Meet the ESCXTRA team! Part 12 – DIMITRIS

This summer, we are running a series of feature articles that is slightly different to the norm. We think this is the perfect time for you (and us!) to find out more about the ESCXTRA team! What is our personal Eurovision story? Why did we want to be a part of this website? What are our favourite Eurovision songs of all-time? How can you get in touch with us on social media? Read on to find out! 

Dimitris Ioannou

I am 19 years old, born and currently living in a town close to Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus. Currently serving in the Cypriot National Guard, I joined ESCXTRA in October 2014.
You can find me on the following social media networks:
Twitter: @iDimitriss
Instagram: @iDimitriss

Your first Eurovision memory?

My family was never really a big fan of Eurovision, so watching the contest as family was never a thing for me. However, the earliest memory I have from Eurovision is Helena Paparizou’s performance of My Number One from 2005. I was 7 years old and I was absolutely in love with her at that time (and I still am to be fair). I can’t really remember much from that year though, only that I was beyond happy that Greece had won the contest. And of course, the song was heavily played the following months so clearly everyone knew about it.

Your Eurovision journey?

After 2005, I can barely remember anything from the following years; that is until 2009, from where I have the clearest memories of the contest. During that year I even got my first Eurovision CD and I remember listening to it all day long. I used to love Armenia so much that I played it over and over again. I wanted Yohanna and Is It True from Iceland to win and when I saw Norway getting all the points and eventually winning I was disappointed. Later on the song started to annoy me because it was literally played everywhere.

In 2011 and mostly in 2012, my obsession and love for the contest started growing more and more. In 2011, I watched all the shows for the first time; I remember watching a few national selections as well back then, including the Greek national selection, due to the fact that Nikki Ponte was participating. My favourite of the year back then was Estonia, and as Getter finished at a disappointing 24th place, I was really upset. After 2011, I joined a Eurovision forum where contests based on Eurovision take place.
When it was announced that Ivi Adamou was going to take part in 2012 for Cyprus, I was beyond excited, as I was a big fan of her. In 2012, I started watching more and more national selections and I can remember having a big interest in Sweden’s national selection Melodifestivalen; my favourite was Molly Sandén’s Why Am I Crying. From that year and on I tried to watch as many national selections as possible, be more involved in news and discussions regarding the contest.

Why is Eurovision special to you?

As a music lover and in constant need of listening to music, Eurovision is something that “offers” me that love. Even if Eurovision is mainly dominated by pop, through the contest I got to explore more genres of music other than the mainstream music we usually listen on the radio. Eurovision also helped me explore the cultures of other countries and made me more interested in getting to know more about Europe and beyond! There’s no other event like Eurovision, which makes it one of a kind while its history through the years is magnificent.!

What attracted you to ESCXTRA?

I remember I was searching for a site to join as an editor, although I didn’t really have in mind joining a Eurovision site. Then one day, one friend showed me a post of ESCXTRA saying that they were looking for new editors and I thought to try out my luck, because what is better than reporting for a site about your favourite show! Before applying I had a look into the site and I realized I’d seen most of the articles from the site before. I sent my CV and then I got accepted for an interview with Rodrigo. I remember being nervous about it. In no time I was accepted officially and before I knew it, I was writing my first article.

I’m really grateful for being accepted into the site. Being able to do what I love for the show that I love is great! Although my contribution hasn’t been at its maximum potential the last year due to serving in the army at the moment, I’m glad to be part of this team. Thank you ESCXTRA!

And finally, your top 5 Eurovision songs of all-time?

Even though it is hard to pick only five songs out of so many, these are my top 5:

5. Polina Gagarina – A Million Voices (Russia 2015)

4. Hanna Pakarinen – Leave Me Alone (Finland 2007)

3. Yohanna – Is It True? (Iceland 2009)

2. Maja Keuc – No One (Slovenia 2011)

1. Ivi Adamou – La La Love (Cyprus 2012)

I might be biased towards this entry due to being a fan of Ivi Adamou for a long time. However, “La La Love” is my absolutely favourite entry from the contest. Ivi is such an incredible artist and the song has a very catchy tune. It is by far the best entry we’ve sent in the contest! And although I was annoyed by the backing vocals in Baku, the live was great and I loved the staging and the choreography.

Stay tuned for the next part in our Meet the ESCXTRA team series. On Wednesday we will meet Simon! Remember you can share your Eurovision stories with us in the comments section below or via the comments sections on our Facebook page @ESCXTRA. We would love to hear them!