Tamta Goduadze ( ka, თამთა გოდუაძე; ; ; born 10 January 1981), known

mononymously A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. A mononym may be the person's only name, given to them at birth. This was routine in most ancient societies, and remains ...

as Tamta, is a Georgian-born Greek singer. She first achieved popularity in

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

in 2004 for her participation in '' Super Idol Greece'', in which she placed second. She went on to release several charting albums and singles in

and

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

, also becoming a mentor on ''

X Factor Georgia '' X Factor Georgia'' is the Georgia (country), Georgian version of ''The X Factor'', a show originating from the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show featuring aspiring singers of all genres drawn from auditions held all across G ...

'' in 2014, 2015 and 2018, and ''

The X Factor Greece ''The X Factor'' is the Greek version of ''The X Factor'', a show originating in the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. Auditions are held in Greece in the cities o ...

'' in 2016 and 2017. She represented in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2019 The Eurovision Song Contest 2019 was the 64th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Tel Aviv, Israel, following the country's victory at the with the song "Toy" by Netta. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union ...

with the song " Replay", finishing in 13th place with 109 points.

Early life

Tamta was born and raised in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, where she started singing at the age of five. At the age of 14, Tamta married her 16-year-old boyfriend and gave birth to their daughter, Annie. While raising her daughter, she graduated from high school and attended

Tbilisi State University Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University ( ka, ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, tr; often shorten ...

. Tamta divorced her husband after six years of marriage, and later immigrated to

with her daughter. Tamta's mother and younger brother had previously immigrated to

, where her mother found work as a housekeeper. In

, Tamta settled in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, but did not have a

residence permit A residence is a place (normally a building) used as a home A home, or domicile, is a space used as a permanent or semi-permanent residence for one or more human occupants, and sometimes various companion animals. Homes provide shelte ...

; she made money by assisting her mother as a housekeeper.

Career

2003–2006: ''Super Idol'' and beginnings

In 2003, while she was working as a housekeeper in

, one of the families Tamta worked for recommended her to audition for '' Super Idol'', in order to receive a residence permit. She entered the talent show, and subsequently became a finalist. Tamta went on to place as the show's runner-up, behind winner

Stavros Konstantinou Stavros Konstantinou (Σταύρος Κωνσταντίνου) (born 25 August 1984 in Nicosia, Cyprus) is a Greek Cypriot singer who rose to popularity after winning ''Super Idol (Greek TV series), Super Idol'', the Greek version of ''Pop Idol'' ...

. Following her appearance on ''Super Idol'', Tamta was signed to Greek record label

Minos EMI Minos EMI is a record label, record company based in Athens, Greece. The company serves as the Greek record label and offices of the multinational Universal Music Group. EMI is credited for founding the record business in Greece in the 1930s, b ...

to begin a music career. Her first single "Eisai To Allo Mou Miso" featuring

was released in 2004 and later Tamta began live appearances with

Antonis Remos Antonis Remos (, ; born Antonios Paschalidis, ; 19 June 1970) is a Greek singer. Biography Early life He was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Later his family moved back to their native Thessaloniki, Greece, where he finished school. During h ...

and Giorgos Dalaras. In early 2006, Tamta released her debut studio album ''

Tamta Tamta Goduadze ( ka, თამთა გოდუაძე; ; ; born 10 January 1981), known mononymously as Tamta, is a Georgian-born Greek singer. She first achieved popularity in Greece in 2004 for her participation in '' Super Idol Greece' ...

'' by label MINOS EMI. The same year, Tamta began live appearances with

Thanos Petrelis Athanasios (Thanos) Petrelis (Greek: Θάνος Πετρέλης, born September 27, 1975) is a Greek singer. He has released four albums and several singles. Career ''Fame Story'' Petrelis was born in Athens, Greece. He finished third in the ...

, Katerina Stanisi and

Apostolia Zoi Apostolia Zoi (, ) is a Greek singer who was born in Elassona, Greece, and she grew up in Volos. She has released four studio albums. Biography Early life At the age of 14, Apostolia moved to Thessaloniki to pursue her interest in diving and swi ...

in Apollonas. Also, she received the award for "Best New Artist" at the Mad Video Music Awards.

2007–2009: ''Agapise me'', soundtracks, and advertising campaign

In January 2007,

Hellenic Radio and Television The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly shortened to ERT (), is the state-owned public radio and television broadcaster of Greece. History Overview ERT began broadcasting in 1938 as the Radio Broadcasting Service or YRE (). Followin ...

