Haris Alexiou ( el, Χάρις Αλεξίου, ; born 27 December 1950 in

Thebes, Greece Thebes (; ell, Θήβα, ''Thíva'' ; grc, Θῆβαι, ''Thêbai'' .) is a city in Boeotia, Central Greece. It played an important role in Greek myths, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles and others. Archaeolog ...

as Hariklia Roupaka, el, Χαρίκλεια Ρουπάκα, ) 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. She is considered one of the most popular singers in Greece and has been commercially successful since the 1970s. She has worked with important Greek songwriters and composers, has performed at top musical theatres all over the world, and has received several awards. She has recorded over thirty albums and has been featured on albums of other musicians. 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 Alexiou as the first top-certified female artist in Greece in the phonographic era (since 1960), ''Chart Show: Your Countdown'' and the Number 3 overall ranking with regards to the sale of the personal albums certified Gold or Platinum in Greek discography since 1970, behind the male singers

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 ...

and

Yiannis 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 ...

. Eight of her personal albums released between 1977 and 2003 have surpassed 1.5 million sales, the only Greek female singer to do so. She also has an audience in Turkey and her various songs were sung in Turkish especially "Ola Se Thimizoun" (Everything reminds me of you) as "Olmasa Mektubun" (Without your letter) by Yeni Türkü,

Erol Evgin Mehmet Erol Evgin (born 16 April 1947) is a Turkish singer, composer and film actor. Biography Erol Evgin was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1947. He finished his high school education in Istanbul High School in 1965. He then studied architecture ...

Müslüm Gürses Müslüm Gürses (; 5 July 1953 – 3 March 2013), born Müslüm Akbaş and called Müslüm Baba (literally: ''Father'' ''Müslüm''), was a popular Turkish arabesque singer and actor. Personal life He was born on 7 May 1953 in an adobe hut in ...

, Sevda Karababa and Pilli Bebek; Teli Teli Teli as "Telli Telli" (Demoiselle, demoiselle), Pes Mou Pos Ginetai (Tell me, how is it possible?) as "Maskeli Balo" (Masquerade) by Yeni Türkü,

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

and

Ata Demirer Ata Demirer (born 6 July 1972) is a Turkish filmmaker, stand-up comedian, actor, and musician. He is known for his live comedy sketches as well as for writing and starring in a string of Turkish box-office hits including '' Eyyvah Eyvah'' (2010) ...

; Mia Pista Apo Fosforo (A floor of phosphorus) as "Her şeyi yak" by (Burn everything)

Sezen Aksu Sezen Aksu (; born Fatma Sezen Yıldırım; 13 July 1954) is a Turkish pop music singer, songwriter and producer who has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Queen of Turkish Pop" and "''Minik Serçe''" ("Little Spar ...

and Duman and as "Nefes Almak İstiyorum" (I want to breathe) by

Yonca Evcimik Fatma Yonca Evcimik (born 16 September 1963) is a Turkish pop singer and actress. Biography Evcimik studied dance and ballet at the Academy of Music at Mimar Sinan University. In an interview, she revealed that she worked as a sales agent fo ...

; Krata Gia To Telos (Keep it to the end) as "Sebahat Abla" (Elder sister Sebahat) by

; Fevgo (I'm leaving") as "Durma Yağmur" (Rain don't stop) by

Gripin Gripin (English: ''The Flu'') is a Turkish rock band based in Istanbul. The members are Birol Namoğlu (vocals), Murat Başdoğan (guitar), Arda İnceoğlu (bass guitar), and İlker Baliç (drums). The beginning They started as a cover band, p ...

. She has lived 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 ...

since 1958, when she and her family moved there from Thebes. Her grandmother's family migrated to Thebes in 1924 from Seydiköy,

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban agglo ...

. Her name was given to a street in Gaziemir, in İzmir province, Turkey.

Biography

Alexiou has stated that she is of

Arvanite Arvanites (; Arvanitika: , or , ; Greek: , ) are a bilingual population group in Greece of Albanian origin. They traditionally speak Arvanitika, an Albanian language variety, along with Greek. Their ancestors were first recorded as settlers ...

origin on her fathers side and of Anatolian Greek origin on her mothers side. Haris Alexiou appeared in the Greek music scene in the early 1970s. Her charismatic voice, combined with a unique way of performing and a strong stage presence, very soon led her to the top. She has worked with the most important Greek songwriters, has performed at the greatest musical theatres on all five continents and has received several important awards. She has recorded over thirty albums, has participated in albums of other artists, either renowned or young and promising, being always open to new ways in music.

