Despina Vandi
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Despina Vandi - ΣΤΑ 'ΔΩΣΑ ΟΛΑΑ ( el, Δέσποινα Βανδή, ), born as Despina Malea () on 22 July 1969, is a Greek singer. Born in
Tübingen Tübingen (, , Swabian: ''Dibenga'') is a traditional university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer rivers. about one in thr ...
near
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, Vandi's family returned to
Kavala Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the Egnat ...
, Greece when she was six years old. After moving to
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
in the early 1990s, Vandi signed with
Minos EMI Minos EMI is a record company based in Athens, Greece. The company serves as the Greek record label and offices of the multinational Universal Music Group. EMI is credited for founding the record business in Greece in the 1930s, by producing th ...
and released two albums ''
Gela Mou ''Gela Mou'' (Greek: ''Γέλα Μου''; English: ''Smile for me'') is the first studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece in 1994 by Minos EMI. It includes her very first mass hits "Gela mou", "Den Iparhi Tipota" and ...
'' (1994) and '' Esena Perimeno'' (1996). She then began an exclusive collaboration with
songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
/ producer
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
and struck commercial success with her third album, ''
Deka Endoles ''Deka Entoles'' (Greek: ''Δέκα Εντολές''; English: ''Ten orders'') is the third studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece in 1997 by Minos EMI and was her first album to be certified, reaching platinum sta ...
'' (1997), followed by the multi-platinum ''
Profities Profiteies (''trans.'' Προφητείες; Prophecies) is the fourth studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece οn 8 December 1999 by Minos EMI and in Arabian countries by EMI Arabia in 2000. It was certified gold t ...
'' (1999), as she established a more "pop" stage performance style and image, becoming one of the most prominent artists of the laïko/pop genre. Her single "
Ipofero Ipofero (''trans.'' Υποφέρω; I Suffer) is the second EP by Greek artist Despina Vandi. It was released on 13 December 2000 by Minos EMI and certified six times platinum in Greece, selling 120,000 units. It was entirely written by Phoebus ...
" (2000) became the best-selling single of all-time in Greece. Following Phoebus' departure from Minos EMI, Vandi followed him to the newly formed independent label
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 During its first five years of operation under the control of George Levendis, Heaven Music was ...
and released ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' (2001), which became and remains her biggest commercial success, as well as one of the best-selling albums of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Vandi also released the album abroad and the self-titled single "
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
", topping the US ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Hot Dance Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...
and making her the first Greek artist to top a ''Billboard'' chart. She returned with ''
Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou ''Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou'' ( el, Στην Αυλή Του Παράδεισου) is the sixth studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece on 24 November 2004 by Heaven Music and certified platinum, selling over 40,000 un ...
'' (2004), which was certified multi-platinum and became her fourth album to achieve six-figure sales. In 2007 ''
10 Hronia Mazi ''10 H.M.'' (Short for ''10 Hronia Mazi'', Greek: ''10 Χρόνια Μαζί''; English: ''10 Years Together'') is an album released by Greek singer Despina Vandi starting on December 6, 2007. It is her 12th album from the beginning of her career, ...
'', a ten-year celebration of her collaboration with Phoebus was released, followed by her eighth studio album ''
C'est La Vie C'est la vie may refer to: * C'est la vie (phrase), ''C'est la vie'' (phrase), a French phrase, translated as "That's life" Books * C'est la Vie (comic strip), ''C'est la Vie'' (comic strip), an English-language comic strip by Jennifer Babcock * ...
''. In 2012 she released the album '' Allaxa'', which was certified 2× platinum sales and has been her first double platinum record since 2005. Vandi has won three
Arion Music Awards The Arion Music Awards (Greek : ''Μουσικά Βραβεία Αρίων'') were the Greek music industry's awards program from 2002 to 2007. The organizer was IFPI along with Mega Channel (2002–06) and ANT1 (2007). The awards were named after ...
, ten MAD Video Music Awards, seven Pop Corn Music Awards, and a
World Music Award The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...
, becoming the first Greek artist recording in Greece to ever win the award. On 14 March 2010,
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by Alp ...
ranked Vandi the fourth top-certified Greek female artist in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960), with 11 records having been certified platinum or multi-platinum and three gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Greece.''Chart Show: Your Countdown''.
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by Alp ...
. Airdate: 14 March 2010
According to Heaven Music, as of 2007, Vandi has sold one million records in Greece. In the aftermath of her success, Vandi gained the title of the "queen" of Greek music. From 2013 to 2015, she was one of the four artists/coaches participating in the Greek version of ''
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
'' called ''
The Voice of Greece ''The Voice of Greece'' is a Greek television talent show created by John de Mol and based on the concept ''The Voice of Holland''. It is part of an international series. It began airing on ANT1 on January 10, 2014, and the final of second seaso ...
''. And she was one of the four artists/coaches in Rising Star in 2016.


Life and career


Early years (''Gela mou'' & ''Esena Perimeno'' 1994–96)

Vandi's first album was released in 1994 under the Minos EMI label, titled ''
Gela Mou ''Gela Mou'' (Greek: ''Γέλα Μου''; English: ''Smile for me'') is the first studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece in 1994 by Minos EMI. It includes her very first mass hits "Gela mou", "Den Iparhi Tipota" and ...
'' (Smile at Me).
/ref> The album was distinguished by the self-titled song "Gela Mou", as long as by the song "Den iparhi tipota" and her duet ''To Adieksodo'' (No Way Out) with the popular and acclaimed singer
Giannis Parios Yiannis Parios ( el, Γιάννης Πάριος) is a Greek singer, with a career spanning five decades. Biography Yiannis Parios was born Ioannis Varthakouris (Ιωάννης Βαρθακούρης) on the island of Paros. He made his firs ...
. Both songs were written by Vassilis Karras. In 1996, Vandi released her next album, '' Esena Perimeno'' (You're The One I'm Waiting For). Singles on the album include ''Esena Perimeno'', ''Den Pethainei I Agapi'', and ''Efiges''. Most of the songs were written by her friend and now musical director Tony Kontaxakis. Although a few of her first songs received some airplay, the first two albums themselves had mild success. Together the albums have sold under 30 thousand copies. A statement made by Vandi implied the combined album sales to be in the range of 10–27 thousand copies.


