By Joanna Polydoropoulou
Helena Paparizou is one of the most popular Greek singers. She was born in Boros, a city in Sweden, on 31st January 1982. Her parents were immigrants from Greece. She has also two younger siblings, a sister and a brother. From a young age, music was her passion and she created a small band with some of her friends at the age of 13. The band was called “SOUL FUNKOMATIC”, but it disbanded when Helena was 16.`
CAREER
Her career began at the age of 17. With her friend, Nickos Panagiotidi, created the famous group “Antique” in 1990. It crossed over to audience and after their first single “Opa-Opa”, they became popular with Europeans. They came from Sweden to Greece and they decided to participate in Eurovision in 2001. Their song “Die for you” took the third place in the competition, the better place that had won the country until then. Despite their big success, the band decided to have a break. So, in 2003, the band disbanded.
Immediately, Helena signed a contract with SONY BMG Greece and she started her solo career. In the same year , she brought out her first single called “Anapanthtes klhseis”. In 2004, she took part in the first Mad Video Music Awards and she won the price for the best video clip dance for her single. Moreover, she released her first album called “Proteraiothta”, which became platinum twice in Greece and once in Cyprus.
In 2005, she decided to participate again in the Eurovision Song Contest. The audience loved both Helena and her song “My number one”. It was on the 21st of May when the golden page of the Greek music history was written and Helena had the main role. She won and that was the one and the only win of our country in the competition until now.
After Eurovision, she became very popular. She released another single called “Mambo!” which was first presented in the Eurovision song contest in 2006 and became one of the greatest hits of the year all around Europe. She also opened the Mad Video Music Awards with her song “My number one” and she won two prices. In 2006, she also created her second album “Iparhi logos”. The album became platinum not only in Greece, but also in Cyprus. Moreover, she won another three Mad Awards and a European Border Breaker Award in Cannes.
She continued her big success. From 2007 to 2011 she released three albums “The game of love”, “Vrisko ton logo na zo”, “Giro apo to oneiro” which were on the top of the charts in Greece and in Cyprus. She won nine Mad video music awards. Moreover she participated in MTV Europe awards and she took the title of Best Greek Act in Eurovision song contest. She also went on two big tours in Greece (the first alone and the second with Onirama).
From 2011 to 2013 she participated in Madwalk and she won seven Mad video music awards. In 2011 she became one of the three judges in a TV show called “Dancing on ice”. In 2012 she went on her third big summer tour with a band called “Melisses” and in 2013 the fourth, but alone that time. Also, in 2012 she changed record company and she joined Minos EMI Universal. A year later she released the album “Ti ora tha vgoume?” and she went to Hollywood to sing for a night dedicated to Melina Merkouri.
In 2014 she decided to participate to the “Melodyfestivalen” to represent Sweden in Eurovision, but finally she didn’t go again to the contest. Then, she released an album called “One life” and she went on a summer tour in Sweden. A year later she participated to the musical “NINE” and she won a Mad video music award. From 2016 to 2022 she was one of the four coaches in “The voice of Greece”. In 2017 she released another album, the “Rainbow” which became platinum in Greece. In 2019 she joined Antique again. The group went on a tour in Sweden and it recorded a new song called “Ti Ti”. It also participated in the Het Grote Festival in Amsterdam. From 2018 to 2023 Helena had won nine Mad video music awards and she went on a lot of summer tour. In addition to this, she made another album in 2019, the “Apochrosis”.
During all these years Helena Paparizou has recorded 78 singles, 63 music videos and she released 10 studio albums. She also went 22 summer tours and 31 collaborations with other singers.
Some of her most popular singles are:
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Anapantites kliseis
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My number one
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Katse kala
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Crazy Hurt
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The light in our soul
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Iparhi logos
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Mambo
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To fili tis zois
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Baby it’s over
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Fiesta
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Haide
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An me deis na klaio
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Déjà vu
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De mou ta leei kala
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