Antique

Antique was a Greek singing duo consisting of Elena Paparizou (Έλενα Παπαρίζου in Greek) and Nikos Panagiotidis (Νίκος Παναγιωτίδης in Greek) originating from Sweden which combined Greek popular music and lyrics with a Nordic dance pop beat. Both Paparizou and Panagiotidis were born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. They were the first ever to be nominated for with a non-Greek song for a Swedish Grammi. In 2001 Antique were selected to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen with the song "Die for You", sung in a blend of English and Greek, ending with a third place – behind only Estonia and hosts Denmark.

Career

Antique's first single, "Opa Opa", a cover of a Notis Sfakianakis song, made it to the Top 5 of the Swedish Sales list and the Top 10 in Scandinavian countries selling over 60,000 copies and gold and platinum certification. This was the first time a Greek-language song hit Top 5 in the region and a massive summer hit. The follow-up "Dinata Dinata" was a similar smash. Antique released two of their albums in Bulgaria too through KA Music with some success.

The duo took Greek traditional music from their roots and fused it with a contemporary high-tempo Nordic disco. Nikos Panagiotidis' relatives were from northern Greece while Elena Paparizou's were from central Greece. Elena was fluent in Swedish, Greek and English, and had studied French and Spanish.

In 2001 Antique were selected to represent Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest being held in Copenhagen with the song "Die for You", sung in a blend of English and Greek. The song ended third overall behind Estonia and hosts Denmark.

After disbanding

Antique disbanded in late 2003 on good terms with both members pursuing solo careers. There are currently no intentions of reuniting the group, although they have both expressed to want to reunite in the future.

Very interestingly, in 2005, two years after the duo disbanding, Elena Paparizou was selected as a solo this time, to represent Greece yet again at the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 and she actually won it.

In July 2006, a new song leaked out via the internet called V-Power. The song was recorded both in English and Greek versions by Antique about the premium unleaded gasoline product by Royal Dutch Shell, known as V-Power. There were suggestions Royal Dutch Shell had intentions of using the song to promote the gasoline. However the song was never officially released. It was most likely recorded just prior to the duo's split in 2003.

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