Helena Paparizou

Biography

Helena Paparizou (Greek: Έλενα Παπαρίζου; born 31 January 1982) is a Swedish-born Greek singer and television personality. Born and raised in Sweden to Greek parents, she launched her singing career in 1999 as a member of the musical duo Antique, alongside her friend Nikos Panagiotidis. The group released five studio albums between 1999 and 2003, and represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001. Antique disbanded in 2003, and Paparizou signed a solo recording contract with Sony Music. Her debut solo single "Anapandites Kliseis" preceding the album Protereotita (2004); her style had an emphasis on laïko, pop, and dance sounds. In 2005, she represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song "My Number One", which won the contest for Greece for the first time. Paparizou attempted a career beyond Greece with English-language material, charting in a few countries abroad. Her three subsequent albums Iparhi Logos (2006), The Game of Love (2006) and Vrisko To Logo Na Zo (2008) all peaked at number one in Greece and reached platinum sales. Her fifth studio album Giro Apo T' Oneiro (2010) was also certified platinum. Paparizou's final release before she left Sony Music, Greatest Hits & More, was released in 2011. Since 2013 she is part of Minos EMI - Universal Music labels. In 2017 she released her biggest hit to date titled An Me Dis Na Kleo feat Anastasios Rammos off her album Ouranio Toxo counting 35 million views on YouTube. Paparizou has released 10 studio albums in total. Apart from singing, in the 2010s she moved into television as a judge on Dancing on Ice (2011) and as a contestant on Let's Dance (2012). Since 2016, Paparizou has been a judge on The Voice of Greece. She lived with her fiancé and manager Toni Mavridis from 1999 until their separation in 2011. From 2015 until 2025 she lived with civil engineer Andreas Kapsalis. Paparizou has been awarded three Arion Music Awards, a European Border Breakers Award, 35 MAD Video Music Awards and an MTV Europe Music Award. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked her as the 14th top-certified domestic female artist since 1960, having won seven platinum and four gold records. Paparizou was the most successful debuting female artist of the 2000s and established herself as one of the top acts of the latter half of the decade. In 2010, Forbes listed Paparizou as the 21st most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece.

== Early life == Paparizou was born on 31 January 1982 in Borås, Västergötland, Sweden and raised in Örgryte, Gothenburg. She is the youngest child of Greek parents Georgios Paparizos (1948–2008) and Efrosynë "Froso" Paparizou. Paparizou's parents were from the Karditsa region in western Thessaly; she has a sister Aretë, known as Rita, and a brother Konstantinos, known as "Dinos." Paparizou's parents met and married in her mother's hometown and moved to Borås in 1970. In 1985, the family moved back to Greece to live in Volos with relatives because Paparizou had contracted asthma and her lungs could not cope with the cold Scandinavian climate. After two years, she was well enough for the family to return to live in Gothenburg, Sweden. As a result of the trip to Greece, Paparizou spoke Greek as a first language and did not make friends with many Swedish children, because she attended a Greek-language school. Paparizou continues to suffer from breathing problems and often carries an inhaler on-stage. Paparizou performed for the first time in front of a Greek audience when she was eleven, singing Christos Dantis' "Moro Mou". Two years later, Paparizou had decided she wanted to be a singer and began to study Greek music. By the age of fourteen, Paparizou had formed her first group, Soul Funkomatic with three Hispanic teenagers. They played hip hop music while saving money to record songs; they disbanded two years later. On 29 October 1998, thirteen of Paparizou's close friends died in the Gothenburg nightclub fire, where 63 people died and more than 200 were injured. She had begged her mother to let her go to the party, but was not allowed to attend. After losing her friends, Paparizou decided to abandon singing. She started classes at the Art Performing School where she studied theater, acting, television and directing.

== Career ==

=== 1999–2003: Antique era ===

In 1999, some DJ friends of Paparizou's brother asked Paparizou to make a demo of the Notis Sfakianakis hit "Opa Opa", but because the lyrics are written from a male point of view, Paparizou wanted to sing with her childhood friend Nikos Panagiotidis. Some record producers, who were interested in signing a male/female duo to sing covers of traditional Greek songs, contacted Paparizou, who suggested Panagiotidis. The pair formed Antique, and signed to the independent label Bonnier Music. They called themselves "Antique" because it gave the impression of being "classical" and "timeless", and connoted Paparizou's association of Greek music with the idea of it being distant, old-fashioned, and something of an acquired taste. Their debut single "Opa Opa" became a hit in Sweden and Norway, eventually entering the top ten in both countries, making "Antique" the first act to reach the Swedish top five with a song sung in Greek. Their later singles "Dinata Dinata", "Follow Me" and "Moro Mou" also charted in Sweden. Although relatively unknown in Greece in 2001, the duo entered the Greek national final of the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "(I Would) Die for You", composed by Nikos Terzis with lyrics by Antonis Pappas. They won joint first place, but as "Antique" had also won the public vote were declared the overall winners and went to the 2001 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen. Their song won third place with 147 points; the highest Greek Eurovision placing at the time. It became their biggest hit in Greece, reaching Platinum status, peaking at number three in Sweden and charting elsewhere. Antique's Eurovision success led to wider recognition in Greece. They recorded four studio albums—which were only mildly successful—performed a small European and North American tour and collaborated with artists including Katy Garbi and Slavi Trifonov. Paparizou and Panagiotidis then decided to pursue solo careers. Initially, critics of the split accused Paparizou of abandoning her friend for her own career interests. Paparizou said the split was not permanent, but was a mutual decision to try other things, with plans of a reunion in mind.