(ERT), announced Tamta's participation in the Greek national final for the

Eurovision Song Contest 2007 The Eurovision Song Contest 2007 was the 52nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Helsinki, Finland, following the country's victory at the with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" by Lordi. Organised by the European Broadcasti ...

, competing with the song "

With Love With Love may refer to: Music Albums * '' ...with Love'', by Mary Byrne * ''With Love'' (Amanda Lear album), 2006 * ''With Love'' (Bobby Vinton album), 1974 * ''With Love'' (Charles Tolliver album), 2006 * '' With Love, Chér'', 1967 * ''Wi ...

". Despite only placing third in the competition, "With Love" still went on to become a widely successful song in

, peaking at number two on the Greek singles chart. Her second studio album '' Agapise me'' was later released on 16 May 2007. In June 2008, Tamta stated in an interview that she would like to represent

in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2009 The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the with the song "Believe (Dima Bilan song), Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the Eu ...

. Rumours also stated that the

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (; ), or CyBC (; ), is Cyprus' public broadcasting service. It transmits island-wide on four radio and two domestic television channels, and uses one satellite channel for the Cypriot diaspora. It also transmits o ...

(CyBC) had been in contact with her since May of that year. In response, Greek media outlets also demanded that ERT choose Tamta to represent

in the

, following suspicions of favouritism from

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...

countries in the

Eurovision Song Contest 2008 The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Belgrade, Serbia, following the country's victory at the with the song "" by Marija Šerifović. Organised by the European Broadcasting Unio ...

where

Kalomira Maria Kalomira Sarantis (; born January 31, 1985), known professionally as Kalomira (sometimes transliterated as Kalomoira), is a Greek-American singer. Born and raised on Long Island, just outside of New York City in the United States, she firs ...

finished in third place. ''Oikotimes'', May 26, 2008. Retrieved on June 3, 2008 The rumours ultimately did not materialise and ERT chose

Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (, ; born 5 January 1972), also known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Sakis, is a Greeks, Greek singer, actor, businessman and former pole vaulter. Born in Corfu, Rouvas won medals with Greece's U18 and U20 national sp ...

for the contest. In early 2009, Tamta released the single "Koita me" to radios as the first single from her upcoming album.

2010–2013: ''Tharros i alitheia'' and ''Rent''

In March 2010 her third studio album "Tharros I Alitheia" was released. Also, Tamta released a single with the same name featuring

. The same year, she released two more singles, "Egoista" featuring Isaias Matiaba and "Fotia". For one season (2010-2011), Tamta played in the Greek version of the musical ''

Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

.'' In 2011, Tamta released two singles: "Zise To Apisteuto" and "Tonight" featuring Claydee & Playmen. The same year, she performed live in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

with

and

Eleni Foureira Eleni Foureira (; born Entela Fureraj, ; 7 March 1987) is an Albanian-born Greek singer. She began her music career in 2007 as a member of the Greek girl group Mystique, pursuing a solo career after the group disbanded in 2009. She has released ...

. In 2012, she released two singles: "Niose Tin Kardia" and "Konta Sou". 2013 saw the release of two singles "S' Agapao" and "Pare Me". Also, during the 2013–2014 season, Tamta performed live in Teatro Music Hall Athens with

Paola Paola is a female given name, the Italian form of the name Paula. In Greek it is Polina. Notable people with the name include: People In arts and entertainment * Paola Del Medico (born 1950), Swiss singer *Paola e Chiara, pop music duo consist ...

Pantelis Pantelidis Pantelis Pantelidis (; 23 November 1983 – 18 February 2016) was a Greek singer, songwriter and lyricist. He died on 18 February 2016 in a car crash. Biography Born on November 23, 1983, Pantelis Pantelidis grew up in Nea Ionia, a small suburb ...

and Stan.

2014–2019: ''The X Factor'', ''Cabaret'', ''attrattivo x Tamta'', and Eurovision

In 2014, Tamta released the singles "Gennithika Gia Sena" featuring

Xenia Ghali Xenia Ghali (; born August 14, 1989) is a Greek songwriter, record producer and disc jockey. She is the founder of Funky Sheep Records, and is known for her dance music singles and fashion oriented videos. Early life Ghali was born in 1989 in P ...

and "Den Eimai Oti Nomizeis". During season 2014, 2015 and 2018, she was a judge and mentor in

. In 2015, Tamta released the single "Unloved" which was intended for the Greek participation in

Eurovision Song Contest 2015 The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was the 60th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the with the song "Rise Like a Phoenix" by Conchita Wurst. Organised by the European Broa ...