Beginning of Phoebus era and breakthrough (''Deka Entoles'' & ''Profities'' 1997–99)

1997 would be the year Vandi would make her breakthrough in mainstream Greek music as she teamed up with popular songwriter
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
. Phoebus wrote the songs of Vandi's next album, '' Deka Entoles'' (Ten Commandments), which was certified double platinum and sold 100,000 copies in Greece. Vandi's partnership with Phoebus would turn out to be one of the most notable in the Greek recording industry and they would continue to have commercial success for a decade and more (they celebrated their 10-year partnership with the release of
10 Hronia Mazi ''10 H.M.'' (Short for ''10 Hronia Mazi'', Greek: ''10 Χρόνια Μαζί''; English: ''10 Years Together'') is an album released by Greek singer Despina Vandi starting on December 6, 2007. It is her 12th album from the beginning of her career, ...
(10 Years Together)). With the success of ''Deka Entoles'' Vandi quickly became popular in the Greek music industry with a string of hits and popular appearances. In 1998 Vandi released the platinum cd-single "Spania", while later that year, she experimented with acting. She was asked to play a guest star role in the hit television show "Dio Xeni" (Two Strangers). Vandi accepted the role and made her first appearance on television. She played a singer of a local small city, who was able to change the sexuality of the main gay character. She managed to gain good reviews for her acting talent. Vandi's next album ''
Profities Profiteies (''trans.'' Προφητείες; Prophecies) is the fourth studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece οn 8 December 1999 by Minos EMI and in Arabian countries by EMI Arabia in 2000. It was certified gold t ...
'' (Prophecies) was released in 1999 and was certified gold the day of its release and platinum in 2 days. It eventually became triple platinum, selling 150 thousand copies. Big hits from the album were the songs: "Apapa", "To Giatriko", "To Koritsaki sou" and "Sta Dosa Ola". Later that year Vandi gave her first sold-out solo concert at the concert hall of Lycabettus with 7,000 people in attendance.


Move to "Heaven music" and commercial peak (''Gia'', 2000–01)

In 2000, Despina Vandi released the single ''
Ipofero Ipofero (''trans.'' Υποφέρω; I Suffer) is the second EP by Greek artist Despina Vandi. It was released on 13 December 2000 by Minos EMI and certified six times platinum in Greece, selling 120,000 units. It was entirely written by Phoebus ...
'' (I Suffer). The single was certified six times platinum and was awarded as being the most successful single of all time in Greece, based on sales at the
Virgin Megastore Virgin Megastores is an international entertainment retailing chain, founded in early 1976 by Richard Branson as a record shop on London's Oxford Street. In 1979 the company opened their first Megastore at the end of Oxford Street and Tottenha ...
s, which reached 150 thousand copies. An honorary award was given to her by
Richard Branson Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson (born 18 July 1950) is a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields. Branson expressed ...
of
Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
in London, England. In 2001 Despina Vandi and Phoebus signed in with Heaven Music, a new break-out record label, owned by the Antenna Group. Despina's following album ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' (2001), meaning "Hi" was a double album including 21 new songs. The album was certified 4× platinum in only 11 days and became one of the best-selling albums of all time in Greece. Many of the songs on the album became hits not only Greece, but also in neighboring countries such as
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, Turkey and
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
. Shortly after, Vandi gave an open free concert in
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
singing in front of a crowd of more than 60,000 people. At the 2002 ''
World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world's ...
'', Vandi was awarded as the World's "Best Selling Greek Artist". It was the first time that this award was given to a Greek artist who actually lived and worked in Greece. For her acceptance speech, Vandi said ''"Above all though, I would like to thank my Greek fans around the world. I dedicate this award to all the Greeks who have supported me with their love all these years and it is because of them that I find myself here at this moment."'' Following the success of ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'', Despina released a CD single titled " Ante Gia" (Goodbye) in 2002, with the title track being a remix of "
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
". The single achieved double platinum status. ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' and " Ante Gia" were then compiled and re-released as '' "Gia & Ante Gia: Collector's Edition"'', along with four previously unreleased remixes.


''Live'', International exposure and motherhood (2003–04)

