Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Encyclopedia
Anna Vissi
represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
with her song "Everything
". The Greek national broadcaster, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
(ERT), internally selected Vissi to represent the country at the contest, which took place in Athens
after Greece's win at the 2005 contest
with the song "My Number One
" performed by Elena Paparizou
. "Everything", composed by Nikos Karvelas
and written by Anna Vissi herself, was selected on March 14, 2006 at a national final by a combination of a televoting
/SMS vote (60%) and expert jury (40%). At Eurovision, Vissi placed 9th, receiving 128 points.
in 2005 with the song "My Number One
" performed by Elena Paparizou
, and had been placed third twice up to the Contest: in 2001 with the song "Die for You" performed by the duo Antique
and in 2004 with "Shake It
" performed by Sakis Rouvas
. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004 contest
, Greece has had a top ten placing each year. Greece's least successful result was in 1998 when it placed twentieth with the song "Mia Krifi Evesthisia
" by Thalassa
, receiving only twelve points in total, all from Cyprus.
The Greek national broadcaster, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
(ERT) broadcasts the event in Greece each year and organizes the selection process for its entry. From 2001 to 2003, ERT held a national final with several artists, but for 2004 and 2005, it selected high-profile artists internally and set up national finals to choose their song. ERT continued the internal selection of the artist for 2006 and subsequently held a national final to select the song.
On August 6, 2005, MAD TV reported that Despina Vandi
was "seriously considering" representing Greece in 2006 and would be or possibly already had been proposed to by ERT to be the Greek entrant. Vandi had been asked previously to represent the country at the 2005 contest
, but declined, fearing a bad result while her international career was going well. A few months later on December 12, 2005, Star Channel
announced that ERT would soon officially propose to a different artist, Anna Vissi
, to be the representative. Vissi said in reply that she "never [excludes] a Eurovision Song Contest participation as long as everything is organized well". She had participated in the contest twice before: in 1980
with "Autostop
" for Greece and in 1982
for Cyprus with the song "Mono I Agapi
", placing 13th and 5th respectively. An official announcement was not made soon after as no agreement could be made at the time, but one month later on January 24, 2006, Vissi was officially announced as the artist for 2006. A few days later in an interview with the press, she said "finally [a decision is made], I want to go to Eurovision too much". She said the reason that the final decision took so long to be announced was because she was still debating entering; using opinion polls along with talking to her usual collaborators. It was also announced that the Vissi would sing either four or five songs live at the national final to choose her song.
and included a recap of Greece's entries from 1974 to 2005. Past entries such as "Mathima Solfege
", "Stop", "I Anixi
", and "I Would Die for You" were shown on a large screen along with a video message by 2006 Eurovision host Maria Menounos
, while Sakis Rouvas
, Elena Paparizou
, and Nana Mouskouri
all sent personal messages via satellite. During the show, guest acts representing other countries partaking in Eurovision performed their entries and they included: Fabrizio Faniello
of Malta with "I Do
", Sibel Tuzun
of Turkey with "Süper Star
", Mihai Traistariu
of Romania with "Tornerò
", Christine Guldbrandsen
of Norway with "Alvedansen
", and Annet Artani of Cyprus with "Why Angels Cry
".
Four candidate songs were decided on for Vissi to sing at the national final by ERT: "Who Cares About Love" which was written and composed by Nikos Karvelas
, "Everything
" which was also composed by Karvelas, with lyrics by Anna Vissi, "Welcome to the Party" which was composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
with lyrics by Dimitris S, and "A Beautiful Night" which was written and composed by Pegasos (Antonis and Dimitris Papavomvolakis). "Everything" is described as a ballad, while the three others are more upbeat.
The winning song was chosen by the public through televoting
and a jury weighted at 60% and 40% of the result respectively. The jury panel was made up of Mimis Plessas, Antonis Andrikakis, Dimitris Starovas, Themos Anastasiadis, Christina Politi, Evangelia Piskera, Antonis Karatzikos, Rena Kapitsala, and a ninth vote was split between Sietse Bakker of ESCToday and Fotis Konstantopoulos of Oikotimes.
