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... Off with a goodie but oldie of my all time Greek/Cypriot artist and his summer banger from a long time ago.... hits the mood still every time! 

Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης has been around since being somewhat timid 19-year-old guy having a permission during his military service back in 1998 to do Eurovision with self written boombastic  Genesis  for Cyprus. He has become one of the top artists in the Greek language market in the 2000's delivering hit albums ever since and scoring hits. He's also one of the rare artists from the region I have followed more or less regularly ever since and usually always liked what I hear.  Το καλοκαίρι μου has been my summer anthem ever since it was released. His one and only English album also has left an ever lasting mark with More than beautiful and Everyone dance . He has a back catalogue too long to mention filled with ballads and more uptempo songs with ethnic Greek sounds  and even a hint of Slavic melancholy filled with emotion and passion that come across the language barrier making his musical style a perfect mix for Eurovision song contest. Should either Greece or ...

After Croatia also Cyprus skips the Copenhagen 2014 edition of Eurovision song contest blaming the public opinion on the economical crisis and further cuts on RIK's budget for 2014.  Shame, Cyprus has been always a nice addition to the line up, and has scored 9 top-10 finished since their debut back in 1981. Yet their best placing is 5th that they have achieved three times: 1982 with Anna Vissi 's Mono i agapi , in 1997 with Hari & Andreas Konstantinou 's Mana mou and most recently in 2004 with Stronger every minute with Lisa Andreas (it is rumored she won the jury only vote so it could have been the first win for the island, if ...). In the past ten years with the semifinals Cyprus has made it to the final 4 times and left out 6 times. Ivi Adamou 's La la love was the last qualifier, placing 16th in the final despite being a hot fan favorite to do much better. Worth mentioning is also Marlain in 1999 who was a top contender for the victory before the fina...

This blogger enjoys time to time some heavier stuff, and the first song is a good example of what kind. Dutch Within Temptations joins force with Tarja Turunen (ex- Nightwish ) in Paradise (What about us?) . A clever move to aske Tarja to duet in it as it sounds more like Nightwish than Within ever did. Or rather like Nightwish that was when Tarja was in it. The real thing. Margaret Jamrozy is apparently a Polish fashion blogger turned singer and her debut song Thank you very much features a video where the roles of nudists and textiles has been turned out. Funny! And the song is a perfect pop song and very cacthy indeed. What if Poland had returned to Eurovision with this one? Makes me wonder... Somehow she's just so adorable in this! Michalis Hadzigiannis has released yet another very beautiful song, Kati dinato ( Κάτι Δυνατό) . I have no idea what he's singing about but I buy it whatever it is! Reigning Eurovision queen Emmelie de Forest has her follow up Hunter and...

The European MTV Music award nominations are out and four names familiar from Eurovision are running for the Best European Act this time. Marco Mengoni is nominated in Italy (along with Fedez, Salmo, Emma and Max Pezzali). He already won this award in 2010. In Greece it's a battle among others between Greek Sakis Rouvas and Cypriot Mihalis Hadzigiannis while in Germany Lena is among the nominees. She won this award already in 2011. We also have Auryn in Spain against Pablo Alboran . Auryn was the runner up in the Spanish selection 2011 and Alboran was heavily tipped to do Eurovision this year....  In recent year the Eurovision stars of the past (or the near future) has often been featured also in this MTV affair proving Eurovision is up to date, at least in some cases :-) But one question comes to mind.... where's Dima Bilan ? Have Russian abandoned him? Or maybe after 7 national nominations and winning last year the Best European Act it's time to give away to oth...

After all the fuss and hassle Cyprus has confirmed Despina Olympiou for malmö 2013 Eurovision. Wasn't it like this from the beginning before some sites started spreading all kind of false and unconfirmed informarmation? Anyways Despina, 37, will sing a ballad in Greek it seems (hooray!) Her seventh album will be released in 2013 and her rather succesful past includes collaborations with Michalis Hadzigiannis among others, like their duets Na 'soun allios (which is actually a cover of Mia Martini's duet with Roberto Murolo!), O paradeisos and Vale mousiki , penned by Hadzigiannis. Her Eurovision entry is written by Andreas Giargallis and Xenon Zindilis though. The song will be presented later.

