Greek singer Elena Tsagrinou will represent the island nation in Rotterdam in May with the pop dance song “El Diablo”. She reached fame in 2009, reaching the semifinal of “Greece’s Got Talent” at just 14 years old.
The controversial entry includes verses like “Tonight we are going to burn at a party, it is heaven in hell with you” and “I gave my heart to El Diablo … because he told me I am his angel.”
He said that the song “favored our global ridicule, defending our surrender to the devil and promoting his worship”, while praising the “fatalistic submission of humans to the power of the devil”.
In a statement released by his label, Tsagrinou told CNN: “’El Diablo’ is clearly an allegorical song! It tells the story of a woman who manages to get out of a toxic relationship and sends a message of strength to the public. Music unites us all, it doesn’t divide us! “
She said that she and her collaborators “remain committed to our goal; to represent Cyprus in a dignified manner in the music contest”.
CyBC President Andreas Frangos told local journalists that the broadcaster had no plans to remove “El Diablo” from the competition.
The company told CNN in a statement: “The song tells the story of a girl who finds herself trapped in an exploitative relationship with a bandit, which is why she calls him ‘el diablo’. It is the eternal struggle between evil and through this problematic relationship with the Stockholm Syndrome and despite the paranoia she experiences, in the end the truth always shines, and she seeks help to break the bonds on a path to freedom. “
“Any other interpretation has nothing to do with the meaning of the song,” added CyBC, “which especially nowadays should not only be applauded, but should also be an inspiration not only for women, but for anyone who is going through similar situations. “
Rejecting CyBC’s “metaphorical interpretation”, the church described the lyrics as “provocative and unacceptable” and “completely at odds with the values of our people”.
The agency said it was contacted by “thousands” of citizens expressing discontent with the choice of music.
“We call on the government that appoints the CyBC board to cancel the selection of this particular song and replace it with a different one that expresses our history and culture, our traditions and our claims,” said the church.
The call came days after police were called to CyBC offices after reports that a 48-year-old man had entered the premises illegally to protest the music.
An Interior Ministry spokesman told CNN that the man “was accused of trespassing, disturbance in a public place, insult and threat”.
The case reached even the highest levels of Cypriot politics.
Victoras Papadopoulos, director of the president’s press office, said in a statement: “We respect the views of the Holy Synod or those who disagree with the title of the song that will represent Cyprus in this year’s Eurovision contest.
“At the same time, however, the Government fully respects creative artistic and intellectual freedom that cannot be misinterpreted or limited because of the title of a song, and unnecessary dimensions should not be attributed.”
This week, Eurovision organizers issued comprehensive Covid-19 health and safety plans to allow the contest to go ahead in May, after it was canceled last year due to the pandemic.
All participants must be quarantined for five days before departure to the Netherlands and must be negative for the virus 72 hours before flying. Once in Rotterdam, delegations are expected to stay in their hotels, except when at Ahoy Arena for rehearsals, live shows and other related activities, organizers said.