ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Yovanna: A Greek Singer and Writer

Yovanna (born Ioánna Fássou Kalpaxí on November 14, 1938) is a renowned Greek singer, writer, and poet known for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965 representing Switzerland. Born into a family with artistic roots, Yovanna's musical journey began at a young age.

Growing up, Yovanna sang in a children's choir and received piano and dance lessons early on. She then pursued singing lessons, eventually training her voice at the Music Academy of Athens. After completing her vocal studies, she debuted as an opera singer before transitioning to entertainment music and adopting the stage name Yovanna. Her breakthrough came after winning the Sopot Festival in 1962 in Poland.

Yovanna's international success was marked by numerous concerts across Europe, including Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Brazil, Turkey, Switzerland, and Cyprus. She gained significant popularity in the former Soviet Union, performing over 150 times accompanied by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra and selling more than one million records. Her song "Tbiliso" became an anthem for the city of Tbilisi, Georgia, leading to her being awarded honorary citizenship in 2010.

In addition to her music career, Yovanna has also made a name for herself as a writer and poet. She has written several books and continues to be active in this field today. Her personal life is marked by marriage to lawyer Dimitris Kalpaxis, with whom she resides.

Yovanna's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965 was notable, particularly given that her song "Non – forever without you" finished eighth out of eighteen entries. This performance cemented her status as a prominent figure in European music and paved the way for her future success.