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ERT Press conference
Greece: Sakis Rouvas aims for Athens 2010
Although the Greek broadcaster did not confirm the exact date or venue of the Greek final, it was reported by local media that it will be held on 17 February. ERT announced that it will be hosted once more by the Maggira sisters, who hosted last year's show and commentated for the Greek TV from Belgrade. Sakis will perform three songs by Dimitris Kontopoulos. When asked on the type of songs he wil be singing, the Greek mega star joked : "If you have watched me these 17 past years, do you think I would go with a ballad?"
ERT executive, Mr Johnny Kalimeris said that his year, ERT decided to select internally at all levels. Sakis Rouvas will be representing Greece with a song by Dimitris Kontopoulos, the show will be choreographed by Fokas Evangelinos, who also choreographed Helena's Paparizou victorious entry in 2005, Ani Lorak and Dima Bilan last year and was the art director of the 2006 contest, held in Athens. Fokas Evangelinos will not be working with another delegation next year, like he did in the 2008 contest.
“2004 in Istanbul was the “time of innocence” for us” said Mr Kalimeris, “we had no idea what all this was about. Since then though, I think we have mastered it. The team aims for the top, and Greece has a tradition in the contest, nevertheless I want to stress that difficulties do exist everywhere and always so we need a lot of serious work until the semi final in Moscow, consistency, great effort, a big promo tour. I am sure for Sakis, I know he is a “soldier”, as for us … I hope we find the courage.” he concluded.
Sakis Rouvas stated that he is touched and flattered to be back to the Eurovision Song Contest which brings back fond memories. He wants to give it his best shot and he is happy for his team with which he has been working for a long time. "Everyone's aim is to hold Eurovision 2010 in Athens", he smiles.
When Sakis was asked whether he is prepared for a bad result in Moscow he answered: "No, I do not want to think negatively. Istanbul was a tremendous experience but we have more to give. We are readier now. Until recently I was telling myself "Ok, I went to Eurovision" but something was missing. And now I feel ready." Mr Kalimeris added to that: " The only way not to lose is not to play!"
Sakis was also asked whether the songs Dimitris Kontopoulos will write will be written by Eurovision standards or will they be songs to his personal liking, he answered that the songs will be tailor made to him, as Dimitris knows Sakis' style very well having worked extensively with him. Sakis was also asked which of the 2004 mistakes he would not want to repeat. He reassured everyone that ERT as well as the entire team are now more experienced and they have a deeper knowledge of the contest: " We are going well prepared", he said
Sakis also sent out a message to Kalomira, who left for the States after placing third in Belgrade last year due to a conflict with her label: "I like her and I continue to support her. Kalomira is and will continue to be a star. She is a star! She is the one who will make the decisions on her life and her career. Everyone is entitled to a break. One thing is certain, what she has accomplished is not accidental"
You can watch the entire press conference here.
Very special thanks to Michalis Vranis for his contribution.
Sakis Ke se thelo by Dimitris Kontopoulos
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From a Rouvitsa (= a female 
Sakis Rouvas fan)
S = SEXIEST man on the planet! (my opinion)
A = ABS-olutely FAB-ulous
K = Kind, Kissable (muwah!!)
I = Innovative, Inspirational
S = Singer (great all-around performer/entertainer)
I loved Sakis's press-conference but I love him in general so that was only natural 
GOOD LUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!! !!
Wow.....Chill out w s.
I said it was a rumor, I never said it was true. Why are you so bitter? Anyone who knows English well and reads my comment can see it was a RUMOR. (Prob. not true too like I said)
I heard rumours Malta was the real winner of the 2005 contest. But when EBU realized Malta had no suitable venue, they decided to give the win to Greece.
You see, so easy and nothing you can do to defend yourself. It is just a rumour. And it is so easily written. I don't even have to proof it. After all it is just a rumour.
Just what I thought.
Very nice it is considered a classic in your country. In my opinion it is just a tralala song, nothing special. But hey, feel free to believe whatever rumours you like.
@w s
Hence I said rumors. So there is no credible source, and it might not even be true. It is just something I have heard by fans around the web various times. Regardless, Mathima Solfege is still regarded as an ESC classic in Greece.