, and she attended a reception at the Greek embassy
. She stayed for three days and gave seven television appearances, three newspaper interviews and posed for several magazines. Following Russia, Vissi traveled to Malta and then Cyprus where she performed at a large club in Nicosia
. Cyprus was followed by Albania, where she appeared at the "Albania Awards Kult", an awards show, and also gave a few interviews. The next stop was Serbia and Montenegro, followed by Romania. By the end of April, Vissi had visited Sweden where she gave several more interviews to the local press. Bosnia and Herzegovina was next at the beginning of May, followed by Belgium on the fourth. She met with Greek Orthodox
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Belgium
to whom she offered an autographed copy of her CD single "Everything
" after having spoken to the media. Vissi then attended a reception at the Greek embassy before meeting up with Belgium entrant Kate Ryan
with whom she visited a chocolate museum. After Belgium, Vissi returned to Greece for a break before leaving for Israel, the last stop on the tour, where she remained for ten days.
On April 25, 2006, Vissi re-released her most recent album at the time, Nylon
, as Nylon: Euro Edition to include the four tracks from the national final and to coincide with the ongoing international promotional tour. At the same time, "Welcome to the Party" had entered the American market, already being played on some radio stations.
"Everything" was considered a favorite at the contest, placing in the top three in a majority of fan polls and first in online betting houses. British commentator for the semi-final stated that "she's massive in Greece, she's even bigger than the country itself". "None of the rehearsals were attended by so many people as Anna Vissi's", noted Sietse Bakker, one of the jury members from the national final, "not only a large amount of fans and journalists took seat in the arena [...] but the president of Greek broadcaster ERT also entered the arena to see how 'his' artist was doing".
At the final, held on May 20, 2006, Anna Vissi appeared on stage surrounded by a fog effect created by dry ice. She was alone on the large stage and wore an exclusive Jean Paul Gaultier black and white outfit with black leggings. By the end of the song, she was down on her knees singing. Her choreography for the final was arranged by Mia Michaels
. Although considered a favorite, a ninth place finish was all Vissi could manage. She received the maximum 12 points from Bulgaria and Cyprus, 10 from Belgium and Romania, eight from Albania, Armenia, Germany, and Malta, seven from Macedonia and the United Kingdom, six from Serbia and Montenegro, five from France, the Netherlands and Switzerland, four from Sweden and Turkey, three from Lithuania, two from Belarus, and one from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Moldova, and Slovenia; in total, receiving 128 points. The ninth place finish guaranteed Greece a place in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
.
which was certified 2X Platinum in Greece and 3X Platinum in Cyprus.
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
with her song "Everything
Everything (Anna Vissi song)
"Everything" was the song chosen by Greece as its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens.-At Eurovision:It finished in 9th position with 128 points...
". The Greek national broadcaster, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi
The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation is the Greek state-owned public radio and television broadcasting corporation. It is a member of EBU.Since 70's ERT is part of the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by EBU...
(ERT), internally selected Vissi to represent the country at the contest, which took place in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
after Greece's win at the 2005 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
with the song "My Number One
My Number One
As Greece had finished the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest in third place, the song was pre-qualified for the final in 2005. Thus, it was performed nineteenth on the night, following Croatia's Boris Novković and Lado with "Vukovi umiru sami" and preceding Russia's Natalia Podolskaya with "Nobody Hurt...
" performed by Elena Paparizou
Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for a...
. "Everything", composed by Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple...
and written by Anna Vissi herself, was selected on March 14, 2006 at a national final by a combination of a televoting
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
/SMS vote (60%) and expert jury (40%). At Eurovision, Vissi placed 9th, receiving 128 points.
