It’s no secret that popular Greek pop icon Vangelis Kakouriotis has long held Eurovision in his sights. But this time he has shifted his focus towards Cyprus. The singer recently told Hello! Cyprus magazine that he would be honoured to represent the Mediterranean island at Eurovision.

When Hello! asked Vangelis if he’d consider representing Cyprus at Eurovision, the singer enthusiastically replied:

“There has been a lot of discussion with my colleagues about Eurovision. I feel ready and am ready for such a move! Cyprus has always supported me in every step, it will be my great joy and honour if I am given the opportunity to support it too!”

But this isn’t the first time Vangelis has shared his Eurovision dream. Last year, he told Greek media that he was interested and “if the opportunity arises I will take it”. In 2018, he was also rumoured to be in consideration to represent Greece in Tel Aviv.

Could Cyprus internally select Vangelis Kakouriotis?

It is possible that Vangelis could be considered by the Cypriot broadcaster CyBC. In June, the broadcaster confirmed that 2020 act Sandro would not be selected again for Eurovision 2021, leaving the position empty.

While CyBC has given little information about its selection plans for 2021, Greek-language Eurovision news site Eurovision Fun reported that the broadcaster will select either a popular artist in Greece and Cyprus or an artist with Cypriot heritage. And Vangelis ticks one of those boxes.

CyBC has, however, quashed a rumour that claimed that 2018 star Eleni Fouriera would be coming back to represent Cyprus in 2021. The broadcaster confirmed that as of mid-June, “no proposals were made yet”.

Greek broadcaster ERT has already confirmed that it has invited back 2020 singer Stefania to be its supergirl in Rotterdam. This rules out Vangelis representing his home country at Eurovision, at least for 2021.

Who is Vangelis Kakouriotis?

Vangelis got his start as a teen, in the Greek boyband Boys and Noise. After enjoying some success with the group in the mid-2010s, he has now gone solo.

The 24-year-old is a major triple threat as a singer, musician and songwriter. And much like other Eurovision alumni, he is currently signed to Panik Records, who also represents Ivi Adamou (Cyprus 2012), Demy (Greece 2017) and Eleni Foureira (Cyprus 2018).

Vangelis is fluent in both English and Greek, but mostly records in Greek. With his most recent single “I Epomeni Imera” (The next day) shows him moving away from his boyband roots and establishing himself as a contemporary pop performer.

In 2019, Vangelis gave fans a taste of Eurovision at the MAD VMA Awards. He joined the Swiss Eurovision 2019 star Luca Hänni for a performance of “She Got Me”, with Vangelis performing the Greek version of the song, “Pósa xérei”.

There’s history of future Greek and Cyprus Eurovision stars making duets at the MAD VMAs. In 2018, Tamta performed alongside Mikolas Josef, while Demy duetted with Poli Genova in 2016.

Broadcaster CyBC is not expected to confirm its act for Eurovision 2021 until much later in the season.

What do you think? Should Vangelis Kakouriotis represent Cyprus at Eurovision 2021? Could he give Cyprus its first Eurovision victory? Tell us your thoughts below!

Read more Cyprus Eurovision news here

27 Comments
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Iván el Conquistador
Iván el Conquistador
3 years ago

I’ll say the same I said in the article about CYBC denying Eleni’s comeback from few weeks ago: 2021 will be a crowded year with the returns of 2020 and we don’t know who and what will be sent by certain countries who haven’t said anything yet, perhaps Cyprus can have a great result if they send Vangelis in a future Contest.

MadProffessor
MadProffessor
3 years ago

I see your point but whatever they do it could end up being one year to early or one year too late.Maybe Eleni would have won in 2018 if Netta entered one year later or before. In 2022 we may get Dami for Australia for example. You never know how it will turn out.

Alex
Alex
3 years ago

Oh god, not him again, he reminds me of Luca Hanni. Cyprus rumors starting earlier this year. I think RIK will select a male singer as they had hot female singers for 2 years in a row but picking Sandro was a mistake. He’s completely unknown in Greece and Cyprus, has no discography and he didn’t even like the final version of the ESC song. Why would you import singers with no connection to the GR/CY market when you have so many of them based in Athens? To all of you complaining about RIK picking GR artists, please stop hating… Read more »

Azaad
Azaad
3 years ago

Not a fan of Cyprus poaching Greek artists in principle but in practice it does have its strengths, and with Stefania preselected for Greece it makes sense in 2021 for Vangelis to represent Cyprus.

Maurice
Maurice
3 years ago
Reply to  Azaad

Greece poaches Cypriot artists all the time – Anna Vissi, Eleftheria Eleftheriou, Sarbel, Loukas Yiorkas, Maria Elena Kyriakou….

Maurice
Maurice
3 years ago

Omg give Cyprus a break! It is much harder for smaller countries to be represented by a team made up entirely of natives (artists, songwriters, choreographers etc) due to the smaller population size – take Luxembourg and San Marino for example! In any case, the cross-pollination of cultures is one of the best things about the contest – Kontopoulos, a Greek often writes songs for Russia, Azerbaijan etc; Sasha Jean Baptiste choreographs entries from Armenia, Switzerland etc.

