Credits
News
© ERT
Part fourteen
Introducing the 2009 entries: Greece
Basic information
| Performer: | Sakis Rouvas (Σάκης Ρουβάς) |
| Song: | This is our night |
| Language: | English |
| Music: | Dimitris Kontopoulos (Δημήτρης Κοντόπουλος) |
| Lyrics: | Craig Porteils, Cameron Giles-Webb (Κραίγκ Πόρτεϊλς, Κάμερον Τζάιλς-Ουέμπ) |
| Draw: | 13th in the second semi final |
The song
This is our night is an up-tempo dance pop song. Through the lyrics, the singer tells someone to leave the old behind and start a new life as this is their night:
When I look into your eyes
It comes as no surprise
This is our night, fly to the top, baby
Yes, we can do it, just wait and see
This is our night, time for a change, baby
Get rid of the old, take a hold and be free
The singer
Having been a member of the Greek National Gymnastics team, Sakis Rouvas entered the music business in 1991 with the release of his eponymous debut album. It became a huge success reaching the top of the album charts and the song Parta peaked at number one of the radio charts. His career has been going on since and Sakis Rouvas is now one of the most successful Greek singers best known for his remarkable stage shows. He has released twelve studio albums to date and all of them reached gold or platinum status in Greece. In total, he has sold about two million albums.
In 2004, Sakis Rouvas was chosen internally to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Shake it. He would finish third both in the semi final and in the final. The single was a huge success in Greece peaking at number one in the charts and being certified with four platinum records. In 2006, when the contest went to Greece after Elena Paparizou's victory, he was chosen to co-present the show in Athens.
In 2008, Sakis Rouvas was the first artist being announced to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest. In the national final, he presented three songs and This is our night was chosen as Greek entry in Mosow. The song has yet to enter the regular single charts but it already peaked at number one of the download charts and at number 26 of the airplay charts.
The national selection
Sakis Rouvas was chosen internally to represent Greece in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. In the national final, he presented three songs (all of them composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos) and the winning song was chosen by a mix of televoting, jury voting and the votes of an international jury that included the results of a poll held by esctoday.com. All juries and the televoters agreed on the winning song This is our night.
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest
Greece joined the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. Despite seven top ten placings between 1974 and 1998, the country was not among the most successful participants in the contest. This changed in 2001, when Greece reached third place in Copenhagen. After another two unsuccessful attempts in 2002 and 2003, Greece has finally found its run of luck and finished in the top ten every year from 2004 onwards including a first victory in 2005. It is also the only country that managed to finish in the top ten every year since the introduction of the semi final stage.
Ευχόμαστε στην Ελλάδα και στον Σάκη Ρουβά καλή επιτυχία και καλά αποτελέσματα στην Μόσχα!
Videos
Sakis Rouvas speaks to esctoday.com after the song presentation:
Performance in the national final:
The preview video:
Sakis Rouvas in Life & Cooking:
Shake it in 2004:
Other parts of this series
- France
- Portugal
- Romania
- Denmark
- Netherlands
- Cyprus
- Latvia
- Ireland
- Malta
- Armenia
- Germany
- Serbia
- Belgium
Tomorrow, we will take a look at the Croatian entry.
Related polls
- Greece decided: How much do you like Opa?
- esctoday.com National Final Awards 2010: Best SONG not to qualify in GREECE?
- esctoday.com National Final Awards 2010: Best PERFORMANCE not to qualify in GREECE?
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!)
Special moment of song: When I look into your eyes ... it comes as no surprise
YES - 
S A K IS will ... mesmerize Europe again!!! 
ESC 2009 Moscow -- Best of luck to ALL participating countries!!
Now, will you dare to compare?
May 12th - 1st SEMIFINAL | Running order --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=7lgGkLGnTFg
(10 from SF1 will qualify)
May 14th - 2nd SEMIFINAL | Running order --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=tAf6mBkf12k
(10 from SF2 will qualify) ... GREECE This Is Our Night
May 16th - ESC 2009 FINAL | SF1/10 + SF2/10 = 20 SONGS + 5 automatic finalists
(Russia, Germany, France, Spain, U.K.) --> http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=WyMiMsuUe0M
With his ENERGETIC performance
and his strong UPLIFTING song,
Greece's S A K I S
will indeed ... FLY to the TOP, baby!
SAKIS' performance is sheer magic!!
em about Turkey I meant the 2008 and not 2007 entry which I actually hated. 
Arian
If you consider Sakis as greece's best then you obviously know nothing about Greek music. He is continuously famous and popular since 1990 or 1991 but his memorable songs couldn't probably fill a single CD (in my humble opinion please don't attack me). He has an acceptable voice, he can carry a tune, he is a nice person and a great stage performer but his popularity is mostly based on his looks and on that Greece is betting this year.
surrounded by Aegean
Sertab had a much better song definitely. I mean she even got 8 points from us (Cyprus) which unfortunately is almost impossible to achieve for a Turkish entry. Even Sibel who travelled here (a first and last for a turkish competitor took no points at all-a shame if you ask me she had a great song). I agree the age is not important as long as the song is good and that's not the case with Sakis this year.
