Cyprus: Michalis Hatzigiannis and Alex P join forces for Eurovision 2022?

You have read very well, our dear readers, according to information we have at our disposal, the song with which Cyprus will participate in Eurovision 2022 will be a composition by Michalis Hatzigiannis and Alex P and his team.

Through the show Me Agapi Christiana, Konstantinos Hampalis, editor-in-chief of Tv Mania magazine, stated that RIK is still in the search phase of the song, although there is a song that has caught the eyes of those in charge. So this song is a composition of the well-known Greek Cypriot singer Michalis Hatzigiannis and Alex P and his team, a Greek-born creator and producer based in Sweden.

RIK after the unsuccessful attempt to secure the anecdotal song of George Michael, but also the reluctance with which he faced this possibility, the well-known Greek artist who was offered to perform the song on the stage of Eurovision, turned to the choice of Michalis Hatzigiannis a scenario after all, it has been there since the summer.

The song according to our information is mid tempo and has ethnic vibes. As we had written, the singer for another year will belong to the staff of PANIK Records, since RIK’s collaboration with the record company continues in the coming years. We remind you of what the CEO of the company, G. Arsenakos, had revealed months ago, the talent show that will take place next year, with the prize of representing Cyprus in Eurovision 2023.

Michalis Hatzigiannis represented Cyprus at Eurovision 1998 with the song Genesis, occupying the eleventh place, while Alex P has participated as a composer in the contest with Cyprus (2012, 2018, 2019), Greece (2007), and Azerbaijan (2009).

For another year, RIK focuses first on finding a song and then on the search for the artist, who will lift the weight of the representation of Cyprus in the competition, hoping this time for a better result than last year. The selection of Michalis Hatzigiannis as co-composer of the song, comes to confirm the statements of members of the Cypriot delegation, that this year there will be Cypriot actors in the participation. The song is expected to be released in March, while any official announcements will probably be made next month.

Update:

In a communication that a member of the Cypriot delegation had with us, we were told that although discussions were held about the above mentioned scenario and cooperation, it seems is not something that went ahead. We are waiting now for the official announcements …

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Cypriot participation in Eurovision 2022!

Cyprus: RIK is still looking for a song and a singer for Turin!

Konstantinos Hampalis, editor-in-chief of Tv Mania magazine, was invited to Alpha Cyprus’s noon show, “With love Christiana” and made revelations about the participation of the island of Aphrodite in Eurovision 2022.

It was revealed that RIK, unlike other years, has been late in announcing the artist who will represent Cyprus at the upcoming Eurovision, cause first the appropriate song should be found and then the singer.

So far, the Cyprus Radio Foundation has not come up with either the song or the artist who will represent the Island in Turin, however there is a song that has a pontetial, but the search continues.

In addition, the journalist revealed that the singer will come again from the record company Panik Records, while he hinted that the candidate may be a new talent, with a dance song.

Concluding, he confirmed that from 2023 RIK will organize a talent show where anyone can participate and the winner will be the one who will represent Cyprus in Eurovision.

See all his statements in the video below:

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Cyprus’s participation in Eurovision.

Eurovision 2022: Pots and Participants of Semifinals Allocation Draw revealed!

The semi-finals draw will take place on Tuesday 25 January at 12:00 CET, from the Palazzo Madama e Casaforte degli Acaja in Turin. At the same time there will be a ceremony of handing over the keys of the contest or as it is widely known, the Host City Insignia from the previous hosts Rotterdam to the Italian organizers.

The allocation draw will determine whether the countries will participate in the First Semifinal (Tuesday, May 10) or the Second Semifinal (Thursday, May 12). Also, again based on the draw it will be determined if they appear in the first or second half of the semifinal. We remind you that the exact order of appearance is announced later by the organizers and after it has first been approved by the EBU.

The draw will be presented by TV presenters Carolina di Domenico and Gabriele Corsi. Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb and Turin Mayor Stefano Lo Russo will be present.

Friends of the contest will be able to watch the draw on Eurovision’s YouTube channel or on Rai’s streaming service.

Semi-final draw: How does it work?

Italy, as the host country, together with the other 4 members of the so-called “Big 5” (France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom) do not compete in the Semifinals, but vote in one of them… so before the competing countries in Semifinals, it will be determined at random which of the Semifinals the Big 5 will be allowed to vote for.

The next part of the draw will determine in which Semifinal and in which half of the respective Semifinal the remaining 36 participating countries will appear.

