Polina Misailidou
Encyclopedia
Polina Paraskevi Misailidou is a Greek
singer, who is better known in her own country simply as Polina.
Polina was born and raised in Nea Smyrni
, a suburb south of Athens
. She started her career in 1977 singing the song "Lives" at the Thessaloniki Song Festival
. In 1979, Polina appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest
as a backup singer to Elpida as she performed the entry "Sokrati
".
However, that would be her only time going to Eurovision. She was picked in the 1986 national selection to represent Greece at Eurovision Song Contest 1986
in Bergen
, Norway
, but Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
, Greece's national broadcaster, pulled out of the Contest unexpectedly. Polina stated that it was due to political troubles in Greece at the time, but she noted that a Eurovision website had learned that the real reason was that the Contest was to be held the night before Orthodox Easter. Had she performed, she would have appeared eighteenth and she would have performed the song "Wagon-lit".
She is best known for the string of chart successes she had in Greece in the late 1980s, including "Birimpa", "Push-Ups", "Let's Go to the Seychelles", and "Radio, Love Me". She has also collaborated with several well-known composers, particularly Stamatis Kraounakis
, with whom she has had a working relationship since the release of her Birimpa album in 1986.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
singer, who is better known in her own country simply as Polina.
Polina was born and raised in Nea Smyrni
Nea Smyrni
Nea Smyrni is a southern suburb of Athens, Greece. Nea Smyrni is located about 5 km SW of downtown Athens, about 5 km SW of Kifissias Avenue, W of Vouliagmenis Avenue, about 6 km E of Piraeus, and NE of Poseidonos Avenue....
, a suburb south of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. She started her career in 1977 singing the song "Lives" at the Thessaloniki Song Festival
Thessaloniki Song Festival
The Thessaloniki Song Festival , originally the Greek Song Festival was a Greek song festival hosted between 1959–1997 and 2005–2008. The host city of the event was initially Athens but the contest was later moved to Thessaloniki, from which it got its name.The festival was usually hosted at the...
. In 1979, Polina appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
as a backup singer to Elpida as she performed the entry "Sokrati
Sokrati
"Sokrati" was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, performed in Greek by Elpida....
".
However, that would be her only time going to Eurovision. She was picked in the 1986 national selection to represent Greece at Eurovision Song Contest 1986
Eurovision Song Contest 1986
The Eurovision Song Contest 1986 was the 31st Eurovision Song Contest and was held on 3 May 1986 in the Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway. It was the first occasion on which Norway played host to the contest...
in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, but Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi
Elliniki Radiofonia Tileorasi
The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation is the Greek state-owned public radio and television broadcasting corporation. It is a member of EBU.Since 70's ERT is part of the Eurovision Song Contest, organized by EBU...
, Greece's national broadcaster, pulled out of the Contest unexpectedly. Polina stated that it was due to political troubles in Greece at the time, but she noted that a Eurovision website had learned that the real reason was that the Contest was to be held the night before Orthodox Easter. Had she performed, she would have appeared eighteenth and she would have performed the song "Wagon-lit".
She is best known for the string of chart successes she had in Greece in the late 1980s, including "Birimpa", "Push-Ups", "Let's Go to the Seychelles", and "Radio, Love Me". She has also collaborated with several well-known composers, particularly Stamatis Kraounakis
Stamatis Kraounakis
Stamatis Kraounakis is one of the most important contemporary Greek pop music composers. His works have characterised the decades of 1980s and 1990s in Greece. He is also a lyricist, singer, producer and writer. He was born and lives in Athens and has studied Political Science in Panteion University...
, with whom she has had a working relationship since the release of her Birimpa album in 1986.