=== 2003–2005: Solo career, Protereotita, Eurovision Song Contest, and international recognition ===

In late 2003, Paparizou signed a solo recording contract with Sony Music and released her debut single "Anapandites Kliseis", as a double A-side with "Treli Kardia". The release reached number one on the Greek Top 50 Singles Chart and was certified Gold by IFPI Greece. From late 2003, Paparizou was the opening act for various artists across Greece, including Antonis Remos and Giannis Spanos, Apostolia Zoi, Nino, Thanos Petrelis, Sakis Rouvas and Giorgos Mazonakis. Later in 2004, the video of "Anapandites Kliseis" won her a MAD Video Music Award for Best Dance Video, and was nominated for Best Video by a New Artist. At the award ceremony, Paparizou sang a duet of the song with its writer Christos Dantis. On 27 June 2004, Paparizou released her debut solo album Protereotita, from which the tracks "Anditheseis", "Katse Kala" and "Stin Kardia Mou Mono Thlipsi" were released as singles. It received mixed reviews from critics. The album earned Paparizou her first Arion Award for Best Female Pop Singer, and the videos for "Katse Kala" and "Treli Kardia" won her MAD Awards for Best Female Video and Best Direction, respectively.

Paparizou moved permanently to Greece in 2004, and after a long selection process led by national broadcaster Hellenic Radio and Television (ERT), she was selected to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 held in Kyiv, Ukraine. ERT originally considered Paparizou as a possible back-up singer for a high-profile artist, but those deals fell through. She said at the time that no-one had wanted her to participate in Eurovision. The song "My Number One", composed by Manos Psaltakis with lyrics by Christos Dantis and Natalia Germanou, was chosen by the jury vote and telephone vote in the Greek national final. Although her first name is "Elena", Paparizou promoted herself as "Helena" in the lead up to her Eurovision appearance to distinguish herself from popular names in other countries. She continues to call herself Helena on all non-Greek promotions and releases, although she prefers to be known as "Elena". Paparizou toured Europe to promote her Eurovision entry. During this time, she was appointed a Greek Ministry of Tourism ambassador by Dimitris Avramopoulos, the Minister of Tourism. He spent €500,000 in her campaign to promote Greece through merchandise and advertisements that aired throughout Europe. On 21 May 2005, Paparizou won the Eurovision Song Contest; the first Greek win in its history. Her performance scored 230 points and the maximum 12 points from ten nations. Her performance was also responsible for the highest viewing ratings in Greek television history. Her win provoked mass celebrations on the streets of Athens, and on her return home she was congratulated at a State reception at the Maximos Mansion by the Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis and various government officials. Paparizou's Eurovision victory transformed her from a relatively minor celebrity to a notable music act, cementing her solo career and giving her wide international exposure. On 14 July she performed at the birthday gala of Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden. While ascending the stage to greet the royal family, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden stood to embrace Paparizou instead of offering a handshake, causing controversy for putting his hand lower on her back than is socially acceptable. The Royal Court later issued a statement saying that his hand had slipped. Paparizou toured Europe, performing in all the countries that gave her 12 points. A tour with Nikos Kourkoulis to the Greek diaspora in North America and Australia, followed. Paparizou stated that if she considered doing anything Eurovision-oriented again it be for her birth country Sweden, since she already had her turn with Greece. After performing as an opening act on numerous occasions, Paparizou headlined at Fever for the 2005–06 season, supported by Christos Pazis and with Giorgos Tsalikis. After Paparizou's Eurovision win and several reissues, the album certified double Platinum by IFPI Greece. To capitalise on this success, it was reissued as Protereotita: Euro Edition in single and double disc format, and released as a compilation in some European countries as My Number One, which peaked at number 13 in Sweden. The Euro Edition became Paparizou's first album to reach number one and earned her another Arion award for Best Female Pop Singer. The tracks "My Number One", "The Light in Our Soul" and "A Brighter Day" were released as singles, which peaked at number one, three and twenty-four respectively in Sweden, and were minor hits in other countries as well. "My Number One" was released in the United States by Moda Records with remixes in August 2006, peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. "My Number One" was certified Platinum, and becoming her first number-one airplay hit, while "The Light in Our Soul"/"To Fos Sti Psyhi" peaked at two. In November 2005, Paparizou released a new CD single "Mambo!", which peaked at number one on the Greek Singles Chart for 10 weeks and the airplay charts, and gained Platinum status. It is her most successful single to date and was the second highest-selling single of 2005, surpassing "My Number One". She performed "My Number One" at the MAD VMAs in 2005, and in 2006 won awards for Best Pop Video ("The Light in Our Soul"), Best Video by a Female Artist ("My Number One"), and Artist of the Year ("Mambo!"). The album was reissued for a third time as Protereotita: Euro Edition + Mambo! in November. Paparizou won the European Border Breakers Award at the Midem Festival in Cannes for the international editions of her debut album in 2007.