The 36 countries of the semifinals are selected from 6 different pots:

Pot 1

  • Albania
  • Croatia
  • Montenegro
  • North Macedonia
  • Serbia
  • Slovenia

Pot 2

  • Denmark
  • Australia
  • Finland
  • Iceland
  • Norway
  • Sweden

Pot 3

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Georgia
  • Israel
  • Russia
  • Ukraine

Pot 4

  • Cyprus
  • Greece
  • Malta
  • Bulgaria
  • Portugal
  • San Marino

Pot 5

  • Estonia
  • Lithuania
  • Latvia
  • Moldova
  • Poland
  • Romania

Pot 6

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Switzerland
  • Czech Republic
  • Ireland
  • Netherlands

Drawing countries from different pots helps to reduce the chance of so-called neighbourly voting and increases suspense in the Semi-Finals.

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the 66th Eurovision Song Contest!

Eurovision 2022: Semi Final Allocation Draw to take place on January 25!

One of the most important dates of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest was revealed a few hours ago, as the draw for the Eurovision 2022 semi-finals will take place on January 25th.

As revealed by the Montenegrin state radio, RTCG, in the context of the announcement of Vladana Vučinić as the representative of the Balkan country in Turin, the draw of the semi-finals will take place in exactly three weeks from today.

During the ceremony, the emblem of the event will be handed over from the city of Rotterdam to the Mayor of Turin. The draw will take place either at the Mole Antonelliana, the tallest building in Turin, or at the Palazzo Madama, which housed the first Senate of the Italian Kingdom.

The draw

The first part of the draw will determine the semi-final that will be broadcasted and voted by each of the five countries that are directly in the final (Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom).

The second part of the draw will determine in which semi-final and in which half the other 36 participating countries will compete. As in recent years, the exact order of appearance will be determined by the producers of the event at a later time.

The 36 countries will be distributed in five or six pots, based on historical voting patterns as calculated by the official television partner Digame. This separation is done in order to avoid the gathering of many neighboring countries in a semifinal that would significantly affect the final result.

We remind you that Eurovision 2022 will be held on May 10, 12 and 14 at the PalaOlimpico in the capital of Piedmont. Thus, Turin will become the third city in Italy where the Eurovision Song Contest will be held. The previous two were Naples in 1965 and Rome in 1991.

We remind you that the 66th Eurovision Song Contest will take place at the Pala Alpitour in Turin, on 10, 12 and 14 May 2022, with 41 participating countries.Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the news related to the 66th Eurovision Song Contest!

Cyprus: Skeptical well-known Greek artist, for the surprise proposal of RIK! EXCLUSIVE

It seems that RIK is preparing a big surprise for the Eurovision 2022. Eurovisionfun presents to you exclusively everything that RIK has been planning lately in relation to its participation and it is definitely news that will make you excited!

What we officially know so far

What has been said and is known so far, is that RIK wants in its next entry to have a strong Cypriot element, in the team that will represent the country in Turin.

The head of the press of the Cypriot delegation, Andreas Anastasiou, in the interview he gave to the show of Melina Karageorgiou on RIK, Europhoria, stated that 2022 will be a year where the Cypriot talent will be displayed in the competition. As people from RIK told us, this means that the country would be represented by Cypriots at Eurovision 2022, without clarifying whether this concerns the artist or only the creators.

With a composer-surprise at Eurovision 2022

RIK follows the same selection method used in recent years. At first they choose the song and then having the song and a complete proposal, they seek to find the artist.

For Eurovision 2022 and according to our exclusive and secure information, RIK plans to be represented by a song signed by George Michael.

George Michael or Georgios Kyriakos Panagiotou as his real name is, was born and raised in London, but having a Cypriot father, as his name testifies. He was involved in music from a very young age, while he gained worldwide recognition initially as a member of Wham and later as a solo artist. He is considered one of the biggest pop stars of the 80s and 90s, while counting dozens of hits.

The successful songwriter passed away in 2016, but has left a large legacy of anecdotal pieces. One of these songs that did not manage to be released, wants the RIK team to ensure that it will be the next Cypriot participation in the contest.

The proposal to a well-known Greek singer

As we are informed from the environment of a well-known Greek singer, RIK has already contacted him, proposing him to represent Cyprus in Eurovision 2022 with the song of George Michael.

The artist in question reserved his answer, expecting of course to listen to the proposed song first. From his environment, however, there are some serious reservations.

The basic and most expected reservation of course is whether a song by George Michael, which as a songwriter was successful in the 80s and 90s mainly, can musically meet the requirements of the competition in 2022. In addition, there is a fear that because it is a George Michael’s song, which is no longer alive, is considered by some to be emotional blackmail. Finally, although of course we are talking about a very big name in world music history, there are concerns of repeating the story with Bonnie Tyler, where her name alone was not enough to bring enough points to the UK in 2013, occupying the 19th place.

