Interviews

Friday, 06 May 2016 20:23
Written by Sotiris Chartzoulakis

Argo: Greece's Best Moment!

I had the happiness to know closely the Greek delegation and be able to talk to representatives of our country and make a very nice interview. I Sotiris Chartzoulakis and I present the representatives of Greece, the Argo!
About Argo
Argo, is the name of the band that will represent Greece in the 61st Eurovision Song Contest with the song Utopian Land. The six-member group consists of Christina Lahana (singing), Maria Venetikidis (vocals), Vladimiros Sofianidis (singing), Kostas Topouzis (Pontian lyre), Elias Kesidis (vocals – percussion) and Alekos Papadopoulos in tabor.
Argo is a dynamic combination, as professional music artists with prestigious music studies and impressive resumes join with passionate, self –taught performers who draw on powerful, personal experience in order to create powerful music.
The band is mainly inspired by hip hop sounds; at the same time, their music resonates with folklore (Pontian) tunes and traditional instruments such as the lyre, all elements of ancestral legacy for most of the band’s members.

Stockholm 2016, the end of the journey to its destination. We are all here with Alexandros, Vladimiros, Costas, Christina and Maria.

Well, I want to ask, what Eurovision means for you guys?
Vladimiros: The biggest song contest.
Alexandros: A global scene.
Costas: It is something very beautiful that I say many times here, the atmosphere is incredible, we are very happy that we are on this big stage, the lights and all !!! I can not describe it. Only the one who lives it can describe it.
Maria: Meeting many cultures!
Christina: That's exactly, is the union, is that you know in a few days so different people, it is incredible. Apart from all this is the music that unites the whole world and it is incredible!
Vladimiros: And to every artist to make his own musical proposal.

What do you believe that will make the difference in your songs?
Costas: Our feature !!! (Showing the Pontic lyra)

Eurovision helps the career of an artist regardless of the position that will ultimately take and what will be in the end with the song?
Christina: I think it depends also from ourselves, from himself, what we try to do and after all this! If you get the victory but then you do not deal it ... definitely opportunities will be given to you, certainly some opportunities will be given to you but they depends on you if you do not grab them...
Alexandros: Life is a long journey, and Eurovision is a milestone, a very large milestone. But it is neither the beginning nor the end, that depends on everyone that will use it.
Maria: It is a unique opportunity that every artist won from it, its a unique organization, its size alone says it all! It is a unique experience for each artist.

Well, some time the lights will close and we will say goodbye to Stockholm, Argo, individually or as a band, which things you will keep when we return to Greece?
Vladimiros: What I said to the guys from the beginning, to stay themselves! As now, not to change anything between us!
Christina: I would like .... No I will keep .... I will keep my moments we lived all either in Athens or Stockholm, the moments when we laughed together, from the rehearsals, the cries, the laughter .... These moments will stay memorable because they can not be repeated and they are very true!

And what concerns the organization, and your experience, what have you learned from this whole event you lived all these days and you live now?
Costas: For me, I will keep this exactly! Their organization is incredible, bringing such a great event in reality is incredible. They are so calm and respond equally too throughout the organization, and with their smiles and even our stay in Stockholm that has no connection with the Eurovision indirectly but directly and yet they are so happy, you see it in the smiles, they are with us, support us all, are incredible, is an experience that you can not ever forget!
Alexandros: What struck me here in Stockholm is how important have taken this event, they find their own, making you feel cozy, homely, is too cool the guys in Sweden in general, and many times we were able to meet Swedish or Greek, which in some cases we where invited in their homes as guests, we saw how much they appreciate that we have come here and participate in this great event.
Christina: Of course it is and when you're on stage and is the world beneath you is enormous, I think this picture will be memorable! I do not think reliving it ever!

Well guys I want to thank you, I wish to see you in the final, as the whole Greece and 12points and thank you very much !!!

