Kalomoira Saranti
Encyclopedia
Kalomira is a Greek-American singer who has achieved recognition in Greece
and Cyprus
following her participation and win on the Greek talent show Fame Story
. She has released four studio albums, represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
, and hosted various television shows.
, United States
. Known as Carol in America, her parents are Greek restaurant owners Nikolaos (Nick) and Eleni (Helen) Sarantis. She has one sister named Georgia.
Since childhood, Kalomira's dream was to become a pop star. She took part in many extracurricular activities at school including drama productions and musicals. Her favorite instrument was the viola
, which she studied for nine years and played in the school orchestra. She was also Miss West Hempstead (Homecoming Queen) at her high school in 2003 and class president for two consecutive years.
On a tip from her cousin Eleni, she entered and won second place at a music contest organized by WBLI
Radio. Following her appearance, she opened up several live shows with famous American artists, such as Jessica Simpson
, LL Cool J
, Jennifer Love Hewitt
, Michelle Branch
and Nick Lachey
.
auditions for Antenna's
reality singing competition Fame Story 2, which was a licensed variant of the Star Academy
franchise. She was one of two selected from over 200 auditions in New York. Despite speaking primarily English
, and not speaking Greek
fluently, Kalomira went to Greece after having completed one semester of college at Adelphi University
where she was a music major with a scholarship. Kalomira placed first and her professional singing career began.
Kalomira won the contest, earned 200,000 Euros and a recording contract with Heaven Music
.
’s FOCUS from July 8 to August 14. While entertaining audiences by night, she was recording her first album by day. Outside of Greece, Kalomira has appeared on NBC
’s "Today Show" and "Access Hollywood
" during the events of the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
, UPN's Greek Parade where she sang live and was interviewed, Fox News, was in the "Washington Post", "Newsday
" and "New York Times" and most currently featured on Oprah
for her Eurovision Performance, along with a number of other shows and websites. On September 1, 2004, Kalomira released her 15 track first album Kalomira which went gold. She then toured Greece accompanied by the rest of the "Fame Story" participants with appearances in Athens’s "Thalassa". In the same year, she closed her season at the REX studio with Despina Vandi
and Thanos Petrelis
. Kalomira received good reviews from critics and was awarded "Woman of the Year - Best Newcomer" by Life and Style magazine. Also in 2004, she had a minor credited role in the Greek TV drama series I Lampsi, playing the part of Jennifer, where veteran director Nikos Foskolos compared her to Aliki Vougiouklaki
.
In 2005, Kalomira released her second album titled Paizeis?
(You Playing?) with 12 songs, of which two were written and composed by her. She also agreed to appear with Elli Kokkinou
, Andreas Stamos and Constantinos Christoforou
at the Piraeus 130 music club. In her program, she included covers of songs such as "Scandalous," "Don't Cha" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart," in addition to songs from her first and second albums. On April 11, 2005 she was a special guest on the first live concert of the first season of Star Academy Bulgaria
.
In the fall of 2006, Kalomira became the female co-hostess on the hit Sunday night show Pio Poli Tin Kiriaki
alongside with Grigoris Arnaoutoglou
on Mega Channel
. In December, she released her third CD I Kalomira Paei Cinema (Kalomira Goes to the Cinema). It features songs from classic Greek movies which Kalomira re-vamped.
At the end of 2007, Heaven Music
chose Kalomira to be their contestant in the 2008 National Final
to represent Greece
in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
. Kalomira picked an R&B style upbeat song with a Greek feel composed by Konstantinos Pantzis with lyrics by Poseidonas Giannopoulos titled "Secret Combination
". The song has an "American production" feel to it. On February 27, 2008, Kalomira won the National Final with "Secret Combination" and represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
. To promote the song, Kalomira had a pre-Eurovision tour and visited several Eurovision countries throughout March and April.
