Welcome to the 63rd edition of the Forum Song Contest (FSC) from Thessaloniki, Greece.
Welcome to Hellas that embodied ‘Freedom or Death’ (‘Ελευθερία ή θάνατος’, the historic Motto of Greece).
We are here as a result of Greece’s great victory in FSC April 2014
with Eleni Foureira’s song ‘Anemos Agapis’ [ see video beneath picture ^ ]
Congratulations once again!
The Host city for this FSC-edition is: Thessaloniki , also called Salonica, the 2nd
largest city in Greece and the capital of the geographic region of Greek Macedonia The
city's name came from the name of a princess, Thessalonike of Macedon the half sister
of Alexander The Great, so named because of her birth , on the day of the Macedonian
victory at the Battle of Crocus Field (a battle in 'the Third Sacred War' , 353/352 BCE).
The city of Thessaloniki today has a population of ca. 325.000 , while the Thessaloniki
Urban/Metropolitan Area has a population of around 1 million, making it the 5th largest
and most populated city-region in the Balkans . Thessaloniki, is Greece's second major
economic , industrial , commercial and political centre, and a major transportation hub
(or a kind of 'transport interchange crossroads') for the rest of South-Eastern Europe.
The city’s commercial port (the Port of Thessaloniki) , one of the country’s largest , is
also of great importance for Greece. It has a Cargo terminal , a Container terminal, an
Oil and gas terminal , and also a Passenger terminal, which is one of the largest in the
Aegean Sea basin. It handles around 170.000 passengers a year, & is being upgraded
as Thessaloniki is adapting as a tourist port, for cruising in the eastern Mediterranean
Founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon (a Greek Hellenistic King of Ancient Mace
don) , Thessaloniki's history spans 2,300 years . In ancient times , it was "co-reigning"
city of the Eastern Roman ( Byzantine ) Empire , alongside Constantinople, thereby its
honorific title Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa , meaning ‘co-capital’) . Thessaloniki is
home to numerous notable ancient Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian.
The city center, divided into districts, is characterized by its many historical buildings,
arcades, laneways and distinct architectural styles such as Art Nouveau and Art Deco
which can be seen on many of its buildings. The city's main university, Aristotle Univer
sity, is the largest in Greece & the Balkans . Thessaloniki is also a very popular tourist
destination in Greece and is very highly regarded / valued in the world tourist industry.
Ελευθερία ή θάνατος
The Greek War of Independence: ‘Freedom or Death’
Ελευθερία ή θάνατος, Eleftheria i thanatos, means "Freedom or Death" , is the historic
Motto of Greece. It arose during the Greek War of Independence in the 1820s, where
it was a war cry for the Greeks who rebelled against Ottoman rule. It was adopted after
the Greek War of Independence. It is still in use today and is a popular theory regarding
the use of 9 stripes ( for the nine syllables of the motto ), in the Greek flag . The motto
symbolized/symbolizes the resolve of the people of Greece against tyranny & oppression
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution (Greek: Ελληνική
Επανάσταση, Elliniki Epanastasi; Ottoman: يونان عصياني Yunan İsyanı "Greek Uprising") was
a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between 1821 &
1832, with later assistance from Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and several other
European powers against the Ottoman Empire, who were assisted by their vassals, the
Eyalet of Egypt , and partly by the Beylik of Tunis . After years of struggle and then a
period of negotiations , Greece was finally recognized as an independent nation in May
1832.The Independence is celebrated in modern Greece as a National Day on 25 March
Some city attractions: Aristotelous Square (Thessaloniki's central square) , the White
Tower (perhaps the city’s most famous landmark , originally ‘bathed in blood, then pur
ified white’), the Church of Agios Dimitrios (5th Century structure honouring the city
patron saint), the Kastra (Ano Poli, the Castle and the Byzantine Walls with spectacu
lar views of the city), and the Thessaloniki Acropolis (the ancient citadel of the city).