Background
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 marked Greece's twenty-seventh participation in the Contest since its first entry in 1974. It won for the first time at the previous contestEurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
in 2005 with the song "My Number One
My Number One
As Greece had finished the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest in third place, the song was pre-qualified for the final in 2005. Thus, it was performed nineteenth on the night, following Croatia's Boris Novković and Lado with "Vukovi umiru sami" and preceding Russia's Natalia Podolskaya with "Nobody Hurt...
" performed by Elena Paparizou
Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for a...
, and had been placed third twice up to the Contest: in 2001 with the song "Die for You" performed by the duo Antique
Antique (duo)
Antique was a Greek singing duo consisting of Elena Paparizou and Nikos Panagiotidis originating from Sweden which combined Greek popular music and lyrics with a Nordic dance pop beat. Both Paparizou and Panagiotidis were born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents...
and in 2004 with "Shake It
Shake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
" performed by Sakis Rouvas
Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II , often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus...
. Following the introduction of semi-finals for the 2004 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
, Greece has had a top ten placing each year. Greece's least successful result was in 1998 when it placed twentieth with the song "Mia Krifi Evesthisia
Mia Krifi Evesthisia
Mia Krifi Evesthisia was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1998, performed in Greek by Thalassa....
" by Thalassa
Thalassa
Thalassa may refer to:* Thalassa , a primordial Greek sea goddess* Thalassa , a moon of the planet Neptune* Thalassa, a fictional planet in Arthur C...
, receiving only twelve points in total, all from Cyprus.
The Greek national broadcaster, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi
The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation is the Greek state-owned public radio and television broadcasting corporation. It is a member of EBU.Since 70's ERT is part of the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by EBU...
(ERT) broadcasts the event in Greece each year and organizes the selection process for its entry. From 2001 to 2003, ERT held a national final with several artists, but for 2004 and 2005, it selected high-profile artists internally and set up national finals to choose their song. ERT continued the internal selection of the artist for 2006 and subsequently held a national final to select the song.
Performer
Despina Vandi
Despina Malea , known by her stage name Despina Vandi , is a Greek singer. Born in Tübingen near Stuttgart, West Germany, Vandi's family returned to Kavala, Greece when she was six years old and she later enrolled at the University of Thessaloniki, but eventually dropped out to begin a career in...
was "seriously considering" representing Greece in 2006 and would be or possibly already had been proposed to by ERT to be the Greek entrant. Vandi had been asked previously to represent the country at the 2005 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2005
The Eurovision Song Contest 2005 was the 50th Eurovision Song Contest, which was held at the Palace of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine. The winner was Greece's My Number One, written by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou and performed by Swedish-born Greek singer Elena Paparizou, who scored 230 points,...
, but declined, fearing a bad result while her international career was going well. A few months later on December 12, 2005, Star Channel
Star Channel
Star Channel is a Greek television network that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek programming. It launched in December 1993 and is owned by Nea Tileorasi A.E.. The main news bulletin is called Star Eidiseis, which is currently hosted by Aimilios Liatsos...
announced that ERT would soon officially propose to a different artist, Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
, to be the representative. Vissi said in reply that she "never [excludes] a Eurovision Song Contest participation as long as everything is organized well". She had participated in the contest twice before: in 1980
Eurovision Song Contest 1980
The Eurovision Song Contest 1980 was the 25th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 19 April 1980 in The Hague. The presenter was Marlous Fluitsma, although each song was introduced by a presenter from the nation represented...
with "Autostop
Autostop
"Autostop" was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980, performed in Greek by Anna Vissi and The Epikouri....
" for Greece and in 1982
Eurovision Song Contest 1982
The Eurovision Song Contest 1982 was the 27th Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 24 April 1982 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The presenter was Jan Leeming. The opening of the contest showed a map of Europe, with the translation "Where is Harrogate?" popping up on-screen from...
for Cyprus with the song "Mono I Agapi
Mono I Agapi
"Mono I Agapi" was the Cypriot entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1982, performed in Greek by Anna Vissi...