In 2003 the double album " Despina Vandi Live" was released, containing performances from the singers' concerts around Greece. The album included the greatest personal hits of her 9-year career in the Greek music industry (1994–2003), as long as many songs by other artists, covering a wide variety of genres (from rock-entehno to laïko and traditional Greek music). The album featured also two new songs: "Fevgoume Kardia mou" and "O, ti Oneirevomoun". It was certified platinum, selling more than 60,000 copies. In the meantime, with ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' having been certified multi-platinum in Greece and Cyprus, some of the songs broke out into the international market in neighboring countries. Seeing potential in an international career, she embarked on one in 2003. Her first three international singles, "
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
" (2003), "
Opa Opa "Opa Opa" is a song by Greek singer Notis Sfakianakis, released as a single from his second album ''Ise Ena Pistoli'' in 1992. Opa Opa is a laïko dance song and was written and produced by singer Giorgos Alkaios in 1999. The song has been cov ...
" (2004) and " Come Along Now" (2005) entered the charts around the world. Her first internationally distributed albums are named after the songs "Gia" and "Come Along Now". "Gia" and "Opa Opa" have both charted on the
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
and
Hot Dance Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...
charts, with ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' reaching number 1 for two weeks on the latter and "
Opa Opa "Opa Opa" is a song by Greek singer Notis Sfakianakis, released as a single from his second album ''Ise Ena Pistoli'' in 1992. Opa Opa is a laïko dance song and was written and produced by singer Giorgos Alkaios in 1999. The song has been cov ...
" reaching number 3 on the Hot Dance Radio Airplay of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''. In addition to the
Billboard Charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
, ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' reached number 1 on the biggest radio stations in the US,
WKTU WKTU (103.5 FM) is a rhythmic adult contemporary formatted radio station licensed to Lake Success, New York, a suburb of New York City. WKTU is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from studios in the former AT&T Building in the Tribeca neighbo ...
, KKDL and WPYM. Also, ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' reached number 1 at the Club Charts of
Music Week ''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future. History Founded in 1959 as '' Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music W ...
in Great Britain and became the number 1 dance song of the year in USA, Germany, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Italy, France, Spain, Turkey,
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
and Sweden. All three singles reached No. 1 on the Australian charts. The song ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' gave to her the award for the best dance artist for the year 2004 in Portugal and she makes a big concert for her European public. Except from "
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
", and the song "
Opa Opa "Opa Opa" is a song by Greek singer Notis Sfakianakis, released as a single from his second album ''Ise Ena Pistoli'' in 1992. Opa Opa is a laïko dance song and was written and produced by singer Giorgos Alkaios in 1999. The song has been cov ...
" reaching number 1 in Russia, Turkey and Australia. In the first days of October 2004 Despina Vandi makes four big concerts in New York,
Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
, Chicago and Toronto. All these concerts was sold out The song " Come Along Now" became the second best selling single in Russia and the biggest to audience radio station of Russia, Hit FM, awarded to her an honorary award in a special concert for her. Vandi also made an appearance on the hit international show ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' where she performed her song "Gia" as she was included in some of that week's best-selling popular music artists. Vandi's work has been remixed by celebrated global DJs and producers, such as Armand Van Helden,
Milk & Sugar Milk & Sugar are German house music producers and record label owners (based in Munich) Mike Milk (real name, Michael Kronenberger) and Steven Sugar (real name, Steven Harding). The two have collaborated since 1993 under a variety of names, inc ...
,
Nick Skitz Nicholas Agamalis, better known as Nick Skitz (born 1968 in Sydney, Australia of Greek descent), is an Australian DJ and dance music producer. His career in dance music started in the early 1990s. Since 1995, his ''Skitzmix'' series of com ...
,
Roger Sanchez Roger Sanchez (born June 1, 1967) is a Dominican-American house music DJ, remixer and producer. He won a Grammy Award for his remix of "Hella Good" by No Doubt in 2003, and is best known for his song " Another Chance", which was an internationa ...
,
Junior Vasquez Junior Vasquez (born Donald Gregory Mattern, August 24, 1949) is an American DJ, record producer and remixer. He has been referred to as one of the only DJs of his time to gain international attention. Career Mattern moved to New York City a ...
,
Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong, (born 30 July 1960) is an English disc jockey who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as ''Essential Mix'' and ''Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio stre ...
,
Bass Bumpers Bass Bumpers are a German DJ and record production team, known for their Eurodance/techno music. They are originally from Germany, with members Henning Reith, Caba Kroll, CJ Stone, George Dee, Akira Yamamoto, and Reinhard "DJ Voodoo" Raith. They ...
, DJ Gregory, Level K, XTM, Minimal Chic and
Highpass A high-pass filter (HPF) is an electronic filter that passes signals with a frequency higher than a certain cutoff frequency and attenuates signals with frequencies lower than the cutoff frequency. The amount of attenuation for each frequency d ...
amongst others. The albums ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' and ''Opa Opa'' have also been ''Records of The Week'' on
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's dance shows. At the end of August (2004) Despina performed live at the Beatstock Festival in New York.


Comeback – ''Stin Avli tou paradeisou'' (2004–06)

Vandi's next studio album was released at the end of 2004, titled '' Stin Avli Tou Paradisou'' (In The Garden of Paradise). Although it sold significantly less than ''Gia'', it reached double platinum status in 2005, becoming her fourth album to reach six figure sales The album was repackaged as a special edition and included 5 new songs, including the song "Amane", a duet with
Giorgos Mazonakis , birth_date = , birth_place = Athens, Greece , death_date = , genre = Greek Folk-Pop, dance , years_active = 1992–present , label = Universal Music Greece (1993–2001)Heaven Music (2001–2016) Minos EMI (2017;present) , web ...
. The actress Katiana Balanika guest stars in the song's music video along with Vandi and Mazonakis. The special edition of the album was released in Greece,
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, Russia,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, Hungary,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, Bulgaria and Turkey. In Turkey the album reached number 2 of the Turkish charts and the Turkish newspaper '' Hurriyet Daily News'' named Despina Vandi as the Queen of Greek Pop. For the winter season 2005–06 Vandi performed at Rex with Giorgos Mazonakis. In July 2006, Despina gave a concert in the theater of Lycabettus in
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
singing many of her popular songs. Despina Vandi released the CD single " Kalanta" (Carols) in Greece on 22 November 2006, which reached double platinum status after two weeks from the release of the CD single. The videoclip of "Kalanta" was released on 19 December, soon followed by the video of her next hit single, "Mehri Mai Mina" (Till The Month of May). Vandi and Mazonakis once again collaborated for the winter season 2006–07. She performed her last show at the Rex Music Theater on 18 February 2007 and it marked an end to her performances there for seven consecutive years. Due to her pregnancy, Vandi did not plan any summer concerts for 2007, and on 21 August 2007, she gave birth to her son, Giorgos.