OK about my comment about Helena and the scandinavian block I was obviously wrong. I probably remembered the 12 points from Sweden alone do not indicate block voting. Sorry. Btw I am not trying to be rude or anything I am just stating my opinion.
Max Respail
You are not the only one. I am tired of the cheesy pop Greece keeps sending ever since Antique got 3rd (as I said before from all those entries I only like the 2005 and 2008 ones and even those I am starting getting tired of). It is a shame seeing Serbia and Bosnia sending all those great songs and even Turkey sending once in a while a great song (2007 and 2004 for example) while Greece with the exact same music tradition sending fluff all the time. Greece to me was absolutely perfect in the 70s and had send a lot of great songs in the 90s as well (all except 1990, 1994 and 1998) but of course those didn't bring the good positioning, did they?
Candyman I just read the comments now. I didn't mean that Helena didn't deserve to win. She definitely did. But she had the full support of the scandinavian countries which definitely helped if I remember correctly. Then again I might be wrong on this one.
i gonagive a top 5 with out order
GREECE, UK, SPAIN, HUNGARY and one of CYPRUS PORTUGAL or ICELAND i want to see if i am rite heheheh
regards to all and lets enjoy the 2009 event
But it's done with NO bad intentions Mina..... I come to Athens in september and than we go and have a few drinks together in Gazi, ok.... and discuss all our favorites. You mention Spain aswell, I have a strong feeling about that one aswell, even more when you know they are last to perform,...... watch out for that one.
what's your top 5, I saw it yesterday and thought that's really weird as I am always there to attack you and than we have 4 out 5 in common....Frans, Sweden, Estonia for sure but there was another one and not Finland......
Finland/France/Estonia/Sweden/Spain is my top 5. And yes, I've noticed you have a tendency to attack me
S A K I S - This Is Our Night
... FLY to the TOP, baby!
@ Paschalis
@ Mutlu S.
Maybe La Sarantos is KALOMIRA 
Sarantis --> http://www.kalomoira.com
Remember Greece's lovely, bubbly and talented entrant, last year?
She won 3rd place with her Secret Combination!!!
what's your top 5, I saw it yesterday and thought that's really weird as I am always there to attack you and than we have 4 out 5 in common....Frans, Sweden, Estonia for sure but there was another one and not Finland.....
Even more spooky we have 4 out of 5 sames songs in our top 5... What about that ? Sweden, France, Estonia, Norway.....
What's even more spooky is that I don't have Norway in my top 5..lmao
Maybe you mean Finland?
Btw MIna, had a lovely Greek meal yesterday, chicken with potatoes, carrots, garlic, honeu , oliveoil in the over and indeed lots of lemons... quite funny really. Just teasing you dear, you know I like to tease you, you are and will always be my favorite ..... Even more spooky we have 4 out of 5 sames songs in our top 5... What about that ? Sweden, France, Estonia, Norway.....
only Greek ones sweetheart.....
Axel,
you must really like lemons
how nice.... i am touched......
Sakis looked gorgeous in Belgium! The camera just loves his face...and I think he should wear red in Moscow..it looks great on him 
Btw it doesn't matter if he'll be in the top 3 or in the top 10 or in the top 42..we will still love him anyway
He will be in top 42 for sure.....
And a new today's video:
Sakis Rouvas in Belgium -This Is Our Night -Eurovision 2009 Greece promo tour -HQ STEREO
watch it here:
http://www.youtube.c(...)/watch?v=rja5e54kiAE
He will be in top 10 for sure .
waw!!!!! Elena will meet Sakis!!!!
Romania and Greece are the best of this year!!!
@ Paschalis
Thank U so much 'bout Monica's reference
I didn't know her... she's apparently talented along with an INTERNATIONAL air!!!
GREECE has plenty of gifted artists & performers who can easily stand abroad...
I CRAVE SEING:
RAINING PLEASURE/MATISSE/ROSEBLEED/MARSHEAUX/MIKRO IN ESC
The above- mentioned GREEK bands simply ROOOOCK 
On April 5th and 6th, Sakis will be attending a photo shoot together with the artist representing Romania. Through this meeting, they will be able to talk, get to know each other and probably initiate a joint musical project.
@ mutlu
What's that lal sarantos? I've never heard of him 
@ nikos papadogkonas
If you bothered to check my profile (which I'm sure you didn't) you would see that my music taste certainly isn't about third-class pop...
The list of 218 reactions is divided into 9 pages. Choose a page:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
React yourself
This news article is older than one week. Reacting to articles is only possible in the first week after publication.
