Introducing the 2009 entries: Greece

All entries in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest are known, but the actual contest is still six weeks away. As a warm-up, we introduce one of the entries every day in random order. Part fourteen is dedicated to the entry from Greece.

Basic information

The song

This is our night is an up-tempo dance pop song. Through the lyrics, the singer tells someone to leave the old behind and start a new life as this is their night:

When I look into your eyes
It comes as no surprise

This is our night, fly to the top, baby
Yes, we can do it, just wait and see
This is our night, time for a change, baby
Get rid of the old, take a hold and be free

The singer

Having been a member of the Greek National Gymnastics team, Sakis Rouvas entered the music business in 1991 with the release of his eponymous debut album. It became a huge success reaching the top of the album charts and the song Parta peaked at number one of the radio charts. His career has been going on since and Sakis Rouvas is now one of the most successful Greek singers best known for his remarkable stage shows. He has released twelve studio albums to date and all of them reached gold or platinum status in Greece. In total, he has sold about two million albums.

In 2004, Sakis Rouvas was chosen internally to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Shake it. He would finish third both in the semi final and in the final. The single was a huge success in Greece peaking at number one in the charts and being certified with four platinum records. In 2006, when the contest went to Greece after Elena Paparizou's victory, he was chosen to co-present the show in Athens.

In 2008, Sakis Rouvas was the first artist being announced to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest. In the national final, he presented three songs and This is our night was chosen as Greek entry in Mosow. The song has yet to enter the regular single charts but it already peaked at number one of the download charts and at number 26 of the airplay charts.

The national selection

Sakis Rouvas was chosen internally to represent Greece in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. In the national final, he presented three songs (all of them composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos) and the winning song was chosen by a mix of televoting, jury voting and the votes of an international jury that included the results of a poll held by esctoday.com. All juries and the televoters agreed on the winning song This is our night.

Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest

Greece joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. Despite seven top ten placings between 1974 and 1998, the country was not among the most successful participants in the contest. This changed in 2001, when Greece reached third place in Copenhagen. After another two unsuccessful attempts in 2002 and 2003, Greece has finally found its run of luck and finished in the top ten every year from 2004 onwards including a first victory in 2005. It is also the only country that managed to finish in the top ten every year since the introduction of the semi final stage.

ΕυχÏ�μαστε στην Ελλάδα και στον Σάκη Ρουβά καλή επιτυχία και καλά αποτελέσματα στην ΜÏ�σχα!

Videos

Sakis Rouvas speaks to esctoday.com after the song presentation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6phteA2Ddc

Performancein the national final:

The preview video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-BmxPy_ndI

Sakis Rouvas in Life & Cooking:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVByyg7j8R4

Shake it in 2004:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=349tbmQ9HDM

Other parts of this series

1. France
2. Portugal
3. Romania
4. Denmark
5. Netherlands
6. Cyprus
7. Latvia
8. Ireland
9. Malta
10. Armenia
11. Germany
12. Serbia
13. Belgium

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Croatian entry.

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