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Cyprus: Embassy’s Response to the Article by “Nea” Newspaper

Giannis Poulopoulos of the show “Super Katerina” reached out with a relevant question to the spokesperson of the Cypriot embassy in Athens, inquiring about the veracity of the discussion between the Cypriot Ambassador and the President of ERT, as reported by “Nea” newspaper.

The Cypriot Embassy neither denied nor confirmed the article, offering a brief yet meaningful comment:

“No comment.”

As discussed on the show, the fact that the Embassy neither refutes nor confirms anything speaks volumes. Additionally, attention was drawn to the fact that ERT‘s response came through a personal statement from its President rather than from the company itself, which also carries significant symbolism.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments!

Silia Kapsis: “I Don’t Know What Happened Between ERT and CyBC (RIK), I’m Here for the Music”

Upon her return from Amsterdam, television channels awaited Silia Kapsis at the airport to gauge her reaction to the recent revelations surrounding Konstantinos Zoulas’s statements to the Cypriot ambassador, as reported by the media.

Silia Kapsis admitted she was not well-versed on the matter, revealing that both her mother and the people at RIK had shielded her from reading articles regarding the issue.

“I don’t know what happened between ERT and RIK. I’m here to sing and dance. I’m here for the music,” she stated.

Pressed by journalists, Silia Kapsis acknowledged that if such allegations were true, it saddened her as she wished for Greece and Cyprus to remain united.

“I’m half Greek and half Cypriot. I’m from Thessaloniki and Larnaca. All of this saddens me. Greece and Cyprus should be united. I will sing for both countries,” she declared.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments!

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK): “It is a violation of the regulations what the media reports” | “It is known to the EBU!”

In a recent segment on RIK1, the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK) addressed the allegations raised by the media and clarified its stance on the matter. Andreas Anastasiou, the head of press for the Cypriot delegation, asserted that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is now aware of the situation and emphasized that any such claims constitute a violation of the competition’s regulations.

Anastasiou elaborated on the voting process of the jury committee and addressed concerns regarding statements attributed to the President of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT). He stressed that if the reports are accurate, they represent a breach of the rules governing the Eurovision Song Contest.

Highlighting the longstanding relationship between ERT and CyBC, Anastasiou underscored that these allegations may necessitate changes in their dynamic. He reiterated that the EBU has been informed of the situation.

The relations between ERT and CyBC are long-standing and not personalised. If the reports are true, you can understand that some things will change. They are known to the EBU.

Concluding his remarks, Anastasiou extended well wishes to Marina Satti and Greece, making it clear that he was speaking on behalf of CyBC (RIK).

With the matter now brought to the attention of the EBU and considering Anastasiou’s statements, it appears that RIK awaits further developments from the organizing authority. This incident underscores the need for resolution between ERT and RIK, a matter that the EBU will likely need to address once again.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on this developing situation!

Greece: The repsonse of the President of ERT to the “Nea” article!

The President of ERT, Constantinos Zoulas, in his reply sent to us a few minutes ago, responds to what the Ambassador of Cyprus in Athens allegedly attributed to him during their meeting, in fact attributing a different content to their discussion, from the one in which is revealed in the “Nea” newspaper.

The Management of ERT did not and apparently is not allowed to have the slightest involvement in the evaluations of the independent jury proposed every year by the Communication Department of ERT for the Eurovision Song Contest. Therefore, it had no involvement both in the first place that Cyprus got from the independent jury of ERT in 2021, and in last year’s evaluation of the Cypriot participation as the 7th best among 26 countries. This is what I explained to the ambassador of Cyprus at our pre-quarterly meeting, – of course on the sidelines of the much more serious issues we discussed – by telling him that those involved in ERT with Eurovision were surprised by CyBC’s decision to represent Cyprus this year with one of the songs that ERT rejected last year. And in this context, I wished that the judgment of this year’s independent jury appointed by ERT would not be the same as the one that rejected the song in question, without anyone – let alone me personally – being able to influence its judgment. Having expressed my great surprise at the fact that the Eurovision Song Contest was the subject of diplomatic information, and indeed at a time when ERT and CyBC have excellent cooperation, I wish great success both to Cyprus and Greece.

With the actual denial of the publication on the part of Constantinos Zoulas, and of the Cypriot Ambassador, you now realize that the continuation of this story is expected to be even more interesting.

We remind you that tomorrow morning the response of CyBC through the head of the country’s delegation to the competition, Ms. Evi Papamichael, is expected.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the updates around the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest!

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Greece: ERT’s shock confession for predetermined jury vote

A bombshell news that will disturb the already disturbed relations between RIK and ERT, was published a short while ago by the newspaper Ta Nea.