1970s

The first important step in her career was her participation with

in the album ''Mikra Asia'' (''Asia Minor'') written by

Apostolos Kaldaras Apostolos may refer to: * The Apostolos (Eastern Orthodox liturgy), a book containing texts traditionally believed to be authored by one of the twelve apostles (disciples) – various epistles and the ''Acts of the Apostles'' – from which one is ...

and Pythagoras ( Pythagoras Papastamatiou) in 1972. A historic album, the biggest hit of the '70s and included in "Minos-EMI's 100 Greatest Hits of the Century." In 1973, Alexiou participated in the albums ''Kalimera ilie'' (''Good Morning, Sun'') by

Manos Loïzos Manos Loïzos ( el, Μάνος Λοΐζος; 1937–1982) was one of the most important Greek music composers of the 20th century. Biography He was born on 22 October 1937 to Greek Cypriot immigrants in Alexandria, Egypt. His parents came from ...

and

Lefteris Papadopoulos Lefteris (Eleftherios) Papadopoulos ( el, Λευτέρης Παπαδόπουλος) is a Greek lyricist, writer and journalist. Lefteris Papadopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on 14 November 1935. He is the son of Greek refugees, with a fath ...

, ''Byzantinos Esperinos'' (''Byzantine Vesper'') by Apostolos Kaldaras and Lefteris Papadopoulos and ''Odos Aristotelous'' (''Aristotelous Street'') by

Yannis Spanos Ioannes "Giannis" Spanos ( el, Ιωάννης "Γιάννης" Σπανός, ; 26 July 1934 – 30 October 2019), also transliterated as Yannis Spanos, was a Greek music composer and lyricist. In his early days as a musician he was also a piano ac ...

and

. Meeting Manos Loïzos was the beginning of a lifelong friendship and a prolific collaboration. In 1975, her first personal album, ''12 'Laika' Songs'', was released. One of the songs, "Dimitroula", originally sung in the 1930s by

Roza Eskenazi Roza Eskenazi (mid-1890s – 2 December 1980, Greek: Ρόζα Εσκενάζυ) was a famous Jewish-Greek dancer and singer of ''rebetiko'', Greek folk music, Kanto and Turkish folk music born in Istanbul, whose recording and stage career extend ...

, has become an all-time standard. In the same year, she appeared in "boites" in

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 residentia ...

, pioneering a new way of presenting songs, completely different from the conventional big nightclubs. It was the first year after the fall of the military junta, a time for political songs and the revival of "

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, and Alexiou sang traditional songs, ballads, modern songs, folk songs and rebetika. For many years, she collaborated with

Dimitra Galani Dimitra Galani ( el, Δήμητρα Γαλανή) is a Greek singer and songwriter. Galani was born 1952 in Athens and began her musical career at the age of 16 providing vocals on several tracks of Dimos Moutsis and Nikos Gatsos on the album "A ...

Vasilis Papakonstantinou Vasilis Papakonstantinou (Βασίλης Παπακωνσταντίνου) (born 21 June 1950) is a Greek singer known mostly for his work in Greek rock. Most of his songs have gained considerable popularity, mainly in Greece and Cyprus. Early l ...

and

. Her concerts in stadiums and theatres, with songs written by Manos Loïzos, Lefteris Papadopoulos, Nikolopoulos,

Giannis Spanos Ioannes "Giannis" Spanos ( el, Ιωάννης "Γιάννης" Σπανός, ; 26 July 1934 – 30 October 2019), also transliterated as Yannis Spanos, was a Greek music composer and lyricist. In his early days as a musician he was also a piano ac ...

, Theodorakis, Stavros Kouyioumtzis and others, were extremely successful. Her popularity reached its peak and since then, she has been "Haroula of Greece". In 1979, the album ''Ta tragoudia tis Haroulas'' (''Haroula's Songs'') was released. Manos Loïzos had written the music and the lyrics were written by

Manolis Rasoulis Emmanouil (Manolis) Rasoulis ( el, Μανώλης Ρασούλης, 28 September 19455 March 2011), best known as the lyricist of famous songs, was a Greek music composer, singer, writer, and journalist. Rasoulis was born in 1945 in Heraklion, ...

and Pythagoras ( Pythagoras Papastamatiou). From this album, "o Fantaros" ("The Soldier") immediately became a big hit, while "Ola se thymizoun" ("All Things Remind Me of You") is considered one of the most beautiful Greek ballads of all time.