For all the above reasons, the artist’s team will give its final answer to RIK, as soon as it has the song in its hands and it will be possible to evaluate all the data.

Of course all of the above will make sense once the securing of George Michael’s song by the company that manages the copyright is completed. In case the above perspective fails, then RIK will look for another song, always aiming to be represented by a Cypriot composer.

What do you think about RIK’s plans for Eurovision 2022? Tell us in the comments below!

Eurovision 2022: 41 countries joining the 66th contest in Turin!

Public broadcasters from 41 countries will take part in the Eurovision Song Contest when it returns to our screens next May.

Fans of the Contest will welcome back ARMTV from Armenia and RTCG from Montenegro, both taking to the stage for the first time since Tel Aviv in 2019.

It’s also a special year for Norwegian broadcaster NRK as they will be celebrating the selection of their 60th Eurovision entry during the Melodi Grand Prix grand final on Saturday 19 February.

We will also witness the 300th ‘Big Five’ performance – that’s a song from one of either France, Germany, Italy, Spain or United Kingdom.

Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, shared his thoughts on the line-up:

‘We are so excited that we once again have over 40 broadcasters competing to win the iconic Eurovision trophy in Turin next May.

The team from Rai are working hard on preparations to welcome all the delegations to a new Host City and ensuring the Eurovision Song Contest will provide the excitement and state-of-the-art spectacle expected by nearly 200 million viewers.’

On the announcement of the 41 participants, Simona Martorelli and Claudio Fasulo from Italian broadcaster Rai added:

‘After 31 years, Italy is proud to host the Eurovision Song Contest again! As Executive Producers, we are incredibly excited to set up this amazing event and welcome delegations from 41 nations to Turin next year.

Above all, we strongly believe the Eurovision Song Contest will allow us to showcase and share the beauty of Italy with a global audience via the elements that unite us all: music and harmony.’

The Italian city of Turin won the race to become the Host City of the 66th Eurovision Song Contest, setting Saturday 14 May as the date of the Grand Final, which will be held in PalaOlimpico along with two Semi-Finals on 10 and 12 May.

Source: Eurovision.tv

Greece: Constantinos Christoforou speaks to Europhoria, about his song for Eurovision 2022!

Last Saturday, Constantinos Christoforou was a guest on CyBC’s radio show Europhoria, hosted by Melina Karageorgiou. Among other things, he gave more details about the song with which he claims the Greek representation for Eurovision 2022!

Memories of the previous three entries

Constantinos Christoforou, who twice represented as a solo (1996 and 2005) and once with the band ONE (2002) his homeland, talked about all three of his previous participations, while of course he commented on his effort this year to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest for a fourth time, this time with the Greek colors.

About 1996 and “Mono Yia Emas“, which he described it as his favorite of his three entries, he stated that it was essentially the occasion for the beginning of his career, since he had the opportunity to introduce himself to such a large audience.

1996 was followed by “Gimme” and the participation with ONE in 2002. Constantinos reveals that the second candidate song was “Matia Mou“, with English lyrics, which was included in their album that was released later. He considers the sixth place an injustice one, since everyone believed that they would be at least in the Top 3.

Making his self-criticism for 2005, Constantinos Christoforou comments that perhaps the choice of “Ela Ela” was wrong, since in now he believes that the song She’s No Fool, written by Mike Connaris, would have achieved a better result, as it was very ahead of its time.

In fact, Constantinos Christoforou does not hesitate to say that RIK should have made an internal choice then and chosen this song, without holding a national final with the participation of the public, who voted in the vast majority of “Ela Ela“.

The song he submitted to ERT for Eurovision 2022

Melina Karageorgiou asked Constantinos Christoforou about the song he submitted to ERT, for the internal selection of the Greek entry in Eurovision 2022.

It’s a song I love very much. It is a ballad. A Mediterranean ballad, not ethnic, Mediterranean… There are two versions. One in Greek and English and one in Italian, which I love as a language despite not speaking it. The Greek lyrics are by Gioula Georgiou, the English are by Stefanos, my brother, the Italian ones are a surprise, you will see it when I release it.

Constantinos Christoforou states that it was a decision of his record label (MINOS EMI), to send the song to ERT for Eurovision, something of course that he immediately agreed with. All he asked was that they not bother him about anything other than telling him the result of the internal choice.

