#marianna efstratiou

[eurovision-revisited]

1996 Oslo - Number 3 - Marianna Efstratiou - "Emis Forame To Himona Anixiatika"

Marianna Efstratiou has already been to Eurovision twice prior to this. Her first came in 1987 as Greece returned to the competition after a year's break. That time she was backing the group Bang. She got to have the stage for herself in 1989, when she finished ninth with To diko sou asteri. In 1996 ERT internally selected once again and must have thought that the tried and trusted Marianna would push them back up the scoreboard after they'd been slowly slipping down it - even with a great selection of songs and singers.

Εμείς φοράμε το χειμώνα ανοιξιάτικα (Emis Forame to Himona Anixiatika/We Wear Spring Clothes in the Winter) should have done it. It's a beautiful song. Musically its got that uplifting orchestral joy in with a wide open sound promising new opportunities and a bright future. The lyrics are even better. A translation of the chorus is:

"We solve the difficult problems at night, we find new lovers on Sundays, we wear spring clothes in the winter time"

That right there is such a wonderful encapsulation of love and joy, it radiates warmth about a love that may have its issues but is still so strong that it overcomes them. Don't we all want that? The lyricist is Iro Trigoni - and this is the only time they wrote for Eurovision.

That might have something to do with the song only managing to finish twelfth in the qualification round dropping to fourteenth on the night. Greece's slide continued when it should have reversed.

Marianna's recorded musical careers also seems to have stopped around this point. She entered the 1998 Greek selection competition - the first time ERT had run one is several years - but failed to get any of her three songs into the final. Since then she remains a respected name in Greece's Eurovision circles and still performs.

[eurovisionart]

🇬🇷 Marianna Efstratiou - Το Δικό Σου Αστέρι/To diko sou asteri

[betweenthetimeandsound]

For all the visually-minded, here's the gif recap of songs #250-241 of my top 250--after a lot of work (especially because the 2016-onwards songs are geoblocked where I am, could anybody make gifs of those entries, if they could?)

[vintageurovision]

Εμείς φοράμε το χειμώνα ανοιξιάτικα [Emis forame to himona anixiatika], Marianna Efstratiou - Greece, Eurovision 1996 (Preview video)

[mexicaneurolover]

Eurovision 1989 my top 22

Hello and welcome to another episode of this ESC series of tops, and I go back in time until May 6, 1989 where the 34th edition of the contest was held in Lausanne, Switzerland after Céline Dion’s victory in Dublin last year. 22 countries took part, and Cyprus returned after being disqualified last year. The winner this year was Yugoslavia with RIva and the song Rock me, being their first and only win as a unified state. And now, let’s review the songs!

1st Place: SPAIN/Nina-Nacida para amar (Real Placing: 6th-88 points) 

This one is so magical and special for me, her voice is excellent and I’m so in love with her, the lyrics are so touching and wonderful, this is one piece of heaven of song and the music is very cute and I like it so much. AY AMO DEMASIADO ÉSTA CANCIÓN. 

2nd Place: FINLAND/Anneli Saaristo-La dolce vita (Real Placing: 7th-76 points) 

And this one as well is amazing! This is such an enjoyable tango-flamenco song and this has such a nice vibe and makes me feel so happy, and I always want to dance to it, also Anneli’s voice is superb for this song. 

3rd Place: SWEDEN/Tommy Nilsson-En dag (Real Placing: 4th-110 points) 

This song is wonderful as well, the music is very good and Tommy’s voice is so strong and powerful, this was such a performance and he’s so charming as well. 

4th Place: DENMARK/Birthe Kjær-Vi maler byen rød (Real Placing: 3rd-111 points) 

Awww another charming entry from Denmark, her voice is stunning and the performance is so funny, the fact that this has two conductors is amazing. What a cheerful entry from Denmark. 

5th Place: AUSTRIA/Thomas Forstner-Nur ein Lied (Real Placing: 5th-97 points) 

This entry is very good!! I love the music and his voice is excellent, and he’s such a charming singer. This entry is one of my favorite Austrian entries ever and what a nice voice. 

6th Place: YUGOSLAVIA/Riva-Rock me (Real Placing: 1st-137 points)

At first I though this was the worst winner ever and it was horrible, but now the song has grown a lot in me and now I like this so much, this is catchy and the live version is very good. A right winner that year but I think I enjoy 5 song more than this one. 