1980s

The 1980s started with two enormous hits: "Fevgo" ("I'm Leaving") and "Ximeroni" ("The Day Breaks"). ''Songs of Yesterday'', her album with

included ballads which fascinated the public. At the same time, she recorded traditional and folk songs, rebetika and laika, and gave concerts both in Greece and abroad. In 1983 she recorded the album ''Tsilika'', a collector's item, with rebetika songs written between 1900 and 1935. 1986 is the year of her first collaboration with composer

Thanos Mikroutsikos Athanasios "Thanos" Mikroutsikos ( el, Αθανάσιος (Θάνος) Μικρούτσικος; 13 April 1947 – 28 December 2019) was a Greek composer and politician. He is considered one of the most important composers of the recent Greek mu ...

. The album was ''I Agapi ine zali'' (''Dizzy with Love''), with lyrics by Alkis Alkeos,

Nikos Kavvadias Nikos Kavvadias ( el, Νίκος Καββαδίας; 11 January 1910 in Nikolsk-Ussuriysky – 10 February 1975 in Athens) was a Greek poet, writer and a sailor by profession. He used his travels around the world, the life at sea and its adventures, ...

Andreas Mikroutsikos Andreas Mikroutsikos ( Greek: Ανδρέας Μικρούτσικος; born 1952 in Patras) is a Greek composer, lyricist, singer and TV presenter. Music career His top hits were ''Hameno Nisi'' (Lost Island), ''To Koutsouraki'' (Little Log), ''K ...

and Babis Tsikliropoulos The title song became an enormous hit. "Eleni" and "Erotikon", from the same album, were also extremely successful. The same year Haroula conquered the French public, appearing in "Théâtre de la Ville", getting favorable reviews from the French press. After that, she gave 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 ...

, Tunisia, Germany and many towns all over Greece. In 1987, world-famous Greek composer

Manos Hadjidakis Manos may refer to: Films * ''The Hands'' (Spanish: ''Las manos''), a 2006 Argentinean-Italian film * '' Manos: The Hands of Fate'', 1966 horror film Music * Manos (band), German Black metal band * ''Manos'' (album), by The Spinanes Other use ...

invited her to appear in his club "Sirius" with the "Unpredictable Songs". He directed her and later he went to the recording studio with her. In the summer of this year, she sang in Hadjidakis's concerts in many Greek towns. In 1988, she worked with "Fatme", a group of young and talented artists. She also worked with

Paolo Conte Paolo Conte (; born 6 January 1937) is an Italian singer, pianist, songwriter and lawyer known for his distinctly grainy, resonant voice. His compositions fuse Italian and Mediterranean sounds with jazz, boogie and elements of the French and L ...

, a well-known Italian singer and songwriter. They appeared together at the Palace Theatre of Athens. She recorded two of his songs with Greek lyrics by

Lina Nikolakopoulou Evangelia (Lina) Nikolakopoulou (Λίνα Νικολακοπούλου) is widely recognised as one of the foremost lyricists in Greece. She was born in Methana on 30 June 1958 and studied social and political sciences at the Panteion University i ...

. In 1989, "The Show in on". It is the musical show which she presented for two years, together with

and

, in

and

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 ...

. An album with the same title resulted from this work.

1990s

1990 began with her second collaboration with Thanos Mikroutsikos. The album was entitled ''This Cologne Lingers on for Years'', with lyrics by

. In October of the same year, she participated in the most important concert of the decade in Peace and Friendship Stadium of

. In this festive concert, called "Our Own Night", all the big names of Greek show business were present:

, Chris Nikolopoulos,

Alkistis Protopsalti Alkistis Protopsalti ( el, Άλκηστις Πρωτοψάλτη), born as Alkistis Sevasti Attikuzel ( el, Άλκηστις Σεβαστή Αττικιουζέλ), is a Greek singer and songwriter. Life Alkistis Protopsalti was born in Alex ...

, George Sarris,

George Zambetas Giorgos Zampetas (Pronounced 'Zabetas', el, Γιώργος Ζαμπέτας, sometimes romanized as George Zambetas / George Zabetas / Giorgos Zabetas; 25 January 1925 – 10 March 1992) was a Greek bouzouki musician. He was born and died in At ...

Lakis Lazopoulos Lakis Lazopoulos ( el, Λάκης Λαζόπουλος) is a Greek playwright, actor, comedian, script writer, producer, tv presenter, writer, columnist, songwriter and performer. He was ranked 83rd by the public in Skai TV's '' Great Greeks'' ...

and the legendary

Melina Mercouri Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a political family that was prominent over multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination a ...