The above practically means that Constantinos Christoforou was not positive either in the participation in a national final, fully confirming everything we told you, for the refusal of most of the 25 artists participating in the ERT process to compete in an open television national final.

Concluding his interview with Europhoria, Constantinos Christoforou states that he will not speak publicly again about the effort to claim Greek participation in Eurovision 2022, since his decision is to keep a low profile, simply talking with his work, when and if needed.

You can listen the interview HERE (In Greek).

Would you like to see Konstantinos Christophorou representing Greece in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest?

Ilias Kozas: “Last year I was in talks about a Eurovision return – This year I sent three songs to ERT”

Ilias Kozas confirmed what was written during last year’s Eurovision Song Contest about RIK’s proposal in his person for the representation of Cyprus in Eurovision 2021. The experienced singer referred, also, to all three songs he submitted to ERT in view of the internal selection for Eurovision 2022.

The 37-year-old singer was in contact with RIK last year, discussing his return to the competition as a solo artist and without his band, the Koza Mostra. Kozas together with his band and Agathon in 2013 brought Greece for the last time in the top 10 of the final ranking, with the song of Alcohol Is Free, until last May and the 10th place of Stefania.

In an interview on Katerina Karavatou’s show on Mega, he spoke about RIK’s approach, his desire to try out a solo career and his effort this year:

In general, with all the quarantine and everything we experience, I cleared my mind and began to expand on other sounds. I decided to do something solo. On this solo that has nothing to do with KOZA MOSTRA, I said why not?

A proposal was made to me last year but I was hesitant. I did not feel like going again and in the middle of covid. For those who have experienced it, Eurovision is a party. It is a pity to go and have quarantines, masks, vaccines.

I submitted three songs that were ready in advance, I did not write them for Eurovision, and they were not written exclusively for Eurovision.

We remind you that Ilias Kozas is one of the candidates to represent Greece at Eurovision 2022 next May in Turin.

It comes out as a surprise the fact that Ilias Kozas has submitted three songs, all of them with English lyrics and not with Greek. His proposed entries are of rock style, a genre he has served in his recent work both as solo artist and together with Koza Mostra band.

Cyprus: The scenario “Kalomira” seems to fade out!

As it has already become known in the last few days, Kalomira did not submit to ERT the long-awaited participation for the Eurovision 2022 competition! However, according to recent reports, Kalomira’s team was considering the scenario of the favorite singer being on the stage of the competition with the colors of Cyprus for the second time.

 

However, according to today’s report of SKAI‘s morning show “Love it”, this scenario seems to be moving away. Specifically, a journalist of the show stated:

Kalomira approached  RIK, to give there the song she prepared with Mohombi and Claydee! However, RIK decided after years to put a Cypriot color in their participation and to have a Cypriot artist as a composer! In recent years, foreign composers have been participating with Cyprus and the artists have come from Greece and this has created reactions.

According to this information, Kalomira does not seem to have agreed with RIK, refuting the reports that have been circulating on the internet in recent days.

Finally, in the show they mentioned the fact that it will not be a surprise to see Cypriot artists of great scope undertake the composition of the Cypriot participation!

It seems that this year we will be late to find out who will be the 38th representative of the island of Aphrodite, in contrast to previous years. What do you think? Will we see a Cypriot artist representing Cyprus this year?

Stay tuned to EurovisionFun.com to learn all the news about Cyprus and other countries on the trip to Turin!

Evangelia claims (addition to the Greek), the Cypriot representation in Eurovision 2022!

You did not read wrong, as revealed by the Sunday Mail, which hosts statements by Evangelia, the young singer is claiming in addition to the Greek and Cypriot representation at Eurovision 2022, since she will submit (if she has not already submitted) some of the songs she has prepared at RICK!

This development comes shortly before the expiration of the deadline given by ERT to the record companies, production companies, performers and creators, who wish to represent Greece in the 66th Eurovision Song Contest.

Despite the fact that she has not yet sent her proposal to ERT, according to our reliable information, the Sunday Mail reveals that Evangelia is now among the possible representatives of Cyprus.

Cyprus is known for its cultural diversity, but there is one common denominator and that is music. I share the same feeling!

Evangelia

It remains unknown whether Evangelia will finally submit her proposal to ERT or will focus on claiming the Cypriot representation. However, in recent interviews, she had outlined the songs she had in mind for the contest, saying that they will have a strong Greek element, in the pattern of the songs she has already released.

If, of course, Evangelia actually submits a candidacy in both countries, a paradox arises with the reaction of both ERT and RIK unknown. We will follow the issue and inform you!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments related to our favorite contest!

Source: Sunday Mail