Marlain

Marlain Angelidou (born 6 September 1978) is a Greek-Cypriot singer, actress and vocal coach. She gained fame as part of the Greek girl group Hi-5 and represented Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest 1999. Her career spans musical theatre, pop, and rock music, showcasing her versatility as a performer.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Marlain Angelidou was born in Athens and raised internationally before returning to Cyprus as a teenager. She initially pursued science, earning a degree in biochemistry from Imperial College London. While at university, she became involved in student musicals and realized her passion for performance, leading her to complete postgraduate studies in musical theatre at the Royal Academy of Music.

Angelidou made her professional stage debut around 1999, starring in Stavros Sideras’s musical Pygmalion: The True Story in London’s West End. Over 2000–2002 she took leading roles in productions such as Lautrec, Hair, and Elegies, touring across the UK and Europe. She even performed as a soloist at La Scala in Milan for an audience of 11,000 during a musical gala. In 2002, she was one of six finalists in the BBC Radio 2 Voice of Musical Theatre competition in Cardiff, showcasing her talent among the top performers that year.

Eurovision Song Contest 1999

Marlain has a notable Eurovision connection as part of her early career. She participated in Cyprus’s national song contest in 1998. Along with Alexandros Panayi, she was the runner up. Marlain won in 1999 with the song “Tha ’Ne Erotas”. This victory led her to represent Cyprus at the Eurovision Song Contest 1999 in Jerusalem, giving the young singer international exposure on a renowned stage.

Hi-5: Popstar Success

In 2003, Angelides shifted to pop music by entering the Greek reality TV show Popstars. She won a spot in the new girl group Hi-5, which became a chart-topping pop act in Greece. Hi-5’s self-titled debut album went gold and spawned hit singles like “Xero Ti Zitao”. The group released three albums and enjoyed teen idol fame before disbanding amicably in 2005 as the members pursued solo careers.

Rock Music and Theatre Roles

After Hi-5, Marlain returned to rock music and live performance. Between 2005 and 2008 she sang with rock bands at clubs and festivals around Greece. She also took on new stage roles, starring as Stephanie Mangano in an Athens production of Saturday Night Fever. During this period, she toured with Greek rock legend Vassilis Papakonstantinou and pop star Michael Hajiyanni, reaching wider audiences through these collaborations.

Voice Acting and Vocal Coaching

Marlain has also built a career in voice acting and mentoring others. A fan of animation since childhood, she has lent her voice to numerous characters in Greek dubs of Disney and DreamWorks films. Her roles range from Mulan in Mulan II to characters in Kronk’s New Groove and Oliver & Company, demonstrating her vocal versatility beyond singing. She also works as a vocal coach. In fact, she has offered voice lessons to aspiring singers through online platforms and music workshops.

Recent Projects and Present Day

In the 2010s, Marlain expanded her career internationally. By 2013 she relocated to the United States to pursue new opportunities in music and theatre. She became the lead vocalist of Lez Zeppelin, an all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band that tours extensively in the U.S.. Always pushing creative boundaries, she also fronted a progressive metal project called Ascending Dawn and created an electronic rock persona named Cyvella for her original music releases. During the 2020 quarantine, Angelidou wrote and recorded a new EP of original songs, channeling her experiences into this project. She continues to perform and create new music, blending her diverse talents in a career driven by passion and versatility.