7th Place: CYPRUS/Fani Polymeri & Yiannis Savvidakis-Apopse as vrethume (Real Placing: 11th-51 points) 

Ok this is another great song, I like their voices so much and the music in the chorus is so wonderful, and I can feel this song is so cute and romantic, also their costumes are so nice. 

8th Place: GREECE/Marianna Efstratiou-To diko sou asteri (Real Placing: =9th-56 points) 

Another good song, this is so sweet and relaxing, her voice is so cute and overall this entry makes me feel nice. Good song from Greece!

9th Place: ITALY/Anna Oxa & Fausto Leali-Avrei voluto (Real Placing: =9th-56 points) 

The beginning in this one is quite slow, but this takes force and power after a while and their voices are so good, such an Italian song of the 90′s and i don’t know but I enjoy so much this entry. The chorus is the best thing here. 

10th Place: FRANCE/Nathalie Pâque-J’ai volé la vie (Real Placing: 8th-60 points) 

Another kid!!!! This song is nice and her voice is special, but I don’t think a children was the best choice for this one. The music is very good and the orchestra made this better. 

11th Place: TURKEY/Pan-Bana bana (Real Placing: 21st-5 points) 

I was mesmerized with this one the first time I heard it and the music is so crazy but it’s wonderful, also their voices are something unique and the chorus is perfect, an underrated song from Turkey. 

12th Place: PORTUGAL/Da Vinci-Conquistador (16th-39 points) 

OH SUCH A POWERFUL SONG, I love the voice of the lead singer and the music is amazing, this is certainly a song for conquerors and this makes me feel powerful. A nice entry overall. 

13th Place: LUXEMBOURG/Park Café-Monsieur (Real Placing: 20th-8 points) 

This is like the guilty pleasure for me in 1989, this entry has some charm that makes me love it, maybe it’s the music or her voice, this is a catchy song and IMO this deserved a higher placing. 

14th Place: ISRAEL/Gili & Galit-Derekh Hamelekh (Real Placing: 12th-50 points)

OH A KID, or teenager? well, the song is good but he wasn’t the best choice for this one, also his voice was suffering because of a difficult passage for every guy: the voice change. This entry is so lovely, and she has a nice voice although. 

15th Place: SWITZERLAND/Furbaz-Viver senza tei (Real Placing: 13th-47 points) 

FINALLY A SONG IN ROMANSH, I LOVE THIS SO MUCH, this song is so calm and the language makes it intriguing, the music is lovely and this certainly is an amazing host entry. I love this!!! 

16th Place: UNITED KINGDOM/Live Report-Why do we always get it wrong? (Real Placing: 2nd-130 points) 

The music here is very good and he sings so well, but it turns out to be quite boring and I can’t understand how this finished so high, IMO this is one of the UK’s weakest songs ever. 

17th Place: BELGIUM/Ingeborg-Door de wind (Real Placing: 19th-13 points)

Again another nice song, her voice is so special and the music is lovely, but it isn’t quite strong to stand out in this year, somehow, I like this song. 

18th Place: THE NETHERLANDS/Justine Pelmelay-Blijf zoals je bent (Real Placing: 15th-45 points) 

This is such a classic ballad, and her voice is very good, but somehow I find this a bit mediocre and boring, and that voice crack at the end was so painful to watch. 

19th Place: NORWAY/Britt Synnøve Johansen-Venners nærhet (Real Placing: 17th-30 points) 

Also this one has nice music but I think this is a bit boring and doesn’t stand out, also I can’t remember this one and the performance isn’t the best here. 

20th Place: IRELAND/Kiev Connolly & The Missing Passengers-The real me (Real Placing: 18th-21 points) 

I kinda like this one but at the same time I hate it, I love the music, this is so late 80′s but the voice isn’t my cup of tea, also this turns a bit annoying after a while. 

21st Place: ICELAND/Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson-Það sem enginn sér (Real Placing: 22nd-0 points/last) 

This is such a weird song musically speaking, the chorus is nice but the verses are... interesting. I can understand how this finished last. 

22nd Place: GERMANY/Nino de Angelo-Flieger (Real Placing: 14th-46 points)

I never manage to remember this one, and I know why, this song has no hookup and the music is kinda plain throughout the song. 