. In 1991, she appeared in the Attikon Theatre of Athens with a special show called "In Three Acts". In the first act, she sang songs by Hadjidakis, Loizos, Mikroutsikos and

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

and

Kurt Weill Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900April 3, 1950) was a German-born American composer active from the 1920s in his native country, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fru ...

. In the second act, she hosted certain groups of modern Greek music and presented songs written by herself. The third act was a medley with her hits, old and new. She then presented this show in the State Theatre of Northern Greece, which for the first time accepted a Greek singer on its stage. With her concerts, sets new standards for musical shows, using state-of-the-art sound and light equipment and impressive decors. In autumn 1991, together with Costas Hadjis, she presented a show directed by

Mauro Bolognini Mauro Bolognini (28 June 1922 – 14 May 2001) was an Italian film and stage director of literate sensibility, known for his masterly handling of period subject matter. Early years Bolognini was born in Pistoia, in the Tuscany region of Italy. ...

at the Rex Theatre in

and Radio City in

. ''Alexiou Sings Hadjis'' is the album that followed. In 1992, she started her cooperation with

PolyGram PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be a ...

, successfully introducing a new style in her songs. The album ''Di' efchon'' (''L'orale''), with music by Nikos Antypas and lyrics by

, came as something quite fresh in Greek discography, imparting a new impetus to Haroula's already long career. In 1993, the album was released in Japan, Belgium, France and

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 ...

PolyGram International PolyGram N.V. was a multinational entertainment company and major music record label formerly based in the Netherlands. It was founded in 1962 as the Grammophon-Philips Group by Dutch corporation Philips and German corporation Siemens, to be ...

. The French TV channel "MCM International" filmed and showed her concert at Lycabetus Theatre. The same year she traveled around the world with concerts in

, the US, Canada,

, several European countries, finishing in Paris at the Mogador Theatre. In 1994, her album ''Hey!'' was released, with music by Nikos Antypas and lyrics by Lefteris Papadopoulos and Aris Davarakis. The summer of the same year, she appeared in the

Odeon of Herodes Atticus The Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Greek: Ωδείο Ηρώδου του Αττικού; also called Herodeion or Herodion; Greek: Ηρώδειο) is a stone Roman theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. Th ...

with a show directed by

. In October, she had her first and extremely successful appearance in Japan. In 1995, the album ''88 Nefelis Street'' was released; she wrote all the songs. For this album, in April 1995 at the Palais des congrès in Paris, she received the Prix Adami, an award given every year by the

Académie Charles Cros The Académie Charles Cros (Charles Cros Academy) is an organization located in Chézy-sur-Marne, France, that acts as an intermediary between government cultural policy makers and professionals in music and the recording industry. The academy is ...

to distinguished artists. The same year, she opened Studio Nefeli, where she presented her new songs, creating a new "Cafe Theatre" atmosphere.

Dimitris Papaioannou Dimitris Papaioannou ( el, Δημήτρης Παπαϊωάννου; born 21 June 1964) is a Greek experimental theater stage director, choreographer and visual artist who drew media attention and acclaim with his creative direction of the Ope ...

was the director of the show. In 1996, she wrote the lyric for "Nefeli's Tango" on

Loreena McKennitt Loreena Isobel Irene McKennitt, (born February 17, 1957) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer who writes, records, and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern influences. McKennitt is known for her ...

's music. This song, along with other live recordings from her concerts around the world, was included in the album ''Around the World '92-'96''. "Nefeli's Tango" was one of the ten top songs of World Music in Europe for several months. In summer 1997, at the invitation of

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

Committee "Athens 2004", she gave a concert at Pnyka Hill, very close to the

Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens, ...

. Such was the success of this concert, she had to repeat it twice at the same location. 1998 was the year of ''The Game of Love'', her second album with songs written solely by herself. The recording took place at the Studio Guillaume Tell in Paris with Greek and foreign musicians. The same year, she toured North and South America with

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 ...

. In December she appeared in Athens at the Diogenis Studio, which was reconstructed in order to meet the demands of the show she presented with Chris Nikolopoulos. The show was directed by Dimitris Papaioannou again. In October 1999, she sang along with Turkish famous female singer

, both in Athens and

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, for the victims of the earthquakes which struck the two countries that year, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. This cooperation was repeated in summer 2000 in Istanbul and

2000-present

In September 2000, the album ''Whispers'' was released. It included her favourite songs performed by her and a piano only. In October, she presented these songs in the

Athens Concert Hall The Athens Concert Hall (Greek: Μέγαρον Μουσικής Αθηνών, ''Mégaron Mousikis Athinon'') is a concert hall located on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue in Athens, Greece. The Hall was inaugurated in 1991 with two halls. Since then it ...

and in the ancient

Epidaurus Epidaurus ( gr, Ἐπίδαυρος) was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: ''Palaia Epidavros'' and ''Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to the ...

