Representatives for Kalomira, who placed third in Eurovision 2008, have denied that the singer is planning a Eurovision comeback in Tel Aviv in 2019.
As we reported last year, Kalomira was in early discussions with the Greek broadcaster ERT to mark 10 years since her Eurovision participation in Belgrade and return to the stage in Lisbon. Her entry, Secret Combination topped the charts in Greece and Cyprus. Since 2008, she has contined her music career in Greece and the USA and has also started a family.
Last year, she decided not to return to Eurovision due to family commitments and ERT selected Gianna Terzi and Oniro Mou to represent Greece. Gianna didn’t qualify for the final of the contest.
Responding to an OGAE Greece report that Kalomira was now planning a return for 2019, her management gave a statement to ESCXtra:
No such thing is true. Kalomira was interested in 2018 because it would have been ten years since she last went to Eurovision but couldn’t because of family commitments.
The latest information form ERT is that all options are being considered for Eurovision 2019. In 2018, ERT held a controversial internal selection. after originally planned to host a national final on 22 February for the Eurovision Song Contest 2018. However, it is understood that the record companies for two artists due to compete in the selection failed to provide ERT with the requested letter of guarantee to cover Eurovision costs, leaving Gianna Terzi as the sole remaining eligible candidate to represent Greece in Eurovision.
It has been rumoured that Helena Paparizou, who won the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 for Greece plans to return to the contest. Last year, she turned down the opportunity to perform Fuego, the runner-up in the 2018 contest, performed by Eleni Foureira for Cyprus.
It has also been rumoured that both ERT and CyBC, the Cypriot broadcaster have approached the singer Tamta to perform for their countries in Eurovision 2019. Tamta participated in the Greek national selection in 2007.
Source: ESCXtra
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest
Greece debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, when they were represented by Marinella and the song “Krasi, thalassa kai t’agori mou” which finished in 11th place with 7 points. Three years later Greece earned their first top 5 finish with Paschalis, Marianna, Robert and Bessy who finished in 5th place with “Mathima solfege”. In 2001 Greece achieved their first top 3 result with Antique and the song “I Would Die For You”. The song became a European hit, and charted across the continent. In 2005 Helena Paparizou returned to the Eurovision stage as a solo artist and brought Greece their first, and to date only, victory. Her song “My Number One” won with 230 points, beating runners-up Malta by 38 points.
