| Eurovision Song Contest News - 2009 Moscow, Russia 

Whatever ... in 7th HEAVEN ...

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Dear ESCtoday.com members

THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING AND FOR "ALLOWING" ME TO EXPRESS MY (sometimes over-the-TOP ) SUPPORT OF GREEK ESC ENTRIES!!!It's an obligation to my country, NOT only because they are always HOT favourites, but I am so excited that Greece has such great music to share with Europe. Besides, I cannot even vote for any of them... but YOU can!
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ESC 2009 Moscow --> Europe's 54th CELEBRATION of MUSIC and SONG! ... Congratulations to Norway!

Greece's ESC 2009 OFFICIAL VIDEO CLIP --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=x7C4dqDlpNc
...SUPER GREAT ... No. 1 Video Clip!!!

Sakis LIVE! at the ESC 2009 Final --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=RnAJjXuY5YM
... OUTSTANDING!!!! ... A Fresh, Modern, Sleek PERFORMANCE!!!!! It is 2009, after all.

Congratulations to Greece's S A K I S with "This Is Our Night"
--> http://www.eurovisio(...)overs.co.uk/gr09.jpg ... SO HANDSOME AND TALENTED ... SAKIS IS THE BEST!!!











Greece's ESC 2009 catch phrase --->"...FLY to the TOP, baby!"

and at No. 7 .... Greece is in ... 7th HEAVEN!!!!!!!

THANK YOU, EUROPE!


CLIP: SAKIS LIVE! at STARZ! Club "This is our night" ... http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=Ezqup0PpLnA
-- Notice his SCREAMING fans ... while Sakis is SINGING!!!
(If still not convinced this is LIVE!, then scroll to 1:36 and 2:06)

... In Moscow, he was even BETTER!!

(Greek NF performance "This Is Our Night") ... http://www.youtube.c(...)v=zIDRNRhE2pg&fmt=18

LYRICS --> http://eurovision.er(...)siasi-tragoudion.htm

Special moment of song:

"...When I look into your eyes ...
it comes as no surpise... "
http://3.bp.blogspot(...)g6Do/s320/rouvas.jpg
"Just wait and see..."; because S A K I S did ... mesmerize Europe again(!!!),
with his ENERGETIC performance and his strong UPLIFTING song!



(2008 clip when he was host of Greek X-Factor) SAKIS said: "ARE YOU READY"? :
http://www.youtube.com/user/TsikGL

In a 2007 commercial with Katia Zygouli, his future bride and Mother of his new BABY daughter :
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=VDHI89RGQMk

The other two 2009 Greek NF candidate SONGS were:
"Out of Control" - http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=mIQh_W24QDY
"Right on Time" - http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=px90iTW6-i4

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ESC 2009 Moscow
Semifinal 1 (May 12th) - http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=7lgGkLGnTFg
Semifinal 2 (May 14th)- http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=tAf6mBkf12k
5 Automatic finalists + SF20 (May 16th) - http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=3DDXfCkoQUo

Madonna had "4 minutes" , but these participants have [ONLY... 3 minutes] to impress those 100,000,000+ viewers, who will hear their SONGS for the first(!), maybe second time(!!), unlike US here, who have heard them over and over, fought about them, then heard them over and over and over ... again! Best of luck to the 42 participating SONGS!



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ESC 2008 Belgrade ... CONGRATULATIONS, KALOMIRA! --> http://www.kalomoira.com

An interesting article entitled DEFAMER AUSTRALIA'S SLIGHTLY BELATED EUROVISION WRAP UP
was written by Australian ESC correspondents, who also thought the ... WRONG SONG won!
--> http://www.defamer.c(...)rch?query=eurovision (search or click the title)

READ their objective opinions on the SONGS of Russia, Ukraine, Iceland, Sweden,
as well as the SONGS of Armenia , Spain , France and, especially, GREECE :


KALOMIRA "Secret Combination"

Reminder 1:
( "Believe" it or not, Kalomira was the true winner of BOTH semifinals,
when the voting was kept ... "Secret"
and the FAVOURABLE ... "Combination"
of results placed Greece's SONG ... No. 1

( "Can you see it, can you see it ...?" )

Reminder 2:
( During the voting of the Final,
Greece's SONG was in the lead
for a long time and was the ONLY country
to remain on the board of Top 3 winners
throughout the whole voting process ...
making Russia's entrants uncomfortable
and "sweating" in anticipation of
those final ... 'promised' votes ).

