his dad dying for three minutes and, without the death, this song is int he same vain.  He just mumbles and bumbles his way through this song which doesn’t really go anywhere or *do* anything spectacular or ground breaking – it’s just background music to a Eurovision and that in itself is a problem.  If your song does not engender a reaction, good or bad, you are going to score very few points.

    It certainly has with me.

    Phil’s Score – 3 Points

  • Mo’s Eurovision 2023 Countdown: Greece

    Mo’s Eurovision 2023 Countdown: Greece

    ERT has stepped up its game in recent Eurovision years. Rather than send yet another cheap banger, there’s been a genuine effort to invest in upcoming talent and risk something different. Sometimes it pays off. This year, I’m just not sure.

    Victor Vernicos is a heavily-accented mumbler. Like James Arthur with long covid. The song itself lacks build, and rumbles along at a steady pace.

    All that said, there’s something going on here that I can’t quite place. I sort of know it’s a song I’ll listen to again, and that might make it a grower rather than a shower. I would imagine the staging will matter more than it should. If they get that wrong, Victor is borderline for the final.

    4 Points

  • 13 April – I would lay my life on the line

    13 April – I would lay my life on the line

    In a contest like Eurovision, it often happens that we get different songs with the same title. But a similar song title doesn’t always guarantee a similar finish.

    In 2003, we got the first Eurovision song with the title ‘Never let you go’. It came from today’s birthday girl Μαντώ/Mando (née Αδαμαντία Σταματοπούλου/Adamantia Stamatopoulou). She’d already beaten a song that sounded a bit like a Ukrainian runner-up. That Ukrainian runner-up was beaten by a song, sung by someone who also had another song in our favourite TV show with the same title as Mando’s song. Tenuous? Maybe. But Mando was at least guaranteed a place in the Saturday night, as there were no semi-finals. She was dressed in an outfit to remember and finished 17th in a field of 26. In another coincidence, she’d actually once released a duet with the winner of that contest. Who says there are no connections anywhere. And as for the other song with the same title, that finished second. So maybe there is scope for another song with the title ‘The Social Network Song’.

    Mando is 7today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Μαντώ!

  • 3 April – The password, the password, the password, the password

    3 April – The password, the password, the password, the password

    Things got a little odd at the turn of the century. We were trapped in Nordic/Baltic Europe after time in the eastern Med. Countries were taking it in turns to be relegated. And we had some interesting acts.

    When we were in beautiful beautiful Tallinn, our friends in Greece went all futuristic on us. So futuristic in fact that the song was way ahead of its time. And way ahead of where we are now. Maybe by the turn of the next century we’ll have found its level. It came from today’s birthday boy Μιχάλης Ρακιντζής/Michalis Rakintzis, along with some of his pals. Not content with say “the magic word”, they even spelt it for us non-Greek types. Genius? Well, perhaps. But 22nd Century clothing in a modern fairytale must be seen to be believed.

    Michalis is 66 today.

    Χρόνια πολλά, Μιχαήλ!