Odeon, accompanied by a small musical ensemble. The same year, she founded her own record company, Estia, in order to produce all her future discography. In December, the album was released entitled ''Strange Light''. In this album she meets again songwriters with whom she has successfully worked in the past. ''Strange Light'' became ''Lumiere Etrange'' and was released all over Europe by Universal-France. At the same time, Haroula toured Europe giving concerts at the most prestigious theatres, conquering both audiences and critics. Her tour ended with a triumphal appearance at the Theatre Olympia in Paris. 2002 was another creative year for Haroula. She appeared at the Keramikos Music Hall, this time singing more "laika" songs. In this show, Lavrentis Macheritsas and other younger artists participated. The result was the album ''Keramikos Live''. In 2003, the album ''To the end of your heaven'' went quadruple platinum and

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 ...

, one of the most significant institutions of the international music industry, presented Haris Alexiou with the award for Best-Selling Greek Artist for the season 2003-2004 ( 2004 World Music Awards). In 2004, the

were held in Athens. Haris Alexiou, sang at the closing ceremony, along with D. Galani,

Marinella Marinella ( el, Μαρινέλλα) (born 20 May 1938, Thessaloniki) is one of the most popular Greek singers whose career has spanned several decades. She has sung professionally since 1957. Since the beginning of her career, she has release ...

, Y. Parios, G. Dalaras. In October 2004, the retrospective compilation album ''Anthology'' was released. This double CD was composed of 38 songs from her previous albums and of two new ones. Alexiou herself selected the included songs, not only choosing the most popular ones, but also bearing in mind the significance of each song to her. In April 2005, remastered and repackaged editions of her 16 albums were released under the banner of

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 ...

. The albums were reprinted, digitally remastered, and the new editions were meticulously designed (including the lyrics, many informative texts and original photos from the time of the first release). In 2006, Haris Alexiou was back with ''Sour cherry and bitter orange'', an album depicting the traditional aspects of contemporary music. Thodoris Papadopoulos, Smaro Papadopoulou and Makis Seviloglou wrote the music and the lyrics, suggesting a return to one's roots. An album that, despite its unusual content, managed to go platinum, just a few months after it was released, receiving people's recognition and love. During the summer she made a series of special appearances. Along with Dimitra Galani, she gave two concerts dedicated to

Sofia Vembo Sofia Vembo ( el, Σοφία Βέμπο; 10 February 1910, in Gallipoli, East Thrace, Turkey – 10 March 1978, in Athens, Greece) was a leading Greek singer and actress active from the interwar period to the early postwar years and the 1950s ...

, an event organized by Athens Festival. She gave four sold-out concerts along with

Sokratis Malamas Sokratis Malamas (Greek: Σωκράτης Μάλαμας) (born September 29, 1957) is a Greek singer and songwriter. Biography Sokratis Malamas was born on September 29, 1957, in Sykia in Chalkidiki, Greece. His family moved to Stuttgart, Ge ...

and Alkinoos Ioannidis, celebrating "Melodia" radio station's 25 years of broadcasting, at

Lycabettus Mount Lycabettus (), also known as Lycabettos, Lykabettos or Lykavittos ( el, Λυκαβηττός, ), is a Cretaceous limestone hill in the Greek capital Athens. At 277 meters (908 feet) above sea level, its summit is the highest point in Cen ...

theatre in

and at the "Palais des sports" in

. These concerts were recorded and a double CD and DVD edition was to be released in March 2007. At the end of 2006 Haris Alexiou undertook a major tour around Europe, giving a series of concerts and promoting the international release of her album ''Anthology''. In early 2007, she appeared at the Athens Concert Hallfor in five concerts directed by Panos Papadopoulos. The songs were orchestrated by Kostas Papadoukas and the orchestra conducted by Alexandros Myrat. Alexiou gave three concerts under the title "Everything reminds me of you", dedicated to Manos Loizos, at the

in June 2007, participating in the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of his birth. The concerts were directed by Panos Papadopoulos Nikos Portokaloglou, the songs were arranged by Kostas Papadoukas, and the lighting was designed by Andreas Sinanos. The group "Triphonon" appeared along with her on stage. Two more concerts were given at

, followed by a summer tour around Greece and

along with the "Triphonon", dedicated to the great composer. On 22 October the album ''Haris Alexiou - A tribute to Manos Loizos'' was released, containing the live recording and videotaping of the concerts given at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus the previous June during the Athens Festival. Nikos Portokaloglou and the group "Triphonon" also appeared on the album. The album was released in both a double CD and a double CD-DVD packaging by Estia recordings. From Greece to Australia, from Russia to Africa, from America to Japan, Haris Alexiou travels around and shows the world the feelings of the Greek song. She firmly believes that Greek songs, through their poets and composers, made her love and better understand the history and the culture of her country.

