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A Cypriot musician who has reached the finals of the biggest songwriting competitions in the world has called on the island’s music industry to show more interest in the urban scene.

Lyrical Eye, whose real name is Stefan Eliades, started performing at venues around Cyprus at the age of 16. With live performances on national television and radio play on major stations in the UK and Cyprus, he has tirelessly continued his work. The 24-year-old has given performances at the biggest venues around Cyprus, from urban hip-hop clubs to Universities to New Year’s Eve national celebrations in the heart of the capital in front of thousands.

He entered the 2006-2007 Great American Song Contest with a song called ‘Bounce’, featuring Kyri, which he wrote and described as, “a club and R&B track”. ‘Bounce’ came first out of a total of 7,000 entries in the hip-hop/R&B category for this contest.

“In the song, I introduced myself and what I’m all about to a wider audience,” Lyrical Eye explained. “I was surprised but very proud and excited to have won.”

His success continued soon afterwards at the International Songwriting Competition, which is considered the biggest competition of its kind in the world, featuring judges including the presidents of most major labels such as Sony, EMI, Violator, Universal and guest judges such as Run DMC, Sean Paul and Macy Gray.

This time, ‘Bounce’ made it to the final 15 out of an original entry of 15,000 songs, with the judges saying they liked the song’s attitude and the way that it was easy to dance to. In the latest edition of the competition this year, Lyrical Eye was at it again with a new song called ‘Want It’, which has also made it to the final 15.

After many years of hard work trying to get his name out, the artist got his first big opportunity to represent at the biggest hip-hop festival in Europe during the summer of 2006 called the Hip Hop Kemp, attended by over 20,000 people. He also performed a 45-minute showcase of his work last year at the world-renowned Popkomm Festival in Berlin.

“You can see the difference when you perform abroad,” he joked. “You can feel much more of a vibe from the crowd, which is very passionate and knowledgeable” he said. “Unfortunately, the media here on the island aren’t really aware of these events so I haven’t received the recognition that I wanted,” he said. “It’s a big achievement for a songwriter from Cyprus to have done so well, but for whatever reason, there haven’t been any headlines about it.”

Over the past three years, Lyrical Eye has been working on his first solo album, which should be released this summer, along with a video of his new single called ‘Star Struck’. He also took the opportunity to thank Cypriot rapper John Wu for his support. “We are planning to release a Greek single and video, featuring Mario Mental from Larnaca called ‘Oloi Ta Xeria Psila,’ in the next couple of months.”

So where did his great love of music come from? “As a child growing up, I would constantly try to perform in front of family and friends and for me, music is a great way to express myself,” he said. “The positive feedback that I would get gave me the inspiration to take it to the next level.”

According to Lyrical Eye, a lot of practice is required in order to write good lyrics. “You need to play around a lot with words. For example, I have 200 potential songs just lying around as I’m not satisfied with the lyrics and, or, the beat. My advice is never rush to release anything if it’s not ready and it’s also very important to get feedback from knowledgeable people in order to improve.”

When asked what it is about urban music that attracts him, Lyrical Eye said he “likes lyrics that make you think and which describe a story that somebody has lived which is a reality. Nevertheless, I don’t only like urban music but will also listen to jazz, soul and anything that stands out, regardless of the genre.”

Eliades was also asked about the origins of his stage name. “When I was young, I used to read a lot of conspiracy and spirituality books and one of the topics which stuck in my mind was about a so-called third eye, which acts like a person’s sixth sense. From that concept, Lyrical Eye was born.”

In the future, he said he hopes that Cypriot promoters, clubs and radio stations, “will show more interest in the whole urban music scene and take us more seriously. I’m currently talking with a lot of international record labels and A&R departments which will hopefully give me a chance to promote my work on more of a global scale.”

Related Links > www.myspace.com/lyrikaleye

Please read the just updated post regarding the Pink Floyd’s forthcoming live concert in Nicosia, Cyprus >

 http://grhomeboy.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/pink-floyd-live-in-nicosia-cyprus/

Nana Mouskouri is currently in Barcelona, where she will appear live on 14 March, during her farewell tour.