[maschasrankings]

1996: Top 22

Sweden: One More Time - Den Vilda

France: Dan Ar Braz & L'Héritage Des Celtes - Diwanit Bugale

Turkey: Şebnem Paker - Beşinci Mevsim

Austria: George Nussbaumer - Weil's Dr Guat Got

Ireland: Eimear Quinn - The Voice

United Kingdom: Gina G - Ooh Aah... Just A Little Bit

Netherlands: Maxine & Franklin Brown - De Eerste Keer

Portugal: Lúcia Moniz - O Meu Coração Não Tem Cor

Finland: Jasmine - Niin Kaunis On Taivas

Slovenia: Regina - Dan Najlepših Sanj

Iceland: Anna Mjöll - Sjúbídú

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Amila Glamočak - Za Našu Ljubav

Malta: Miriam Christine - In A Woman's Heart

Norway: Elisabeth Andreassen - I Evighet

Cyprus: Constantinos - Mono Gia Mas

Switzerland: Kathy Leander - Mon Cœur L'Aime

Croatia: Maja Blagdan - Sveta Ljubav

Greece: Marianna Efstratiou - Emis Forame To Himona Anixiatika

Spain: Antonio Carbonell - ¡Ay, Qué Deseo!

Belgium: Lisa del Bo - Liefde Is Een Kaartspel

Poland: Kasia Kowalska - Chcę Znać Swój Grzech

Estonia: Maarja-Liis Ilus & Ivo Linna - Kaelakee Hääl

[829-radio]

Talk About Love Song by Marianna Efstratiou @829radio www.829.gr #829radio #onlineradio https://www.instagram.com/p/CQWD6c_H8Sv/?utm_medium=tumblr

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 1996: The actual result

Even the scoreboard changed in 1996 - it went all virtual, lowered into place by virtual cranes on virtual chains. Poor Ingvild Bryn was sealed into a Chroma keyed room and told she wasn't going to be let out until all the scores were delivered and verified.

Here's the result and your spoiler warning for the result of the 1996 Eurovision song contest...

Yes they did it again. Ireland won for the fourth time in five years. Somehow this statistic often gets left out in the rush to say they won three times in a row, but four in five is even better. They did it by repeating their trick. Having seen Norway steal their clothes in 1995, RTÉ and the jury of Eurosong 1996 (the Irish one) weren't going to let that pass. They sent a very mystical, even more Celtic paean to peace and momentous times in history.

The host performed well in second with Sweden continuing to challenge in third. Croatia (4th), Estonia (5th) and Portugal (6th) got their best results in Eurovision, but really Ireland and Eimear Quinn ran away with this one. It wasn't even close.

Here's the result in full.

Ireland - Eimear Quinn - "The Voice"

Norway - Elisabeth Andreassen - "I evighet"

Sweden - One More Time - "Den vilda"

Croatia - Maja Blagdan - "Sveta ljubav"

Estonia - Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna - "Kaelakee hääl"

Portugal - Lúcia Moniz - "O meu coração não tem cor"

Netherlands - Maxine and Franklin Brown - "De eerste keer"

United Kingdom - Gina G - "Ooh Aah... Just a Little Bit"

Cyprus - Constantinos - "Mono gia mas"

Malta - Miriam Christine - "In a Woman's Heart"

Austria - George Nussbaumer - "Weil's dr guat got"

Turkey - Şebnem Paker - "Beşinci Mevsim"

Iceland - Anna Mjöll - "Sjúbídú"

Greece - Marianna Efstratiou - "Emis forame to himona anixiatika"

Poland - Kasia Kowalska - "Chcę znać swój grzech..."

Switzerland - Kathy Leander - "Mon cœur l'aime"

Belgium - Lisa del Bo - "Liefde is een kaartspel"

Slovakia - Marcel Palonder - "Kým nás máš"

France - Dan Ar Braz and l'Héritage des Celtes - "Diwanit bugale"

Spain - Antonio Carbonell - "¡Ay, qué deseo!"

Slovenia - Regina - "Dan najlepših sanj"

Bosnia & Herzegovina - Amila Glamočak - "Za našu ljubav"

Finland - Jasmine - "Niin kaunis on taivas"

[betweenthetimeandsound]

Three Minutes to Eternity: My ESC 250 (250-241)

(Author's note: I intended to have the list ready by 1 September, but I was a bit lousy in compiling the final spots on there. As a result, they will seem a bit shoddy, but there will be good summaries, I promise! And there will be honorable mentions soon enough.)

