Antique (band)

Antique was a Swedish-Greek singing duo consisting of Helena Paparizou (born 1982) (Έλενα Παπαρίζου in Greek) and Nikos Panagiotidis (born 1978) (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 a Swedish Grammis in the category modern dance with a Greek song. 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 – only behind Estonia and hosts Denmark. This group was famous in Scandinavian countries, Cyprus, Greece, Germany and Italy.
Career.
In 1999, some DJ friends of Helena Paparizou's brother asked her to make a demo of the Notis Sfakianakis hit "Opa Opa". Paparizou told them that the lyrics are for a man, so she asked to sing it with her childhood friend Nikos Panagiotidis, whom she had met through her siblings at a Greek diaspora celebration in Stockholm. At that time, some record producers were undergoing a project to sign a duo consisting of a male and a female that would sing covers of traditional Greek hits oriented towards the Greek diaspora of Sweden, finally coming in contact with Paparizou, who recommended Panagiotidis; they formed Antique and were signed to newly formed indie label Bonnier Music, settling on the name because it left an impression of being "classic" and "timeless". Paparizou admitted that Greek music had been something of an acquired taste for her, and that the name "Antique" was probably a reflection of her childhood impression of it being something rather distant and old-fashioned; something that she only really associated with her summer holidays in Greece. Their debut single "Opa Opa" became a hit amongst the Greeks in Sweden and eventually entered the top ten in Sweden and Norway, making them the first act to enter into the Swedish top five with a song sung in Greek. Their later singles "Dinata Dinata", "Follow Me", and "Moro Mou" also charted well.
Eurovision Song Contest 2001.
Despite being relatively unknown in Greece, the duo entered the national final to be Greece's representatives in the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 in Copenhagen, Denmark with the song "(I Would) Die for You", written by Nikos Terzis with lyrics by Antonis Pappas, placing joint first, but being named the winners by default as they had won the public vote. The song placed third in the actual contest with 147 points; although equaled by the 2004 entry, it was the best placing Greece had ever received until Paparizou won the contest as a solo artist in 2005. The song went on to become their biggest hit in Greece, reaching Platinum status, while it peaked at number three in Sweden and Greece, and charted elsewhere. Antique's success in the contest led to them earning recognition in Greece and working there for the rest of their career.
In continuation, they recorded four studio albums that achieved mild success, performed a small European tour, and collaborated with artists such as Katy Garbi and Slavi Trifonov. In 2002, they recorded the song "V-Power" in both English and Greek versions. The songs were included on the 14-track promotional album released for Royal Dutch Shell by V2 Records to promote the premium unleaded gasoline product known as "V-Power". Antique disbanded in late 2003 on good terms with both members pursuing solo careers. Elena Paparizou won the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 representing Greece with "My Number One". There are currently no intentions of reuniting the group, although they have both expressed to want to reunite in the future.
2019 reunion.
Antique reunited 16 years after the group's hiatus for a special anniversary concert on July 13, 2019 in Sweden, performing live their greatest hits for Swedish audience. In Cyprus at Super Music Awards, Panagiotidis awarded Paparizou for Best Female Adult artist.
2021.
Helena today had a radio interview in Cretan radio and among other things answered the question we sent to the radio station about the collaboration with Nikos and the reunion of Antique. She said that two summers ago, when it was the 20th anniversary of the creation of Antique, they were invited to several festivals dedicated to the hits of the 90s in Sweden and managed to go to one of them. They both felt very happy on stage singing together after 15 years, in their hometown of Gothenburg, with 30,000 spectators. This fact gave them an incentive to work together again. Elena stated that this is possible but that she wants to meet Nikos face to face so that they can choose the songs they want together. However, she stated that it is something that both Helena and Nikos want and it is expected to happen, but they do not know when.
Awards.
Grammis
Eurovision Song Contest
"Pop Corn" Music Awards
"Planeta TV Music Awards
MAD Video Music Awards