What rumours Greekboy? Please give us a at least a credible link for us to verify. Are you implying the result of the 1977 wasn't fair.
I can easily imagine "Mathima Solfege" winning back in 1977. (5th place). Rumors say that it was the true winner, but Greece declined to host the 1978 contest do to financial issues, so a dif. winner was chosen.
And I can easily imagine songs like Ollou tou Kosmou tin Elpida, wining if they had televote back then, and Anoixi, Pia Prosefxi, Miazoume, etc etc doing MUCH better with televoting. The jury back then was not really proving good judgement, when we saw songs like Why Me winning, Lat de Swinge, etc etc etc etc, and nicer soongs being buried in the scoreboard.
Muirianne,
Please get your facts straight. First of all I don't go on and on because this is my first post to you. And the facts are facts, during jury times mostly english and french songs won regardless if they were that good. Now with the free language rule, noone has an advantage.
And, I'm sorry to inform you that Greek songs do very well nowdays because we send the right packages, impressive stage performces well choreograohed with catchy tunes. And it's not only greeks or Adriatic neighbors voting for your info, but most greek acts get points from ALL over Europe (with the exceptions of the usual Baltics, Finland, Ukraine, Belarus, who rarely vote for Greece, not even for Elena). And yes, Die for You did deserve to win in 2001 according to popular opinions, so? And regarding your opinion that previous greek entries were not good enough to get many votes, is that why Anoixi, Pia prosefhi and many other greek entries of the past are always listed among fans fave songs? Greece has send very nice and quality songs in the 80's, 90's that never did well because no matter what we send jury's seem to be biased, now that we are doing very well and have the best Eurovision record in the last 5 years, because ERT puts a big effort in sending the best possible participations for this type of contest, it seems some sour grapes cannot accept our success and that they are doing bad after doing great in the past with juries. Get over it and maybe your national broadcasters should put more effort instead of sending mediocrities year after year.
Delphia,
I never said all Irish wins were deserved. But not one of them was bad enough to not at least rank top-5 either. In 1987 Italy or Germany should have won, in 1996 Sweden... and there are probably at least 2 other wins in years there was at minimum 1 country as good or even better than the Irish entry. I think I argumented this at least two times earlier in this topic, so I don't see why you keep asking that same question over and over again.
Why did English and French songs 'always' win? Perhaps because they were sung in world-languages? Tell me now why also Dutch, German, Yugoslavian, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish and Hebrew languaged songs managed to win before the language-rule was changed? And name me one previous winner (before 2000) who really was that bad it didn't deserve to win?
About Greece... with exeption of Antique... it wasn't really all that good. The majority didn't like it, that's why you lost out every year you participated. Today the majority exists from Greece and its Adriatic-neighbours... so off course you score.
Muireanne
Can you honestly admit that during the jury days it was scandalous to see mostly english-language or french songs winning and ignoring non-english, non-frennch great songs? Or is it non scandalous the 7 Irish wins, you do trully believe they were deserved, ALL of them? Or the various childish sounding bam-boom-boom winners from the *expected* countries?.
It was very frustrating durig the jury times seen the same coutries winning or doing well and there was neighbor jury-vote too, admit it. Since televoting, a country has not won twice,. Of course there is neighbor voting now, of course slavic brothers vote each other, as do Balkan ex-Yugo brothers,Scandinavian brothers , Baltic brothers. Situation was like that and will be like that but during the jury, people didnt have a say and that cannot be good. Since you mention Greece, I do find sad that great greek songs were buried by the juries in the past, songs that would have done great with televote. Why did Pia Prosefhi, Anoixi, come so low? And there are many other examples. So, I am against jury vote, unless that jury is formed by people belonging to the actual music industry and not some frustrated wanna be music expert with no relation to the actual contemporary music world.
Some Irish cannot get over that they are not winning once again, maybe they should try harder, like Greece does for example, in sending appealing competitive packages to Esc, and not boring dull acts of boring songs. That formula does not work anymore. Irish ballads should be up-graded on stage with the right perfroamance-act, Serbia and Russia won with ballads in televoting times but the acts made the diffrence, cheesy Irish acts cannot win forever.
marc x
get lost
to be Honest I am glad that people do vote like that as look as what is happening now,the Juries have came back so people have shot themselves in the foot by not Voting Honestly,now if people did vote Honestly,then the Juries would never come back to the Contest.
