Eleni Foureira

Greek singer

Eleni Foureira (born Entela Fureraj on 7 March 1987) is a Greek singer and dancer from Albania.[1] From 2007 to 2009 she was a member of the Greek girl group Mystique. She has released five albums in her career.

Eleni Foureira
Foureira in 2024
Born
Entela Fureraj

7 March 1987
NationalityAlbanian
CitizenshipGreek (naturalised)
Years active2007–present
PartnerAlberto Botía (2017–present)
Children1

Early life

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Entela Fureraj was born in Fier, Albania in 1987. Her family moved to Greece in 1997 due to conflict in Albania.

Eurovision Song Contest

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Foureira tried several times to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest during her career. In 2018, she was selected to represent Cyprus in Eurovision 2018 with the song "Fuego".[2][3] She placed second in the Grand Final, finishing behind "Toy" by Netta Barzilai from Israel.[4] Foureira has performed as a guest at the 2019 and 2024 contests,

Television appearances

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Foureira has made television appearances as a celebrity judge on Greek/Cypriot television shows. She has also performed on various shows and also presented House of Fame: La Academia in 2021.

Personal life

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She has been in a relationship with Spanish footballer Alberto Botía. They have a son together.

Nationality

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There have been questions about her nationality since the beginning of her career. She originally claimed she was Greek. In 2013, it was discovered Foureira was Albanian (her family moved to Greece when she was four due to the Albanian Civil War).[5] In 2018, she said that she became a Greek citizen through descent, as her grandfather was Greek.

Sources

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  1. "Eleni Foureira – Biografia" (in Albanian). Tekste Shqip. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  2. Farren, Neil (1 February 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira Officially Confirmed for Eurovision 2018". Eurovoix.
  3. Jiandani, Sanjay (1 February 2018). "Cyprus: Eleni Foureira to Lisbon!". ESCToday.
  4. Kelly, Helen (2018-05-13). "Eurovision 2018 winner: Israel wins Eurovision Song Contest with Netta Barzilai". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
  5. "Ελένη Φουρέιρα: "Έχω πάρει πολλές φορές πράγματα από τα σκουπίδια"(ΒΙΝΤΕΟ)". Alpha News (in Greek). 19 March 2018. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.