After a series of internal and semi-internal selections, Cypriot broadcaster RIK decided to put on a real full-blown national final for the first time in 1990.
The enthusiasm was quite big on home ground, and the winning song was greeted with quite a lot of enthusiasm.
Haris Anastasiou - Milas Poli (Cyprus 1990 national final)
Maybe the voice left a little bit to be desired, but it looked quite right and up to date, and it sounded even more so. Calculated and copied straight off the Stock/Aitken/Waterman drawing board, bien sur, but putting the finger quite precisely on the current musical chart trends.
RIK also made a good and funny preview clip for the song, and more than one follower must have started believing Cyprus could make a bit of a splash in Zagreb.
Anastazio - Milas Poli (Cyprus 1990 preview clip)
But then something went wrong - very wrong - as the team hired the stylist from hell. Or did they hire a stylist at all?
Stretch denim and a tourist t-shirt? Now really?
And while good old Haris had seemingly worked on getting has vocals together, the backing group do their best to shout the whole thing to death. As a result, a perfectly good, up-to-date pop song ends in a pale 14th place.
Anastazio - Milas Poli (Cyprus 1990)
The whole performance lacks the punch and the bounce that the backing track has. And the lack of style would make any jury member reach for the remote.
Anastazio already had ESC experience as a backing dancer for Cyprus in Brussels 1987, he must have noticed already then that it pays off to make a good visual presentation.
So, what's the excuse here?
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