Vissi and her family moved to Greece after she won a national talent competition in Cyprus, which was followed by her debut at the Thessaloniki Song Festival where she was awarded the top prizes for "Best Vocals" and "Best Composition" for the song "As Kanoume Apopse Mian Arhi" in 1978. This led to her recording multiple promo singles, collaborating with well-known producers, and releasing a debut album of the same name. In the 1980s, Vissi became a prominent figure in Greek music and participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980 for Greece and 1982 for Cyprus, finishing 13th and fifth respectively. While her first performance was not a success, her second remains the highest placement that Cyprus has earned in the Contest. Vissi returned to the Contest in 2006 finishing ninth, however, she later regretted her latest performance, calling it a "big mistake".