The Ambassador of Cyprus lights fires

The news, which is also on the cover of the newspaper, concerns an official document – an information letter from Stavros Avgoustidis, Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Athens, to official bodies of Cyprus, in which he informs the authorities in Nicosia, about what was communicated to him in a recent working meeting at the ERT’s Headquarters, by the President of the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), Konstantinos Zoulas, concerning the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest and the jury votes that the Greek jury committee will give to Cyprus.

According to what is revealed in the newspaper, the President of ERT announced on February 22nd to the Cypriot Ambassador in Athens that Greece will give a low score to the Cypriot participation in Eurovision 2024. In more detail, the article states the following:

Official confession for… Eurovision!

Just when you think you have seen it all, the official document signed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Greece, Stavros Avgoustidis, for his meeting with the President of ERT, Konstantinos Zoulas, comes to leave you… in shock.

This is, in particular, the ambassador’s official briefing to the Presidential Palace of Cyprus, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, the government spokesman and other official bodies, for his visit on February 21 to ERT’s premises. During their meeting, according to the ambassador, Zoulas referred to the burning issue of… Eurovision, stressing that “as far as Cyprus’ participation in this year’s Eurovision contest is concerned, ERT will not give high marks to the Cypriot entry”.

In other words, he clearly announced the result of the Greek jury, which in February had not even been set up, for a vote that would take place three months later.

The issue is not exactly trivial. This is because, according to the regulations of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) governing the regulation, ERT does not vote, as Zoulas told the Cypriot ambassador, but must set up an independent jury, which is expressly forbidden to be composed of employees of state television, in order to evaluate the entries on artistic criteria alone, without being influenced by external factors.

So one wonders how exactly Zoulas knew the result of such an evaluation by then. Unless he has a talent for futurology, say, or a magic crystal ball…

Awaiting developments in Athens, Nicosia and EBU

Obviously, what the Cypriot ambassador in Athens reports to the government services in Nicosia is very serious and raises relentless questions regarding the credibility of the Greek jury, whose members have already been notified to the EBU, since the deadline was Friday 12 April.

Of course all of the above comes a few months after the uproar and reactions caused by the 4 points given by last year’s Greek jury that deprived Andrew Lambrou and Cyprus of the top 10.

Eurovisionfun will be following the issue and will keep you informed as always for any news on this very serious issue that has arisen and which will obviously monopolize the interest in Greece and Cyprus in the coming days.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all developments!

EXCLUSIVE: Mads Enggaard will be the director of TV coverage for the Greek entry!

The Eurovision team of ERT, the Greek public broadcaster, is full of pleasant surprises this year. According to the exclusive and valid information of Eurovisionfun, the talented and experienced director, named Mads Enggaard, with years of experience both in Eurovision and other big projects, is going to be the director of the TV coverage for the Greek entry in Eurovision 2024!

Another professional in his job, is added to the Greek Eurovision team for 2024. The Danish director, Mads Enggaard will be the director of the TV broadcast for ERT. That means he will be in charge of the footage, we’ll see on our screens.

Mads Enggaard has great experience in the contest, having previously directed a number of entries, with his greatest achievement being Denmark’s “Only Teardrops”, which won Eurovision 2013. He has also directed famous TV shows in his country, like “The Masked Singer”, and the “X Factor”, which he is directing this season.

 

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A post shared by Mads Enggaard (@madsmayn)

So now, alongside the artistic director Fokas Evangelinos, the choregrapher Mecnun Giasar (Majnoon) and NMR who are in charge of the art direction, Mads Enggaard is added to the team, taking over the TV footage of the live broadcast.

We remind you that according to what Marina Satti revealed, the whole staging of the Greek entry, is based on an idea of Fokas Evangelinos. This whole conversation in the last days, along the positive reviews and streams on digital platforms, have helped “Zari” climb higher and higher in the betting odds, reaching the seventh place as of now.

It seems obvious, that the team of Dora Chiraki, who is in charge of the Eurovision project for ERT this year, wants to remove last year’s incidents from our memory, that tarnished our image in the contest.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Greek participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024, in Malmö!

Greece: Marina Satti’s “ZARI” Released for Eurovision 2024!

The moment all Greek fans have been waiting for has arrived! “ZARI,” Greece’s entry for Eurovision 2024, performed by the multi-talented Marina Satti, has just been unveiled to the public.

The music video for “ZARI” made its official premiere on the show “Eurovision in Sight.” Immediately after airing, the video clip will be exclusively available on ERTflix. Shortly after, the song will become available on all music platforms, while the video clip will be accessible on the ERT channel on YouTube.

The video clip will be uploaded to the Eurovision channel the following day, on Friday, March 8th.

Check out the music video for “ZARI” at the link below:

Who is Marina Satti?

