Tamta Goduadze ( ka, თამთა გოდუაძე; el, Τάμτα Γκοντουάτζε, Támta Gkontouátze; 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. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

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

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

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 Greece and Cyprus, 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 from all across G ...

'' in 2014, and '' The X Factor Greece'' in 2016. 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 2018 contest with the song " Toy" by Netta. Organised by the European Broad ...

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

Early life

Goduadze was born and raised in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, where she started singing at the age of five. At the age of 14, Goduadze 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 ''Ivane Javaxishvi ...

. Goduadze divorced her husband after six years of marriage, and she later left

with their daughter and emigrated to

. Goduadze's mother and younger brother had previously emigrated to Greece, where her mother found work as a housekeeper. In Greece, Goduadze settled in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, but did not have a

residence permit A residence permit (less commonly ''residency permit'') is a document or card required in some regions, allowing a foreign national to reside in a country for a fixed or indefinite length of time. These may be permits for temporary residency, or p ...

; 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 Goduadze 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. Goduadze went on to place as the show's runner-up, behind winner Stavros Konstantinou. Following her appearance on ''Super Idol'', Goduadze was signed to Greek record label

Minos EMI Minos EMI is a 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, by producing th ...

to begin a music career. Her first single "Eisai To Allo Mou Miso" featuring Stavros Konstantinou was released in 2004 and later Goduadze began live appearances with

Antonis Remos Antonis Remos ( el, Αντώνης Ρέμος, ; born Antonios Paschalidis, el, Αντώνιος Πασχαλίδης, links=no; 19 June 1970) is a Greek singer. Biography Early life He was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Later his family ...

and

Giorgos Dalaras George Dalaras ( Γιώργος Νταλάρας, 29 September 1949) is a Greek musician and singer. He is one of the most prominent figures of Greek musical culture. In October 2006, he was selected as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Ag ...

. In early 2006, Goduadze released her debut studio album ''

Tamta Tamta Goduadze ( ka, თამთა გოდუაძე; el, Τάμτα Γκοντουάτζε, Támta Gkontouátze; born 10 January 1981), known mononymously as Tamta, is a Georgian-Greek singer. She first achieved popularity in Greece in ...

'' by label MINOS EMI. The same year, Goduadze 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 ( el, Αποστολία Ζώη, ) is a popular 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 ...

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 ( el, Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία Τηλεόραση AE, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi SA) or ERT () is the state-owned public radio and television broadcaster of Greece. History Overview ERT b ...

(ERT), announced Goduadze'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, Chér'', 1967 * ''With Love'' (Christina Grimmie album), 2013 * ''W ...

". Despite only placing third in the competition, "With Love" still went on to become a widely successful song in Greece, peaking at number two on the Greek singles chart. Her second studio album ''

Agapise me ''Agapise me'' (') is the second studio album by Greek pop singer and Super Idol contestant Tamta. It was released on 16 May 2007 by Minos EMI. The album was repackaged in early 2008 with Tamta's CD single ''Mia stigmi esi ki ego/Ela sto rhythm ...

'' was later released on May 16, 2007. The same year, Goduadze performed the soundtrack of the TV series

Latremenoi Mou Geitones Latremenoi Mou Geitones ({{Lang-el, Λατρεμένοι μου Γείτονες) or ''My Beloved Neighbors'' is a Greek TV serial written by Panos Amarantidis, directed by Pierros Andrakakos, created by Studio ATA and broadcast on Mega Chann ...

, "Ela Sto Rhythmo", the soundtrack of LACTA's advertising campaign, "Mia Stigmi Esu Ki Ego" and became ambassador of the company SKECHERS & AVON Cosmetics. In June 2008, Goduadze stated in an interview that she would like to represent

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

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 Euro ...

. Rumours also stated that the

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation ( gr, Ραδιοφωνικό Ίδρυμα Κύπρου , tr, Kıbrıs Radyo Yayın Kurumu), or CyBC (ΡΙΚ, KRYK), is Cyprus' public broadcasting service. It transmits island-wide on four radio and two domestic ...

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

in the

, following suspicions of favouritism from

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

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 "Molitva" by Marija Šerifović. Organised by the European Broadcas ...

where

Kalomira Maria Kalomira Sarantis ( gr, Μαρία Καλομοίρα Σαράντη; born January 31, 1985), known professionally as Kalomira (sometimes transliterated as Kalomoira), is a Greek-American singer, songwriter, model, television personality ...

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 ( el, Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, film and television actor, businessman and former pole vaulter and model. Born in Cor ...

for the contest. In early 2009, Goduadze 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, Goduadze 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), Goduadze 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, Goduadze released two singles: "Zise To Apisteuto" and "Tonight" featuring Claydee & Playmen. The same year, she performed live in

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

with

and

Eleni Foureira Eleni Foureira ( el, Ελένη Φουρέιρα; born Entela Fureraj; 7 March 1987) is a naturalised Greek, Albanian singer and dancer. She began her music career in 2007 as a member of the Greek girl group Mystique, pursuing a solo career after ...

. 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, Goduadze performed live in Teatro Music Hall Athens with Paola, Pantelis Pantelidis 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 ( el, Ξένια Γκάλη; 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 Gh ...

and "Den Eimai Oti Nomizeis". During season 2014–2015, 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". From April 2016 to April 2017, she was a judge and mentor in '' The X Factor Greece''. 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, 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 " Amar pelos dois" by Salvador Sobral. Organised by the European Broa ...

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

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 music producer. He has worked with a number of artists ...

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

Eurovision The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...

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

Elena Tsagrinou Elena Tsagrinou ( el, Έλενα Τσαγκρινού; 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 Eu ...

and Matina Zara.

2020-present: AWAKE

In 2020, Goduadze 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 Kassidokostas too, during their vacation in

Milos Milos or Melos (; el, label=Modern Greek, Μήλος, Mílos, ; grc, Μῆλος, Mêlos) is a volcanic Greek island in the Aegean Sea, just north of the Sea of Crete. Milos is the southwesternmost island in the Cyclades group. The ''Venus d ...

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

Personal life

Since early 2015, Goduadze has been in a relationship with Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis.

Discography

*''

'' (2006) *''

Agapise Me ''Agapise me'' (') is the second studio album by Greek pop singer and Super Idol contestant Tamta. It was released on 16 May 2007 by Minos EMI. The album was repackaged in early 2008 with Tamta's CD single ''Mia stigmi esi ki ego/Ela sto rhythm ...

'' (2007) *''Tharros I Alitheia'' (2010) *''

Awake (Tamta EP) ''Awake'' is the first extended play by Georgian-Greek singer Tamta. It was released for digital download on 3 July 2020, by Minos EMI Minos EMI is a record company based in Athens, Greece. The company serves as the Greek record label and ...

'' (2020)

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tamta 1981 births 21st-century Greek women singers 21st-century women singers from Georgia (country) Arion Music Awards winners Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Cyprus Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2019 Greek laïko singers Greek pop singers Georgian emigrants 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