Cyprus reaches Eurovision final

TONIGHT Jon Lilygreen and the islanders will go up against 24 other contestants in this year’s Eurovision song contest final, after a triumphant performance in the semis, in which seven nations were eliminated.

The last time Cyprus participated in the Eurovision final was in 2004 with Lisa Andreas singing Stronger Every Minute, which came in fifth place

Lilygreen’s ballad, Life Looks Better in Spring received praise from voters, but he faces some tough competition from the German frontrunner, Lena Meyer-Landrut, who is looking for the first German victory since 1982 with the poppy summer hit, “Satellite”.

Another firm favourite for the top prize is Azerbaijan’s Safura, who has brought in Beyoncé’s choreographer, JaQuel Knight, for her urban influenced tune Drip Drop

The video for Drip Drop includes a blend of images from Michael Jackson videos, such as backlit salsa moves of Blood on the Dance floor and the zombie moves from the Thriller music video.

Lilygreen’s backing group, the Islanders, who hail from throughout the UK and Ireland will also be up against their fellow countrymen. Ireland’s Naimh Kavanagh will perform her song It’s For You, but having only reached 24th place in the Irish singles chart, has the slimmest of outside chances.

Trailing at the back of the pack is Britain’s Josh Dubovie, whose song Sounds Good to Me composed by Pete Waterman and Mike Stock (of Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up fame) has received a tepid response from the British public. The Sun newspaper reported one bookmaker who had received more bets in favour of the Loch Ness monster turning up than a victory for the Brit.

Twenty of the finalists have come through the two semi finals, while five countries automatically qualify: UK, Germany, France, Spain and last year’s winners, Norway.

The voting system used will be similar to the 2009 system, combining telephone and jury votes. Viewers will also be able to vote during the performances, which will end 15 minutes after the last song has been played.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.