Lets put it this way, go now to the bookies put your money on any of the following countries and you have a big chance of winning : Armenia, Turkye, Ukraine, Russia, Greece, Georgia, and the whole balkan. Very exciting......
EUROVİSİON SONG CONTEST 2010 TURKEY-İSTANBUL
eurovision 2010 TURKEY-İZMİR
I am with Marc x on this one as I have witnessed it also,I have a few Greek Friends and I was watching the Contest with them at their place and all my Greek Friends Voted for Greece,and I said why you Voting for Greece?and they said because thats our Country,so I said was it the best song for them and they said they would not care if it was'nt their best song they would still Vote for them,and there was about 5 of them and they Voted about 10 Time per person.so all the other contries lost out on Votes just because of that,to me I don't see that as Fair but I suppose you can't stop them from Voting.
Urban Trad,
I am not saying nasty words about any country....these are just two examples, off course I can add Turkey, the whole balkan etc.... I just gave you two examples of cases I know of and that I witrnessed by being there. So please get off my back. Really funny over here that whenever you touch the truth, that some people feel the need to attack.... You know the truth hurts....
@ marc x : its not only the armenians,greeks... Turks,romanians,albanians,bosn ians and all ex sovjet countries do the same thing
For example Greece 2001 get voted from all countries that year or the high score from Turkey in 97. diaspora helps but you can not win only from that...or the good result from Turkey in finland??? so stop saying nasty words about countries or people
peace love from Belgium
I don't have to vote for Greece as my Greek otherhalf and all his friends (more or less 15 other Greeks) will do that for me..... Let's see 15 Greeks votings each about 10 times, that already 250 votes from UK to Sakis.... hehe.... That's Eurovision nowadays. Vive la fete.... No all the Brits love all the Greek enties !!!! Or , like I read on another site, a guy's Armenian claeninglady, bought herself a special pay and go phonecard in Belgium, and phoned about 40 times..... The excitement of the voting nowadays..... I simply love it.... What Ireland winning 4 times in 5 years, except for Rock and Roll kids, I would say, more than deserved... simply because they were the best songs....
w s,
Off course you'll vote for Greece if those were the only two contestants. Otherwise you wouldn't be voting at all.
In the nineties the advantage countries which could sing in English had, was so very obvious.
And may I remind you:
1990 Italy ---> Italian
1991 Sweden ---> Swedish
1995 Norway ---> Norwegian
1998 Israel ---> Hebrew
And in 1989 I believe it was Yugoslavia (in Serbian?) who won.
It's just a fluke Ireland won 4 of the contests in the 90's... And isn't it true Netherlands came very close to win in Dutch as well somewhere in the late 90's?
What about the winners after the 90's... how many of those won in English (by own choice obviously, 'cause last year Molitva proved it was possible to do without).
Yes, it is a bit sad it is already certain Sakis will end at least top 5. Even I, when I have to choose between the two known acts, will vote for Greece. Without knowing the Greek and Dutch songs. :-)
The Irish winners weren't bad (though I truly dislike Linda Martin's song), but there were some other songs which were much better
Wasn't that what I said? Anyway, back then the comment was "oh no, it couldn't be Ireland again". That comment came when the last countries added their votes at the end of the show.
Today we say "Wanna bet it's gonna be Greece next year"... 7 months in advance when none of the countries has chosen its song yet.
Mulreanne, I don't entirely agree with you. In the nineties the advantage countries which could sing in English had, was so very obvious. The Irish winners weren't bad (though I truly dislike Linda Martin's song), but there were some other songs which were much better (or at least just as good) but were sung in another language. I was very disappointed with all those Irish wins. It was really dull and it didn't help the contest. Ireland organised some great contests, 1994 and 1995 are among my favourite years, but I was very glad when the free language rule and televoting were introduced. And until 2003 (the year only the finalists could vote) I even enjoyed the voting part.
I'm more than happy the juries will return... only the fact they will only return in the final is a bit disappointing, 'cause by then it'll be too late again. I also doubt the juries will actually have some power at all.
And excuse me for liking an unpredictable ESC more than the kind we had in 2008 where the winner was known before even all songs were known. That's all.
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