( "Can you feel it, can you feel it ...?" )

Reminder 3:
( I must explain the GREEK connection
to the Russian and Ukrainian entries ...
since BOTH winning entries were choreographed/directed
by a Greek man, Fokas Evangelinos, who is, originally,
famous in Eurovision circles as having been
the one "behind" the ESC 2005 victorious performance
of Greece's Helena "My Number One" Paparizou,
as well as for the inspiring artistic show and dance acts
presented at the ESC 2006 ATHENS | Semifinal and Final.

Unfortunately, (fickle!) Fokas also choreographed/directed
the 2008 NF song presentation of a certain GREEK manager's protege,
Kostas Martakis, who LOST to ... KALOMIRA at the Greek NF,
which is most likely what sparked his decision to "help" rival countries
instead of his own....

Reminder 4:
By the way, Greece did GREAT (having won 3rd place), without his ... "help".

So, what have we here?

(Inadvertently) GREECE had a ... TRIPLE Win at the ESC 2008 Belgrade.

.............................. ....

Check out new track "All That I Need"
of the lovely, bubbly and talented KALOMIRA
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=KE10h2AAzo4

.............................. ....

The 2008 National selection took place (Feb. 27th)
and this is the winning SONG that will represent GREECE:

"SECRET COMBINATION" - KALOMIRA
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=8MVqbovtL7k (promo video in studio)
Watch her LIVE! Winning performance: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=qYZTf2or0ak
Here is a fan's cute carTUNE clip: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=_Gcp2C3WDe8
.............................. ....

The other two ESC 2008 contestants at the Greek NF were:
* "Always and Forever" - Kostas Martakis
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=-kQ93atFYsE (promo video in studio)
Watch his LIVE! performance: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=sPhyh08_iTc

* "A Chance for Love" - Chryspa
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=u7_XpRSi1R8 (promo video in studio)
Watch her LIVE! performance: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=JW0d3FjkTrE

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FLASHBACK!

The ESC 2006 ATHENS was a most highly anticipated event and, IMO, the best ESC in its 52 years!
--> http://www.amazon.co(...)TF8&n=229816&s=music

Greece delivered and EUROPE ... FELT THE RHYTHM !!!

OPENING ACT - ESC 2006 ATHENS - Semifinal - GREEK GODS performing popular ESC tunes
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=-D_bUXVuV84

ESC 2006 ATHENS | SemiFinal * Recap of all 23 Songs *
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=yVagqt8x130

Interval act - ESC 2006 ATHENS - Semifinal - SAKIS ROUVAS "I'm in love with you"
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=Vm8VbWAfxjI

OPENING ACT - ESC 2006 ATHENS - Final
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=iNp_mzJDx-8

... Followed by a rendition of Greece's ESC 2005 WINNING SONG
"My Number One" with Helena Paparizou:
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=LctptYDPGt8

ESC 2006 ATHENS | Final * Recap of all 24 Songs *
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=2V7ml62mLA4

ESC 2006 ATHENS - Final / Interval act A' - Helena Paparizou - "Mambo"
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=tjIkYlPEaYA

Green room --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=ZTKIAXCmgmM

... Then, there was a SPECIAL instrumental segment of ...."Who Pays the Ferryman?",
the prize-winning music of the BBC TV series, composed by Greece's Yannis Markopoulos

... There was also another WONDERFUL Interval act B' about the
History of Music and Dance, which in fact originated from Greece
(again, a clip could not be found)


All in all, both the Semifinal and Final of the ESC 2006 ATHENS were indeed SPECTACULAR
and something about ... "Greeks doing it better..." comes to mind!