	Vladimiros Sofianidis Vladimir was born in 1985 in Georgia (Sukhumi). He came to Greece in 1991 with his family. He studied music at the local conservatory and before even he finished school, he began to play music at local events and writing songs for his band. He continues to do so to this day. He writes lyrics, composes songs and sings hip-hop music. Besides his music activity, Vladimir has been making a living as a skilled technician.
	Christina Lachana Christina was born in Georgia (Sukhumi), with an ancestry from Pontus. Along with her family, she has lived in Greece since she was eight. All her paternal family members are musicians and this favourable environment contributed to her singing at a very young age. She has sung for the “Europond” music band since 2006. Married and mother of two, Christina is fond of painting, dancing, gardening and nature outings. In the past she has studied hairdressing and aesthetics, and has attended English and Information Technology classes.
	Ilias kesidis Ilias was born in Georgia (Sukhumi) where he spent his childhood. His grandparents originated from Pontus (Giresun). He has been living in Thessaloniki, Greece, since he was eight. He has been passionate about music ever since he was a child. As an adult, he has followed his passion and, at the same time, has been working for technical /construction companies. He is married and father of one child. Besides music, he is very fond of tennis, table tennis and football.
	Konstantinos Topouzis Konstantinos is also of Pontian ancestry (Santa, Trabzon), which bequeathed his great love for Pontian music. He received a Pontian lyre as a birthday gift in 1996 and they have been inseparable ever since. Inspired by musical sounds such as ska, punk rock, hiphop, jazz, ethnic music of the world, Constantine also plays bass guitar for bands in Thessaloniki. A graduate of the Technical & Vocational School of Thessaloniki, Constantine has been working as a technician. He is married and father of two children, and his favorite hobbies include skateboarding and Enduro sports.
	Alexandros Papadopoulos Alexandros is a researcher of percussion and of the people’s rhythms of the world, with reference to traditional Pontian music. Since 1992, he has been exploring, playing, teaching and recording a wide range of percussion instruments. He has composed music for numerous theatrical performances and films, and counts many international partnerships in Bulgaria, Serbia, Italy, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Turkey, Sweden, Germany, Cyprus, and Egypt. A Latin music aficionado, he is a key member of the “Locos de Atar” orchestra, as well as a skilled Argentina tango dance teacher. In 2006, he established the “Music Workshop & Tango Room” in Thessaloniki, a space where he can express all his artistic qualities at the fullest.
	Maria Elbrus (Venetikidou) Maria is a singer, a Lindy Hop dancer and artistic persona of Thessaloniki She was born in Russia and started her musical journey at a young age. She studied Classical Piano and Phonetics at the State Music School in Russia, earning distinctions at state piano competitions in 1996 and 1997. A resident of Thessaloniki since 1999, she has been singing for numerous music groups and experimented in various genres (funk, soul, bossa nova, pop, swing, trip hop electro and rock), building long lasting and quality bonds within the local music scene. Maria is also passionate about dance. She has been an active member of the Greek “Lindy Hop” group for several years and now teaches Lindy Hop classes all over the country. Holder of a University degree in Physics, Maria is currently attending a postgraduate course in "Physics and Material Engineering".

Wednesday, 04 May 2016 21:16
Written by Sotiris Chartzoulakis

Sanja: The Golden Voice!

    Sanja Vučič ZAA will represent Serbia in Stockholm, Sweden for the 61st edition of Eurovision Song Contest.
    ZAA is a young artist from Kruševac, Serbia, her talent in music was expressed from her childhood, she finishes her primary and secondary school in Kruševac, in the section of opera singing. She has a multicolour experience in music from ethno music to jazz and she also performed in church choir Sveti Knez Lazar (Saint Prince Lazar) with which she toured Hungary, Belarus and Poland.
    In April 2012 she joined a crossover band called ZAA, as a permanent member, since then she has performed in more than 100 concerts in her region, she was participating in festivals like Exit, Love Fest, Nishville, Arsenal Fest, Overjam Reggae Festival in Slovenia, Lake Fest in Nikšić and more.
    ZAA has already a debut album called “What Album”, she is worked with several authors and musicians as a studio singer for radio and TV jingles, advertisements and corporate videos.

I am Sotiris Chartzoulakis and I welcome to 12points.gr the One and Only Sanja Vučič ZAA!!!