''10 Hronia Mazi'' & ''Destiny'' (2007–2008)

On 10 October 2007 (10/10) Vandi released her new single "
Thelo "Thelo" (Greek: ''Θέλω''; en, I Want) is a song by Greek singer Despina Vandi. On October 10, 2007 (10/10), Despina released the song simultaneously on all radio stations and TV stations across Greece at 10 AM. ''Heaven Music''. Retrieved o ...
" (I Want) simultaneously on all radio and TV stations across Greece at 10 am. ''
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 During its first five years of operation under the control of George Levendis, Heaven Music was ...
''. Retrieved on 20 January 2008
It marked her 10-year anniversary of collaborating with
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
. The song reached the top of the Nielsen's Radio Airplay chart for Greece for six consecutive weeks. The second single from the album and the title track "
10 Hronia Mazi ''10 H.M.'' (Short for ''10 Hronia Mazi'', Greek: ''10 Χρόνια Μαζί''; English: ''10 Years Together'') is an album released by Greek singer Despina Vandi starting on December 6, 2007. It is her 12th album from the beginning of her career, ...
" (10 Years Together), a rock ballad celebrating the 10-year collaboration with
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
, was released on 16 November 2007. The album ''
10 Hronia Mazi ''10 H.M.'' (Short for ''10 Hronia Mazi'', Greek: ''10 Χρόνια Μαζί''; English: ''10 Years Together'') is an album released by Greek singer Despina Vandi starting on December 6, 2007. It is her 12th album from the beginning of her career, ...
'' was released 6 December 2007 on three discs featuring fifteen new songs. The album achieved platinum certification in the first week. It sold 30 thousand copies, becoming Vandi' s lowest selling album for over a decade. During the winter season 2007–08 Vandi collaborated with
Vasilis Karras Vasilis Karras ( el, Βασίλης Καρράς; born Vasilis Kesoglidis on 12 November 1953) is a Greek folk singer. Biography Karras was born in Kokkinohori, near Kavala, Greece. At the age of 10, his family moved to Thessaloniki. Also aro ...
at Diogenis Studio. On 6 March 2008, Vandi released the third single from the album, titled "Agapi" (Love). The single was on the
MAD TV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...
Charts for six weeks with one week at number one. On 24 April 2008, the fourth single titled "Fantasou Apla" (Simply imagine) was released. Vandi was featured on the gold-certified album ''
Sehnsucht () is a German noun translated as "longing", "desire", "yearning", or "craving". Some psychologists use the word to represent thoughts and feelings about all facets of life that are unfinished or imperfect, paired with a yearning for ideal alte ...
'' by German
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
act
Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
, which was released in early 2008, providing vocals for the song "
Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
", composed by Phoebus. She performed the track with Schiller on 17 June 2008 at the MAD Video Music Awards 2008, where she won the category of "Best Female Artist" and also performed "I Gi Ki I Selini" (Earth and Moon). On 24 June 2008, the album '' Deka Hronia Mazi'' was repackaged with the title '' 10 Hronia Mazi: It's Destiny'', including the song "
Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
" by
Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
featuring Despina Vandi. Two more singles were released: "I Gi Ki I Selini" and "Tha Thela"; the music video for the first was her performance at the MAD Awards, while the video for the latter was the live performance of the song at the ''Love Radio'' party which took place on 12 May 2008. Vandi was involved in the Global One music project. She attended a recording session in
Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
with Chinese pop star Wei-Wei and Brazilian
samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...
singer
Daniela Mercury Daniela Mercury (born Daniela Mercuri de Almeida on July 28, 1965) is a Brazilian singer, songwriter, dancer, producer, actress and television host. In her solo career, Mercury has sold over 20 million records worldwide and had 24 Top 10 single ...
, while also attending the project's first official press conference. The project's goal, driven by international record producer Rob Hoffman, was to have one artist representing their country ''Global One'' songs in their native language, as well as in the English language, in efforts to pool together as many languages and cultures as possible to promote their artistry on a global level. In the end of 2008, Vandi began an international tour and on 10–12 October she performed three sold-out concerts in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Sydney and Adelaide. She later performed in charity concerts in
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
, where she was awarded the platinum award for her album
10 Hronia Mazi ''10 H.M.'' (Short for ''10 Hronia Mazi'', Greek: ''10 Χρόνια Μαζί''; English: ''10 Years Together'') is an album released by Greek singer Despina Vandi starting on December 6, 2007. It is her 12th album from the beginning of her career, ...
in Cyprus, after she had already received the platinum certification for the sales of the album in Greece. On 15–24 May 2009, she performed in a five venue tour of the United States and Canada. Following her tour in America, she collaborated with Goin' Through for a lengthy tour throughout Greece.


''Iparhi Zoi'' (2009) & move to "The Spicy Effect"

On 16 June, Vandi made a dynamic comeback, after a year's absence, with the pop-rock song
Iparhi Zoi "Iparhi Zoi" (Greek: ''Υπάρχει ζωή''; English: There is life) is a song by Greek singer Despina Vandi, written by Phoebus. The song was first performed at the MAD Video Music Awards 2009 on June 23, but was released to Greek radio stati ...
(There's still life). The song was written by Phoebus and it was presented on 24 June in the Mad Video Music Awards 2009. On 29 June, Despina gave the opening concert in
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
for the Long Hot Summer Tour. After 32 sold-out concerts the tour sold 150,000 tickets. With this tour Vandi broke the record for pre-sale tickets to the concert in the Olympia pre-selling 3,000 tickets. The tour was, also, the most successful tour of 2009. Following the departure of her songwriter and collaborator
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
from
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 During its first five years of operation under the control of George Levendis, Heaven Music was ...
, Vandi officially announced on 2 November 2009, that she also has chosen to leave
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 During its first five years of operation under the control of George Levendis, Heaven Music was ...
and signed in with the record label founded by
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
, called ''
The Spicy Effect The Spicy Effect, commonly referred to as Spicy or Spicy Music, 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 After eight years u ...
''. On 11 December, Vandi returned to the Greek nightlife, singing at club Politia in
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
alongside Goin' Through. On 12 December,
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 During its first five years of operation under the control of George Levendis, Heaven Music was ...
, released the compilation "Despina Vandi – Greatest Hits 2001–2009". Vandi later performed at ''Thalassa People's Stage'' with the group ''48 Ores''. The show began on 15 April and lasted until July. Vandi later appeared on 14 March on ''Chart Show'', a show broadcast by
Alpha TV Alpha TV is a Greek free-to-air channel, being one of the biggest stations in Greece. The station features a mix of Greek and foreign shows with an emphasis on information. The studios are located in Kifissia and Pallini. Alpha TV is owned by Alp ...
where her certifications and sales figures were chronicled, ranking her in the 4th position among Greek female singers in the phonographic era.