A graduate of classical piano, with advanced studies in music theory, a diploma in classical singing and acting, and a scholarship recipient of the internationally renowned Berklee College of Music, where she studied orchestration, production, and jazz music alongside Danilo Perez and Jamie Haddad, among others, Marina Satti has developed a personal sound that combines the different musical traditions she grew up with, such as Greek, Arabic, and Balkan. Representing Greece at the European Jazz Orchestra (EBU) with works by Peter Herbolzheimer, performing at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington with the World Jazz Nonet, and participating in the a cappella vocal group The Singing Tribe in collaboration with Bobby McFerrin, she is a creator and performer who is difficult to classify artistically.

From the Megaron Concert Hall and the Lyric Stage to festivals in the highlands of Crete, she can simultaneously be pop, ethnic, and mainstream, just as she can be lyrical, urban, and traditional with equal ease. European media present her as an ambassador of the Greek and Balkan scene, a unique path that blends traditional music with pop, both classical and contemporary. In 2017, she topped the charts with the single “Mantissa,” while shortly after, the audience embraced “Hidden Pain,” which premiered on the German COLORS (a first for a Greek artist with Greek lyrics), garnering another milestone on the NOWNESS platform, which first presented her exceptional music video for the traditional piece “Why My Bird.”

In 2017, she also founded CHÓRES [ˈkɔɾɛs], a purely female choral ensemble consisting of over 150 women aged 15-60, of which she is the artistic director—a creative hub aimed at rescuing, processing, and promoting the richness of Greek tradition, as well as creating original musical repertoire and performance activities in collaboration with contemporary artists, while uniquely reviving traditional songs of yesterday with today’s sound and aesthetics. In May 2022, she released her first full-length solo album, YENNA, while in 2023, she experimented by delivering the short documentary FLABOURO and TUCUTUM, a song-commentary on Balkan trap, which became the summer’s viral hit.

What do we know about Marina Satti’s song?

The title of the song, as we previously informed you, is “Zari.”

The song, along with Marina Satti, is co-written by eight acclaimed Greek and non-Greek composers who have significant successes and collaborations in their resumes.

The music of “ZARI” was composed by Marina Satti, OGE, Kay Be, Nick Kodonas, Jay Stolar, Gino The Ghost, and Jordan Palmer, while the lyrics were penned by VLOSPA, OGE, Marina Satti, and Solmeister. The music video was directed by Australian filmmaker Zac Wiesel.

You can find the lyrics of “Zari” in our related article.

Fokas Evangelinos will be in charge of the artistic direction of “Dice” in Malmo

As we revealed earlier, Fokas Evangelinos will be the artistic director of this year’s Greek entry and will be responsible for staging “Dice” at the competition in Malmo.

Of course, he will collaborate with the choreographer of this year’s entry, Mecnun Giasar, while the dancers who will accompany Marina Satti during her performance at the Malmö Arena stage are Eirini Damianidou, Yasin AO, Hüso Çetintaş, and Vasilis Karagiannis.

Greece in the Eurovision Contest

This marks Greece’s 44th participation in the contest. The debut was in 1974 with “Krassi, thalassa ke t’ agori mou,” securing an eleventh place. Until the end of the 90s, Greece often managed to be in the top fifteen of the final scoreboard.

Greece’s rise in the contest and the development of the institution in our country came in 2001 with Antique and “Die for You,” where the country achieved third place, its best result up to that time.

From 2004 to 2011, the country has eight consecutive placements in the final top ten, with the peak being our victory in 2005 with Elena Paparizou and “My Number One.”

Greece has three eliminations from the final in 2016, 2018, and 2023.

Last year, the country was represented by Victor Vernicos with the song “What They Say,” bringing the country outside the Grand Final for the third time.

Good luck Greece! Good luck Marina!

What did you think of “Zari“? Will Greece manage to return to the path of success?

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding the Greek participation in Eurovision 2024!

Greece: When and Where “Zari” Will Be Available!

Just 24 hours separate us from the announcement of Greece’s entry for Eurovision 2024. “Zari” officially begins its journey to Malmö tomorrow night through the ERT1 channel and the show Eurovision Seen. Naturally, everyone is eager to know when they can watch the music video of our entry.

As previously announced, the first broadcast of the Greek entry’s music video for Eurovision 2024 will be aired during a special program on ERT, hosted by Jenny Melita and Fotis Sergoulopoulos. This live broadcast, scheduled to start at 20:00 CET and end at 21:45 CET, will also feature Marina Satti as a guest. The presentation of the song is expected towards the end of the program to maintain the audience’s interest.

According to our information, immediately afterwards the music video will be available on ERT’s YouTube channel and ERTFlix. The music video will be uploaded on the Eurovision channel the next day, Friday 8/3.

