Cyprus should have won

It has been a week since the Eurovision Song Contest, but the dust has not settled after the Greek jury awarded the Cyprus entry only 4 points, causing a bit of disarray in the Eurovision bubble.

Greece’s low points for Andrew Lambrou’s near-perfect performance of Break a Broken Heart, which also caught the attention of Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who took to social media to say that “Cyprus is definitely in my top three”, resulted in an outpouring of rage across the cyber universe, depriving our country of a place in the top ten.

Although Cyprus and Greece are often accused of favouring each other in the contest, there are several other collusive partnerships (for example, the Baltic trio and the Nordic countries) in the competition.

Despite claims that the contest is non-political, and that participating broadcasters and performers are prohibited from promoting or referring to anything of a political, commercial or similar nature during the contest, last year’s winners Kalush Orchestra, with their song Stefania, and its emotive and rallying lyrics that played on people’s emotions about the war in Ukraine, proved that this is not the case.

And if we are supposedly ‘united by music’, the competition’s slogan this year, much like the 9th century BC tradition of the truce that allowed athletes, artists, and their families, as well as ordinary pilgrims to travel safely to participate in or attend the Olympic Games, then why was Russia barred from competing?

For many years, Cyprus competed in the Eurovision Song Contest against Turkey, while the organisers of the competition turned a blind eye to the island’s division and Turkey’s violation of all rules of international law.

Politics aside, the Eurovision Song Contest has seen some of the most powerful and controversial performances in recent years, and the use of visual effects and props is clearly taking over the contest. While the visual aesthetic overlay on a live performance surely elevates the experience, it is equally, if not more vital, to examine the artist’s vocal abilities when voting.

According to the contest’s website and an array of vocal specialists on the internet, Lambrou had “the most effortless vocal range” in the competition, with a “pure, strong voice.”

Understandably, not everyone can win but couldn’t the Greek judges, with their purported knowledge of the music industry, have recognised Lambrou’s vocal talent and given him the credit he deserves? At the very least, the Greek people, like other professionals in the industry, thought Lambrou’s performance was outstanding, worthy of the 12 points he received from the Greek public vote on the night.

Finland was the clear winner of the 2023 extravaganza, according to public opinion, something which should be practised in both Cyprus and Greece by enabling the public to vote in a national selection as to who will represent their respective countries in the contest.

Loreen’s victory at the Eurovision Song Contest sparked outrage that Finland had been robbed of the prize. “Without the jury groups, Finland would have won. How is the system fair?” one person wrote on the Eurovision Song Contest Instagram account.

Similarly, in the days leading up to Eurovision 2018, fans became more convinced that Cyprus would win. However, Israel’s Netta won the competition for her peculiar dance song ‘Toy,’ replete with its signature chicken dance, with Cyprus finishing in second place. Together with the millions who voted for Eleni Foureira and her smash hit ‘Fuego,’ I still insist that Foureira should have won the Eurovision trophy for Cyprus.

In a twist of fate, Israel’s trophy would have been passed over to Cyprus after a major US record company threatened to sue the composers of Israel’s song over alleged copyright infringement. Doron Medalie and Stav Beger, who co-wrote the winning song, were accused of plagiarising the music from The White Stripes’ 2003 hit, ‘Seven Nation Army’.

If the claim had been proven in court, ‘Toy’s eligibility to compete in Eurovision would have been revoked, as would Israel’s win and hosting rights for the 2019 competition. However, following a confidential settlement, US rock legend Jack White obtained a writing credit and royalties, and the show, as they say, goes on.

If the Eurovision Song Contest organisers had acted on this information, Cyprus would have won. However, like with most things when it comes to Cyprus, the organisers turn a blind eye and are now shifting their attention to next year’s competition in Sweden. Hopefully, this will also give the Greek jury time to reassess their voting system.