C'est La Vie (2010)

In 2010 Vandi presented her new song, " Koritsi Prama", exclusively for the listeners who wοn VIP invitations from Dromos 89.8 FM radio. "Koritsi Prama, Part 1", was released on 22 March and was the lead single from her eighth studio album, "C' est la vie". The pop song written by Phoebus was the first release coordinated by
The Spicy Effect The Spicy Effect, commonly referred to as Spicy or Spicy Music, 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 After eight years u ...
label. The music video was filmed on 22 March at "Diogenis Studio". The song was the first half of a two-part work Vandi released "Koritsi Prama, Part 2", two months later, on 14 May 2010. The new album of Despina Vandi, called ''
C'est La Vie C'est la vie may refer to: * C'est la vie (phrase), ''C'est la vie'' (phrase), a French phrase, translated as "That's life" Books * C'est la Vie (comic strip), ''C'est la Vie'' (comic strip), an English-language comic strip by Jennifer Babcock * ...
'', was released on 13 June with ''Real News'' newspaper. It was her first album to be released along with a newspaper, following a popular tendency of the Greek musical industry, as an effort to deal with the reduction in the disc sales. The newspaper, along with the album, sold more than 100,000 copies. On the other hand, this release choice resulted in the album receiving no official certification of gold sales, for the first time for a Vandi album after her early releases at the first half of the 1990s. On 14 June, Vandi performed live at the
MAD Video Music Awards The MAD Video Music Awards is a Greek award show presented by the MAD TV. The awards honor the year's biggest achievements in music, voted by the viewers of Mad television. Winners receive an authentic Mad designed award with the graphics of that ...
, presenting her new song ''" Kommati Ap' Tin Kardia Sou"''. The song was also the following single of the album ''C'est La Vie'' and was released on 7 June 2010. The video clip was released on 5 July 2010 and made positive impressions, revealing a "rock side" of Vandi. The third single of the album, ''"Erota Theli I Zoi"'', was released to radio stations on 13 September 2010. The music video, filmed on the Greek island of Hydra, was uploaded on 19 October 2010 on Spicy's YouTube Channel. Furthermore, the German band
Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...
, who had worked with Vandi in the past, released a new song featuring her as vocals, called ''
Sunday Sunday is the day of the week between Saturday and Monday. In most Western countries, Sunday is a day of rest and a part of the weekend. It is often considered the first day of the week. For most observant adherents of Christianity, Sunday ...
'' and included it in their album ''Breathless'', the international version of Schiller's album ''
Atemlos ''Atemlos'' (German for "Breathless") is the sixth studio album of German electronica and global pop artist Christopher von Deylen under his principal project, the band " Schiller". The album was released on 12 March 2010. The album contains 30 ...
''. The song was also included in the album ''
C'est La Vie C'est la vie may refer to: * C'est la vie (phrase), ''C'est la vie'' (phrase), a French phrase, translated as "That's life" Books * C'est la Vie (comic strip), ''C'est la Vie'' (comic strip), an English-language comic strip by Jennifer Babcock * ...
''. Vandi was also the first artist who took part in the ''
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV showcasing musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999 and less frequently from 2000 to 2009, when it was usually billed as ''MTV Un ...
'' concert series of the music channel
MTV Greece MTV Greece was a Greek free-to-air regional television channel launched on 1 September 2008, replacing Smart TV. Owned by Radio TV Piraeus S.A., it closed down suddenly on 11 January 2016, one year prior the proper MTV copyrights come to an end, ...
. The concert took place in the theater ''Hora'' in Kypseli on 9 June. She later went on a tour around Greece, along with
Elli Kokkinou Elli Kokkinou (; el, Έλλη Κοκκίνου) (born 24 July 1970) is a Greek singer. Sony BMG Greece. Retrieved on February 20, 2008 She is among the most popular singers in Greece today and has performed together with many notable Greek nam ...
. After the successful concerts all over the Greece, Vandi performed live on 31 October at HMV Forum of London. It was the first time for Vandi in London and it was also a sold out. After the concert, she appeared at the music scene VOX and after five months, the show finished on 6 March. On 14 June 2011 Despina Vandi appeared on Mad Video Music Awards 2011 and performed the song "Gi' Alli Mia Fora" (For one more time).


Allaxa (2012)

In November 2011 a digital single was released by Vandi called " Mou 'His Perasi", as a promo to Despina's forthcoming album. The music was written by Gavrilis Mosas and the lyrics by
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
. The video clip, filmed in the area of the
Messolonghi Missolonghi or Messolonghi ( el, Μεσολόγγι, ) is a municipality of 34,416 people (according to the 2011 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis ...
lagoon was also released the same month. The song's release was followed by another digital single taken from her 9th studio album, called Girismata. On late 2011 Vandi's appearances began at the nightclub FEVER along with
Elli Kokkinou Elli Kokkinou (; el, Έλλη Κοκκίνου) (born 24 July 1970) is a Greek singer. Sony BMG Greece. Retrieved on February 20, 2008 She is among the most popular singers in Greece today and has performed together with many notable Greek nam ...
and Nikos Ikonomopoulos. On 2012 the album '' Allaxa'' was released, marking Vandi's return to a more laïko genre after the poorly received C' est la vie'' album. Apart from Phoebus there is a collaboration with songwriters such as Eleni Giannatsoulia, Olga Vlahopoulou, Vangelis Kostantinidis and Gavrilis Mosas. The album was certified double-platinum sales and re-established Vandi's commercial success with multiple hits such as: '' Mou 'His Perasi'', '' Girismata'', ''To asteri mou'', ''To nisi'' (its videoclip was filmed in the island of
Skiathos Skiathos ( el, Σκιάθος, , ; grc, Σκίαθος, ; and ) is a small Greek island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group, east of the Pelion peninsula in Magnesia on the mainland, ...
) and ''Katalavaino''.


