Giannis Kalatzis (, 29 April 1938 – 13 July 2017) was a

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

singer who was especially popular in Greece in the late 1960s and the first half of the 1970s. Giannis Kalatzis was born in

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

in 1943. His career as a singer began in the early 1960s when he was a member of the Trio Moreno in Thessaloniki. Kalatzis later moved to

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, where he initially co-operated with the famous composer Giorgos Mitsakis. His popularity began to increase and he had a productive collaboration with some of the most famous Greek composers of the period – Manos Loizos, Stavros Kougioumtzis,

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, Giannis Spanos, and Tolis Voskopoulos. Kalatzis participated in albums alongside singers such as Giorgos Dalaras, Haris Alexiou,

Giannis Parios Yiannis Parios () 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 first appearance as a singer in 1969 ...

, Mariza Koch, Litsa Diamanti and Kostas Smokovitis. He also appeared in ten films. In the second half of the 1970s, Kalatzis co-operated with composer Nikos Karvelas and in 1981 he released an album with the songs of Tolis Voskopoulos. His last album before giving up active singing was in 1984, however, in 1985, he took part in a big concert dedicated to composer Manos Loizos held in

Athens Olympic Stadium The Olympic Stadium of Athens "Spyridon Louis, Spyros Louis" (, ''Olympiakó Stádio Athinón "Spýros Loúis"'') is a sports stadium in Marousi, in the north section of Athens, Greece. With a total capacity of 75,000, it is the largest sports v ...

. In 2000, he released a double CD, the first disc with his greatest hits in new versions and the second disc with famous Greek sons in his rendition. Kalatzis is considered one of the best singers of the time and his songs have been performed by younger singers as well. In 2013 Giannis Kalatzis was honoured in the Greek version of the television programme Your Face Sounds Familiar broadcast by

ANT1 Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a free-to-air television network airing in Greece. The alternate spelling is wordplay in Greek; ''ena'' (ένα) is the Greek number ''1'' (one), thus ''ANT1'' is pronounced the same as ''Antenna'' (Αντένν ...

with actor Konstantinos Kazakos impersonating him and performing one of his most famous songs – 'Delfini delfinaki'.

Most famous songs

* ''I Gorgona (Stin Apano Yitonitsa)'' Music: Manos Loizos; Text: Lefteris Papadopoulos * ''Paporaki Tou Burnova'' Music – Manos Loizos * ''Dhelfini, Dhelfinaki'' Music: Manos Loizos; Text: Lefteris Papadopoulos * ''Tzamaika'' Music – Manos Loizos * ''To Palio Roloi'' Music – Manos Loizos * ''Xenaki Ime Ke Tha 'Rtho'' Music – Stavros Kouyioumtzis * ''O Stamoulis O Lochias'' Music – Giorgos Katsaros * ''Paramythaki Mou'' Music – Manos Loizos (the song can be heard in the film

The Exorcist (film) ''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by William Peter Blatty, based on The Exorcist (novel), his 1971 novel. The film stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Jason Miller (play ...

) * ''An Zousan I Arhei'' Music – Giorgos Mitsakis * ''Isoun orea'' Music – Stavros Kouyioumtzis * ''Ta hrisa klidia'' Music – Theodoros Derveniotis * ''Kyra Giorgena'' Music – Giorgos Katsaros

Discography

Source:Dragoumanos, Petros (2009). Elliniki Diskografia 1950–2009 (Greek Discography 1950–2009)

Personal albums

*1968: Giannis Kalatzis *1969: O Epipoleos *1970: Kyra Giorgena *1971: Paramythaki Mou *1973: Ena Taxidi *1975: Ke I Zoi Sinechizete *1976: Mi Perimenis *1978: Kapios Panta Leei Antio *1979: Ta Kalitera Mou Tragoudia *1979: Pali Konta Sou *1981: Gia Olous *1984: Thymithite Me Ton Gianni Kalatzi *1989: I Megaliteres Epitihies Tou (Compilation) *1994: I Megales Epitihies (Compilation) *1996: Tragoudia Apo tis 45' Strofes

Collaborations

*1968: Stathmos *1969: An Zousan I Archei *1969: Synantisi *1970: Thalassografies *1971: Zei? *1971: O Stamoulis O Lochias *1971: Otan Anthizoun I Paschalies *1972: I Ora Tis Gardenias *1972: Na 'Chame, Ti Na 'Chame *1974: 13 Periptosis *1974: Manolis Barberakis No. 2 *1974: Odos Aristotelous *1974: Oh, Ti Kosmos? Mpampa *1974: 13 Periptosis *1974: Welcome To Greece No. 5 *1977: Agapo Mia Pantremeni *1985: Manos Loizos – Afieroma, Live

TV appearances

*Το Παρτυ της Ζωης Σου (2005) ALTER *Δρόμοι (2005) ΕΤ1 *Κοίτα τι Έκανες (2004) ΝΕΤ *Οδικές βοήθειες MEGA *Μαζί την Κυριακή (1996) ANT1 *Ciao (1992) ANT1 *Στιγμές από το ελληνικό τραγούδι (1990) ET2 *Εν αρχή ην ο λόγος – Αφιέρωμα στον Πυθαγόρα (1988) ΕΤ2 *Εν αρχή ην ο λόγος – Κώστας Βίρβος (1988) ΕΤ2 *Γιώργος Κατσαρός – Παραλλαγές στο Ιδιο Θέμα (1986) ΕΡΤ *Λαϊκό πάλκο (1985) ΕΡΤ *Αφιέρωμα στον Μάνο Λοϊζο (1985) ΕΡΤ *Αφιερώματα – Θόδωρος Δερβενιώτης (1983) ΕΡΤ *Σταύρος Κουγιουμτζής – 20 χρόνια Τραγούδι (1982) ΕΡΤ *Έξι ρεβεγιόν, εξήντα χρόνια (1978) ΕΡΤ *Στούντιο 3 (1978) ΕΡΤ *Ντο-Ρε-Μι (1974) ΕΙΡΤ *Δώδεκα μήνες τραγούδι (1973) ΕΙΡΤ *Σήμερα ΥΕΝΕΔ *Αλάτι και πιπέρι (1971) ΥΕΝΕΔ

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kalatzis, Giannis 1943 births 2017 deaths 20th-century Greek male singers Singers from Thessaloniki