Cyprus: Eurovision 2023 act to be determined through a televised talent show

Friday, 24 September 2021

• Cyprus will be switching to a national selection for Eurovision 2023 through a televised talent show that will unfold under the collaboration of CyBC and Panik Records. 

  The head of Greek record company Panik Records, Giorgos Arsenakos, which has been behind past Cypriot Eurovision entries, like Eleni Foureira's "Fuego" (2018) , Tamta's "Replay" and Elena Tsagrinou's entry "El Diablo" this year in Rotterdam, revealed a future collaboration withg CyBC  in order to select the Cypriot ESC 2023 representative. 

  Precisely, Mr. Arsenakos during an interview on his own network revelaed that Panik Records and the Cypriot national broadcaster, CyBC will be teaming up in order to launch a new televised talent show that will serve as the national selection format for Eurovision 2023. 

  The Head of Panik Records said: 

  "I can say that we as Panik have talked to CYBC, Cyprus national broadcaster, and we will take over the representation of the country in Eurovision in 2023. So whoever wins in the new talent show, which we are preparing, will represent Cyprus in Eurovision in 2023. I consider it a very strong prize, which will bring very good participations."

  Cyprus hasn't held a national selection since 2015 when the Eurovision Song Project  took place selecting John Karayiannis with the ballad song “One Thing I Should Have Done” which finished 22nd in the Grand final with 11 points. 

   

  Cyprus in Eurovision

  Cyprus debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with the group Island, achieving an honorable 6th placing in Dublin. Aphrodite’s island has been represented by some of the biggest names in the Greek and Cypriot music industry: Anna Vissi (1982), Michalis Hatzigiannis (1998), Evridiki (1992,1994,2007), Ivi Adamou (2012), Despina Olympiou (2013), etc.

  The country achieved its best Eurovision result this year when it placed 2nd with Eleni Foureira’s Fuego. The Greek famous star was selected internally to fly the Cypriot flag at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon. Eleni’s explosive performanc on  the Altice Arena stage blew away Europe which boosted the country to its highest position ever in the competiton.

  In 2019 internally selected Tamta, want to make a strong repeat of last year’s success with her song enttitled , Replay, and through her energetic performance at Expo Tel Aviv accomplished a 13th place for Cyprus, keeping the country on the left side of the final scoreboard.

  In 2020, CyBC internally selected Sandro Nicolas to fly the flag in Rotterdam with his entry Running, written by Alfie Arcuri, Sebastian Rickards, Octavian Rasinariu and Sandro himself while the productionwas work of Teo DK. However Sandro never had the chance to perform in Rotterdamam as the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. 

  This year, Elena Tsagrinou was internally selected to fly the flag in Rotterdam with her song "El Diablo" which competed in the first semi final and after qualifying to the Grand final finished 16th with a total of 94 points. 

   

  News Source: okmag.gr/ ESCXtra

  Image: EBU / ANDRES PUTTING