Tamta will represent Cyprus at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv with her song “Replay”. It’s yet another banging entry from the island nation seeking its first victory after 35 years of participation.
Tamta was internally selected by the Cypriot broadcaster CyBC in December last year. It is the fourth consecutive contest that the network has gone in-house. In 2018, the process paid dividends with Eleni Foureira’s “Fuego” securing the country its best ever result. Tamta will work with much of the same team, including songwriter and producer Alex P and creative director Sacha Jean-Baptiste.
As Tel Aviv draws ever closer, here are 10 facts about Tamta. Let’s do this!
1. She was born and raised in Georgia
Tamta Goduadze might be a stalwart on the Greek music scene, but she was actually born and raised in Georgia. She attended Tbilisi State University but moved to Greece at the age of 22. She joined her brother and mother, who had moved to Greece years earlier for housekeeping work.
2. She has a 24-year-old daughter, Annie
No, we’re not kidding! The beautiful, youthful and stunning Tamta is actually a very yummy mummy to a 24-year-old daughter. Tamta married her 16-year-old former-husband when she was 14, shortly after giving birth to her daughter Annie. And while Annie appears to stay out of the spotlight, there’s no doubt that the two clearly share the beauty gene, along with Tamta’s own mother.
3. She went from housekeeper to Idol runner-up
Shortly after her move to Greece, Tamta assisted her mother with housekeeping work. That experience led her to audition for Super Idol, Greece’s version of Idol in 2003, helping her secure a residency permit in Greece. She went on to finish second on the show — an amazing feat considering she only auditioned on a recommendation from a family she was housekeeping for.
4. She tried Eurovision before
Tamta has had several missed opportunities to represent Greece and Cyprus at the contest. She placed third in the 2007 Greek national final with her ballad “With Love”. In 2008, she expressed her wishes to represent Cyprus at the 2009 contest, which led the Greek broadcaster to consider her as an internal selection before choosing Sakis Rouvas. She also contemplated Greece’s national selection in 2015 but missed the deadline.
5. She was offered the chance to sing “Fuego”
“Fuego” started as a hot potato for CyBC’s internal selection in 2018. While we all know the song eventually became Eleni Foureira’s musical renaissance and living meme, Tamta recently revealed that she was originally offered the track and a spot for Cyprus in 2018. But she couldn’t commit due to scheduling conflicts. Eurovision 2005 winner Helena Paparizou also turned down the song, saying it didn’t feel right to return to the contest.
6. She’s been a judge on Greek and Georgian X Factor
The Georgian-Greek singer has spread her talents and nurtured new ones in both her homeland and adopted country. She was a judge on the Georgian version of The X Factor from 2014 to 2015, before moving to the Greek adaptation in 2016 to 2017. She returned to the Georgian version in 2018. She casts herself as the ‘sweet but honest’ judge, saying that sometimes it can be difficult to balance critique with love.
7. She prefers sushi over pizza
Which probably explains how she keeps her figure so enviably fit. When asked about this tricky choice, she adamantly chose the Japanese cuisine over the Italian staple. “Of course sushi — yeah! I’m not a pizza kind of girl”.
8. She’s a weave queen
Just one look at Tamta’s Instagram will leave your wig snatched. The singer rocks her ‘new hair, don’t care’ attitude across her hundreds of stunning modelling shots, including a child-like pink bob and a shoulder-length purple number. Sometimes, she even keeps it au natural — even turning her gorgeous natural golden locks into some serious dreads. The hairography is real.
9. She’s a fashion icon
Tamta released her first clothing collection with Atrattivo called Attrativo X Tamta for its winter collection in 2018. She gave wiwibloggs an impromptu but oh-so-stunning catwalk in our exclusive interview with the superstar earlier this year — combining a sharp blazer with a high-waist denim jean. Sissy that walk.
10. She’ll always be a mother first
In a recent sit-down interview, she spoke about how her life often revolves around her career, with evening gym routines built around her work. But she makes it known that, without question, her greatest accomplishment is her daughter Annie – who will always be priority number one. She even calls herself a mommy to her four Eurovision backup dancers. “It makes me proud. I’m Mum first, after all the rest. My mother helped me a lot with my daughter. I could not do it differently. When I started my career, my daughter was already eight-years-old, which somehow made it easier for me.”
Will Tamta replay Cyprus’ fortunes with a top-tier finish in Tel Aviv? How do you think she will perform? Let us know in the comments below!
Read more Eurovision 2019 artist facts here.
I feel so uncomfortable reading that she was a mom at 14. No girl should have to go through that.
Tamta the real feminist Queen of Eurovision.
So struggle had a daughter for 24 years now.
I really don’t feel comfortable with this article trivializing the fact that she was a child bride and mother. This is a very serious issue still affecting millions of girls around the world.
How is it possible to be a mom at 14?
She was “kidnapped” by her soon to be husband in Georgia around that age. It’s a tradition that hopefully will die out soon, but that’s how it happened. They had to get on with it and she became a mother at an extremely young age
Well, in general she has said she didn’t feel violated or something, which is a bit relieving, but still sad.
Disgusting. I love Georgia but seriously, this tradition is disgusting
How cute she was as a child. So lovely 🙂
Being a mother at 14 must have been very hard, I truly respect her for what she has achieved.
24 years old daughter?? OMG how beautiful!!! Where can I see her photos??
I just loved her ever since her single “Egoista”; one of the few better remakes out there (the original is by Spanish/Mexican singer Belinda). Tamta gave it more spice and flavour IMHO. That single proved that she could manage all on her own, without a singer like Sakis Rouvas (“Tharros I Alitheia”).
Love her! 😀
Your point? She is an amazing example of surpassing all this, imo.
Tamta is adorable and very talented,no doubt,but ”replay” is very mediocre and boring as song…nothing new unfortunately the shadow of Eleni Foureira is over her….