", placing 13th and 5th respectively. An official announcement was not made soon after as no agreement could be made at the time, but one month later on January 24, 2006, Vissi was officially announced as the artist for 2006. A few days later in an interview with the press, she said "finally [a decision is made], I want to go to Eurovision too much". She said the reason that the final decision took so long to be announced was because she was still debating entering; using opinion polls along with talking to her usual collaborators. It was also announced that the Vissi would sing either four or five songs live at the national final to choose her song.
National final
The date of the final was set for March 14, 2006 and took place at club Votanikos; broadcast live as a television program titled Feel the Party. The show was hosted by Giorgos Capountzides and Zeta Makripoulia from the Greek television series Sto Para PenteSto Para Pente
Sto Para Pente , was a popular Greek comedy-drama television series, which was broadcast on Mega Channel for two seasons, from September 27, 2005 until June 18, 2007....
and included a recap of Greece's entries from 1974 to 2005. Past entries such as "Mathima Solfege
Mathima Solfege
"Mathima Solfège" was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in Greek by the constellation Pascalis, Marianna, Robert & Bessy, made up of Pascalis Arvanitidis, Marianna Toli, Robert Williams and Bessy Argyraki, all four established solo artists in their...
", "Stop", "I Anixi
I Anixi
"I Anixi" was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1991, performed in Greek by Sophia Vossou....
", and "I Would Die for You" were shown on a large screen along with a video message by 2006 Eurovision host Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos is a Greek-American actress, journalist, and television presenter known in America for her appearances as a correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, Extra, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.-Early life and beauty pageants:Menounos, a...
, while Sakis Rouvas
Sakis Rouvas
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II , often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus...
, Elena Paparizou
Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for a...
, and Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
all sent personal messages via satellite. During the show, guest acts representing other countries partaking in Eurovision performed their entries and they included: Fabrizio Faniello
Fabrizio Faniello
Fabrizio Faniello is a Maltese pop singer. He represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2001 and 2006. He is seen by many as Malta's hope in its fledgling experimental electronica scene, contributing to many international compilations and collaborating with well known artists as diverse...
of Malta with "I Do
I Do (Fabrizio Faniello song)
"I Do" was the Maltese entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in English by Fabrizio Faniello.The song is an up-tempo number, in which Faniello tells his lover that "I love you like a fool", despite the fact that their relationship has ostensibly ended...
", Sibel Tuzun
Sibel Tüzün
Sibel Tüzün is a Turkish pop/rock/jazz singer.- Life and career :Sibel began her musical education at the TRT Istanbul Children's Choir...
of Turkey with "Süper Star
Süper Star
"Süper Star" was the Turkish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, held in Athens, Greece. The song was sung, written and composed by Sibel Tüzün....
", Mihai Traistariu
Mihai Traistariu
Mihai Trăistariu is a Romanian singer and musician. He represented Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 held in Athens, Greece, with the song "Tornero". Since that competition the song has been broadcast in over 30 countries in Europe.- Biography :...
of Romania with "Tornerò
Tornerò
Tornerò was the Romanian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in English and Italian by Mihai Trăistariu and composed by Mihai Traistariu and Eduard Cîrcotă. Tornero was ranked first in the Romanian national selection on 26 February 2006, receiving 22 points in total.The song is an...
", Christine Guldbrandsen
Christine Guldbrandsen
Christine Guldbrandsen is a singer who is best-known internationally for being the Norwegian entrant in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. With a crystal-clear voice and a impressive vocal range she is often compared to sopranos like Sissel Kyrkjebø and Hayley Westenra...
of Norway with "Alvedansen
Alvedansen
"Alvedansen" was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in Norwegian by Christine Guldbrandsen. This was the first time since the 1998 entry and the introduction of the "free language rule" that the Norwegian entry had not been performed entirely in English, although an...
", and Annet Artani of Cyprus with "Why Angels Cry
Why Angels Cry
"Why Angels Cry" was the Cypriot entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, performed in English by Annet Artani.-Style and lyrical content:The song is a ballad, with Artani asking why difficulties occur in the world. In an interview, Artani explained that angels cry for many reasons and that her...
