GREECE 2010 - Opa

Another gang of friends - not an omen of quality, considering the Russian entry ... ;-)

The Greeks like to throw some, ahem, cultural elements into their entries ... supposedly showing off their culture a bit. I am all for that, in principle ... I like to see the different cultures taking part in the contest, and participants sharing things from their culture, I just don't like it when it's done gratuitously. I don't want to point fingers, but, well, the Greeks are high on my list of sinners there. I don't know if you all remember their entry in 2005, My Number One ... or if perhaps you have blocked it from your memories. If the latter, I can't say I blame you. That song is a prime example of what I mean. And I really hate the fact that they won with it. >:-( Hungary should have won that year, or Malta ... or Romania, or even us. Damn short-skirted folk dancing so-and-sos. And what makes it even worse is that the next year they had a song that was SO much better, and only came 9th with that one. But what are you gonna do, it is what it is.

Anyway. This year they've piled all those cultural elements on there like there's no tomorrow. Dancing, drums, lyre, sheesh. I'm not saying that's a bad thing in itself, but it has to fit with the song ... and IMO it doesn't this time. The song in itself doesn't have a lot of personality, and I don't think all the Greek stuff manages to give it one. The song as such doesn't have any Greek flavor to it, IMO. It's a pretty standard pop song, kind of boring, sad to say. The singer also isn't very good, I am rather underwhelmed by his voice. The song would have benefited from a better singer. I don't hold out much hope for Greece this year ... and they don't deserve to do well, either, with this very lackluster effort. Kudos for singing in Greek, but the song just doesn't really have anything worth remembering.

This is George Alkaios & Friends performing Opa, composed by Alkaios himself and with lyrics by a whole gang of people - his friends?? ;-) - they're all listed here. They'll be competing on Tuesday, May 25th. Probably not on Saturday. >:-)



Lyrics here.