Evridiki Theokleous (Greek: Ευρυδίκη Θεοκλέους), known as simply Evridiki, is a Cypriot singer. She is best known in Europe for representing her home country, Cyprus, in the Eurovision Song Contest three times.
Born in Limassol, she grew up in Nicosia, where she studied at the National Conservatory of Cyprus as a music student. Afterwards, she studied in a number of music schools abroad, including the Le Studio des Variétés in Paris and the Berklee College of Music.
Before Evridiki started releasing music, she already garnered Eurovision experience as a backing singer on three separate occasions in 1983 (for Stavros & Constantina), 1986 (for Elpida), and 1987 (for Alexia). She moved to Athens, Greece in 1989, and collaborated with a number of artists before releasing her debut album in 1991, Gia Proti Fora.
In 1992, she represented Cyprus for the first time with the song Teriazoume, which was well known for Evridiki playing with the camera. After it came eleventh place, she released her next album Missise Me, which became a hit, as well as her most widely-loved album.
In 1994, she represented Cyprus for a second time with the song Ime Anthropos Ki Ego. In comparison to her first entry, it was a dramatic track with lyrics that garnered controversy because of its apparent illusions to the Cypriot problem. Nevertheless, it still came in eleventh place in the competition; that same year, she married Giorgos Theofanous, a songwriter who considered her his muse and worked on their first nine albums until they divorced in 2000.
After the turn of the millennium, Evridiki shifted from a pop sound to a rockier/alternative sound, starting with her 2003 album, Oso Fevgo Gyrizo. Two years later, she released a critically acclaimed album, Sto Idio Vagoni, where she collaborated with the musician Dimitris Korgialas.
Two years later, she represented Cyprus for a third time with the song Comme ci, comme ça, a rock song which was notable for being the first French-language song not performed in a Francophone country. Despite being considered one of the favorites to win, it ended up staying in the semi-final.
Eurovision Song Contest 1992 | |||
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Participants | |||
Serafín Zubiri • Morgane • Dafna Dekel • Aylin Vatankoş • Cleopatra • Kali • Christer Björkman • Dina • Evridiki • Mary Spiteri • Heart 2 Heart • Pave Maijanen • Daisy Auvray • Marion Welter & Kontinent • Tony Wegas • Michael Ball • Linda Martin • Kenny Lübcke & Lotte Nilsson • Mia Martini • Extra Nena • Merethe Trøan • Wind • Humphrey Campbell | |||
Songs | |||
Todo esto es la música • Nous, on veut des violons • Ze Rak Sport • Yaz Bitti • Olou Tou Kosmou I Elpida • Monté la riviè • I morgon är en annan dag • Amor d'água fresca • Teriazoume • Little Child • Nei eða já • Yamma Yamma • Mister Music Man • Sou fräi • Zusammen geh'n • One Step Out Of Time • Why Me? • Alt det som ingen ser • Rapsodia • Ljubim te pesmama • Visjoner • Träume sind für alle da • Wijs me de weg |
Eurovision Song Contest 1994 | |||
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Participants | |||
Marie Bergman & Roger Pontare • CatCat • Paul Harrington & Charlie McGettigan • Evridiki • Sigga • Frances Ruffelle • Tony Cetinski • Sara Tavares • Duilio • Silvi Vrait • Dan Bittman • Chris & Moira • Willeke Alberti • Mekado • Tublatanka • Ovidijus Vyšniauskas • Elisabeth Andreassen & Jan Werner Danielsen • Alma Čardžić & Dejan Lazarević • Kostas Bigalis & The Sea Lovers • Petra Frey • Alejandro Abad • Friderika Bayer • Youddiph • Edyta Górniak • Nina Morato | |||
Songs | |||
Stjärnorna • Bye Bye Baby • Rock 'n' Roll Kids • Ime Anthropos Ki Ego • Nætur • Lonely Symphony (We Will Be Free) • Nek' ti bude ljubav sva • Chamar a música • Sto pregando • Nagu merelaine • Dincolo de nori • More than Love • Waar is de zon? • Wir geben 'ne Party • Nekonečná pieseň • Lopšinė mylimai • Duett • Ostani kraj mene • To trehandiri • Für den Frieden der Welt • Ella no es ella • Kinek mondjam el vétkeimet? • Vechnyy strannik • To nie ja • Je suis un vrai garçon |