BASED on our usual dire showing in the annual Eurovision contest, some might describe the ten performers vying for the dubious honour of representing Cyprus in the Eurovision song contest 2009 as little more than masochistic.
Not so one hopeful, 26-year-old London-born Cypriot, Katerina ‘Kat’ Neocleous.
“I’m feeling really excited. I’ve done live television, but not on this scale before, and it would be a real honour if I was picked to represent Cyprus,” she said.
Cypriots, living here or abroad, or Europeans living permanently in Cyprus for at least the last two years, were invited to send in their songs by November 28, 2008.
“I was writing a song called ‘I Believe’ and I saw the submissions for Cyprus were open, so I sent it in. I couldn’t believe it when I was lucky enough to get through to the short list.”
Malcolm Ironton, producer of the song, came across Kat when he was looking for a Greek singer-songwriter for a theme song for the BBC2 series, Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes in August 2007.
“I couldn’t find the right person,” said Ironton, whose successful company, Crocodile Music, is based in London. ”I know a lot of staff at the Bank of Cyprus in London, and asked them if they knew any good Greek-Cypriot female singer songwriters, and that’s how we met,” he said.
Kat knew she wanted to perform from a young age, and has the full support of her parents and siblings.
“My entire family, including my two brothers and sisters are planning to take time off work and come to Cyprus to give me support at the show in February,” she said.
Last year was a bad year Eurovisionwise even by Cyprus’ standards with our song failing to make it into the final.
In sharp contrast to how it’s viewed elsewhere in Europe, Eurovision has long been the butt of endless jokes in the UK, not least by Terry Wogan the show’s veteran presenter in Britain for many years.
But this year there are signs that things are changing. Prolific songwriter and successful West End producer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, announced he would be managing the United Kingdom’s bid for the contest, which will take place in Moscow in May. The Phantom of the Opera composer said he is hoping to “bring back British dignity” at the contest.
Wogan, meanwhile, has been replaced with Graham Norton, and a BBC-backed competition to find a performer is hotting up. Dianne Warren, the woman responsible for numerous worldwide hits including Toni Braxton’s ‘Unbreak My heart’ has been drafted in by Lloyd Webber in a bid to boost the UK’s chances of victory. The UK will choose its Eurovision finalist, on the BBC1 show, Your Country Needs You.
Many countries such as Russia, Ukraine and Greece have been sending their top performers to represent their countries for years. They have all done well. Former Eurovision winners Dima Bilan, Laka and Shiri Maimon have each won an MTV Award for the best regional act in Russia, the Balkans and Israel, respectively. Dima Bilan has recently worked with many well-known and respected artists, and producers including Justin Timberlake. He has also had several no.1 hits in Russia.
Kat is hoping to be the artist to change Cyprus’ Eurovision fortunes. Currently working as a presenter on London Greek radio, she cites her musical influences as ‘old soul’.
“I like listening to Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Greek music too,” she said. “On my radio show, I play the latest Greek hits; my musical taste is very eclectic.”
Ideally, Kat would like to pursue a career as a full-time singer-songwriter and performer. Her husband is a French-Australian guitarist, which she says makes for an interesting mix.
“I grew up surrounded by music, as my family all love it, and my Mum was always singing around the house. But none of the rest of the family are musical as such,” she said.
Kat has been looking to her Greek roots for inspiration, and won first place at the new talent contest in conjunction with the Cyprus Wine festival, held at Alexandra Palace in 2001. At this venue, she also performed the first song she had written in Greek titled, ‘Maniakos’ as supporting artist for headline act, Glykeria, at the 2005 Cyprus wine festival.
Kat and her family spend their time between London and Aradippou in Larnaca, where they have their family home.
“I love spending time in Cyprus, I have a lot of family and friends here,” she said.
The singer began to take her music seriously from the age of sixteen and went to Westminster University where she gained a commercial music degree. “It’s all gone on from there really,” she said.
Whilst studying, Kat also received a two-year scholarship with the Westminster voices gospel choir, recording with the royal Philharmonic orchestra for Shirley Thompson’s New Nation Rising EP, which was released in 2004.She has also worked with Fusing Naked Beats, a DJ production duo. Apart from working on material for an album, Katerina also writes a weekly music column for Parikiaki, a leading Greek Cypriot newspaper published in London.
She is presently in Cyprus for a few days now to shoot some promotional material for national television. ”I haven’t heard any of the other songs or met the performers yet,” she said. “I think the first time we will all see each other will be at the rehearsal, so I’m not sure what the other songs are like.”
Kat admits her song is a bit more ‘poppy’ than she would usually write but adds it’s a soulful ballad performed in English, which champions the underdog.
“It’s about self belief. I was inspired to write this song by the determination and belief in themselves that many people show, by not giving up in certain situations,” she said.
Cyprus’ Eurovision hopeful for the 2009 contest will be chosen via a tele-vote during on February 7.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced the list of 43 countries represented at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. The draw to determine on which of the two nights the 38 semi-finalists will perform, will take place on the January 30, in Moscow. The draws for the running order of the semi-finals, the Final and the voting order take place in mid-March.
France, Germany, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom have automatically qualified for the final, scheduled to take place on May 16 in Moscow.
Further information on Eurovision hopeful, Kat, is available at www.myspace.com/katzmusic