  Music fans will be able to enjoy Nana Mouskouri’s last concert in Athens, Greece. Eternally popular vocalist Nana Mouskouri will round off her career on July 23 at the Herod Atticus Theater, in Athens, Greece.

For detailed info please visit > http://www.greekfestival.gr

Nana’s Official Website > http://www.nanamouskouri.net/

In Tuesday night’s national final Kalomoira Saranti voted on top among three artists performing to represent Greece in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Belgrade next May.

Greece’s entry song titled “My Secret Combination” is written by Poseidonas Giannopoulos and Kostas Pantzis, performed by Kalomoira. The song was chosen by a jury (40 per cent) and televoting (60 per cent).

New York born Kalomoira, 22, was also the winner of the popular talent TV show “Fame Story” in 2004. Her debut album also went gold. Kalomoira is a familiar face to the Greek audience having appeared in “Lampsi”, one of Greece’s longest running TV local soap operas, before moving on to co-host morning shows. Other music releases include “Paizeis” in 2005 in which she sang popular all time Greek cinema classics.

Kalomoira > My Secret Combination > Greece’s Eurovision Song Contest 2008 entry

Can you see it?
Can you see it?
You have to discover me
What goes wrong when I am crying
Or what I want when I ‘m smiling

Can you feel it?
Can you feel it?
That I ‘m not a little girl
You ‘re misunderstanding my way
And all the roles that I like to play

My secret combination
It ’s a mystery for you
Use your imagination
I ‘m not easy but I ‘m true

My secret combination
Boy you have to try it hard
To win a destination
In the center of my heart

An open book
An open book
Well I ‘m sorry I am not
Sometimes I ‘m acting like a lady
Sometimes woman, sometimes baby

  Kalomoira’s upbeat song ‘My Secret Combination’ came first in the competition for the Greek song to represent Greece.

The title of the invitation that attracted a huge crowd of people who believe in the Eurovision Song Contest and are involved in the institution to the Athinon Arena club on Pireos Avenue, was «A song to vote for.» The 53rd in the series, this year’s contest will take place in Belgrade in May.

State radio and TV company ERT organized a huge music party to choose the song that is to represent Greece. The three frontrunners were presented by singers Chryspa, Kalomoira and Costas Martakis. All three songs are dance numbers on the subject of love. Chryspa sang «A Chance to Love» accompanied by male dancers; Kalomoira sang «My Secret Combination» while male dancers took off their T-shirts and waved them around, and Martakis, all in white, sang «Always and Forever» with female dancers doing a number that ended with the singer on a throne like a Greek god.

The public vote, by text message and phone calls, accounted for 60 percent of the result, with the remaining 40 percent decided by the jury, comprising ERT executives headed by composer Mimis Plessas. All three songs appealed, but the young fans of coquettish Kalomoira secured her the first place and a ticket to Belgrade. It was a stunning spectacle, the presenters Betty and Matilda Maggira were excellent, and the organization was impeccable. The host, ERT President Christos Panagopoulos, was present. To be continued in Belgrade.

The University of Thessaly, in Volos, Greece, is organizing a pan European conference on the Eurovision Song Contest this coming weekend.

The conference is expected to attract a large number of fans from all over the country and the University is going to provide international fans with the opportunity to watch the conference online.

The conference, Singing Europe: Spectacle and Politics in the Eurovision Song Contest, is organized by the Department of History, Archaeology and Social Anthropology of the University of Thessaly in Volos, Greece, in association with the The Society of Ethnomusicology, Special Interest Group for European Music, under the auspices of the Benaki Museum of Athens, Greece. It will take place in Volos, Greece, from 29 February to 2 March 2008.

A multitude of speakers from all over Europe and the USA will discuss the various aspects of the Eurovision Song Contest. The conference will be streamed live through the University’s website so that fans from around the country and the world have the opportunity to follow the presentations.

