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Exclusive winner interview
Greece: Alkaios says Opa is a happy word
Did Giorgos expect to win the Greek final? Being a very low profile artist, he never wanted to go out and say it, although Opa had been the hot favourite both in Greece and with international Eurovision fans (estctoday.com readers gave it 29.9% in the poll), it still hadn't really sunk in when we met him after the Greek final.
The atmosphere backstage Studio Alpha was explosive with fans and press cheering and dancing to the beat of Opa for hours after the show had ended. Giorgos spoke to us about how important team work is for him and (off camera) he told us that there will be a different staging for Oslo by Emi Zarian as well as different styling and costumes by Pantelis Mitsou, two of his friends who worked with him for the Greek final. The song will remain in Greek.
According to Giorgos, Opa is a happy word and just what people need in a time of trouble, his song is all about about leaving the past behind and starting all over again. In a world shaken by the current economic circumstance, Alkaios thinks the Eurovision Song Contest is "heaven" and wishes to see us all in Oslo.
The Giorgos Alkaios interview
You can view the full esctoday.com gallery from Ellinikos Telikos here
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Just some thoughts:
In other countries, in Europe, over 500,000 peoplelost their jobs ----in one single day---- and THAT was an ECONOMIC PROBLEM swept "under the carpet".
However, nothing was/ is or will be as catastrophic in Greece.
The Euro is still strong... but what ever happened to the climate of EU Synergy ?
I am not ironic or sarcastic, but have analyzed some rather “organized” anti-Hellenic strategies and tactics due to the recent economic crisis and must emphasize that political criteria, in general, may characterize some ... typically hypocritical … voting methods, this year.
Giorgos Alkaios and Friends will practice to synchronize and harmonize, based on the song’s melody, the dynamic choreography for a more acoustic and scenic program in Oslo. It is also my idea there will be magic and energy in the TELEnor stadium.
THIS phenomenon will generate enthusiasm in Europe.
...MUSICAL therapy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did I mention that the song will be in Greek?
OPA!!!!!!!!!!!
I tried to like it, but I can´t.
I love Greece a lot, but this song makes me feel bad or strange.
Nice to hear about the brotherhoods of Cyprus and Serbia to Greece - it was never a secret to the rest of Europe. ;-)
maybe in top 5 this year Greece!! go greece go!
Watching Johnny kalimeris-ERT executive- last night i was so annoyed with his behaviour!He stated that they won't announce the official results.How dare they?He just said that Alkaios won the televote and there was a triple tie...Alkaios,Pyrovolakis,Kara dimos...He added that the jury always sees that there will not be a big gap between the televote and their final results...What's that suppose to mean?
GREAT SONG GREECE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12 POINTS FOR OUR BROTHERS GREECE FROM SERBIA !!!!!
FINALLY GREEK SONG ON GREEK... STOP WITH F***ING ENGLISH...
I'm really disappointed with Greece this year! 
After perfect entries like 'My Secret Combination', 'Shake It', 'This Is Our Night', 'My Number One', 'Yiassou Maria', '...', they send smth. like that? I hoped for Melisses, but their song wasn't that good also!
Den pate kala mou fainetai orismenoi pou thelete nte kai kala na proskyname oloi to skoupidi tou Alkaiou! Gia mazefteite ligo! Kaneis de tha me ypoxrewsei na yposthriksw mia ahdia mono kai mono epeidh einai ellhnikh, kai opoios to kanei sigoura de stekei kala sta myala tou!
Spoudaia agaph exete vlepw gia to diagwnismo! Anti na thelete na anevei h poiothta kai na papsei n'apotelei ton perigelw, yposthrizete tyfla kai san provata oti na'nai, legontas malista: "siga mwre eurovision einai, poios koitazei thn poiothta?". Sygxarhthria! Ap'oti fainetai ESEIS ftaite gia to katanthma ths eurovision!
@marios : You have become a little RIDICULOUS when you write 10 times per hour the SAME things in ALL EUROVISION SITES. OK WE GOT IT. you do not like one song. there is no need to impose your taste and your personal opinions to us. we got it. you said it 1000 times. stop it, we got bored. you are not the centre of the world. OPA IS THE CATCHIEST song this year and the ONLY one which makes us happy. and this is the reason that eurovision song contest exists. To make us forget the problems that europe have to face everyday and make us all to dance and smile!
At least a song sung in Greek! Well done! Hope Greece gets a lot of points this year!
I am HAPPY to say that Greece's ESC 2010 SONG
will be sung in GREEK and that sounds GRrrreat to me!
