Greece In The Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Greece entered the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Secret Combination", written by Konstantinos Pantzis with lyrics by Poseidonas Giannopoulos. The song was performed by Kalomoira, an American singer of Greek descent who had previously won a Greek talent show. In February 2008, as part of the selection process organized by the Greek national broadcaster Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi (ERT), three competing artists—Chrispa, Kostas Martakis, and Kalomoira—performed their prospective entries live during a televised broadcast watched by nearly two million viewers. "Secret Combination" was selected to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest by a combination of a public televote and panel of judges.
Following a promotional tour of many European cities, "Secret Combination" came first in the first of the Eurovision semi-finals at Belgrade in May, and was seen as a possible competition winner. In Greece's twenty-ninth Eurovision appearance on May 24, "Secret Combination" initially led the voting with full marks from six countries. However, the song ultimately finished third, behind Russia and Ukraine. Greece had previously won the competition in 2005.
After the show, the song went on to chart in several European countries, reaching number one in Greece and Cyprus. Kalomoira, citing differences with her record label, briefly moved to the United States before returning to Greece in January 2009; she regards her Eurovision performance as a pivotal moment in her career, and stated in an interview that her desire was for the people of Greece to be proud of her performance, regardless of the competition's outcome.
Read more about Greece In The Eurovision Song Contest 2008: Background, At Eurovision, After Eurovision
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