Discography

LPs/CDs

Collaborations

*1972: ''Mikra Asia'' (by Apostolos Kaldaras, with

) *1973: ''Byzantinos Esperinos'' (by Apostolos Kaldaras, with George Dalaras) *1974: ''Prodomenos Laos'' (by

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 Film score, scored for the films ''Zorba the Greek (film) ...

) *1974: ''Kalimera Ilie'' (by

Manos Loizos Manos may refer to: Films * ''The Hands'' (Spanish: ''Las manos''), a 2006 Argentinean-Italian film * '' Manos: The Hands of Fate'', 1966 horror film Music * Manos (band), German Black metal band * ''Manos'' (album), by The Spinanes Other use ...

) *1974: ''Gia Rembetes Kai Gia Filous'' (by Apostolos Kaldaras, with Dimitris Kondolazos and Kostas Smokovitis) *1974: ''Robinsones'' (by Apostolos Kaldaras, with Yiannis Parios) *1974: ''Odos Aristotelous'' (by

) *1981: ''I synandisi'' (by Apostolos Kaldaras, with Ilias Klonaridis; Alexiou not credited)

Solo

*1975: ''12 Laika Tragoudia'' *1976: ''Haris Alexiou 2'' *1976: ''Laikes Kyriakes'' *1977: ''24 Tragoudia'' *1979: ''Ta Tragoudia Tis Haroulas'' (with

) *1980: ''Ksimeronei'' *1981: ''Ta Tragoudia Tis Htesinis Meras'' (with

) *1981: ''Ta Tragoudia Tis Yis Mou'' *1982: ''I Zoi Mou Kyklous Kanei'' *1983: ''Ta Tsilika'' *1984: ''Emfilios Erotas'' *1986: ''I Agapi Einai Zali'' (with

) *1986: ''A Paris'' *1987: ''I Haris Alexiou Se Aprovlepta Tragoudia'' *1988: ''I Nihta Thelei Erota'' *1990: ''Krataei Hronia Afti I Kolonia'' *1990: ''I Diki Mas Nihta'' *1991: ''I Alexiou Tragoudaei Hatzi'' *1992: ''Di'Efhon'' *1994: ''Ei'' *1995: ''Odos Nefelis '88'' *1996: ''Gyrizontas Ton Kosmo'' *1997: ''Ena Fili Tou Kosmou'' *1997: ''Gyrizontas Ton Kosmo Kai Ena Fili Tou Kosmou'' *1998: ''To Paihnidi Tis Agapis'' *2000: ''Parakseno Fos'' *2000: ''Psythyri'' *2002: ''Cine Kerameikos'' *2003: ''Os Tin Akri Tou Ouranou Sou'' *2004: ''Anthologio'' *2006: ''Vissino Kai Nerantzi'' *2006: ''Gyrizontas Ton Kosmo Kai Ena Fili Tou Kosmou (Special Edition)'' *2007: ''Alexiou - Malamas - Ioannidis'' (Note: Certified

Platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

by the

IFPI The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...

). *2007: ''Afieroma Sto Mano Loizo'' *2009: ''I Agapi Tha Se Vri Opou Kai Na'sai'' *2012: ''Live Pallas 2012'' *2012: ''I Tripla'' *2014: ''Ta Oneira Ginontai Pali'' *2020: ''Ta Tragoudia Tis Xenitias''
In the below table, the personal albums certified gold or platinum, in descending order by sales.Dragoumanos, Petros (2009). Elliniki Diskografia 1950-2009 (Greek Discography 1950-2009) The reeditions' sales are not included.