More details on the conference as well as the full schedule can be found at > http://extras.ha.uth.gr/eurovision/en/index.asp

The conference will be streamed live at >  http://extras.ha.uth.gr/eurovision/en/live.asp

It could have all been so different. Back in 1966, a young Nana Mouskouri, then relatively little known outside mainland Europe, embarked on a tour of the US with Harry Belafonte.

  It was a big moment in her embryonic career. The calypso legend loved Nana’s voice but when it came to her choice of eyewear he was unequivocal, insisting she ditch the black horn-rimmed specs on stage. According to the fairytale legend that is her life story, Nana acceded to his demands but grew deeply unhappy. After two days of sadness it was her turn to deliver the ultimatum to Belafonte, love me, love my glasses. The glasses stayed.

Forty years on, 450 albums, 230 gold and platinum discs and more than 300 million records sold later, Nana Mouskouri took to the stage of St David’s Hall in Cardiff last week still sporting those famous spectacles to begin the first British night of her epic farewell tour.

She will perform before sell-out crowds in Gateshead, London, Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham before decamping to Saarbrucken in Germany where the world first took notice of the commercial potential of the young Greek singer with the nightingale voice. It was there that her German language version of “White Rose from Athens” sold more than a million copies.

The Nana musical juggernaut has already rolled across the US, North America and Ireland this year before going to Britain. After touring mainland Europe, she will then head to Australia, Asia and South America in 2008 where her loyal army of fans are waiting to bid their ageless heroine with the jet black hair and trademark centre parting, a tearful adieu.

It is not bad going for a woman who turned 73 two weeks ago. Though still clearly in rude good health and at the top of her game Mouskouri insists that, after singing for 50 years, it is time to make way for younger performers.

There can be little doubt that few singers coming through today in this increasingly fickle world can expect to emulate the kind of musical longevity she has enjoyed. Nor in this fast-moving digital age, where pop stars must reinvent themselves every few months to stay in touch, can they hope to do so by sticking so closely to the geeky image and basic musical formula that have proved so incredibly popular for Mouskouri over the decades.

Nana was born into a close-knit family in Chania, Crete, moving to Athens at the age of three. The city was occupied by the Nazis for much of her childhood yet her father, a film projectionist, and her mother who taught her the native folk songs, worked hard to get her and her sister into the Hellenic Conservatoire.

She recalls how, by night, her dad used to slip away to fight with the Greek resistance against the German invaders. Times were tough as well as dangerous and despite the money running out she continued to have lessons though her teacher’s desire for her to be the next Maria Callas could not survive her nights at the city’s Zaki club where she learned how to sing like her new heroines Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.

Her route to fame was the Greek National song contest and Mouskouri was later to be something of the patron saint of the later Eurovision movement, first representing Luxembourg because her native land did not have television. She eventually made an emotional performance when the contest was finally held in Greece for the first time in 2006.

Marriage came along in 1961 and her fame spread to France and Germany before her first trip to New York with legendary impresario Quincy Jones. British audiences had to wait until 1968 when she made her first television appearances on Nana and Guests. At that time, however, the record shops were woefully unprepared and had to desperately seek out some of her records to satisfy the demands of her fans.

Yet the Nana story had another twist yet. In 1993 she was appointed as a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador, undertaking a mission to visit children in Bosnia. The following year she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament, representing the right wing Greek New Democracy party. She claims not to have liked politics, “it dries your heart” she once said, though despite being heckled by her fellow Eurocrats for her apparent guilelessnes, she proved an effective communicator, even joining forces with her old Eurovision sparring partner Dana when she ran for the Irish Presidency. In 1998, Mouskouri came back to the UK, that time seeking the return of the Parthenon Marbles and campaigned across the world for women’s rights.

She served only one term as an MEP, returning to her Unicef work and making music. Having divorced her husband in the mid-70s, she lives with her partner Andre Chapelle and plans to dedicate the rest of her life to her family and her humanitarian work. While still wearing those glasses, of course.