Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Greece has chosen Monday for their national final Ελληνικός Τελικός 2013. Four songs to choose from, all of them pretty good - at least compared to the usual Greek formula this is like a breath of fresh air! Despina Vandi and Yiorgos Kapoutzides are hosting and we have a strong line up of local and Eurovisionary guests including previous winners Helena Paparizou, Marija Serifovic, Alexander Rybak, Ruslana, Dima Bilan and Vicky Leandros with Ivi Adamou, Eleftheria Eleftheiou, Melisses, Kostas Martakis and so on... You can watch the show live also on eurovision.tv at 20.00. Thomai Apergi - One last kiss Alex Leon ft Giorgina - Angel Koza Mostra ft Agathonas Iakovidis - Alcohol is free Aggeliki Illadi - Hilles kai mia nihtes Update: While watching my clear favorite is Aggeliki followed by Koza Mostra and Thomai. Alex was better on stage than I thought but it's stil the weakest of these. Thomai has a scary white teeth and should rather make advertising for some toothpaste...

Greece is to present its songs today but the titles and other information about the coming final on February 18th was leaked/revealed yeaterday already. Despina Vandi will be hosting the show with actor Giorgos Kapoutzidis. Previous Eurovision winners will have once again a class reunion when Helena Paparizou, Dima Bilan, Marija Serifovic and Alexander Rybak will be guest stars along with Melisses. Later this afternoon we should be able to hear the songs and I will update with the links then. Stay tuned! Songs added. This is the best Greek final ever. I'm happy with any of these four songs making it to Malmö! :-) Update: Further listening made some sense to this quartet. Alex Leon is clearly the weakest offering, at least in my books. I just don't like the arrangement, the song itself is not bad. Thomai would be quite clearly Nina Zilli, part 2 for some - and can she deliver live? This playback made me worry a bit. And as much as I like the idea of Koza Monstra and th...

For once the Greek rumors were true and today ERT and MadTV confirmed the four acts as the Greek national finalists. It looks like a step away from the usual and already worn out Greek formula in Eurovision. Hopefully the artists stay true to their "usual style" and don't jump on the Greek etno-pop train for the occasion! So, we have a diva like Aggeliki Iliadis, exotic Thomai Apergi, disco guru Alex Leon and then something else with Koza Mostra featuring traditional Agathonas Iakovidis. This blogger is very curiously waiting to hear the last mentioned.... and hoping they will wear their kilts! The date for the national final as well as their entries will be announced later.

In Greece ERT and commercial MAD TV have had to make peace to secure the Eurovision 2013 participation. In the end only Panik Records was ready to make a deal, it is reported and so here we have four of their artists fighting for the ticket to abroad (maybe): Aggeliki Iliadi Koza Mostra ft. Agathonas Iakovides Thomaï Apegi  Alex Leon