Everything is set for the grand evening tomorrow, and the first presentation of Greece’s entry for Eurovision 2024!

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Greece: On March 7 the song for Eurovision 2024 will be released!

Through a special show which will be broadcast on ERT1 on March 7, in the context of the completion of 50 years since the first Greek participation in the Eurovision contest, the Greek participation for Eurovision 2024 will be revealed.

In the ERT press release, it also confirms all the information you read exclusively and through our website. In particular, the director of the video clip is Zac Wiesel and not the names that had been released in the past. Also, that Fokas Evangelinos has taken over the artistic direction of our participation, but also that Mecnun Giasar (Majnoon) is responsible for the choreography and movement. Information that all saw the light of day through Eurovisionfun, proving once again that valid and timely information is our synonym.

In an extraordinary evening show, which will be broadcast on Thursday, March 7, on ERT1, hosted by Fotis Sergoulopoulos and Jenny Melita, the song that will represent us in the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Malmö, will be presented of Sweden on 7, 9 and 11 May 2024.

FILMING OF THE VIDEO CLIP IS COMPLETED

Against the background of emblematic locations of Athens, such as the Acropolis, Plaka, Monastiraki and the Herodes Atticus Conservatory, the filming for the video clip of the song that will be performed by Marina Satti, representing Greece at this year’s Eurovision, has been completed.
For the filming needs, the lens also focused on other characteristic areas of Attica, among which Omonia, Lykavittos, Rafina, and “Eleftherios Venizelos” Airport.

Under the direction of Australian director Zac Wiesel, who has undertaken the editing of the video clip, the rich cultural heritage, history and modern landmarks of our country are highlighted.

The artistic direction of Marina Satti’s appearance on the Eurovision stage has been undertaken by Fokas Evangelinos, the choreography and movement direction by Mecnun Giasar (Majnoon), while the art direction by NMR.

Greece will compete in the first half of the second semi-final, which will take place on 9 May 2024.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments!

Exclusive: Fokas Evangelinos appointed as Artistic Director for Marina Satti’s Eurovision 2024 Entry!

Just a few days ago, during the morning show “Super Katerina” on Alpha TV, journalist Giannis Poulopoulos revealed that Fokas Evangelinos had been offered the role of overseeing Marina Satti’s participation in Eurovision 2024. Now, we can exclusively disclose that the two parties have reached an agreement, with the esteemed and experienced director taking on the artistic direction of Greece’s entry in Eurovision 2024!

Below you can see the report from the Greek TV show:

According to our sources, the renowned director and choreographer responded positively to the proposal from ERT and Marina Satti. He will be responsible for shaping Marina Satti’s stage performance at the competition in Malmö. The remaining question is whether Fokas will solely handle Marina Satti’s stage presentation or if there will be other collaborators on the team.

Fokas Evangelinos has overseen the following Eurovision entries:

  • 2022: 8th place for Greece with Amanda Georgiadis Tenfjord and the song “Die Together.”
  • 2021: 13th place for Moldova with Natalia Gordienko and the song “Sugar.”
  • 2021: 10th place for Greece with Stefania Liberakakis and the song “Last Dance.”
  • 2019: 22nd place for Spain with Miki Nunez and the song “La Venda.”
  • 2019: 3rd place for Russia with Sergey Lazarev and the song “Scream.”
  • 2018: 11th place in the first semifinal for Azerbaijan with Aisel Mammadova and the song “X My Heart.”
  • 2017: 19th place for Greece with Demy and the song “This Is Love.”
  • 2016: 3rd place for Russia with Sergey Lazarev and the song “You’re the Only One.”
  • 2014: 7th place for Russia with Tolmachevy Sisters and the song “Shine.”
  • 2013: 2nd place for Azerbaijan with Farid Mammadov and the song “Hold Me.”
  • 2009: 7th place for Greece with Sakis Rouvas and the song “This Is Our Night.”
  • 2008: 1st place for Russia with Dima Bilan and the song “Believe.”
  • 2008: 2nd place for Ukraine with Ani Lorak and the song “Shady Lady.”
  • 2007: 6th place for Belarus with Dmitry Koldun and the song “Work Your Magic.”
  • 2006: 2nd place for Russia with Dima Bilan and the song “Never Let You Go.”
  • 2006: Creative Director of Eurovision Song Contest held in Greece.
  • 2005: 1st place for Greece with Helena Paparizou and the song “My Number One.”
  • 2004: 3rd place for Greece with Sakis Rouvas and the song “Shake It.”

He has directed a total of 17 entries, with 13 of them reaching the top 10, a record unmatched by any other director in the contest.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest updates on Eurovision!