OPA !!!!!!!!!!
greece will win!!!!beautiful song!there is no doubt about that!you are the best!!!almost spain dance on rythum of opa!!!!!you are the best!!!!!!! 
Opa is a song I didn't like very much, but I thought that it would be "acceptable" to be @ Oslo...
Regardless to my preferences according to the studio versions of the song, after the Live performance on Friday, I think that it was one of the (only) 3 songs that was very good (for our ears) at the live performance.
Plus, it was very impressive at some points, like the beginning lighting and the lyra – solo… Ok, the total chorography is not my best, but still is acceptable enough…
Even though I voted for the other two (Pyrovolakis’ I kivotos tou Noe & Karadimos’ Polemao) I feel that this song can go well enough at Oslo…
No matter what everyone preferred we must realize that the selection is OVER, there is NO meaning in fighting, and the best thing to do is to wish Good Luck to a catchy song that represents OUR country according to what the MAJORITY of people wanted.
So, Good Luck dear Alkaios, make everybody at Oslo say: OPA!
Here are the results: Obviously all 3 songs tied and Alkaios won because of the public vote.
TELEVOTING
Giorgos Alkaios = 12 points
Manos Pyrovolakis = 10 points
Giorgos Karademos = 08 points
JURY VOTING
Giorgos Karademos = 12 points
Manos Pyrovolakis = 10 points
Giorgos Alkaios = 08 points
Nice song....With a nice performance on stage will reach the top 10
Its not the best but not the worst entry either.
With the right stage presence, a Top 10 is guaranteed !
Good luck from the UK
song will be top10 its great and modern ethnic song
good luck Greece from Croatia
It's a weak song BUT I love the rhythm.... I hate his singing but without any doubt this will fly into the final and get a top without any problem..... Greece you made the correct chooice...
Greece chose to go for another stage show strength with a very weak song, even weaker than Sakis' This is Our Night. Still this will be quite catchy I think, and make the audience cheer. I don't know what will happen this year. All ballads, slow songs sang by cute guys-thank(!) you Norway- It all seems so unpredictable. This year can be the year for one of the big fours to finally win after all these years. Greece may surprise due to lack of catchy songs and score their second win. Maybe it will be Azerbaijan to get the win at their third attempt, they were great last year. Armenia is looking strong. Or maybe it will be Turkey's second win after Everyway that I can, thus far We Could Be The Same is my favorite it is a very very good song with energy, emotion. Anyways... I really don't know what will happen this year.
OK... Listen....
I was there watching it live.
My favorites were Second Skin, Manos ans Melisses.
That was before the live performance.
When Alkaios finished his act i was sure he whould be the winner.
That night, this performance was the best of all the rest.
This is why he won with a great deference too.
Support the song, it's an entertaining song, full of bit, BITATO KAI KEFATO.
I can't see any resemblance with S.A.G.A.P.O, besides the fact that they are all boys.
p.s. Very, very important for a singer to stay IN tune......
I guess this song that i don't like could do better with a stronger vocal and stage presentation.After watching Milan i think Nikos Oikonomopoulos could do really better with this song 
!
Not a fan of the song. I prefer Greece's female vocalists. The men should just do the dancing or stand there and look sexy....leave the singing to the experts!
GO GIORGOS! GO GREECE! You will rock Oslo! 
Moderated by: Stella Floras at Sun 14 Mar 2010 17:20:09
Happy Greece is finally sending a song in greek... the song is funny but it is totally trash... (and yes I am Greek). The 'dancing' is ridiculous, the drum effect overdone. The only good thing I see in this song is that it will make people laugh and the pontian break in the middle. That said, it is still better than Sakis Rouvas 2009 entry or the Anna Vissi ballad. We should have chosen Melisses in all honesty (although the singer didn't sound very good on the finals)
Lina
I totally agree with you....mpravo.
That song have ESC "packet" very good rythm and show , if you dont like it its ok but if you like it and you slap it beacuse of jelous that dont make any sence since you cant to anything to drop that song on ESC night 
To Greeks : pate kala? edw oi alloi stelnoun skoupidia kai ipostirizoun to tragoudi tis xwras tous kai esis tous dinete trofi gia na bgazoun ta apo8imena tous panw sto tragoudi tis Elladas epidi to zilevoune kai to fovounte ? Sorry if i speak greek but only in greek language some greeks here understand some things
That song makes the differebce this year! TOP 5 or maybe a winner.
I really don't like it!!!
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