Back in August, RIK announced its return to the Junior Eurovision Song Contest for the first time after seven years. Meanwhile, the broadcaster also revealed that the eleven year-old Maria Pissarides will represent the island nation in the upcoming 22nd Junior Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Madrid, Spain. Just a while ago and during the morning show “Omorfi Mera” on RIK, the Cypriot entry, named “Crystal Waters”, was officially released.
You can listen to “Crystal Waters”, below:
“Crystal Waters”
“Crystal Waters” is written by Sophia Patsalides, the Cypriot representative in Junior Eurovision 2014 and Armin Gilani. The video shooting took place in Cyprus in early September, under the direction of Petros Charalambous. The music video incorporates elements of nature, combining natural landscapes with the musical aesthetic of the song, while the song is influenced by the Cypriot island.
When it comes to the stage performance we will see in November, the artistic direction is taken over by the British creative director Layla Ellison. Also, the dancers that will join Maria on stage were selected through open auditions RIK conducted.
Who is Maria Pissarides?
The eleven-year-old Maria Pissarides will participate in Junior Eurovision 2024, being the nation’s tenth representative in the contest. Maria Pissarides is a singer, actress, and dancer and has also studied music theory at a London-based institution.
Maria exhibited a passion for performance from a very young age, while in her home country of Cyprus. She is an enthusiast of the arts and, although her initial steps were in dancing, over time she is progressing on to musical theatre.
Maria has held leading roles in multiple shows within her community, including an adaptation of Matilda. She also likes to write lyrics and has taken part in the European Radio 2023 song writing and singing competition, achieving third place with her team.
Currently, at 11 years of age, Maria is a full-time student at a performing arts school in the UK and seeks every opportunity to progress and learn new skills. Maria’s favourite day would include watching movies, drawing, playing with her dog, eating chocolate and berries and spending time with her two brothers!
Last night, we also had the chance to host Maria Pissarides in our usual Live Talk on YouTube, where she mentioned that she’s feeling:
[…]very proud and excited! I feel like I’m not only represent Cyprus but also Greece.
Junior Eurovision 2024
Seventeen countries will take part in the 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest:
- Albania – RTSH
- Armenia – AMPTV
- Cyprus – RIK
- Estonia – ERR
- France – FT
- Georgia – GPB
- Germany – ARD/NDR
- Ireland – RTÉ
- Italy – RAI
- Malta – PBS
- North Macedonia – MRT
- Poland – TVP
- Portugal – RTP
- San Marino – RTV San Marino
- Spain – TVE
- The Netherlands – AVROTROS
- Ukraine – UA:PBC
The 22nd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held on November 16 in Madrid, Spain, following the country’s second-place finish last year and the refusal of the winning country, France, to host for the second year in a row. The slogan for this year’s contest is “Let’s Bloom!”, while Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Clotet and Melani Garcia will serve as this year’s hosts.
Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all the news!