Congratulations to those ESC fans, who voted for Greece's "Everything" with ANNA * VISSI ...
YOU had(have) great taste in MUSIC!
---> VIDEO CLIP: --> http://youtube.com/watch?v=ykieAsZsvOE
(Her music video won 1st price on ESCRADIO.COM)

Her LIVE! performance at the Final was AMAZING!
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=lWOYeBAijKA

And "Everything" at No. 9 was just as fine,because Greece's ANNA * VISSI
is the reason why, in 2006, Eurovision was renamed ... Euro.VISSI.on!!!

Also, reminding you of "Feel the Party" ~ Anna Vissi and the competing
Final Four Songs in the Greek 2006 National Selection :

BEAUTIFUL NIGHT: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=XYmUvpOVFQE
WHO CARES ABOUT LOVE?: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=AZYbtKhXBGQ
WELCOME TO THE PARTY: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=GVePsl411Zk
EVERYTHING: --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=h1Y-KH3xzAk

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
OF MY TOP ESC FAVORITES :

Greece's "My Number One" (WINNER, ESC 2005)
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=sMsvj3VZe0w

Greece's "Shake It" (3rd place, ESC 2004)
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=349tbmQ9HDM

Greece's "Die for you" (3rd place, ESC 2001)
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=P4QD2ek9Kaw

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Basically, ALL artists sound better in the RECORDED version of their songs.
So, it is the song's LIVE! perfomance that can make it ...or ...break it,
whether it is a blah! song or even a great song, especially in a SONG CONTEST!

In fact, MY all-time best ever ESC presentation of a GREAT song is --> Bosnia & & Herzegovina's 2008 song Pokusaj with Laka ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_tspk1ifFI -- it was fresh, theatrical, funny and his VOICE was completely there!! -- which is probably why this is THE performance that stuck with me ... along with Runner-up (for the very same reasons) --> Iceland's 2006 song Congratulations with Silvia Night ...http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=LEos9VLtgFU

THESE were BOTH exceptional -overall- stage shows!!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MORE of my favourite ESC songs:

Turkey's "Every way that I can" (Winner, ESC 2003)
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=WYdDa27xpmE
Although, I believe that, at the Latin Grammy Awards, in 2000,
SHAKIRA, used the veils first ---> http://youtube.com/watch?v=GD37jsuH4A4

Greece's "Never let you go" - ESC 2003
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=iVbPjEyJ-oE
(Mando has a really GREAT voice!!)

Greece's "Anixi" (Spring) - ESC 1991
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=Qtt-aWz5PPs
(Sophia Vossou has an AMAZING voice!!)

Greece's "S.A.G.A.P.O." (I L.O.V.E. Y.O.U.) - ESC 2002
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=roVQLBO2LgQ
(Still such a GREAT and ORIGINAL song ... Awesome!)

Cyprus's "Ela Ela" (Come baby) - ESC 2005
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=Uzk58zM_QQc

Greece's "To diko sou asteri" (Your star) - ESC 1989
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=IdwbtLPQ21I
video clip: http://youtube.com/watch?v=vHj1fnKCsT0

Serbia-Montenegro "Lane Moje" - ESC 2004
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=9y34uCKb22I

Cyprus's "Aspro/Mavro" (Black/White) - ESC 1987
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=kIQP-Njb1kY

Denmark "I'm talking to you" - ESC 2005
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=bd6NlpyCCKQ
(Great love song!)

Israel "Ha-sheket she-nish'ar" - ESC 2005
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=3IostUICfUs
(Lovely voice!)

Malta "On again, off again" - ESC 2004
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=cp5-5rR91Bo

Romania's "Let me try" - ESC 2005
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=0Mb6H3NobXQ

Norway's "Alvedansen" - ESC 2006
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=tRLwHxbcR7c
(A lovely dream SONG)

Romania's "Tornero" - ESC 2006
--> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=vmJOSwW06og
(As far as I am concerned, it was a winning SONG!)

Bosnia Herzegovina "Lejla" - ESC 2006
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=vroikNilHQI

Turkey's "Superstar" - ESC 2006
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=ImgHz926ooE

Andorra's "Sense tu" - ESC 2006
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=xE272rNiNKo

Bulgaria's "Let me cry" - ESC 2006
--> http://youtube.com/watch?v=4RE6aMT-fqQ


... Obviously, the list could go on!!!

Also, I like using smiley faces on ESCtoday.com: