Glykeria (born Glykeria Kotsoula, el, Γλυκερία; born 16 November 1953 in Agio Pnevma,

Serres Sérres ( el, Σέρρες ) is a city in Macedonia, Greece, capital of the Serres regional unit and second largest city in the region of Central Macedonia, after Thessaloniki. Serres is one of the administrative and economic centers of Northe ...

) is a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

singer active in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

and

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 ...

, while also gaining fame in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. Her career has spanned over 30 years and is marked by several multi-platinum releases. 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 Alph ...

ranked Glykeria the third top-certified female artist in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960).''Chart Show: Your Countdown''.

. Airdate: 14 March 2010

Biography

Early Solo Career

Glykeria began her career in 1974 working in the Athens

Plaka Pláka ( el, Πλάκα) is the old historical neighborhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residenti ...

music ''boites'' and gave performances with well-known artists, singing songs by M. Hadjidakis, M. Theodorakis, M. Loizos and others. She began her discographical career by signing with Lyra Music, releasing her first album alongside another rising artist Giorgos Gerolymatos called "Min Kaneis Oneira" (Don't Dream) in 1978. This release caused a stir in the industry, showcasing Glykeria's unique voice to the nation.

1980-1985: Rise To Fame

At the beginning of the 1980s, Glykeria released her first solo album, "Ta Smyrneika", a compilation album with traditional songs from

Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to prom ...

. During the following years, Glykeria performed at well-known clubs and bouzoukia, gaining momentum and many fans, and collaborating with other well-known singers, including

George Dalaras George Dalaras ( Γιώργος Νταλάρας, 29 September 1949) is a Greek musician and singer. He is one of the most prominent figures of Greek musical culture. In October 2006, he was selected as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Ag ...

. The same year she released her debut album "Sta Matia Koita Me", which was composed entirely by Stelios Fotiadis and marked the beginning of their successful continuing collaboration. In 1982, she was selected to represent

in the Europalia '82 festival in Brussels, together with

Sotiria Bellou Sotiria Bellou ( el, Σωτηρία Μπέλλου) (August 22, 1921 – August 27, 1997) was a Greek singer and performer of the ''rebetiko'' style of music. She was one of the most famous ''rebetisa'' of all, mentioned in many music guides, a ...

and Margarita Zorbala. The following year, Glykeria released her first official live concert "Omorfi Nyhta" and due to its massive success Lyra released her first live album, "me ti Glykeria Stin Omorfi Nyhta", which went on to break every musical sales record in Greece up to that point. In April 1985, the release of the double-disk album "Tragoudi Aisthimatiko" brought to life some of Glykeria's biggest hits, like "Magisses", "Pentohiliara", "Ta Dahtilidia" and "Fantaraki", pointing the new artist to first place in the album sales of 1985 amongst national and international sales. In 1986, she sang “Earini Symfonia” (poem by

Yiannis Ritsos Yiannis Ritsos ( el, Γιάννης Ρίτσος; 1 May 1909 – 11 November 1990) was a Greek poet and communist and an active member of the Greek Resistance during World War II. While he disliked being regarded as a political poet, he has b ...

, music by Yiannis Markopoulos) for the song’s premier performance, at the opening ceremony of the World Championships held for the first time at the

Athens Olympic Stadium The Olympic Stadium of Athens " Spyros Louis" ( el, Ολυμπιακό Στάδιο Αθηνών "Σπύρος Λούης", ''Olympiakó Stádio Athinon "Spyros Louis"'') is a sports stadium in Athens, Greece. It is a part of the Athens Olympic ...

, broadcast to 120 countries all over the world.

International career

She has sung in concerts in Greece and abroad (Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,

and Turkey). Due to the successful concerts she gave in Israel she was proclaimed most popular foreign singer; the Mayor of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

awarded her the golden key of the city (1994). Three albums were released in Israel at the same time, all of them gold in a very short time: ''Glykeria golden-hits'', ''Far away'', ''Glykeria – 14 classics'', and her first album in France: ''Golden hits – The voice of Greece''. In 1998, her second album was released in France. She took part in two albums for the American label ''Putumayo'' and in compilations released in Europe. In 1999, she performed two concerts in

Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

with the

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is an Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert venue ...

. A few months later the concert’s album was released and, immediately afterwards, ''Glykeria and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra'' was released throughout the world by Sony Classical. In 2001, she participated in the album ''Alif'' of the world-renowned musician

Omar Faruk Tekbilek Omer Faruk Tekbilek ( tr, Ömer Faruk Tekbilek, born 1951) is a Turkish musician and composer, who plays a wide range of wind, string, percussion and electronic instruments. He has developed a style that builds on traditional Sufi music, but inclu ...

. In 2002, she gave concerts with the “

Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( el, Μιχαήλ "Μίκης" Θεοδωράκης ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films ''Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' ...

Orchestra”, the “Estudiantina” orchestra, and gave a personal tour all over Greece as well. In the same year, her album “Open Heart” was released in Israel and “Glykeria’s

Rebetika Rebetiko ( el, ρεμπέτικο, ), plural rebetika ( ), occasionally transliterated as rembetiko or rebetico, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek music which have come to be grouped together since the s ...

Songs” in Turkey. In the First Arion Awards in Greece she was awarded the prize for best Greek popular singer. Glykeria, "The Sweet one" in Greek, has been a successful female singer in Greece for many years. In the summer of 1993 she performed in Israel for the first time. She ended her performance with her own captivating version of an Israeli folk song " Shabechi Yerushaly'im" ("Praise the Lord, Jerusalem!") in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

. Glykeria became the most loved Greek singer in Israel and a major part of Israel's cultural scene in the 1990s. Her special style full of depth, melancholy and endless emotion captured the heart of the Israelis, and her songs, both in Hebrew (with near perfect pronunciation) and Greek became all-time classics. She became a "household" name in Israel, an "honorary citizen", a platinum and gold albums seller, and the favorite of Israel's top leaders and celebrities. Her deep connection to Israel culminated in 1998 when she was the only foreign artist to be invited to sing in the special memorial event for

Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (; he, יִצְחָק רַבִּין, ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77, and from 1992 until h ...