".
Four candidate songs were decided on for Vissi to sing at the national final by ERT: "Who Cares About Love" which was written and composed by Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple...
, "Everything
Everything (Anna Vissi song)
"Everything" was the song chosen by Greece as its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens.-At Eurovision:It finished in 9th position with 128 points...
" which was also composed by Karvelas, with lyrics by Anna Vissi, "Welcome to the Party" which was composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...
with lyrics by Dimitris S, and "A Beautiful Night" which was written and composed by Pegasos (Antonis and Dimitris Papavomvolakis). "Everything" is described as a ballad, while the three others are more upbeat.
The winning song was chosen by the public through televoting
Televoting
Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone.- Broadcast contest televoting :...
and a jury weighted at 60% and 40% of the result respectively. The jury panel was made up of Mimis Plessas, Antonis Andrikakis, Dimitris Starovas, Themos Anastasiadis, Christina Politi, Evangelia Piskera, Antonis Karatzikos, Rena Kapitsala, and a ninth vote was split between Sietse Bakker of ESCToday and Fotis Konstantopoulos of Oikotimes.
Result of national final
"Everything" was proclaimed the winner after receiving 47.79% of the total vote, representing over 200,000 televotes. She received 55.66% of the vote from the viewers and 35.98% from the jury. "Welcome to the Party" placed second with 26.32% (27.69% from the viewers; 24.27% from the jury), 13.72% (7.25% from the viewers; 24.43% from the jury) for "Who Cares About Love" in third place, and 12.6% (9.39% from the viewers; 16.32% from the jury) for "A Beautiful Night" which placed last. Vissi stated that she liked all four songs, and after seeing the results, pledged to sing "Everything" "from the heart and give all her best for Greece".| Draw | Song | Composer | Televoting (60%) | Jury (40%) | Total | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Beautiful Night" | Pegasos (Antonis & Dimitris Papavomvolakis) | 16.32% | 9.39% | 12.16% | 4th |
| 2 | "Who Cares About Love" | Nikos Karvelas Nikos Karvelas Nikos Karvelas is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple... |
7.25% | 24.43% | 13.72% | 3rd |
| 3 | "Welcome To The Party" | Dimitris Kontopoulos Dimitris Kontopoulos Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971... (Lyrics by Dimitris S.) |
27.69% | 24.27% | 26.32% | 2nd |
| 4 | "Everything Everything (Anna Vissi song) "Everything" was the song chosen by Greece as its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens.-At Eurovision:It finished in 9th position with 128 points... " |
Nikos Karvelas (Lyrics by Anna Vissi) | 55.66% | 35.98% | 47.9% | 1st |
Promotion
Before her appearance at the contest, Vissi went on a promotional tour, singing her song in several Eurovision countries. The first stop was Moscow on March 25, 2006, Greek Independence DayGreek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
, and she attended a reception at the Greek embassy
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
. She stayed for three days and gave seven television appearances, three newspaper interviews and posed for several magazines. Following Russia, Vissi traveled to Malta and then Cyprus where she performed at a large club in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
. Cyprus was followed by Albania, where she appeared at the "Albania Awards Kult", an awards show, and also gave a few interviews. The next stop was Serbia and Montenegro, followed by Romania. By the end of April, Vissi had visited Sweden where she gave several more interviews to the local press. Bosnia and Herzegovina was next at the beginning of May, followed by Belgium on the fourth. She met with Greek Orthodox
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Belgium
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Belgium
Metropolitan Panteleimon of Belgium , , is the Metropolitan of Belgium and Exarch of The Netherlands and Luxembourg, under the spiritual leadership of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. He is a graduate of the Theological Institute of Halki seminary, Istanbul...
to whom she offered an autographed copy of her CD single "Everything
Everything (Anna Vissi song)
"Everything" was the song chosen by Greece as its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens.-At Eurovision:It finished in 9th position with 128 points...