Eurovision TV presenter – The Voice – De Me Stamatises (2013–14)

Despina has been offered many times to represent Greece in Eurovision song contest but she never accepted. On 15 January 2013 the
Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation The Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation ( el, Ελληνική Ραδιοφωνία Τηλεόραση AE, Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi SA) or ERT () is the state-owned public radio and television broadcaster of Greece. History Overview ERT b ...
(ERT) announced that it had reached an agreement with private music channel
MAD TV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentiet ...
to take on the organisation and production of a national final to select a song to represent Greece in the contest. Despina Vandi was selected to host the event along with actor Giorgos Kapoutzidis. It was the first time that a well-known singer hosted such an event. The following year, Vandi and Kapoutzidis hosted again the event, called "Eurosong 2014: a MAD Show". In 2013–2014 Vandi was one of the four artists/coaches participating in the Greek version of
The Voice The Voice may refer to: Fictional entities * The Voice or Presence, a fictional representation of God in DC Comics * The Voice (''Dune''), a fictional ability in the ''Dune'' universe * The Voice, a character in the American TV series ''Cleo ...
, along with
Antonis Remos Antonis Remos ( el, Αντώνης Ρέμος, ; born Antonios Paschalidis, el, Αντώνιος Πασχαλίδης, links=no; 19 June 1970) is a Greek singer. Biography Early life He was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. Later his family m ...
, Melina Aslanidou and Michalis Kouinelis. The winner of the show's first season,
Maria Elena Kyriakou Maria Elena Kyriakou ( el, Μαρία Έλενα Κυριάκου, ; born 11 January 1984) is a Greek Cypriots, Greek-Cypriot singer best known for winning the The Voice of Greece (season 1), first season of ''The Voice of Greece'' under the men ...
, was on Vandi's team. On the meantime Despina's digital single ''Hano Esena'' produced by
Dimitris Kontopoulos Dimitris Kontopoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Κοντόπουλος born November 9, 1971, in Athens, Greece) is a Greek music composer. Personal life Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971. After graduating from the ...
was released on 2013, receiving positive reviews and remaining 10 weeks at the top of the airplay chart. In December 2014 Vandi released her new album '
De Me Stamatises De Me Stamatises (''trans.'' Δε Με Σταμάτησες; You Didn't Stop Me) is the tenth studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released on 22 December 2014 under the label Heaven Music and certified platinum, selling over 12,00 ...
' (including 10 tracks). It was the first album since 1997, in which none of the songs was written by her long-time producer
Phoebus Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
. Instead, she collaborated again with various songwriters, among them:
Dimitris Kontopoulos Dimitris Kontopoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Κοντόπουλος born November 9, 1971, in Athens, Greece) is a Greek music composer. Personal life Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971. After graduating from the ...
, Eleni Giannatsoulia, Olga Vlahopoulou, Giorgos Sampanis, Nikos Moraitis and Vasilis Gavriilidis. The first three new singles ''Kalimera'', ''Ola allazoun'' and ''Kane kati'', were released right after her return to Heaven Music.


Afti Ine I Diafora Mas – TV – Musicals (2016–2022)

The album
Afti Ine I Diafora Mas ''Afti Einai I Diafora Mas'' (Greek: ''Αυτή είναι η διαφορά μας'', English: ''This is our difference'') is the eleventh studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. The album released under the label Heaven Music Heaven Music i ...
was released in October 2016 by Heaven Music. Vandi collaborated again with various songwriters (among which
Dimitris Kontopoulos Dimitris Kontopoulos (Greek: Δημήτρης Κοντόπουλος born November 9, 1971, in Athens, Greece) is a Greek music composer. Personal life Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971. After graduating from the ...
, Thanos Papanikolaou, Nikos Moraitis, Eleni Giannatsoulia, Vasilis Gavriilidis, Olga Vlahopoulou). Her eleventh album features the following singles: 'Mia Anasa Makria Sou', 'O,ti Thes Geniete Tora', 'Gia Kaki Mou Tihi'. Apart from her recordings, Vandi starred in the Greek version of the musical theater show – " Mamma Mia!", playing the role of Donna. Vandi's performance as Donna was well-received among critics and the audience. "Mamma Mia!" continued its success in the summer of 2018, with a big tour all around Greece. The show ended up doing a total of 300 shows and selling more than 100,000 tickets in two years. (2016–18). Vandi continued her musical career starring in the star-studded musical show "To Diko Mas Cinema" (2019), directed by the famous creative duo Reppas – Papathanasiou. As expected the show was a huge commercial success selling more than 90.000 tickets during the summer of 2019. It was the biggest commercial hit of the Greek summer theatrical season. Inspired by the musical, she released the album "To Diko Mou Cinema" (2019), including covers of notable songs from popular Greek films produced in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2019, she produced and presented the travel show
My Greece
. Vandi visits a variety of Greek towns and villages showcasing their traditions, culture, local food, and history. "My Greece" is currently in its third season. Despina is no longer pursuing a career in artistry, having recorded her last EP with George Theofanous in the Fall of 2022. As of October 2022, Despina is a member of Barking Well Media founded by Nikos Koklonis, hosting a variety of shows; Chart Show, Just the two of us, X – Factor, My Greece