In the first semi-final, held on May 20, 2008, Kalomira fared well coming in first place while at the Eurovision final, on May 24, she came in third behind Russia
and Ukraine
with 218 points. In an interview with Eleni Menegaki
, she said that her Eurovision participation was the biggest thing that she has done in her career, and that it was also one of the most personal events in her life that will always be remembered with good memories. When asked if she expected to do so well in the competition, she stated that she had always wanted to do well, but above all she wanted the Greek people to be proud of the performance regardless of how well it did. In the same interview, host Eleni Menegaki stated that for her as well as many others, it was one of the most defining points in their view of Kalomira's career to date. This was due to the fact that it displayed her as more of a mature professional performer, distancing her from the innocent little girl image people had associated her with after her participation in Fame Story
.
Kalomira announced on her online diary that she recorded her new album during September and October 2007 in Greece. The album, named Secret Combination the Album
, was released on May 29, 2008 and contained songs in both Greek
and English, including her Eurovision entry "Secret Combination
". There is also a bonus rap remix of "Secret Combination" by Master Tempo. The writers are Konstantinos Pantzis, Tasos Vougiatzis and Sunny X.
Kalomira had been in New York for months after Eurovision because of her sister's baby and did not do any promotion for the new album. Later, in an interview with Downtown Magazine, Kalomira's father stated that she was treated "like dirt" by Heaven Music
and that she may or may not continue her singing career, but that it was up to her, and she will make her decision some time in August. In response, Makis Pounentis, CEO of Heaven Music, claimed that he was surprised by Kalomira's remarks and couldn't offer an explanation, though he did say that her contract would be honored should she choose to go back and sing again. Despite the rumors claiming that Kalomira had quit singing, she once again returned to the music industry. After a concert upon her return to Greece, she began hosting the Greek version of the game show Big in Japan
which took place in Japan and featured 12 contestants.
In 2009, Kalomira performed at various Greek clubs in North America. Some of her concerts included New York City
on April 26, Los Angeles
on June 25, and Toronto
on June 27. She later performed in San Francisco on November 8.
She was also set to return to a TV hosting role, this time for Greek Idol
on Alpha TV
, but Anta Livitsanou
later took her place.
Also in January, Kalomira also announced via her Twitter
that she was in the studio recording new music. It was rumored that the single would likely be her last collaboration with Heaven Music
as she had decided not to renew her contract upon its lapse in June 2010, adding that she was considering signing instead with songwriter Phoebus
' newly founded label
. However in March 2010, Kalomira renewed her contract with Heaven Music. Her next single is called "Please Don't Break My Heart
" which will feature American
rapper, Fatman Scoop
. The video was filmed in Turkey and the song premiered on Rythmos 94.9. In mid 2010, Kalomira was planning to release her fifth full-length studio album. Apart from her new single, she also performed in a concert at FUZZ club on May 8.
and Cyprus
.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
following her participation and win on the Greek talent show Fame Story
Fame Story
Fame Story was a Greek reality TV show that was a licensed version of Endemol's Star Academy on the ANT1 network. It has been one of the most successful Greek TV shows over the last years. The contestants gave a weekly performance in a 2½–3 hour episode in which the contestants were judged...
. She has released four studio albums, represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Greece entered the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Secret Combination", written by Konstantinos Pantzis with lyrics by Poseidonas Giannopoulos. The song was performed by Kalomoira, an American singer of Greek descent who had previously won a Greek talent show...
, and hosted various television shows.
Early life
Kalomira, was born Maria Kalomira Carol Sarantis on January 31, 1985 in West Hempstead, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Known as Carol in America, her parents are Greek restaurant owners Nikolaos (Nick) and Eleni (Helen) Sarantis. She has one sister named Georgia.
Since childhood, Kalomira's dream was to become a pop star. She took part in many extracurricular activities at school including drama productions and musicals. Her favorite instrument was the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, which she studied for nine years and played in the school orchestra. She was also Miss West Hempstead (Homecoming Queen) at her high school in 2003 and class president for two consecutive years.
