Credits
News
© CyBC
Part six
Introducing the 2009 entries: Cyprus
Basic information
| Performer: | Christina Metaxa (Χριστίνα Μεταξά) |
| Song: | Firefly |
| Language: | English |
| Music: | Nikolas Metaxas (Νικόλας Μεταξάς) |
| Lyrics: | Nikolas Metaxas (Νικόλας Μεταξάς) |
| Draw: | 7th in the second semi final |
The song
Firefly is a fragile and quiet pop ballad with some minor rock elements in the arrangement. The lyrics are about finding one's way and place in life. The image of a firefly, who seems to be scared not knowing where she is going but loses her fear when she flies away, is used to illustrate the quest for a light-hearted life:
The firefly, spreading her wings open wide
Thinks the sky will come crashing down, fall to her side
She is afraid, but her fear slowly fades
So fly with the firefly, fly side by side
Escaping the chains that held you from life
Don't look down, you're over the edge
The singer
Along with Kejsi Tola from Albania, 16-year-old Christina is the youngest singer in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. She is the second of four children and still attends school. She entered the Cypriot national final 2009 with the song Firefly written by her brother Nikolas, who became famous through the TV show The X Factor.
During an interview with esctoday.com, she said: "Given this great opportunity to represent my country at such a young age is honestly a tremendous honour for me. It is a huge responsibility I agree, yet I cannot stop thinking that in the three minutes I will be singing it won’t just be me. The whole of Cyprus will be by my side and thus it’s my duty to work hard and do by best for every single person who shows faith in me. Cyprus, I promise not to let you down!!"
Christina is now signed with Sony Records, and the company will undertake the promotion of her Eurovision Song Contest entry in Europe. She already performed her song in the Greek national final.
National selection
Cyprus decided to go for a very classic national final again. Ten acts performed one song each in a show on a Saturday evening and the winner was chosen by televoting. Christina Metaxa was the runaway winner of the selection getting almost twice as many votes as the runner-up Pieros Kezos. Among others, two former Cypriot entrants in the contest also took part: Marlain Angelidou (1999) and Alexandros Panayi (1995, 2000).
Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest
Cyprus debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 and had a very good start finishing sixth and fifth in its first two participations. Some lower results followed, but the country managed to equal the fifth place in 1997 and 2004, which also marked the last top ten placing to date. The last appearance in the final was in 2005.
Ευχόμαστε στην Κύπρο και στην Χριστίνα Μεταξά καλή επιτυχία και καλά αποτελέσματα στην Μόσχα!
Kıbrıs ve Cristina Metaxa'ya Moskova'da iyi şanslar ve iyi bir sonuç dileriz!
Videos
Christina Metaxa talking to esctoday.com:
Christina Metaxa in the national final:
The preview video:
Performing Fly me to the moon:
Other parts of this series
Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Latvian entry.
Related polls
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Melodi Grand Prix
- Azerbaijan: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Milli Seçim Turu
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the final of A Dal
- Iceland: Vote for your favourite song in the final of Songvakeppni Sjonvarpsins
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Hungary: Vote for your favourite act in the second semifinal of A Dal
- Norway: Vote for your favourite song in the third semifinal of Melodi Grand Prix
- Sweden: Vote for your favourite act in the first semifinal of Melodifestivalen
- Malta: Vote for your favourite act in the semifinal of Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2012
- Bulgaria: Vote for your favourite act in the Bulgarian national final 2012
- Latvia: Vote for your favourite act in the final of Eirodziesma 2012
- Belarus: Vote for your favourite act in the final of EuroFest 2012
Go directly to the reactions
Reactions
When reacting to a news item, please stick to the topic. Inappropriate messages (swearing, racism, hate, etc.), messages in other languages than English and spam (which includes URL advertising) will be deleted and you risk your account being removed. Reacting on newsitems is only possible when logged in as a member. Still don't have member account?
Click here to react Click here to become a member (free!)
Cyprus 12 points!!Vote for this nice entry,,it should pass to the final!!Cyprus 12 pOints!!
This song makes me imagine of highway speed driving in a cabriolet... Just romance!
Good job Cyprus!
I wish to see eurovision held in cyprus, not just in shoutern cyprus..turkish part and greek part must present eurovision 2010..good luck your different presenter..
@Alexis Mozzart thats why i say all the times that must be 50/50 voting also for semifinals, maybe with that 50/50 we have some balance in the countreys who passing in the final and kick off some block and diaspora voting.
I don't like her voice!listen her in the interview!such like a child voice!anyway!Idon't thin she will pass to the final 
I am from Cyprus and I happen to know Christina Metaxa because we went to the same school. I wish her good luck and all the best, from the bottom of my heart.
I must say that I find the song very soft, musical, and a good word to describe it would be "romantic." It is, however, true that her voice needs a lot of work if she wants to go to the final.
@The people who are arguing about the bloc voting: It would be stupid to say that bloc voting does not exist. People who say that there is no bloc voting are wrong. Nevertheless, the reason for the existence of bloc voting is that the countries who vote for each other have a common culture and musical influences. The real problem is that there are two very big groups with the same culture ex-Yugoslavian countries and ex-Soviet countries. This has resulted to the fact that every year the top 10 is made up of countries from these groups. I do not accuse anyone and nor do I go against the ideal behind bloc voting, but I do understand the people who feel fed up.
