ONAR (in Greek: ΟΝΑΡ), is a Greek

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

group, primarily composed by Lefteris Pliatsikas throughout the band's career. The band's name is the

ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

word for "dream".

History

The band was formed in 1998. In 1999, they released their first LP with songs by Lefteris and produced by renowned Greek songwriter

Filippos Pliatsikas Filippos Pliatsikas (Greek: Φίλιππος Πλιάτσικας) is a musician, composer and lyricist. He was the main composer, lyricist, and lead singer of the Entekhno rock group Pyx Lax (Πυξ Λαξ) and now a solo artist. Career Fi ...

, under the title "To ergo pou paizoun ta matia sou". From the very first instant, the album won positive reviews. Songs such as "Me tromazeis", "Hartina Fanaria", "Galazies Erwmenes" became popular, making the LP ''

golden Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...

''. In 2000 they released their second album entitled "Min petas tha se doun", which marked the participation of Teresa Salgueiro of Madredeus in a song based on a poem by Federico García Lorca. Manos Ksydous, another renown Greek songwriter, also participated with two songs. This LP had a notable commercial success, as well. Their next work was released in 2003 and is titled "Aladdin...Teliosan Oi Efhes sou". The album's hit song was "Den hrostao se kanena" (which had been pre-released as a

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...

and had already become ''golden'') with the participation of

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 later an adaptation to αν old folk song called "Istoria mou". Other songs that stood out from this record were "Na sai kala", "Posa ploia eho hasei" and "Fisaei sta stavrodromia tou kosmou" (based on a poem by Tasos Livaditis). In the next three years, they released two more albums, "Stin Αkri Τis Gis" and "Pou Τaksideveis" containing popular songs such as "Mahairia twra ta filia sou", "Kimata tou Aigaiou", "Mi fevgeis", and "Peta psila". In 2007 they released an album titled "Tipota Den Einai Opos Fainetai", from which songs such as "An m'agapas", "Kaseta" (lyrics by Efstathia), and "Perasmena mesanihta" stood out.

Touring and collaborations

ONAR have been touring in Greece ever since they released their first LP and they have participated in all the major festivals of Greece. They have collaborated with some of the most important representatives of the Greek pop-rock scene such as:

Lavrentis Mahairitsas Lavrentis Machairitsas ( el, Λαυρέντης Μαχαιρίτσας; 5 November 1956 – 9 September 2019) was a Greek rock musician from Volos, Thessaly, Greece. Biography Early years Machairitsas was born in Volos and began taking pian ...

, Dionysis Tsaknis,

Socrates Drank the Conium Socrates Drank the Conium, known also as Socrates, is a Greek rock band that formed in 1969 and achieved success in the 1970s. Influenced by heavy blues and rock bands like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, the band melded the unorthodox ti ...

Sakis Boulas Athanasios "Sakis" Boulas ( el, Αθανάσιος (Σάκης) Μπουλάς; 11 March 1954 – 21 February 2014) was a Greek singer, songwriter and actor. He made several studio albums and wrote songs for other musicians. He also starred in se ...

, and Lakis Papadopoulos. They have also participated in concerts dedicated to Lefteris Papadopoulos in Athens and Salonica and they have given concerts in Megaro Moussikis under the artistic supervision of George Dalaras.

Past Members

*Michael Kexagias (bass) *Stelios Makryplidis (guitar) *Kosmas Brousalis (drums) *Diamantis Karagiannakidis (keyboards) *Hlias Karoumpalis (sound technician)

Discography

* 1999 - "To Ergo Pou Paizoun Ta Matia Sou" (Harvest) * 2000 - "Min Petas Tha Se doun" (

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 ...

) * 2002 - "Aladdin...Teliosan Oi Efhes Sou" (Harvest) * 2003 - "Stin Akri Tis Gis" (Mercury) * 2004 - "Ton Oniron Ta Hromata" (Compilation) (Harvest,

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

) * 2006 - "Pou Taxideveis" (Mercury) * 2007 - "Tipota Den Einai Opos Fainetai" (Lyra) * 2008 - "14 Megala Tragoudia" (Compilation) (EMI Records Ltd.) * 2009 - "De Mporo Na Haramiso Alli Anasa" (Virus Music) * 2010 - "Osa Antio Mas Menoun" (Legend Recordings) * 2017 - "17" (Live Album) (Spider Music)

External links

Official siteMySpace site
*
Interview for Hit Channel

References

{{Authority control Greek pop rock music groups Musical groups from Athens