On a tip from her cousin Eleni, she entered and won second place at a music contest organized by WBLI
WBLI
WBLI is a Top 40 music formatted radio station which mainly serves Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. It can also be heard in the Hudson Valley, the South Shore of Connecticut, and the Jersey Shore...
Radio. Following her appearance, she opened up several live shows with famous American artists, such as Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
, Michelle Branch
Michelle Branch
Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and actress. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, and was subsequently nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2003...
and Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
.
Fame Story
Kalomira entered the New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
auditions for Antenna's
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
reality singing competition Fame Story 2, which was a licensed variant of the Star Academy
Star Academy
Star Academy is a highly successful television show format based on the Spanish format "Operación Triunfo" produced by Endemol, that has been broadcast in over 50 countries...
franchise. She was one of two selected from over 200 auditions in New York. Despite speaking primarily English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and not speaking Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
fluently, Kalomira went to Greece after having completed one semester of college at Adelphi University
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
where she was a music major with a scholarship. Kalomira placed first and her professional singing career began.
Kalomira won the contest, earned 200,000 Euros and a recording contract with Heaven Music
Heaven Music
Heaven Music is an independent record label in Athens, Greece, founded in 2001 by ANT1 Group. It is known for signing new and young artists.-Overview:...
.
List of Fame Story Songs
- Intro - "Μία φορά και ένα καιρόArhizo PolemoArhizo Polemo is an album by Greek singer Katy Garbi. It was released in May 1996 by Sony Music Greece and went three times Platinum in Greece, selling over 180,000 units in 1996. In 1997, Arhizo Polemo was the second best selling album of the year following Anna Vissi's Travma...
" (Once up on a time) - Week 1 - "Stand by MeStand by Me (song)"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, based on the spiritual "Lord Stand by Me,", plus two lines rooted in Psalms 46:2-3...
" duet with Giorgos Hristou - Week 2 - "H Γκαρσόνα" (The Waitress) duet with Savvina
- Week 3 - "Γατούλα" (Pussycat)
- Week 4 - "Ανάβεις φωτιές" (You are lighting fires) duet with Maro Lytra
- Week 5 - "Dancing QueenDancing Queen"Dancing Queen" is a pop song recorded by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was released in August 1976, but was first performed two months earlier, on 18 June 1976, during a Royal Variety Show in Stockholm the evening before the Swedish royal wedding. It was the follow-up single to the hit "Fernando"...
" duet with Giorgos Hristou - Week 6 - "Woman In LoveWoman in Love"Woman in Love" is a popular song performed by Barbra Streisand and taken from her 1980 album, Guilty. The song was written by Barry and Robin Gibb of The Bee Gees....
" duet with Maro Lytra - Week 7 - "Ένα πρωινό" (One morning)
- Week 8 - "La Isla BonitaLa Isla Bonita"La Isla Bonita" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fifth and final single from her third studio album, True Blue, on February 25, 1987, by Sire Records. Originally written as a lament, the song was first offered to Michael Jackson before Madonna accepted it...
" - Week 9 - "Gucci των Μασάι" (Masai's Gucci) duet with Nikos Mihas
- Week 10 - "Γιατί Φοβάσαι" (Why Are You Afraid)
- Week 11 - "Περιττός" (Unnecessary)
- Week 12 - "Oops!... I Did It AgainOops!... I Did It Again (song)"Oops!... I Did It Again" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin and Rami for Spears' second studio album, Oops!... I Did It Again . It was released on March 27, 2000 by Jive Records, as the first single from the album. "Oops!.....
