Marina Satti has completed her first rehearsal for the performance of her Eurovision Song Contest entry for Greece – “Zari”.
Much like the song itself, the staging for “Zari” is blending traditional Greek elements with modern, urban visual ideas. Marina, wearing a purple puffball skirt, is joined by four dancers who do a street dance-inspired routine throughout the performance. Behind them, neon and graffiti light up the Malmö Arena.
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Sarah Louise Bennett
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Sarah Louise Bennett
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Sarah Louise Bennett
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Sarah Louise Bennett
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Sarah Louise Bennett
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Corinne Cumming
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Corinne Cumming
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Corinne Cumming
Image Source: EBU/ Corinne Cumming
Marina Satti, Greece. Image: Corinne Cumming
Who is Marina Satti?
Marina Satti was born on December 26 1986 in Athens to a Greek mother and a Sudanese Arab father but was raised on the island of Crete. She started studying piano at a young age before studying classical singing in high school. She furthered her musical studies at the Nakas Conservatory in Athens and the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
In 2016, Marina released her debut single “Koupes” (Cups). In 2017, she released “Mantissa” (Fortune Teller), which reached number one on the Greek Singles Chart. Later that year, she founded fonés, an all-female acapella group that performs traditional polyphonic songs, and chóres, a choir of 150 women aged 13–55. Along with fónes, she created YALLA! in 2018, a show featuring world music, pop and traditional music from the Eastern Mediterranean. After a debut performance at the Melina Merkouri Theatre in Athens, the show toured France, England, Switzerland and the World Music Expo 2019 in Tampere, Finland.
The song that Marina will perform in Malmö is called “Zari” (Dice). It was written and composed by Gino “the Ghost” Borri, Jay Lewitt Stolar, Jordan Richard Palmer, Konstantin Plamenov Beshkov, Manolis “Solmeister” Solidakis, Nick Kodonas, Oge, Vlospa and Marina herself.
Marina will perform in the first half of the second semi-final on May 9.
Image Source: EBU / Corinne Cumming
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.
