CYPRUS’ Eurovision hopes have been dashed once again, after this year’s entry failed to make it into tonight’s showdown in Dusseldorf.
Christos Mylordos’ performance – complete with Mad Max-esque outfits, a ball wielding diva and an inventive take on Michael Jackson’s famous leaning move – clearly failed to carry the rocky ballad ‘San Angelos S’agapisa’ through to the last round.
The Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Israel, Belarus and Latvia were also knocked out of the contest during the second semi final.
Several Mylordos fans variously expressed their disappointment about the result on the video sharing site, youtube.com which uploaded the performance yesterday.
However, the general response was summed up by one commenter said: “the performance was? good… (it is) just a bad song.”
Another said “Perfect performance. The best entry in this year’s Eurovision.” while a third said “this is visually stunning! The song could be better though, but sure deserved to go through….”
The song’s poor reception was echoed by online voters on the Eurovision website, which follows the standard format by allowing viewers to offer a score of one to 12. More people gave the song just one point than 12.
And in a pre-contest poll – similar to an electoral exit poll, Cyprus’ entry did not feature inside the top ten to go through.
Twenty five countries will compete in tonight’s competition, with the winner being decided by a 50:50 weighting of voters and expert judges scores.
Cyprus has had a run of bad luck where the Eurovision is concerned since the semi-finals were introduced. Between 2004 and 2010 Cyprus did not make it to the final of the Eurovision at all, but Jon Lilygreen and the Islanders took it to back into the final in 2010 with the ballad Life Looks Better in Spring.
Cyprus made its first appearance in the Eurovision in 1981 with the song ‘Monika’ by the group Island. Joining them was Alexia, soon-to-be famous on the Greek and Cypriot pop music scene, along with another three singers who took to the stage at the Simmonscourt Pavillion in Dublin, coming in sixth place. Alexia also went solo in the contest in 1987 with the fun and upbeat song ‘Aspro Mavro’ (Black White).
The highest place Cyprus has ever achieved was fifth in 1982 when Anna Vissi’s hair was still its natural dark hue and she was sporting a Farrah Fawcett feathered cut. She carried Cyprus through with one of its better entries; a memorable ballad titled ‘Mono I Agapi.’ Cyprus came fifth again in 1997 with ‘Mana Mou’ by Hara and Andreas Constantinou, and in 2004 with then 16-year-old Lisa Andreas singing Stronger Every Minute.