#250: Harel Skaat -- Milim (Israel 2010)

“האור נרדם, דמעות של דם, שורפות לי בגרון, ידית שרוטה, תקרה שמוטה, כשאני שר לך את השיר האחרון” “The light fell asleep, tears of blood scorch my throat Scratched handle, sloping ceiling When I sing to you the last song” Curiously, I already knew of Harel Skaat before hearing of Eurovision: I listened to a few of his earlier tracks when I found him singing with another Israeli pop artist, Dor Daniel. I particularly liked משנו ממני and כמה עוד אפשר. Milim is a requiem for what was once lost—the presence of one whom the narrator really loves. The imagery used in this song adds to the melancholic feel—a classic ballad of sorts, with a lot of emotion. And the performance from Harel was very good, even though he butchered a note at the end. Maybe it was the pretty blue lights that really accompanied the mood of the song. Personal ranking: 7th/39 Actual ranking: 14th/25 GF (grand final) in Oslo

#249: Tina Karol -- Show Me Your Love (Ukraine 2006)

"You see it in my eyes, my heart is on fire Don’t hide your love away, don’t wait another day" As mentioned in the note, I had a hard time determining the last few spots on my list. I went through the results of both sorters and picked what I felt in the time. Show Me Your Love is a bit odd, but with the accordion intro striking right away, it deserves a place here! While an overly simple song with stilted lyrics, Show Me Your Love is still a bunch of fun. From the boppy beat to Tina's infectious presence on stage, one can't help but smile as this comes along. And there was a jump rope right in the middle of the performance--never change, Ukraine. :) Personal ranking: 5th/37 Actual ranking: 7th/24 GF in Athens

#248: Alan Sorrenti -- Non so che darei (Italy 1980)

“Non so che darei per fermare il tempo Per dormire al tuo fianco solo una notte Non so che darei per sentirti mia Per tenerti vicina solo una notte” “I don’t know what I can give to stop the time To sleep beside you only for one night I don’t know what I can give To take you close to me only for one night” Recently, I find myself humming to this a lot, because it's so calming and nice. I particularly like Alan’s vocals in this song! He really conveys the pain of losing (or on the verge of losing) the one he loves, expressed by the melancholic lyrics. Together, they form a song which is just as beautiful, if not more so than the winner of its year. Despite its 6th place, it became a continent-wide hit, which was quite deserved (just like a good number of Italian Eurovision songs over the years, haha)! Alongside that, Non so che darei also had the only black conductor at Eurovision while there was an orchestra, along with a couple of women playing fake guitars. For some reason, I imagined they were holding umbrellas instead, but I clearly remembered wrong... Personal ranking: 3rd/19 Actual ranking: 6th/19 in Den Haag

#247: Sanja Vucic ZAA -- Goodbye (Shelter) (Serbia 2016)

"I lick my wounds So that I can keep on fighting" Another last-minute choice, but this is an important song, both in 2016 and now, unfortunately. Despite the advances in women's rights over the decades, domestic violence still persists across the world. Goodbye (Shelter) tells the story through someone who's struggling to get out of a toxic relationship, and there's a mix of vulnerability and strength in the lyrics. Of course, lyrics don't make up the whole song; the music also conveys the story through a dramatic build and beautiful strings. Considering the 2016 contest, it does get a bit lost amongst the crowd, but it feels like a musical number in all the right ways. Also, the performance told the story well, and Sanja is a wonderful singer (she also sings a cover of one all-time favorite you will see towards the end, hehe). I even would shed a tear at points. Personal ranking: 8th/42 Actual ranking: 18th/26 GF in Stockholm

#246: Remedios Amaya--Quien Maneja Mi Barca? (Spain 1983)

“El verde de tus ojos verdes, mírame, Que mira que yo te mire, mírame, Que mira que yo te mire” “The green of your green eyes, look at me, Look at me, so I can look at you, look at me Look at me, so I can look at you” One of those songs that can be defined as an acquired taste--the people who love it enjoy its subversive status in the Eurovision canon for being unapologetically Spanish, while the people who hate it will dismiss it as just a bunch of noise. This is a song which is part of the “New Flamenco” genre popularized since the 1960s, which mixes up flamenco music with other genres, such as rock or electronic music. Quien Maneja mi Barca ‘s studio cut has nebulous lyrics combined with an electronic beat, which is alright at best. I found it quite hollow and quite forgettable there. I prefer it in its orchestral form, which fuses synths and concert instruments fantastically. It definitely amps up the drama with Remedios’ voice, and made me appreciate this very distinct entry. Personal ranking: 6th/20 Actual ranking: Joint last (with Turkey) in Munich

#245: Marianna Efstratiou - To diko sou asteri (Greece 1989)