. In 2016, Tamta released the single "To Kati Parapano". 2016 and 2017, she was a judge and mentor in ''

''. Also, in 2017, she released the singles "Protimo", "Ilious Kai Thalasses" and "More Than A Summer Love" (English version of Ilious Kai Thalasses). During season 2017–2018, Tamta played the role of Sally Bowles in the Greek version of musical "Cabaret". In early 2018, Tamta appeared live in BOX Athens with

Melisses Melisses (Greek; Μέλισσες, stylized as "ΜΕΛΙSSES") are a Greek band consisting of Christos Mastoras (vocals), Costas Mavrogennis (bass), and Thanos Laitsas (guitar). Since 2014, they have been signed to Panik Records. Their career ...

, DJ Young, Konnie Metaxa & Animando. Later that year, she released the singles "Arxes Kalokairiou" with an English version "Tag You In My Sky" and the soundtrack of movie "The Bachelor", "Na Me Pareis Makria". In late 2018, Tamta released her first clothing collection with Atrattivo. In December 2018, it was revealed that Tamta would represent Cyprus at the

with the song " Replay". Tamta had previously been offered the chance to represent Cyprus at the

Eurovision Song Contest 2018 The Eurovision Song Contest 2018 was the 63rd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Lisbon, Portugal, following the country's victory at the with the song "" by Salvador Sobral. Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (E ...

with the song " Fuego", but declined the offer due to scheduling issues.

went on to represent the country instead, placing second in the competition, Cyprus' best result of all-time. Both songs were written by Greek-Swedish songwriter

Alex P Alexander "Alex P" Papaconstantinou (Greek: Αλέξανδρος "Άλεξ" Παπακωνσταντίνου; born 29 December 1979 in Brännkyrka, Sweden) is a Greek-Swedish songwriter and record producer. He has worked with a number of artists ...

. The music video was released on 5 March 2019. At Eurovision, Tamta achieved 13th place with 109 points. After

Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), often known simply as Eurovision, is an international song competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) among its members since 1956. Each participating broadcaster submits an origina ...

, she released two songs: "Señorita" featuring Snik and "Sex With Your Ex". In the season 2019–20, she performed live with

Elena Tsagrinou Elena Tsagrinou (; born November 16, 1994) is a Greek singer. Tsagrinou began her career as the lead singer of the Greek band OtherView, until beginning a solo career in 2018. She represented Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the ...

and Matina Zara.

2020-present: AWAKE

In 2020, Tamta released four songs with videoclips: "S' Agapo", directed by her and Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, "Yala" featuring Stephane Legar, "Den Eisai Edo" featuring Mente Fuerte and "Hold On", directed by her and Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis too, during their holiday in

Milos Milos or Melos (; , ; ) is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete. It is the southwestern-most island of the Cyclades group. The ''Venus de Milo'' (now in the Louvre), the ''Poseidon of Melos'' (now in the ...

. On 3 July 2020, she released her debut English EP, "Awake".

Personal life

From 2004 to 2010, Tamta was in a relationship with Grigoris Petrakos. Since early 2015, Tamta has been in a relationship with Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis. In 2022, she became a Greek citizen. Besides

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

and Georgian, Tamta speaks fluent

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

and

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

Discography

*''

'' (2006) *'' Agapise Me'' (2007) *''Tharros I Alitheia'' (2010) *''Best Of'' (2017) *''

Awake Wakefulness is a daily recurring brain state and state of consciousness in which an individual is conscious and engages in coherent cognitive and behavioral responses to the external world. Being awake is the opposite of being asleep, in which ...

'' (2020) *'' Identity Crisis'' (2023)

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tamta 1981 births 21st-century Greek women singers 21st-century women singers from Georgia (country) Arion Music Awards winners Greek laïko singers Greek pop singers Greek women pop singers Emigrants from Georgia (country) to Greece Idols (franchise) participants Living people MAD Video Music Awards winners Minos EMI artists Naturalized citizens of Greece Musicians from Tbilisi Pop singers from Georgia (country) Singers from Athens Super Idol (Greek TV series) Tbilisi State University alumni Eurovision Song Contest entrants