Other city sights: the Noesis Science Center & Technology Museum (situated some km
east of the city, including a planetarium & e
bitions), the Museum of Byzantine Culture, Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, the War Museum of Thessaloniki , the Greek
Agora and Roman Forum, the Church of Agioi Apostoloi, and the impressive OTE Tower
(a 76 meter tall tower that's located in the Thessaloniki International E
bition Center)
Cuturally the city is by many viewed as romantic in Greece, and as such Thessaloniki is
commonly featured in Greek songs. There are a number of famous songs that go by the
name 'Thessaloniki' (rebetiko, laïko etc) or include the name in the title. The city is the
birthplace of significant Greek musiccomposers as Manolis Chiotis Stavros Kouyioumtzis
and Dionysis Savvopoulos. It's also notable for its rock music scene and its rock groups
It is a city of sports and the Kaftanzoglio Stadium, a multi-sport stadium, is well known
Thessaloniki has a rich sporting history with its teams winning the first ever panhellenic
football, basketball, and water polo tournaments. It also played a major role, in the dev
elopment of basketball in Greece . The city, is also finish point of the annual 'Alexander
The Great Marathon' which starts at Pella, in recognition of its old Macedonian heritage
Thessaloniki, often considered as the cultural capital of Greece, is home to a number of
festivals and events, for example the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair , the Thessa
loniki International Film Festival Dimitria Festival, the former Thessaloniki Song Festival
(formerly Greece’s most important music festival, from 1962-1997 and 2005-2008), the
'-DMC DJ Championship-', and in 2013 the city hosted its 1st Thessaloniki Pride parade.
Thessaloniki , with its large population of young people, (the city is the 2014 European
Youth Capital), is a modern, multicultural, vibrant city, renowned for its major shopping
streets and lively laneways with restaurants, cafes/bars, active nightlife, theatres and
museums , but still it never forgets its historical heritage. Symbolic of this , located on
its waterfront is a majestic statue and monument of Alexander The Great on his mount
The Host venue for FSC May 2014 , is : the Thessaloniki Concert Hall,
in Greek Μέγαρο Μουσικής Θεσσαλονίκης , a centre for the performing arts in Thessalon
iki. It opened in the year 2000 , on land donated by the Greek state . The complex has
two main buildings: M1, with an auditorium that seats 1400 ; and M2, in more contempo
rary style by Japanese architect , Arata Isozaki , with a number of smaller performance
spaces. The purpose of the Thessaloniki Concert Hall construction was to provide a con
temporary cultural and conference center of international standards, with the capacity
to host various events, including concerts (Thessaloniki , is the seat, of two symphony
orchestras, the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra
of the Municipality of Thessaloniki.) ballet, theatre & opera, cultural and art expositions
Our lovely Hosts this evening are:
Anna Vissi and Sakis Rouvas
Anna Vissi (born in Cyprus) , is a famous recording artist and actress. She studied music
at conservatories & performed much locally , before moving to the professional scene, in
Athens, Greece in 1973. She established herself in the recording industry by winning the
Thessaloniki Song Festival in 1977. She has had a long and successful music career that
has spanned almost four decades - and has won numerous awards, for her work . She is
considered one of Greece’s top female artists of the last 40 years . She took part in ESC
2006 for Greece (9th) . For the winter season 2010–11, Anna Vissi teamed up with Sakis
Rouvas for a concert series, at Athinon Arean concert hall in Athens, called ‘Face2Face’.
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II (born in Corfu) is a Greek pop-singer , film, theatre, and tele
vision artist , model , businessman and former pole vaulter. He began a musical career in
1991, as one of Greece's first pop performers, popularizing Western music . His vocals, co
mplex choreography , costumes, & technological advancements have been credited with
transforming music videos , and live performances . In the early 1990s , Rouvas won the
Thessaloniki Song Festival . He has won many music awards - and is considered , one of
Greece’s most influential celebrities. He took part for Greece in ESC 2004 (3rd) and 2009
(7th). In winter 2010–11, Sakis teamed up with Anna Vissi for the ‘Face2Face’ concerts.
We are pleased to announce
The Opening Act
an exclusive International Guest Appearance
by the well known Danish 2013 ESC-winner
Emmelie de Forest
performing one of
her greatest songs
’Let It Fall’
Once again, welcome to the 63rd edition of the Forum Song Contest.
Let the Show begin!
THE-
We are pleased to announce
The Interval Act
a Special National Artist Performance
by the very accomplished Greek artist
Natassa Mpofiliou
performing one of her best songs
taken from her 2012 CD-album
’Synexeia Sta Oria’
We are pleased to announce
The Closing Act
an exclusive International Guest Appearance
by the famous French pop-artist & performer
Frédéric Lerner
performing one of
his greatest songs:
’Plus là’
Thank You - and Good Night - Kaliníhta! - from Thessaloniki, Greece!
7 day Evaluation Period
The Evaluation Period is 7 days from the start of the contest. If you find any songs that you
believe may breach the FSC Rules, please contact the FSC Mods via PM (off the boards).
Voting deadline
28th May, 23:59 EST
Votes for this edition are
either posted in your FSC Private Forum
or sent by PM to: MrGerbear
Keep in mind that only votes submitted in the Private Forum, or sent to the vote collector,
after the Evaluation Period is finished - and within the voting deadline - will be counted.
Enjoy! - and Good Luck To All Entries!
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