@Lina, yes we're all blessed with our own personal tastes and unfortunately this song doesn't appeal to mine. That doesn't mean it necessarily have to do badly in Moscow, it will just never become a hit on my iPod. But you're right, even if you changed the singer I still wouldn't like the song. Its melody doesn't speak to me either, so the combination of a terrible singer and a dull song makes for a bottom 5 position on my chart for Cyprus this time, I'm afraid. It doesn't mean I dislike the country though, just this song. 
I've only now realized how beautiful the lyrics are ...
@Keith ,if Christinas voice was perfect for sure some persons here they r going to find something else to say about the song, the voise ( just beacuse they saw her once in N F in Cyprus) is just the excuse , i listen many singers this year ( and some of them proffesional ) and they have weak or middle voise but they r favory , we saw in the past many artists in ESC to go whell with weak voises and some artist with good voises to take bottom places, if Christina represent: Greece or Armenia or Turkey or Azerbaijan or Serbia or Russia or Ukraine not only she going to pass to the final but she is going to take a place in top 10 , and something else...just visit all countreys posts and find one post who everybody say good words about that countrey song , everywhere some persons find something bad : clothes, voise, style, age, the song is political, the song is for circus, the song is old fashion for ESC, the song is copy etc 
In our local mall there's a karaoke stall right next to the supermarket and everyone is welcome to come and sing a song for the shoppers. 9 out of 10 times this is more excruciating than enjoyable. Most of these people cannot hold a tune if their life depended on it and they have voices that make Lemmy from Motorhead look like dame Kiri Te Kanawa in comparison. These are the very worst of the worst performances I've ever seen. And the Cypriot song somehow reminds me of all that.
@Galandar thnx , same for Azerbaijan :kisses:
I wish to the entry of Cyprus to end the contest in the good place in the Final. Best of Luck! Bye
@Botox Baby,
I don't care, do what you want! I am an ESC fan since 1998 or you want to say you were a fan already in the kindergarten??? Whatever! Good luck!
@Mina, back up jurys can save only ONE song from each semi, even and if Christina singing perfect in semifinals do u know how many countreys are canditate to take that only one place in 2 semi and pass? whell i will remind u the countreys: Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, Slovenia, Hungary, Lithuania, Albania, Estonia and Netherlands ! Countreys like : Ukraine, Greece, Azerbaijan, Norway, Serbia, Latvia, Croatia and Moldova are already in the final for me
I think this is the best cypriot entry for a long time.
Good Luck Cyprus
the song is nice but the girl doesn't have too much voice!yes she is one of the youngest singer in the esc 2009 but don't forget:kejsi tola(albania)is also one of the youngest singer of this esc but she has a powerful voice!not like a cat!anyway good luck un esc in moskow
Goooooo Cyprusssssssssssssssssssssssss sssssssssss I Hope jury will see who's the real winner Hope for the best places for Cyprus and Greece!
Oh my - even on the video - she voice is so weak!!!
In fact, you can hardly call that a voice att all -
it's a whisper - at times (in refrain) - very srong and unpleasant.
After that live performance in the final in Cyprus - it was horrible - but i hope -well , it often happens - the mike was wrong, the studio sound was not so good or she was too nervous -- any sh// misfortune may happen...
But now - the video! ((((
Total dissapoinment even with the phonogram - her voice is so bad it cannot even be improved in the studio!
Total disaster! Sorry Cyprus (((
@galandar,
first dont attack me and by the way when i started being an esc fan, you didnt know what eurovision is!! so leave the irony bro!! and i can see the colours in every way i want!!
@Botox Baby,
Speak at least like a fan of ESC how you call urself, not the one that sees everything in the same colours! Good luck in Moscow!
@galandar
yes dude, you are the right one and we are wrong!! you are the specialist of music and voices!! like we dont know how many possibilities we have to pass, we have you on our head to remind us how low possibilities cyprus has! whatever dude!! we ll talk again in the semi!!!
if the rules was same like the final maybe we have more chance, bad National jurys is only in final ( maybe for big 4 favour )
Lina,
a country passes to the final from the juries. If Christina sings so well, the juries can put her in the final.
If she doesn't sing well, even if it was 100% juries in the semi's, she still wouldn't pass.
Annet Artani was far better, if she didn't pass to the final, "Firefly" won't also!
god,I can see again comments about bloc voting and stuff,just get over it ppl,if the song is c*ap it definitely won't pass,people vote for what they like and not for the country,at least most of them!now if we see more eastern countries in the final is bcz they share common things and their music sounds better to them.nevertheless if a country sends a proper song will make it through! just remember cyprus 2004 and portugal last year. blaming televoting for the failures of your countries became so common and unjustified!
Well if she can hold the vocals down then i hope lovely christina qualifies 
i really love this song, the music is haunting, the song contemporary and the lyrics are so real- its like you can feel them!
And christina brings this amazing vulnerability to the stage that makes you empathise with her, you want to reach out and protect!
Good luck Kypros
@Lina is back again,
I hope one day greeks and turks in Cyprus will find the peace they have in the flag! Good luck!
Anyway, it's in my top 3.
The list of 167 reactions is divided into 7 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