Personal life

Although born in Germany, Vandi's family was from
Kavala Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos and on the Egnat ...
, Greece, where she and her family moved when she was six years old. As a result, she did not learn German, unlike the rest of her family. She has one older brother and an older sister. Living in a lower-middle-class family, her dream was to become either an actress or a singer but she always knew that she should have something more solid as a background so she went on to study
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
, philosophy, and education at the
University of Thessaloniki A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
. When she first began singing, she used the stage name of "Elli Mara" before adopting the "Vandi" moniker, to hide that she was singing from her parents. From 2003 to 2021, Vandi was married to
Demis Nikolaidis Themistoklis "Demis" Nikolaidis ( el, Ντέμης Νικολαΐδης; born 17 September 1973) is a Greek former professional footballer who played as a striker. He was the forty second president of AEK Athens, and is considered one of the fi ...
, ex-international soccer player and former president of
AEK A.E.K ( el, AEK , formally Αθλητική Ένωσις Κωνσταντινουπόλεως; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople''), known as A.E.K, is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelf ...
. They have two children: a daughter Melina (born February 2004) and a son Giorgos (born August 2007). Since 2021, Vandi has been in a relationship with Greek actor . On 18 August 2008, Vandi was in a car accident on
Kifissias Avenue Kifisias Avenue ( el, Λεωφόρος Κηφισίας) is one of the longest and busiest avenues in the Greater Athens area, Greece, containing the headquarters of many Greek and foreign companies and organizations. Description The total len ...
in
Kifissia Kifissia or Kifisia (also Kephisia or Cephissia; el, Κηφισιά, ) is one of the most expensive northern suburbs of Athens, Greece, mainly accessed via Kifissias Avenue, running all the way from central Athens up to Theseos Avenue in the subu ...
, Greece. The car she was in, driven by her
chauffeur A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine. Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to speciali ...
, slipped on an oil slick that leaked from a
tanker truck Tanker may refer to: Transportation * Tanker, a tank crewman (US) * Tanker (ship), a ship designed to carry bulk liquids ** Chemical tanker, a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk ** Oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanke ...
causing the car to crash into the truck ahead of her. After drivers helped pull her out of the vehicle, she was transported by ambulance to the general hospital in Athens. Vandi only suffered a cut to her head and got stitches.


Awards and nominations


Discography

* ''
Gela Mou ''Gela Mou'' (Greek: ''Γέλα Μου''; English: ''Smile for me'') is the first studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece in 1994 by Minos EMI. It includes her very first mass hits "Gela mou", "Den Iparhi Tipota" and ...
'' (1994) * '' Esena Perimeno'' (1996) * ''
Deka Endoles ''Deka Entoles'' (Greek: ''Δέκα Εντολές''; English: ''Ten orders'') is the third studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece in 1997 by Minos EMI and was her first album to be certified, reaching platinum sta ...
'' 2x Platinum(1997) * ''
Profities Profiteies (''trans.'' Προφητείες; Prophecies) is the fourth studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece οn 8 December 1999 by Minos EMI and in Arabian countries by EMI Arabia in 2000. It was certified gold t ...
'' 3x Platinum(1999) * ''
Gia ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizabeth M ...
'' 5x Platinum(2001) * '' Despina Vandi Live'' Platinum(2003) * ''
Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou ''Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou'' ( el, Στην Αυλή Του Παράδεισου) is the sixth studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released in Greece on 24 November 2004 by Heaven Music and certified platinum, selling over 40,000 un ...
'' 2x Platinum(2004) * ''
10 Hronia Mazi ''10 H.M.'' (Short for ''10 Hronia Mazi'', Greek: ''10 Χρόνια Μαζί''; English: ''10 Years Together'') is an album released by Greek singer Despina Vandi starting on December 6, 2007. It is her 12th album from the beginning of her career, ...
'' Platinum(2007) * ''
C'est La Vie C'est la vie may refer to: * C'est la vie (phrase), ''C'est la vie'' (phrase), a French phrase, translated as "That's life" Books * C'est la Vie (comic strip), ''C'est la Vie'' (comic strip), an English-language comic strip by Jennifer Babcock * ...
'' 2x Platinum(2010) * '' Allaksa'' 2x Platinum(2012) * ''
De Me Stamatises De Me Stamatises (''trans.'' Δε Με Σταμάτησες; You Didn't Stop Me) is the tenth studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. It was released on 22 December 2014 under the label Heaven Music and certified platinum, selling over 12,00 ...
'' 2x Platinum(2014) * ''
Afti Ine I Diafora Mas ''Afti Einai I Diafora Mas'' (Greek: ''Αυτή είναι η διαφορά μας'', English: ''This is our difference'') is the eleventh studio album by Greek singer Despina Vandi. The album released under the label Heaven Music Heaven Music i ...
'' Gold(2016) * ''To Diko Mou Cinema'' Gold (2019) Digital singles Ανάβεις Φωτιές Πλατινένιο Γυρίσματα Πλατινένιο Γειά Πλατινένιο Θέλω να σε Δώ Χρυσό Τι Κάνω Μόνη μου Χρυσό Να την Χαίρεσαι Χρυσό Ένα Τσιγάρο Διαδρομή Χρυσό Opa Opa Χρυσό