Vinyl 45s

*1970: Otan pini mia gineka A-side: "Otan pini mia gineka", H. Alexiou (H. Vasiliades, Pythagoras)
B-side: "Periexomeno den exeis", Mpampis Tsetinis-Pitsa Papadopoulou (H. Vasiliades, Pythagoras) *1971: To parasinthima (Apostolos Kaldaras) A-side: "To parasinthima", Haris Alexiou (Apostolos Kaldaras)
B-side: "Oi dyo zitianoi", Yannis Parios (Ap. Kaldaras, G. Samoladas) *1971: Tous antres tha katarasto A-side: "Tous antres tha katarasto", Haris Alexiou ( G. Hadjinasios, N. Gabriilides)
B-side: "Thaho tis grillies anoiktes", Haris Alexiou ( G. Hadjinasios, N. Gabriilides) *1971: Irthe i agapi A-side: "Irthe i agapi (Efige i agapi)", Haris Alexiou-Tolis Voskopoulos (T. Voskopoulos, E. Lymperopoulos)
B-side: "Pali monaxo to paidi", Haris Alexiou (T. Voskopoulos, E. Lymperopoulos) *1972: Hasapiko 40 A-side: "Hasapiko 40", Haris Alexiou (M.Hadjidakis, N. Gatsos)
B-side: "Agapi mesa stin kardia", Haris Alexiou (M.Hadjidakis, N. Gatsos) *1972: Den yparxei eftyxia A-side: "Hasapiko 40", Haris Alexiou (M.Hadjidakis, N. Gatsos) ame as abovebr /> B-side: "Den yparxei eftyxia"

Litsa Diamanti Litsa Diamanti ( el, Λίτσα Διαμάντη, born Euaggelia (Evangelitsa-Litsa) Cosmidou; 1949 in Kolonos, Athens) is a Greek laïko singer who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s. She has been described as the "child-wonder of the Sixties ...