" - Week 13 - "Εϊ Καζανόβα" ("Hey Cazanova")
- Finale - "Express Yourself"
2004–2006: The first albums
Kalomira performed in ThessalonikiThessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
’s FOCUS from July 8 to August 14. While entertaining audiences by night, she was recording her first album by day. Outside of Greece, Kalomira has appeared on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
’s "Today Show" and "Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood
Access Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
" during the events of the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, UPN's Greek Parade where she sang live and was interviewed, Fox News, was in the "Washington Post", "Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
" and "New York Times" and most currently featured on Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
for her Eurovision Performance, along with a number of other shows and websites. On September 1, 2004, Kalomira released her 15 track first album Kalomira which went gold. She then toured Greece accompanied by the rest of the "Fame Story" participants with appearances in Athens’s "Thalassa". In the same year, she closed her season at the REX studio with Despina Vandi
Despina Vandi
Despina Malea , known by her stage name Despina Vandi , is a Greek singer. Born in Tübingen near Stuttgart, West Germany, Vandi's family returned to Kavala, Greece when she was six years old and she later enrolled at the University of Thessaloniki, but eventually dropped out to begin a career in...
and Thanos Petrelis
Thanos Petrelis
Athanasios Petrelis is a popular singer. He has released four albums and several singles.-Fame Story:...
. Kalomira received good reviews from critics and was awarded "Woman of the Year - Best Newcomer" by Life and Style magazine. Also in 2004, she had a minor credited role in the Greek TV drama series I Lampsi, playing the part of Jennifer, where veteran director Nikos Foskolos compared her to Aliki Vougiouklaki
Aliki Vougiouklaki
Aliki Vougiouklaki was a Greek actress. She is considered as one of the most popular and successful actresses of Greek cinema.-Biography:...
.
In 2005, Kalomira released her second album titled Paizeis?
Paizeis?
Paizeis? is the second album by the popular Greek-American artist Kalomira that was released on November 29, 2005 by Heaven Music.-Track listing:# "Ki Olo Perimeno" – 3:55...
(You Playing?) with 12 songs, of which two were written and composed by her. She also agreed to appear with Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou is a Greek singer who was born in Athens, Greece. Kokkinou is among the most popular singers in Greece today. She has performed together with Greek music stars such as Anna Vissi, Glykeria, Paschalis Terzis, Sakis Rouvas, Tolis Voskopoulos, Thanos Petrelis, Natassa Theodoridou,...
, Andreas Stamos and Constantinos Christoforou
Constantinos Christoforou
Constantinos Christoforou, Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Χριστοφόρου , is a very famous Cypriot singer. He has sung for Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest on three occasions, in 1996, 2002 and 2005.-The Years In Cyprus:...
at the Piraeus 130 music club. In her program, she included covers of songs such as "Scandalous," "Don't Cha" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart," in addition to songs from her first and second albums. On April 11, 2005 she was a special guest on the first live concert of the first season of Star Academy Bulgaria
Star Academy Bulgaria
Star Academy was a Bulgarian reality television show produced by the Dutch company Endemol, based on the Spanish format called Operación Triunfo. It consisted of a contest of young singers. It was broadcasted on Nova Television...
.
In the fall of 2006, Kalomira became the female co-hostess on the hit Sunday night show Pio Poli Tin Kiriaki
Pio Poli Tin Kiriaki
Poly Tin Kyriaki , later known as Pio Poli Tin Kiriaki is a Greek entertainment show on Mega Channel, hosted by showman Grigoris Arnaoutoglou and Marietta Hroussala and later Kalomoira....
alongside with Grigoris Arnaoutoglou
Grigoris Arnaoutoglou
Grigoris Arnaoutoglou , also spelled as Gregory or Gregoris Arnaoutoglou, is a Greek television host. Since 2003, he was the host of Mega Channel's morning daily entertaining show, Omorfos Kosmos to proi...
on Mega Channel
Mega Channel
Mega Channel, also known as Mega TV or just Mega, is a major television network in Greece. Teletypos S.A. was founded in 1989 under the name Teletypos Television Programmes S.A...
. In December, she released her third CD I Kalomira Paei Cinema (Kalomira Goes to the Cinema). It features songs from classic Greek movies which Kalomira re-vamped.
