Last month, it was confirmed that Sandro would not be representing Cyprus at Eurovision 2021. This made CyBC one of very few broadcasters to confirm a fresh internal selection for next year’s contest. Earlier this week, Greek singer Vangelis Kakouriotis threw his hat into the ring. Now, Ian Statis, who was previously shortlisted by CyBC, has expressed his interest.
As we know, Sandro will not be returning as the Cypriot act for Eurovision 2021. Considering the success of both Eleni Foureira and Tamta both during and after the contest, this opens up a hot ticket for any aspiring Greek or Cypriot singer to snatch up.
Following Vangelis Kakouriotis stating that he was interested in participating, another Greek singer has expressed interest in a recent interview. Ian Stratis, who finished 2nd in The X Factor Greece 2016, said the following in an interview with Fotini Psychidou on the show Sti Folia ton Koukou:
Eurovision is a very good opportunity and I would like to represent Greece or Cyprus.
Ian Stratis speaking to TV interviewer Fotini Psychidou
According to Eurovision Fun, Ivi “politely declined” the offer due to personal and family reasons. Indeed, Adamou gave birth last year and so does not have the time to commit to the Eurovision circuit.
Further, Stratis was allegedly not chosen due to the shortlisted songs suiting Sandro better. Could 2021 be his year?
Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest
Cyprus made their Eurovision Song Contest debut 37 years ago, back in 1981. The island nation has participated in every contest since, with the exception of 1988, 2001 and 2014. Prior to 2018, Cyprus’ best results had come in the form of three fifth place finishes. These came courtesy of Anna Vissi’s “Mono i agapi” in 1982, Hara & Andreas Constantinou’s “Mana mou” in 1997 and Lisa Andreas’ “Stronger Every Minute” in 2004.
While Cyprus secured seven top 11 finishes in the 1990s, the nation’s form dipped as the contest entered its semi-final era. Cyprus failed to qualify in six out of eight occasions between 2006 and 2013, withdrawing in 2014 for financial reasons.
In 2018, following a string of three qualifications, Eleni Foureira brought them to second place for the first time with the iconic “Fuego”. The following year, Tamta brought them their fifth consecutive qualification with “Replay”.
In 2020, CyBC selected ‘Sandro’ to represent Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Running”. Sandro was set to perform 13th in the first semi-final of the 2020 contest, which was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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