And also, there is no shame in wanting to win – that’s the whole point of a competition like ESC!

Geo
Geo
3 years ago

Lucas Hanni and Vangelis Kakouriotis is the Sean Cody feauture I’m looking for lol

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago

They’re hardly alone in that.

ESC SSS
ESC SSS
3 years ago

In my opinion, go for it. Maybe Vangelis could represent Cyprus next year. If not, then maybe Josephine Wendel should represent Cyprus next year. Overall, it’s either Vangelis or Josephine to represent Cyprus next year. But Vangelis however, he is kinda too good for Eurovision since he’s a Greek Pop Icon in both Greece and Cyprus.

Last edited 3 years ago by ESC SSS
Esc addict
Esc addict
3 years ago

Why not, he is very good looking and he seems love the Esc, I just hope he can really sing live, cause his performance with L.Hanni was playback, Somebody can say me why the performances on all MAD events are playback….
And after all it’s not a big problem to not sing well live, the good backing singers of Mr Hanni in the last contest are the proof of it.

Dawid
Dawid
3 years ago
Reply to  Esc addict

You made it sound like him being good looking was more important than singing capability.

Esc addict
Esc addict
3 years ago
Reply to  Dawid

The song is the most important thing, the singing capability not very much because “some performers or dancers who don’t sing well live but with good looking” can make a good performance all the same even reach the top 2 or 5 but thanks their good backing vocalists……. #DirtyDancing #Fuego

Dawid
Dawid
3 years ago

To be fair, no matter who will go, everyone will remember how boardcaster treated their artist from 2020

Maurice
Maurice
3 years ago
Reply to  Dawid

Doubt anyone will by next year…

Demi Lovato's Arm
Demi Lovato's Arm
3 years ago

This guy must be into edging because there are plenty of people who already expected him to represent either Greece or Cyprus these recent years.

Hyunwoo
Hyunwoo
3 years ago

What about Ivi Adamou?

Heyey
Heyey
3 years ago

Vangelis was actually shortlisted last year by CyBC. I don’t know the full details, but it’s kinda bizarre that they chose Sandro instead of him. Maybe he had scheduling issues, who knows? It just seems weird for Cyprus to choose a non-Greek artist over a Greek one.

SMR
SMR
3 years ago

I think it wouldn’t be a too bad idea to go with him, he surely could continue Cyprus’ qualification streak. I just hope they can bring a good song that he could work with. His other songs have been kinda bland, so If he gets chosen, I except Cyprus to give him a dance track. Choose wisely Cyprus, you should learn from last year’s “flop”!

Last edited 3 years ago by SMR
KESC
KESC
3 years ago

Probably another dance track by Alex P. or potentially by Dimitris Kontopoulous with a staging by Sacha-Jean Baptiste.

I may be the only one, but I’m not excited for Cyprus anymore.

Maurice
Maurice
3 years ago
Reply to  KESC

Well Cyprus wasn’t down to use any of those names in 2020 so…

And Kontopoulos has never written a song for Cyprus, so that would be a novel occurrence!

Africavision
Africavision
3 years ago

This really is a no brainer. With Stefania locked in for Greece next year, CyBC has a fantastic opportunity to snatch Vangelis as the Cypriot representative, because I am pretty sure that the Greek broadcaster, ERT, has their sights on him as a future Greek representative… I mean he’s immensely popular in Greece, and he clearly wants to do Eurovision. So CyBC, as the saying goes, “get it while it’s hot” (And lesbihonest, you don’t get much hotter than this. Amen hallelu. Lol).

Jonas
Jonas
3 years ago
Reply to  Africavision

I’m not sure about the Greek broadcaster. Do they want to win? They refused Eleni so many times, she went to Cyprus.

Notyourtoy
Notyourtoy
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

Actually, Greek Broadcaster is quite racist. They only pick Greek or Cypriots or Greeks living in other countries. And by the time Eleni has Albanian origins, they didn’t want to hire her. That’s also the reason why ERT also never selected Tamta internally (even though she had taken part in 2007 national final, if I remember well). On the other hand, Cyprus, since 2017,tries to find singers that will bring money, not caring about the final positions..

Penny Bleta
Penny Bleta
3 years ago
Reply to  Notyourtoy

That is why the clowns haven’t approached Melisses? The clowns. Or Marina?

Penny Bleta
Penny Bleta
3 years ago
Reply to  Jonas

We definitely wouldn’t with him. He is voiceless with awful meaningless crap songs

Penny Bleta
Penny Bleta
3 years ago
Reply to  Africavision

Tell him to stay away from us. And tell this useless Ert to finally choose Christo Mastora and Melisses. He along with Marina Satti are the only ones with actual voices.

Mr Vanilla Bean
Mr Vanilla Bean
3 years ago

Frankly, it shouldn’t be too hard to find an upgrade from 2020, especially song-wise that will make them keep their qualification streak which would have ended with this year’s act.

Last edited 3 years ago by Mr Vanilla Bean