2007–2009: Eurovision and new single
Heaven Music
Heaven Music is an independent record label in Athens, Greece, founded in 2001 by ANT1 Group. It is known for signing new and young artists.-Overview:...
chose Kalomira to be their contestant in the 2008 National Final
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Greece entered the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Secret Combination", written by Konstantinos Pantzis with lyrics by Poseidonas Giannopoulos. The song was performed by Kalomoira, an American singer of Greek descent who had previously won a Greek talent show...
to represent Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Eurovision Song Contest 2008
The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008...
. Kalomira picked an R&B style upbeat song with a Greek feel composed by Konstantinos Pantzis with lyrics by Poseidonas Giannopoulos titled "Secret Combination
Secret Combination (song)
"Secret Combination" is a song and CD single by Greek singer Kalomira. It was Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the first single released from Kalomira's fourth studio album titled Secret Combination the Album. It earned third place in the Eurovision final, finishing behind...
". The song has an "American production" feel to it. On February 27, 2008, Kalomira won the National Final with "Secret Combination" and represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008
Greece entered the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 with the song "Secret Combination", written by Konstantinos Pantzis with lyrics by Poseidonas Giannopoulos. The song was performed by Kalomoira, an American singer of Greek descent who had previously won a Greek talent show...
. To promote the song, Kalomira had a pre-Eurovision tour and visited several Eurovision countries throughout March and April.
In the first semi-final, held on May 20, 2008, Kalomira fared well coming in first place while at the Eurovision final, on May 24, she came in third behind Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
with 218 points. In an interview with Eleni Menegaki
Eleni Menegaki
Eleni Menegaki is a Greek film, television and stage actress and talk show presenter. In 2010, Forbes ranked Menegaki as the second most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece and top-ranked female.- 1...
, she said that her Eurovision participation was the biggest thing that she has done in her career, and that it was also one of the most personal events in her life that will always be remembered with good memories. When asked if she expected to do so well in the competition, she stated that she had always wanted to do well, but above all she wanted the Greek people to be proud of the performance regardless of how well it did. In the same interview, host Eleni Menegaki stated that for her as well as many others, it was one of the most defining points in their view of Kalomira's career to date. This was due to the fact that it displayed her as more of a mature professional performer, distancing her from the innocent little girl image people had associated her with after her participation in Fame Story
Fame Story
Fame Story was a Greek reality TV show that was a licensed version of Endemol's Star Academy on the ANT1 network. It has been one of the most successful Greek TV shows over the last years. The contestants gave a weekly performance in a 2½–3 hour episode in which the contestants were judged...
.
Kalomira announced on her online diary that she recorded her new album during September and October 2007 in Greece. The album, named Secret Combination the Album
Secret Combination the Album
Secret Combination: The Album is the fourth studio album by Greek American singer Kalomira which was released at the end of May 2008 by Heaven Music. The album has 12 tracks written by Konstantinos Pantzis, Tasos Vougiatzis and Sunny X....
, was released on May 29, 2008 and contained songs in both Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and English, including her Eurovision entry "Secret Combination
Secret Combination (song)
"Secret Combination" is a song and CD single by Greek singer Kalomira. It was Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the first single released from Kalomira's fourth studio album titled Secret Combination the Album. It earned third place in the Eurovision final, finishing behind...
". There is also a bonus rap remix of "Secret Combination" by Master Tempo. The writers are Konstantinos Pantzis, Tasos Vougiatzis and Sunny X.
Kalomira had been in New York for months after Eurovision because of her sister's baby and did not do any promotion for the new album. Later, in an interview with Downtown Magazine, Kalomira's father stated that she was treated "like dirt" by Heaven Music
Heaven Music
Heaven Music is an independent record label in Athens, Greece, founded in 2001 by ANT1 Group. It is known for signing new and young artists.-Overview:...
and that she may or may not continue her singing career, but that it was up to her, and she will make her decision some time in August. In response, Makis Pounentis, CEO of Heaven Music, claimed that he was surprised by Kalomira's remarks and couldn't offer an explanation, though he did say that her contract would be honored should she choose to go back and sing again. Despite the rumors claiming that Kalomira had quit singing, she once again returned to the music industry. After a concert upon her return to Greece, she began hosting the Greek version of the game show Big in Japan
I Survived a Japanese Game Show
I Survived a Japanese Game Show is an American reality show that saw its first season premiere on ABC June 24, 2008. The show followed a group of Americans, who leave the United States for Japan where they competed in a Japanese style game show. The winner takes home US $250,000...
which took place in Japan and featured 12 contestants.