What’s your impression to be part of the Eurovision world for the first time?
It has been an amazing experience, my reactions to this is quite positive, and I am really happy to be a part of this, it’s a dream of every artist. It’s not the beginning of my career, I have miles of music in the past but still it gives me the straight to give my all!

How much the life of an artist can change when represents a whole country?
It can be a pressure but still is an honour to present your country in this renowned festival, but it’s not a festival it’s a competition. You have to come here give your best, be the best you can be so it’s a pressure but still an honour!

A message for the Greek funs?
I’m Sanja, I am representing Serbia as you know in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. So I wish you all the best in your life, love each other, read books, listen to good music and thank you for all your support and I hope you like my song and you like my performance. Thanks!!!

I like to thank Sanja Vučič ZAA and Serbia from the bottom of my heart for this beautiful interview!

Wednesday, 04 May 2016 01:27
Written by Sotiris Chartzoulakis

Greta: Pure Artist!

Our journalist Sotiris Chartzoulakis met the representative of Iceland Greta Salóme after her rehearsal in Stockholm, Sweden.
Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir is a violinist/singer-songwriter. She represents her country Iceland with the song Hear Them Calling. She is already a member of the Eurovision Family, she reached the Grand Final in 2012. She has a bachelor degree in violin performance and a masters degree in music; she works and tours as a violinist and a singer songwriter.

We like to thank Greta from the bottom of our hearts for this interview and Sotiris for his excellent work!

How Eurovision changed your life when you know that you’ve been followed by a whole country?
Eurovision is huge and everyone follows it, so yes, you know that the whole country is supporting you!

What Eurovision offers you?
Eurovision is a great opportunity to get your message across, and yes it is a platform to get your music out there!

What do you think has changes in Greta as a singer, performer and as personality since 2012?
I think everything has changes! You know, four years is a long time in a musician’s life, I think I grown hopefully as a person and a singer, so with every performance you become more confidence. Four years is a long time and I am stronger performer today than four years ago and I hope I will be stronger performer in four years from now!

Which Eurovision entries are unforgettable for you?
For me its “A Monster Like Me” from last year and “Molitva” from Serbia.

What is the message for the Greek fans?
The message is not to listen to the negative voices because you can hear them everywhere! Be a positive voice for others, listen to the positive voices and enjoy Eurovision I would say!

Wednesday, 04 May 2016 04:33
Written by Sotiris Chartzoulakis

Ira Losco: The Siren!

Sotiris Chartzoulakis had the chance to welcome in 12points.gr one of the most impressive artists this year, the Maltese Ira Losco, The Siren of Mediterranean Sea!
    Losco represented Malta at the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 with the song “7th Wonder”. She finished as runner up, just 12 points behind eventual winner Marie N, which was Malta’s highest result ever in the competition until it was equaled in 2005.
    In December 2015, it was revealed that Losco had submitted two songs for the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016, the country’s national selection process. Her entries “Chameleon” and “That’s why I love you” were both shortlisted for the semifinal, with “Chameleon” qualifying to the final. On 23 January, Ira won the national selection with over 40% of the votes cast by the Maltese public.
    Following Losco's win at the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2016, the singer stated that she was open to the idea of performing a song other than "Chameleon" at the Eurovision Song Contest should it improve Malta's chances of winning. The national final rules set by PBS allowed for the winning song to be partially modified or completely changed. On 19 February 2016, PBS announced that that an international jury consisting of representatives from ten countries along with local experts from Malta will be presented with several songs, including a revamped version of "Chameleon", and will determine which song Ira Losco will ultimately perform at the Eurovision Song Contest. On 14 March 2016, it was announced that Ira would perform the song Walk on Water at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016. The song and video were released on 17 March 2016. The same dress designers of Lady Gaga, Prince and Kylie Minogue, Alex Zabotto-Bentley, have designed the dress of Losco for the coming Eurovision Song Contest.

Second Place….
Yes back in 2002!

