Antique Mini Biography

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.

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.