, the beloved leader who was assassinated three years earlier. With tears in her eyes she sang in front of 200,000 people in

Rabin Square Rabin is a Hebrew surname. It originates from the Hebrew word ''rav'' meaning Rabbi, or from the name of the specific Rabbi Abin. The most well known bearer of the name was Yitzhak Rabin, prime minister of Israel and Nobel Peace prize Laureate. ...

. In the summer of 1999 she was invited to perform with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra. Also in 2006 during the Israel–Lebanon conflict she came to Israel with her son and met

Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert (; he, אֶהוּד אוֹלְמֶרְט, ; born 30 September 1945) is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009 and before that as a cabinet minister from 1988 to 1992 and ...

and sang for the

soldiers A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...

at the borders.Glykeria attacked for 'collaborating with Zionists' – Israel Culture, Ynetnews
/ref> Glykeria collaborated with world renowned composer

on a two-disc album composed of songs written by the famed composer in 2008. Collaborations in concerts and discography with: A. Kaldaras, S. Fotiadis,

Natacha Atlas Natacha Atlas ( ar, نتاشا أطلس}; born 20 March 1964) is an Egyptian-Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "'' cha'abi moderne''" (modern popular music). Her mu ...

, Ömer Faruk Tekbilek,

Loukianos Kilaidonis Loukianos Kilaidonis (: 15 July 1943 – 7 February 2017) was a Greek composer, songwriter and singer. Biography Kilaidonis was born at Kypseli, Athens. He studied at the Lycée Léonin of Patissia. He then studied architecture at the Aristotle ...

, Mary Linda,

Pantelis Thalassinos Pantelis Thalassinos ( el, Παντελής Θαλασσινός) is a Greek singer and songwriter. Biography He was born in Keratsini, Piraeus on 11 June 1958. His father, Michalis, hailed from the island of Chios and his mother, Evangelia, fr ...

, Marinella, Ofra Haza,

Ricky Gal Ricky may refer to: Places *Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic *Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic *Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...

Chava Alberstein Chava Alberstein ( he, חוה אלברשטיין, born 8 December 1946 in Poland) is an Israeli musician, lyricist, composer, and musical arranger. Biography Born Ewa Alberstein in Szczecin, Poland, her name was Hebraized to Chava when she ...

Amal Murkus Amal Murkus ( ar, أمل مرقس, he, אמל מורקוס, born 11 July 1968) is a Palestinian singer. Her post-modern music style has a variety of Mediterranean influences. Her first album, ''Amal'', was released in 1998, and her second, ''Sh ...

Babis Tsertos Haralambos (Babis) Tsertos (Greek: Μπάμπης Τσέρτος; born October 27, 1956) is a Greek musician. His sister is the singer Nadia Karagianni and his father was also a musician who played the mandolin. At the age of 17, he settled perm ...

Paschalis Terzis Paschalis Terzis ( el, Πασχάλης Τερζής; born 24 April 1949) is a popular Greek singer. Biography Terzis was born in Pylaia, a suburb of Thessaloniki. In his early teens, he began to sing with friends, some of whom helped him in his ...

, Ilias Aslanoglou, Antonis Vardis,

Sarit Hadad Sarit Hadad ( he, שרית חדד, ) (born on September 20, 1978) is an Israeli singer. In October 2009, the Israeli Music TV Channel (Channel 24) named Hadad "best female singer of the 2000s". She represented Israel at the Eurovision Song Contes ...

Fortuna Fortuna ( la, Fortūna, equivalent to the Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular through the Middle Ages until at ...

Nikos Papazoglou Nikolaos "Nikos" Papazoglou (in Greek: Νίκος Παπάζογλου; 20 March 1948 – 17 April 2011) was a Greek singer-songwriter, musician, and producer from Thessaloniki. Papazoglou began performing in a number of Greek local groups in th ...

and more.

Discography

* 1978: '' Min Kaneis Oneira Trela'' * 1980: '' Sta Matia Kita Me'' * 1981: '' Ta Smyrneika'' * 1983: '' Apo ti Smyrni ston Peiraia'' * 1984: '' Stin Omorfi Nyhta'' (Live) * 1985: '' Tragoudi Esthimatiko'' * 1986: '' Matia Mou'' * 1987: '' Me Panselino'' * 1988: '' Nea Selini'' * 1990: '' Ola Mou Ta Mystika'' * 1991: '' Ximerose'' * 1992: '' I Hora Ton Thavmaton'' * 1992: '' Nyhtes Magikes ki Oneiremenes'' (Live) * 1994: '' Se Mia Schedia'' * 1996: '' I Glykeria Tragoudai Antoni Vardi'' * 1998: '' Maska'' * 2000: '' Harama 2000 (Live) * 2002: '' Ta Rebetika'' * 2004: '' Aniksi'' * 2006: '' Vrohi Ton Asterion'' * 2008: '' Ta Themelia Mou Sta Vouna'' * 2010: '' I Agapi Einai Eleftheri'' * 2014: '' kane kouragio ellada mou''

References

External links

Glykeria

(English) * http://www.myglykeria.gr * https://web.archive.org/web/20110531161510/http://www.glykeria.com.ar/ (Spanish) {{Authority control 1953 births Living people Greek entehno singers 20th-century Greek women singers Greek laïko singers Greek folk singers MAD Video Music Awards winners Greek Macedonians People from Emmanouil Pappas