In 2009, Kalomira performed at various Greek clubs in North America. Some of her concerts included New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on April 26, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on June 25, and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
on June 27. She later performed in San Francisco on November 8.
2010–present: New single
In January 2010, it was announced that Kalomira would be featured in a series of advertisements as the main spokesperson promoting Dominos Pizza in Greece.She was also set to return to a TV hosting role, this time for Greek Idol
Greek Idol
Greek Idol is a reality television competition to find new solo singing talent. Part of the Idol franchise, it is based on the British show Pop Idol created by Simon Fuller. The first season of the show debut on March 5, 2010 on Alpha TV. The second season is scheduled to premiere on 19 February 2011...
on Alpha TV
Alpha TV
Alpha TV is a Greek terrestrial channel . The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on entertainment programs. The studios are located near Athens...
, but Anta Livitsanou
Anta Livitsanou
Anta Livitsanou is a Greek actress. She is best known for her role as Lola in Lola, the Greek edition of the television series Lalola....
later took her place.
Also in January, Kalomira also announced via her Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
that she was in the studio recording new music. It was rumored that the single would likely be her last collaboration with Heaven Music
Heaven Music
Heaven Music is an independent record label in Athens, Greece, founded in 2001 by ANT1 Group. It is known for signing new and young artists.-Overview:...
as she had decided not to renew her contract upon its lapse in June 2010, adding that she was considering signing instead with songwriter Phoebus
Phoebus (songwriter)
Phoebus sometimes spelled Phivos or Fivos , is a well-known songwriter in both Greece and Cyprus. Phoebus is mostly known for his music through Despina Vandi and Katy Garbi, although he has composed albums for many other artists in Greece and Cyprus...
' newly founded label
The Spicy Effect
The Spicy Effect, commonly referred to as Spicy, is a Greek independent record label founded in 2009 by songwriter and record producer Phoebus, in association with the investment arm of Nea Tileorasi.-Overview:...
. However in March 2010, Kalomira renewed her contract with Heaven Music. Her next single is called "Please Don't Break My Heart
Please Don't Break My Heart
"Please Don't Break My Heart" is a song by Greek Pop singer Kalomoira, featuring American rapper Fatman Scoop. It serves as first single from her upcoming studio album and was released as a digital download on May 1, 2010. The song was produced by Toni Cottura....
" which will feature American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper, Fatman Scoop
Fatman Scoop
Isaac Freeman III, better known by his stage name Fatman Scoop is a hip hop promoter and radio personality famed for his on-stage rough, raw, loud voice....
. The video was filmed in Turkey and the song premiered on Rythmos 94.9. In mid 2010, Kalomira was planning to release her fifth full-length studio album. Apart from her new single, she also performed in a concert at FUZZ club on May 8.