(G. Katsaros, Pythagoras) *1972: Mais A-side: "Mais", Haris Alexiou (G. Metsikas, M. Fakinos)
B-side: "Tosa kai tosa ximeromata" Haris Alexiou (G. Metsikas, M. Fakinos) *1972: O marmaromenos vasilias, from the LP ''Mikra Asia'' A-side: "O marmaromenos vasilias", Haris Alexiou (Ap. Kaldaras, Pythagoras)
B-side: "Mes stou Vosporou ta stena", eorge Dalaras(Ap. Kaldaras, Pythagoras) *1973: Maria me ta kitrina from the LP ''O, ti kosmos mpampa!'' A-side: "Maria me ta kitrina", Haris Alexiou (V. Dimitriou)
B-side: "Aspra, kokkina, kitrina, mple", Haris Alexiou (D. Moutsis, G. Logothetis) *1973: San louloudi tsakismeno A-side: "San louloudi tsakismeno", Haris Alexiou (S. Kougioumtzis, K. Athanasiou)
B-side: "Efyge to treno gia tin dysi", Haris Alexiou (S. Kougioumtzis, K. Athanasiou) *1973: Paei paei manoula mou A-side: "Paei paei manoula mou", Haris Alexiou (T. Soukas, Pythagoras)
B-side: "To prosklitirio", Haris Alexiou (T. Soukas, Pythagoras) *1973: Kampana tou esperinou, from the LP ''Vyzantinos Esperinos'' A-side: "Kampana tou esperinou", Haris Alexiou (A. Kaldaras, L. Papadopoulos)
B-side: "Kai na ‘mouna to palikari", George Dalaras (T. Soukas, Pythagoras) *1974: Ti talaiporia, from the LP ''Aspro Mavro'' A-side: "Ti talaiporia", Haris Alexiou ( G. Hadjinasios, S. Tsotou)
B-side: "Kai na ‘mouna to palikari", Yannis Parios ( G. Hadjinasios, S. Tsotou) *1974: Poios to kserei, from the LP ''Kalimera ilie'' A-side: "Poios to kserei", Haris Alexiou (Manos Loizos)
B-side: "Kalimera ilie", Kostas Smokovitis and Aleka Aliberti (Manos Loizos) *1975: Na kseres file... A-side: "Na kseres file", Haris Alexiou (Nasos Nakas)
B-side: "Stis rizes t’ ouranou", Yannis Parios (Nasos Nakas) *1975: Dimitroula mou, from the LP ''12 Laika tragoudia'' A-side: "Dimitroula mou", Haris Alexiou (old folk song)
B-side: "Pos to lene", Haris Alexiou (H. Vasiliades, Pythagoras) *1976: Elenitsa, from the LP ''12 Laika tragoudia'' A-side: "Elenitsa", Haris Alexiou (old folk song)
B-side: "Tsachpin", Haris Alexiou (old folk song) *1976: Erinaki, from the LP ''Haris Alexiou 2'' A-side: "Erinaki", Haris Alexiou (old folk song)
B-side: "O doctor", Haris Alexiou (old folk song) *1976: I garsona, from the LP ''Haris Alexiou 2'' A-side: "I garsona", Haris Alexiou (old folk song)
B-side: "Ela pare me", Haris Alexiou (G. Sarris, L. Papadopoulos) *1977: Esenane tha dialega, from the LP ''Laikes Kyriakes'' A-side: "Esenane tha dialega", Haris Alexiou (S. Kougioumtzis, L. Papadopoulos)
B-side: "Treis i ora nychta", Haris Alexiou (S. Kougioumtzis, M. Eleftheriou) *1977: Matia mou matia mou, from the LP ''Laikes Kyriakes'' A-side: "Matia mou matia mou", Haris Alexiou (S. Kougioumtzis, L. Papadopoulos)
B-side: "Ta mavra koroideveis", Haris Alexiou (S. Kougioumtzis, M. Eleftheriou) *1981: O fantaros (juke box 45 rpm single) A-side: "O fantaros", Haris Alexiou (M. Loizos, M. Rasoulis), from the LP ''Ta tragoudia tis Haroulas''
B-side: "Ksimeronei", Haris Alexiou (A. Vardis, H. Alexiou), from the LP ''Ksimeronei'' *1982: Omorfe mou kosme A-side: "Omorfe mou kosme", Haris Alexiou (Nasos Nakas-Nanopoulos)
B-side: "Parapono", Haris Alexiou (Nasos Nakas-Nanopoulos) *1985: Kokkino Garifallo, from the Yannis Parios’ LP '' Ego ki esy'' A-side: "Kokkino garyfallo", Yannis Parios and Haris Alexiou (Nikos Ignatiadis)
B-side: "Lovely mandolin okkino garifallo, Yannis Parios and Haris Alexiou (Nikos Ignatiadis, S. Fassois) *1985: Gia ta paidia A-side: "Gia ta paidia", Haris Alexiou, Bessy Argiraki, Anna Vissi, Tolis Voskopoulos etc. (A. Papadimitriou, Ph. Nikolaou)
B-side: " Gia ta paidia nstrumental, Haris Alexiou, Bessy Argiraki, Anna Vissi, Tolis Voskopoulos etc. (A. Papadimitriou, Ph. Nikolaou) *1986: Mplexan oi grammes mas, from the Fatmé's LP ''Vgainoume ap’ to tunnel '' A-side: "Mplexan oi grammes mas", Fatmé feat. Haris Alexiou (Nikos Portokaloglou)
B-side: "Pote tha se varetho", Fatmé (Nikos Portokaloglou) *1990: Mia pista apo fosforo A-side: "Dimitroula mou 990 cover, Haris Alexiou (old folk song)
B-side: "Mia pista apo fosforo", Haris Alexiou (Th. Mikroutsikos, L. Nikolakopoulou), from the LP ''Krataei xronia afti i kolonia'' *1992: Magissa, from the LP ''Di’ Efhon'' (promo single) A-side: "Magissa", Haris Alexiou (N. Antypas, L. Nikolakopoulou)
B-side: "Di’ Efhon", Haris Alexiou (N. Antypas, L. Nikolakopoulou) *1992: Na ziso i na pethano, from the LP ''Di’ Efhon'' (promo single) A-side: "Na ziso i na pethano xtended New Version, Haris Alexiou (N. Antypas, L. Nikolakopoulou)
B-side: " I sinavlia", Haris Alexiou (N. Antypas, L. Nikolakopoulou) *1994: Ei, from the LP ''Ei!'' (promo single) A-side: "Ei", Haris Alexiou (N. Antypas, L. Papadopoulos)
B-side: "S’ Ehasa", Haris Alexiou (N. Antypas, L. Papadopoulos) *1995: Oi filoi mou, from the LP ''Odos Nefelis ’88'' A-side: "Oi filoi mou", Haris Alexiou (Haris Alexiou)
B-side: "Minoraki", Haris Alexiou (Haris Alexiou)
Oasis Magazine, April 2009

Video sampling: Alexiou in concerts, TV shows, videoclips, film shows

Concerts and TV shows videos

* 1975, TV show: * 1979, TV show: * 1983, Athens: * 1984, Athens: * 1987, TV show: * 1987, TV show: * 1987, Patras: * 1990, Athens: * 1991, Israel: * 1992-96:

Video clips

* * * * * *

Film shows videos

* 1972:

References

External links

Official website www.alexiou.gr

Haris Alexiou Community Forum www.alexiou-forum.gr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexiou, Haris 1950 births Arion Music Awards winners 21st-century Greek women singers Greek entehno singers Greek laïko singers Greek rebetiko singers Minos EMI artists PolyGram Records (Greece) artists Living people World Music Awards winners People from Thebes, Greece 20th-century Greek women singers