Update: Seems this is just another false rumor spread by a certain Greek website. The real represant will be announced this Friday. It's a woman indeed, but not Tryfonos. The negotiations in Cyprus are finally over and it's Valando Tryfonos going to Malmö 2013. There seems to be a little chance the song would be penned by Michalis Hatzigiannis. Valando is no stranger to Eurovisiion after having competed in the Greek national final in 2006 with After you and in the Cypriot one in 2011 with The time is now . She's also the Greek Idols winner 2010 and her songs include Sti Dipla Thesi and Na Mou Eksigiseis .

Michalis Hatzigiannis has teamed up with Midenistis for another very good song,  ΣΕ ΕΝΑ ΤΟΙΧΟ  (translates to On a wall). Once again a very good melodic song, despite the rap, and Michalis provides very nice vocals to it. Written by Dimitris Kontopoulos and lyrics by Nikos Moraitis. I'm yet to hear a bad song from Michalis... Can't Greek or Cypriot TV just convince him to return to Eurovision, please?

Michalis Hatzigiannis is back again. In English. We own the world tonight is filled with summer and groovy feelings. I'm sure we all would feel like owning the world if Michalis was singing a serenade to us in a hot summer night.... and we can only dream about Malmö for him... 

It's summer in Montenegro and it sounds like Michalis Hatzigiannis To kalokairi mou . But it doesn't matter. I love this song and this reworked version works well, too. Moje leto is maybe more oriented for the late night than the original lazy afternoon one.... For me this is a tune filled with summer and good vibes! And there's the annual rumor Michalis has been offered to return to Eurovision next year. This time for Greece.... And he's also to try again with an English material this fall, so.... 

Michalis Hatzigiannis released Fila me earlier this year that is a traditional ballad and now comes Aksizo that is from a movie Sirines tou Aigauoi. It's rather confusing affair, at least on video......

Michalis Hatzigiannis has released his very first album in English called simply Mihalis. Most songs are covers of his original songs in Greek and some of them are simply wonderful. Now let's hope he would one day return to Eurovision.... Shame that both Greece and Cyprus seem to have set their plans for 2011 already. Here's the track listing: More Than Beautiful - I Raise My Hands - Favourite Mistake - Do You Really Wanna Love - Everyone Dance - Suddenly - One In A Million - In The Middle Of The Night - Heart Surrender - Eyes Of A Sinner - Let’s Call It Love - Now That You’re Gone - Kiss on the breeze More than beautiful and Everyone dance have already been released as a single. 

The summer's over at least in Finland but previous Eurovision stars keep the summer alive with their songs. Bulgarian Krassimir Avramov gets the make over by Deep Zone in Ria while Michalis Hadzigiannis turns up the beat and change the lyrics into English in Everybody dance . Here's the original . I just have to repost also To kalokairi mou simply because it is so fantastic and summery!

Michalis Hatzigiannis or Μιχάλη Χατζηγιάννη has a new song out, To kalokairi mou and it fits perfectly this post-midsummer night when sun shines at its brightest at 9pm here in Finland after a partly cloudy day and the atmosphere is very relaxed and kinda sleepy.... this song makes me feel the summer heat, longing for a drink and a pool and some lounge chairs....and maybe take a few dance steps... here . And I like the word "kalokairi" :-) And here's the live performance!

Cypriot superstar continues to deliver beautiful music and this time in English. Listen More than beautiful here . Isn't it time for him to do Eurovision again?

.. or was he ever away being busy touring the world? Anyways. he has a new video out and it's very laid back nice song called Parta ola diko sou . Watch it here: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAnKBAkyVoA

Mihalis Hatzigiannis, or Mixalis Xatzigiannis, or Michalis Chatzigiannis, or Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης (what is the correct English translation??) is back with a new album 7. The first single is Emeis I Dio San Ena and it's quite fantastic and you can hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riePHgAeIKw Mihalis has gone a long way since his 1998 Eurovision for Cyprus; becoming a multi platinum selling artists in Greece and Cyprus, touring Australia and the States as well as several European countries. He has written to other popular artists and has won countless awards. Here are couple of his latest videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kilExXzILIE and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NYtc5EOP8w Cyprus.... how about giving him another try? :-)