Tours


Concert series

*Kypriaki Gonia (1992–93) *Avantage (1993) (with
Vasilis Karras Vasilis Karras ( el, Βασίλης Καρράς; born Vasilis Kesoglidis on 12 November 1953) is a Greek folk singer. Biography Karras was born in Kokkinohori, near Kavala, Greece. At the age of 10, his family moved to Thessaloniki. Also aro ...
and Eleni Peta)
*Posidonio (1993–94) (with Vasilis Karras,
Katy Garbi Katerina "Katy" Garbi ( el, Κατερίνα "Καίτη" Γαρμπή, ; born 8 June 1961) is a Greek singer active in Greece and Cyprus, with some popularity in Turkey. Her career has spanned over 35 years with over 2 million records sold in Gr ...
, Dionisis Schinas,
Lambis Livieratos Lambis Livieratos ( el, Λάμπης Λιβιεράτος; born 3 April 1966), is a Greek singer and actor from Athens, Greece. Life and career Early years 1987-1992 In 1987, Lambis graduated from Drama School of ''G. Theodosiadis''. His first th ...
, Kaka Koritsia)
*Palais Royale (1994–95) *Club In (1995) (with
Thanos Kalliris Athanasios 'Thanos' Kalliris (Greek: Θάνος Καλλίρης, born August 13, 1962) is a Greek singer who was born in Athens. His father was a guitarist and composer, Titos Kalliris (1934–2013). In the 1980s, he was a part of the pop music ...
, Zafeiropoulos)
*Athens Show Centre (1995–96) (with Christos Nikolopoulos, Aggelos Dionisiou, Litsa Giagousi,
Evridiki Evridiki Theokleous ( el, Ευρυδίκη Θεοκλέους, ; born 25 February 1968), known professionally as simply Evridiki, is a Greek-Cypriot rock, pop, and electropop singer. She is best known in Europe for representing her home count ...
)
*Bio Bio (1996) (with
Giorgos Mazonakis , birth_date = , birth_place = Athens, Greece , death_date = , genre = Greek Folk-Pop, dance , years_active = 1992–present , label = Universal Music Greece (1993–2001)Heaven Music (2001–2016) Minos EMI (2017;present) , web ...
, Christina Farmaki, Kraousakis, Panagiotou)
*On the Rocks (1996) (with Paschalis, Dakis, Sofia Vossou, Elina Konstantopoulou) *Posidonio (1996–97) (with
Lefteris Pantazis Lefteris Pantazis ( el, Λευτέρης Πανταζής) who is often called by the nickname ''LePa'' by the media and his fans, is a Greek singer. He was born Eleftherios Pagkozidis (Ελευθέριος Παγκοζίδης) on 27 March 1955 to ...
, Stefanos Korkolis, Adelfoi Tzavara)
*Diogenis Pallas (1997) (with
Giannis Parios Yiannis Parios ( el, Γιάννης Πάριος) is a Greek singer, with a career spanning five decades. Biography Yiannis Parios was born Ioannis Varthakouris (Ιωάννης Βαρθακούρης) on the island of Paros. He made his firs ...
)
*Teatro (1997) (with
Notis Sfakianakis Panagiotis "Notis" Sfakianakis ( el, Νότης Σφακιανάκης; born 2 November 1959) is a Greek singer of folk music, and is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Sfakianakis began his career i ...
)
*Rex (1997–98) (with Notis Sfakianakis) *Pili Axiou (1998) (with Notis Sfakianakis) *Ribas (1998) (with Giannis Parios) *Gazi (1998–99) (with Vasilis Karras) *Teatro (1999) (with Vasilis Karras, Giorgos Lembesis) *Gazi (1999–2000) (with Giorgos Mazonakis, Lambis Livieratos, Giorgos Lembesis) *Pili Axiou (2000) (with Lambis Livieratos and Giorgos Lembesis) *Rex (2000–01) (with Nikos Kourkoulis and Lambis Livieratos) *Pili Axiou (2001) (with Lambis Livieratos and Kostas Doxas) *Rex (2001–02) (with
Sakis Rouvas Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas ( el, Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ; born 5 January 1972), also known mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek singer, film and television actor, businessman and former pole vaulter and model. Born in Cor ...
and Kostas Doxas)
*Rex (2002–03) (with
Tolis Voskopoulos __notoc__ Apostolos "Tolis" Voskopoulos ( el, Απόστολος "Τόλης" Βοσκόπουλος; 26 July 1940 – 19 July 2021) was one of the legends of modern Greek music. He also starred in many films and played in the theatre in Athens. ...
)
*Rex (2004–05) (with
Thanos Petrelis Athanasios (Thanos) Petrelis (Greek: Θάνος Πετρέλης, born September 27, 1975) is a Greek singer. He has released four albums and several singles. Career ''Fame Story'' Petrelis was born in Athens, Greece. He finished third in the ...
,
Kalomira Maria Kalomira Sarantis ( gr, Μαρία Καλομοίρα Σαράντη; born January 31, 1985), known professionally as Kalomira (sometimes transliterated as Kalomoira), is a Greek-American singer, songwriter, model, television personality ...
, and Giorgos Christou)
*Palai de sports (2005) (with Kalomoira and Giorgos Christou) *Pili Axiou (2005) (with Thanos Petrelis, Kalomira, and Giorgos Christou) *Rex (2005–06) (with Giorgos Mazonakis and Giorgos Christou) *Boom (2006) (with Stamatis Gonidis) *Rex (2006–07) (with Giorgos Mazonakis) *Boom (2007) (with Sakis Rouvas) *Diogenis Studio (2007–08) (with Vasilis Karras and Nino) *Odeon (2008) (with Vasilis Karras) *Politia Live Clubbing (2009–2010) (with Goin' Through and Giannis Apostolidis) *Thalassa: People's Stage (2010) (with 48 Ores) *VOX (2010–2011) (with Panos Kalidis and Elisavet Spanou) *Fever (2011–2012) (with
Elli Kokkinou Elli Kokkinou (; el, Έλλη Κοκκίνου) (born 24 July 1970) is a Greek singer. Sony BMG Greece. Retrieved on February 20, 2008 She is among the most popular singers in Greece today and has performed together with many notable Greek nam ...
and Nikos Economopoulos)
*Posidonio (2012–2013) (with Antipas and Vegas)


Concert tours

*1999 Summer Tour *2001 Summer Tour *2002 Summer Tour *2003 Summer Tour *North American Tour (2004) *2005 Summer Tour *2006 Summer Tour *2008 Summer Tour *World Tour (2008–09) *Together Through Summer: Long Hot Summer Tour (2009) (with Goin' Through and Stelios Maximos) *2010 Summer Tour (with Elli Kokkinou) *2017 Summer Tour (with Helena Paparizou)


Filmography


See also

*
Number-one dance airplay hits of 2004 (U.S.) These are the '' Billboard'' magazine Hot Dance Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a r ...
*
List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance airplay chart This is a list of recording artists who have reached number one on ''Billboard magazine's'' Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart. Originally at the start, ''Billboard'' began ranking dance music based on radio airplay the week ending August 17, 2003, bas ...
*
Hot Dance Airplay Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. History The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...
*
List of artists featured on MTV Unplugged Below is a list of musical artists, bands, and groups that have performed on the television series ''MTV Unplugged''. Performances by performance date 1989 * Squeeze, Syd Straw and Elliot Easton – National Video Center, NYC, October 31 * T ...


References


External links


Official website

Official Despina–Phoebus collaboration website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vandi, Despina 1969 births People from Kavala Actresses from Athens Singers from Athens Arion Music Awards winners Greek laïko singers Greek dance musicians 21st-century Greek women singers Greek pop singers Greek television actresses Greek voice actresses Association footballers' wives and girlfriends Living people MAD Video Music Awards winners Minos EMI artists Greek Macedonians Heaven Music artists Singers from Thessaloniki The Spicy Effect artists Ultra Records artists World Music Awards winners