Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

I'm off to Greece for holidays so here's meanwhile some Greek artist for you  to discover and enjoy....

Greece will select its entry tonight. Four songs in the running. Freaky Fortune seems to the favorite. It makes me think of washed down Athena and For real for some reason. The there's Kylie-lite Josephine with a song that goes nowhere nor is very funky and certainly no sign of stars colliding. Krystallia brings in the drama and beautiful Greek language. The most interesting song of the lot no doubt. And therefor the best one. Makes me think of those days Greece sent quality songs like in 1992-93. Kostas was the pre-contest favorite but is losing ground. The song recalls last year's entry (same writer) and strangely also the beforementioned For real . Somehow it's not him. Just stroll in the beautiful beach singing some lovely ballads, that comes more natural for you, Kostas. The MAD Show starts at 21.00 CET here .     Freaky Fortune feat. Riskykidd – Rise up Mark Angelo feat. Josephine – Dancing night Krystallia – Petalouda stin Athina (Butterfly in Athens) K...

This morning the Greek entries were published. The Greek final will take place on March 11, 2014. Not very surprising choice of songs. Nicely flavored with Greek influences here and there, and most of all two songs take a hint of last year's Alcohol is free, only watered down. Below the songs in the order I ranked them with the first listening.... Kostas Martakis – Kanenas Den Me Stamata (Nobody Stops Me)   Krystallia – Petalouda stin Athina (Butterfly in Athens) Freaky Fortune feat. Risky Kid – Rise Up Mark Angelo feat. Josephine – Dancing Night

Also Greece has announced their four candidates for Eurovision 2014: Krystalia, Jospehine, Freaky Fortune and most of all Kostas Martakis, already a national final participant and a name thrown in every year ever since, will he make it to Copenhagen finally? The Greek final will be propably on March 4, but hasn't yet been confirmed. Greece will be represented in Eurovision by the new broadcaster NERIT that has not yet even started broadcasting it seems..... Kostas Martakis Check his videos here and here . And here. Krystalia Check her videos here and here Josephine Check her videos here and here Freaky Fortune Check their videos here and here

Kostas Martakis has released a new song and video. The song isn't very summery I guess but the video is even if shot in black and white. The song  S' Exo Anagki, S' Agapo maybe takes a few listening to register but the wonderfully haunting piano in the background is all I need to like it.... 

Totally unfounded rumours from Russia and Greece. While we wait that the rumour that Dima Bilan will try again we have the latest local X factor winner Sergey Savin listen as a possibility, especially as he is guided by primadonna herself, Alla Pugatcheva. Check him out here and here . And here's one more, a real video. Why he makes me think Italian X Factor winner Marco Mengoni? Is it the good madness both seem to posses? On the other hand there's a rumour Russia might be having a national final after all... Greece is a mess as well, as usual, it seems. Names come and go and a very welcome addition to the list right now is Kostas Martakis who already tried with Always and forever and should definately try again. His other goodies include Agapi mou , Anatropi , Fila me , Sex indigo and Η ΑΓΚΑΛΙΑ ΜΟΥ .

A quartet of more or less new songs from Eurovision artists. Helena Paparizou returns with Mr Perfect that does sound quite different from her previous efforts and after initial Hmmm... proves to be rather good. Another Greek, Kostas Martakis duets with Russian Diana Diez in Sex indigo / Vres ton dropo / Sex indigo (Spanish version) which is rather nice (even if I prefer Kostas with ballads) while Julia Volkova of t.A.T.u. fame starts her solo career as well (remember Lena's Never forget ) with All because of you . Why I have a feeling the t.A.T.u. girls are singing to each other? Last but not least reigning Eurovision winner Azerbaijan's Nigar Jamal debuts solo with Crush on you . Quite frankly it lacks all personality and originality and could be anonymous album track by any female singer...

One can only wonder if Greece and ERT can and will make it to Eurovision 2012. The economical crisis is already beyond control - and you can ask what we Finns think about the way they are dealing with it :-) - and today there's a rumour indeed ERT would skip it. On the other hand they can go internal and pick an artist and singer. Is it time for Kostas Martakis finally? But I believe and hope they will be there as after all Greece has provided some very memorable Eurovision moments and even some great musical moments. Here are some of them: 2010 , 2007 , 2001 , 1995 , 1993 , 1992 , 1981 , 1979 and 1977 .

Theocharis Ioannides is only one of the names rumoured to be in negotiations with ERT. With the difference he has apparently said so himself. On the other hand his manager is the same one that made Sakis Rouvas and Kostas Martakis so it would be more than unlikely that he would push Theocharis into Eurovision at some point, despite the fact he is an actor....  He was even born in Dusseldorf and what he lacks in voice he has always make up in looks like the other, too, as well, if that's your cup of tea.  He is also backed by Eurovision veteran Elpida . You can see him in action here and here . Let's wait and see!

Greece is apparently going for multi artist national final in 2010 again and I have a name for it: Giorgos Sampanis. I have no idea if he is very famous and succesful in Greece but I like his music I have heard, just listen to Ti na mas kani i nihta or Haramata. Before going into music he was into sports (just like Sakis) and has 14 gold medals in Greece as a sprinter. He also had a very important role in the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympics.Wouldn't he be just perfect if we can't get Kostas Martakis!

Sweden wins once again OGAE's 2nd chance contest when Sanna Nielsen's Empty room beats Spain's Todo está en tu mente by Coral with 90 points! Actually Sweden took all top 3 places, as also Spain's and Poland's entries are made in Sweden. If Romania took part it would have been most likely top-4 for Sweden as well.... Here's the Top 5: 01. SWEDEN Sanna Nielsen - Empty room 268 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw0dbtpWkl0 02. SPAIN Coral - Todo está en tu mente 178 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXTpwWTAMwo 03. POLAND Man Meadow - Viva la música 155 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIU21uZTWWI 04. GREECE Kostas Martakis - Always and forever 140 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4sbgrr69L4 05. NORWAY Veronika Akselsen - Am I supposed to love again? 139 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUbm-4taYUA Watch the voting and full results here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7365584436583332235&hl=en And the list of the entries is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/w...

It's official. And by this rate we will know the first entrant for Eurovision 2010 before the Eurovision 2009 final.... Sakis Rouvas will give it another try and joins the endless group of hopefuls who sometimes make it better like Linda Martin and Helena Paparizou and sometimes end up in a disaster like Charlotte Nilsson/Perrelli... The song will be composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos who is no stranger to Eurovision: his songs have been to the Greek and the Russian national finals already four times including this year's Always and forever performed by Kostas Martakis.

A real reunion of the Eurovision artists has been on in Belarus where Slavianski Bazaar 2008 contest/festival/whatever has been taking place: Sirusho from Armenia , Pirates of the Sea from Latvia , Boaz Mauda from Israel , Mor Ve Ötesi from Turkey , Ani Lorak from Ukraine , Ruslan Alehno from Belarus and Dima Bilan from Russia were all there from Eurovision 2008. Add Dima Koldun from Belarus 2007, Ruslana from Ukraine 2004 and Kostas Martakis from Greece 2009 to the list and you have so much Eurovision goodies you feel sick. Greece 2009? Well, I think, predict and hope it's Kostas instead of Sakis next year after all... :-) Have a look what he could offer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwDH__8IlD8 and here why he should have won already in 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jPsTGYpE8I