Your return to Eurovision was something that you wanted or it happened?
I think it’s happened and at the same time I considered it after I saw Loreen win in 2012. I started to think of the festival has been more relevant to what is happening in the music industry and because I was an artist was evolving in the same way you know, in the pass fourteen years, I thought “OK it is a good opportunity to reconsider festival again.”

What do you think has changed since 2002 in Eurovision?
Oh so much, the genre of music, the quality of music all these years, like everything you know, years pass and it gets better and better and better! The staging of the show has become massive, the production. The social media also helps the artist to be more interactive with the fans, more popularity, it’s also a better vehicle to promote your music. It’s much easier!

Many countries this year playing with the visual effects, do you believe that they help an entry?
I think that it helps because when it been such a huge television show then a lot of emphasis has always been placed on the visuals. So I think it does help a country, however I also do believe that a very good song is always the best think you can have! So the song is very very important, the visuals I think help it to look better!

You don’t have for your song much visual effects…
There are yes but when you need to shore the mountain because we have lot of issues with them so fingers cross and everything would be OK!

I would like to thank you…
Thank you so much…

Good Luck to you and your country…. And I hope to see you in the final of course!
I hope so, fingers crossed, is very hard for us, we are a small country and I am so in depend on you to helping us to get to the final.

We like to thank Ira Losco for this Interview, we wish her the best, and we like to thank our journalist Sotiris for his clever work!

Wednesday, 27 April 2016 17:25
Written by Spiridon Kitsos

Laura Tesoro: Fresh Energy!

    Laura Tesoro is only 19 years old, she is one of the most multitalented artists of this year’s Eurovision. She sings, dances, acts and presents. Her parents are both music artists, she inherited from them her Belgian – Italian roots and her incredible vocal and music abilities.
    At the age of 8 she got her first role in television and three years after, at 11 years old, she was starting in the musical Annie.
    Laura loves up-tempo pop with a dash of funk and soul. She performs with her own live band and she has already released several of her own songs.
    Her representing song “What’s the pressure” is a creation of the famous Belgian singer-songwriter Selah Sue (Sanne Putseys) and produced by the Brit Peter Gordeno, who plays keyboards with Depeche Mode.
    You won’t be surprised if I told you that Laura adores Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars.

I must say that I feel very, very honoured for this interview, Laura Tesoro is one of my favourite this year and I warmly welcome her in our site!

You are very young talented and very fresh artist! Definitely one of the most impressive artists this year, you always wanted to be a singer?
Thank you very much for the compliment. I have been singing ever since I was little, but I decided to become a singer after my participation in The Voice.

You are Eurovision fan, you watched it from your childhood?
As a kid I always watched the junior Song contest, I even still have a CD.

Which are your favourite Eurovision songs and what is your favourite from Belgium?
My all time favourite Eurovision Song is Euphoria. It’s a great song, every one knows it and can sing along. My favourite one from Belgium was last year’s ‘Rhythm inside’ from Loic! I love the song!

What is the message of “What’s The Pressure”?
The message is, that you always have to stay true to yourself and that you have to do whatever you want to do with your life and not to try and live up to expectations of others.

Your song makes our feet move!!! What do you expect from the Eurovision Song Contest?
That’s exactly what I want, I want to see the audience dance on my song! I hope it’s gonna be one big party during the performance!

How do you feel with this representation? You are the face of Belgium in whole world this year, do you feel pressure?
I think it’s a honour to represent your country, but of course I want to make Belgium proud, so I’m gonna do the best I can! Maybe even more! ;)

What else should we know about Laura except her great talent in music and singing?
I talk and laugh a lot! I love performing and being on stage but beside that I just love life and I wanna enjoy every second of it. And I am addicted to sneakers haha mostly Nike’s

I hope you live your dream in Stockholm this May and make all your dreams reality. Before we close do you want to give a message to your Greek fans?
Thank you so much! I hope I can make all your feet move and by the way: I love Greek food! J

Thank you very much for this interview! You are the absolute positive energy! I wish you the BEST in the stage of Eurovision in Stockholm, Sweden in the second semi-final at the 12 th of May, and I hope all your dreams come true!

That was the marvellous Laura Tesoro! Thank you our readers and I hope you enjoy our conversation like I did!

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