Personal life
In a 2008 interview for the magazine Tahidromos, Kalomira posed in her parents' restaurant and admitted that she became engaged to Greek-American George Bousalis and that she is planning to get married sometime in 2010. Later Kalomira confirmed that she would get married in the United States near where she grew up on September 26, 2010. She further stated that she planned to hold a big party in Greece after the wedding for all her Greek friends who would be unable to make it to the United States. Kalomira married George Bousalis on September 26, 2010 at Saint Paul Greek Orthodox Cathdral in Hempstead, New York.Discography
All the albums listed underneath were released and charted in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Kalomira | Gold |
| 2005 | Paizeis? Paizeis? Paizeis? is the second album by the popular Greek-American artist Kalomira that was released on November 29, 2005 by Heaven Music.-Track listing:# "Ki Olo Perimeno" – 3:55... |
|
| 2006 | I Kalomira Paei Cinema (Kalomira Goes To The Cinema) | |
| 2008 | Secret Combination the Album Secret Combination the Album Secret Combination: The Album is the fourth studio album by Greek American singer Kalomira which was released at the end of May 2008 by Heaven Music. The album has 12 tracks written by Konstantinos Pantzis, Tasos Vougiatzis and Sunny X.... |
|
| 2011 | Untitled studio album |
CD Singles
| Year | Title | Album/CD Single | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Gine Mazi Mou Paidi Gine Mazi Mou Paidi "Gine Mazi Mou Paidi" is a song written by Thanos Papanikolaou in 2006 specifically to raise money for a fundraiser οrganized by ANT1 TV. Many popular presenters, actors, singers and others from the radio station "Rythmos 94.9" participated to the fundraiser to help raise money for the poor and... " |
"Gine Mazi Mou Paidi Gine Mazi Mou Paidi "Gine Mazi Mou Paidi" is a song written by Thanos Papanikolaou in 2006 specifically to raise money for a fundraiser οrganized by ANT1 TV. Many popular presenters, actors, singers and others from the radio station "Rythmos 94.9" participated to the fundraiser to help raise money for the poor and... " |
Fundraiser for the poor and disabled of Greece |
| 2008 | "Secret Combination Secret Combination (song) "Secret Combination" is a song and CD single by Greek singer Kalomira. It was Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the first single released from Kalomira's fourth studio album titled Secret Combination the Album. It earned third place in the Eurovision final, finishing behind... " |
"Secret Combination Secret Combination (song) "Secret Combination" is a song and CD single by Greek singer Kalomira. It was Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 and the first single released from Kalomira's fourth studio album titled Secret Combination the Album. It earned third place in the Eurovision final, finishing behind... " and Secret Combination the Album Secret Combination the Album Secret Combination: The Album is the fourth studio album by Greek American singer Kalomira which was released at the end of May 2008 by Heaven Music. The album has 12 tracks written by Konstantinos Pantzis, Tasos Vougiatzis and Sunny X.... |
The Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008 Eurovision Song Contest 2008 The Eurovision Song Contest 2008 was the 53rd edition of the Contest. It was hosted in Belgrade, Serbia after Marija Šerifović won the 2007 Contest in Helsinki, Finland. This year was the first contest to have two semi-finals which were held on 20 and 22 May, and the final held on 24 May 2008... |
| 2010 | "Please Don't Break My Heart" | "Please Don't Break My Heart" | Features US rapper Fatman Scoop Fatman Scoop Isaac Freeman III, better known by his stage name Fatman Scoop is a hip hop promoter and radio personality famed for his on-stage rough, raw, loud voice.... |
| 2010 | "I Do" | "I Do" | Released as a one track single with "Perfect Wedding" magazine |
| 2011 | "This Is The Time" | "This Is The Time - Digital Single" | Released along a music video with Kalomira's appearances in many scenes |
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
Europe Europe Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting... |
Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... |
Turkey Turkey Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe... |
Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark... |
Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark... |
||
| 2008 | "Secret Combination" | 1 | 1 | 71 | 67 | 46 | 18 | 38 | 29 | 17 |
Video albums
| Year | Title | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Kalomira Special Karaoke Edition
|
Music Videos
- "Nomizeis"
- "Petheno Gia Sena"
- "Proti mou Fora"
- "Paizeis"
- "Ki Olo Perimeno"
- "Medley ("Crazy Girl", "Mambo", "Riko Riko Rikoko" (T'Agori Mou), "Thelo Ta Opa Mou")
- "Secret Combination"
- "Please Don't Break My Heart" (Kalomira feat. Fat Man Scoop)
- "This Is The Time"
Guest appearances
- "Do What You Wanna Do" - ("59's Finest - The Five Nine Ep") (2004)
- "Teleftea Efkairia" - (Single by "Filoi Gia Panta") (2007)