"Μα στο βραδινό τον ουρανό το δικό σου αστέρι ψάξε βρες Γιατί οι σκιές στο πρώτο φως μοιάζουνε φοβίες παιδικές" "But in the evening sky, search and find your own star Because the shadows in the first light seem to be childish phobias" While To diko sou asteri sounds a bit safe in the grand scheme of things, I think its lack of pretension is what makes this little song shine. The lyrics encourage one to find their star and encourage the listener to pursue what they believe in without any fear. Marianna's vocals also add to this song in that they're quietly hopeful and sweet. Also, for some reason, I got some "True Colors" vibes while listening to it every time, despite there being some differences. Both have this relaxing, calm vibe to help the listener on their journey through life. Then again, True Colors doesn't have some nice flute flourishes throughout the song, haha. Personal ranking: 4th/22 Actual ranking: 9th/22 at Lausanne

#244: Dina -- Amor d'agua fresca (Portugal 1992)

"Peguei, trinquei e meti-te na cesta Ris e dás-me a volta à cabeça" "I picked you, bit into you and put you in the basket You laughed and made my head spin" 1992 is one of the most average years at Eurovision--after the chaos that was 1991, it seems like the songs and production sought something safer, and the whole thing felt really bland. Amor d'agua fresca is anything but dull--it's bubbly and sweet, with quite relaxed atmosphere. The combination of instruments--particular the guitar in the beginning and Dina's vocals-- really help with conveying a mood. But after that, we have the lustful lyrics, describing a romance through enjoying different fruits, which was quite different for me... But hey, different makes things quite a bit better in life! Personal ranking: 4th/23 Actual ranking: 17th/23 in Malmo

#243: Lucia -- Él (Spain 1982)

"Él me perdona porque es un pedazo de buen pan Y me trata con paciencia Sé que no debo ser cruel Que le debo confesar que él a mí, no me interesa" "He forgives me because he’s a scrap of good bread And he treats me with patience I know that I shouldn’t be cruel That I should tell him I’m not interested in him" One interesting thing about me is that I'm a sucker for tango music. There's a sense of drama when one listens to it, and even more so when people get on the dance floor. While I've only danced it a few times, when one does it right, the connection between two people is quite powerful, and you could fall right into a dream. El definitely amps up the drama--Lucia is in a conflicted relationship, but she plays the "player" role quite well. It's very flirty and seductive, and you could immerse yourself in the story. While the dancing was a bit too much for a stage as small as 1982's, it's still quite fun to see. Also, it was sent as a way of supporting Argentina in the Falkland Wars, which is quite interesting... Personal ranking: 4th/18 Actual ranking: 10th/18 in Harrogate

#242: Gabriela Gunčíková -- I Stand (Czech Republic 2016)

"I am thanking you, you made me You are my air, I’ll always care" For those who have an aversion to ballads, why is that? I find it annoying because there can be ones where they can touch you and tell a story. Life can't always be happy bops with heavy beats (or it's because they don't really inhabit my musical atmosphere most of the time...) I Stand sounds like a derivative ballad sonically, but it carries itself with such grace and grandeur. The instruments add to the drama of the song, which thanks a special person for their help in their life (though the lyrics above can come off as a bit co-dependent...or so I've heard) And Gabriela delivers this with the necessary composure and grace the song desires. It feels like a highlight track from a musical--one where two characters meet again and the narrator wants to recognize the latter's good deeds before they're gone forever. Thanks to that, the Czech Republic gets their first grand final appearance (though getting 0 televote points once there was harsh...) Personal ranking: 7th/42 Actual ranking: 25th/26 GF in Stockholm

#241: t.A.T.u -- Ne ver, ne boysia (Russia 2003)

“Кто-то понты а кто-то маньяк, Кто-то как ты, кто-то как я.” “Someone's a psycho and someone's a maniac, Someone like you, someone like me” If I’m right, I may have heard this song without knowing this was from Eurovision. It was because there was a period between middle school and high school where I love t.A.T.u’s music, and this was one of their singles. Ne Ver Ne Bosia is compelling and dark, with an interplay about the people around them using an old Soviet proverb as the title. It’s gripping and intense, and brings the listener into this crazy and mad world they're enveloped in. The performance, on the other hand, almost couldn't have been worse. The vocals were really ropey (especially from Lena, who would usually be trusted to help Yulia), and it didn't come over as a great listening experience. While I love it, t.A.T.u were really lucky they competed in the televote era, as they would've been struck down hard by the juries. (and the worst part: there will be a couple of poorly-performed entries which will be quite high on this list...) Personal ranking: 6th/26 Actual ranking: 3rd/26 in Riga