" after having spoken to the media. Vissi then attended a reception at the Greek embassy before meeting up with Belgium entrant Kate Ryan
Kate Ryan
Kate Ryan is a Belgian World Music Award winner. She began her singing career in 2001 and later found fame with a string of dance hits. These included covers, mostly of Mylène Farmer and France Gall, such as "Désenchantée", "Libertine" and "Ella, elle l'a" as well as new material...
with whom she visited a chocolate museum. After Belgium, Vissi returned to Greece for a break before leaving for Israel, the last stop on the tour, where she remained for ten days.
On April 25, 2006, Vissi re-released her most recent album at the time, Nylon
Nylon (album)
Nylon is the name of a Greek album by singer Anna Vissi, released in Greece and Cyprus on September 28, 2005, and subsequently in select European countries and Taiwan...
, as Nylon: Euro Edition to include the four tracks from the national final and to coincide with the ongoing international promotional tour. At the same time, "Welcome to the Party" had entered the American market, already being played on some radio stations.
At Eurovision
At a press conference on May 16, Anna Vissi thanked her fans and God for everything that had been given to her. She also explained how important the competition was to her saying that she "really, really [wants] to win" and she also received several gifts from journalists and fans."Everything" was considered a favorite at the contest, placing in the top three in a majority of fan polls and first in online betting houses. British commentator for the semi-final stated that "she's massive in Greece, she's even bigger than the country itself". "None of the rehearsals were attended by so many people as Anna Vissi's", noted Sietse Bakker, one of the jury members from the national final, "not only a large amount of fans and journalists took seat in the arena [...] but the president of Greek broadcaster ERT also entered the arena to see how 'his' artist was doing".
Final
As the winning country of the 2005 edition, Greece was automatically qualified for the final of the 2006 contest, and was drawn to present its song 16th on the night of the final, after the United Kingdom and before Finland.At the final, held on May 20, 2006, Anna Vissi appeared on stage surrounded by a fog effect created by dry ice. She was alone on the large stage and wore an exclusive Jean Paul Gaultier black and white outfit with black leggings. By the end of the song, she was down on her knees singing. Her choreography for the final was arranged by Mia Michaels
Mia Michaels
Mia Michaels is an American choreographer best known for her judging and contemporary choreography on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance . She has worked with musical artists such as Celine Dion, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, and Prince...
. Although considered a favorite, a ninth place finish was all Vissi could manage. She received the maximum 12 points from Bulgaria and Cyprus, 10 from Belgium and Romania, eight from Albania, Armenia, Germany, and Malta, seven from Macedonia and the United Kingdom, six from Serbia and Montenegro, five from France, the Netherlands and Switzerland, four from Sweden and Turkey, three from Lithuania, two from Belarus, and one from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finland, Moldova, and Slovenia; in total, receiving 128 points. The ninth place finish guaranteed Greece a place in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2007
Eurovision Song Contest 2007
The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was won by first-time appearance as an independent country Serbia and was held at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland from 10 May to 12 May. The host broadcaster was YLE.Finland earned the right to host...
.
After Eurovision
The day after the contest, Vissi could be seen crying in front of cameras while recounting her experience, but thanking the Greek public for all their love and support. She soon re-released Nylon again as a dual disc with music videos, and also a remix of "Everything" by Valentino and Siganos. Since the second re-release of Nylon in autumn 2006, Vissi had not released any new material until October 29, 2008, when she released the song "To Parelthon Mou" (my past) as the lead soundtrack single for the Greek movie Bank Bang. On December 9th, 2008 she released the album ApagorevmenoApagorevmeno
Apagorevmeno is Greek singer Anna Vissi's 25th studio album, released in Greece and Cyprus on December 9, 2008 by Sony BMG Greece. It is Vissi's first studio album since 2005 and the first since her 1981 self-titled album to not include any songs or input by Nikos Karvelas...
which was certified 2X Platinum in Greece and 3X Platinum in Cyprus.