George Dalaras (Greek: Γιώργος Νταλάρας), also possibly spelled as Yorgos or Giorgos Ntalaras is regarded as the best contemporary Greek singer. He was born in Nea Kokinia, Piraeus on 29 September 1949. His father was Loukas Daralas, a famous singer of rebetiko. View of Piraeus A night ferry about to leave the port of Piraeus for the Dodecanese Piraeus, or Peiraeus (Modern Greek: Πειραιάς Peiraiás or Pireás, Ancient Greek / Katharevousa: Πειραιεύς Pireéfs) is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, located south of Athens. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Loukas Daralas is considered one of the rembets who was never acknowledged for his ability or contribution, few photographs are said to be known of him. ... Rebetiko, plural rebetika, (Greek ρεμπέτικο and ρεμπέτικα respectively) is the name for a type of urban Greek music. ...

Early career

Dalaras and Anna Vissi with Koujioumtzis.

Dalaras' first song, "Προσμονή" ("Expectation"), was recorded in 1967. The single never reached any popular status in fact, was barely released. Dalaras even had to struggle to get into the studio, as ironically the day he began his studio career was the day that the Greek military junta had taken over the streets of Athens, and the roads were littered with tanks. Image File history File linksMetadata Anna_and_dalaras. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Anna_and_dalaras. ... Anna Vissi (Άννα Βίσση in Greek characters; born in Larnaca, Cyprus, December 20, 1957) is a Cypriot singer famous mainly in her home country Cyprus, Greece, with mild success in the United States. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

After several appearances on various recordings as a "bonus/token" singer, his debut album was released in early 1969, a self titled album released under the MINOS label. The recording included many compositions by Stavros Koujioumtzis, who in the early years proved a fountain of help toward helping Dalaras succeed musically. As Dalaras has said in various interviews, he owes the fact that he became a singer to Koujioumtzis, who composed Dalaras' first songs. His relation with Koujioumtzis was very friendly and exceptional until the sudden death of the composer due to a heart attack in March 2005. Stavros Koujioumtzis (Greek:Σταύρος Κουγιουμτζής) is one of the most significant greek music composers of the 20th century. ...

The biggest hit of the record, "Pounai ta Hronia", is still sung today, and is regarded as a mainstay in Dalaras' large repertoire. In 1970, he released the album Natane to 21 ("If only it were '21" -- i.e. 1821, a reference to the Greek War of Independence). The album was immediately more successful than his debut LP and included hits such as "Natane to 21", "Kapou Nihtoni", and an instrumental version of "Pounai ta Hronia". The album was made up entirely of a compositions by Stavros Koujioumtzis. The songs were mainly secondary releases, as was common in the late 60's for new Greek singers; however, not all the songs on first release (most of them on the smaller yet more unique LYRA label) had proved successful, and in many instances, even now, many people in Greece believe that the Dalaras songs are original and not cover versions. The coronation banquet for George IV 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Greek revolutionaries, Great Britain, Russia, France Ottoman Empire, Egyptian troops Commanders Theodoros Kolokotronis, Alexander Ypsilanti Omer Vrionis, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt. ...

First platinum album

In 1972 Dalaras, along with singer Haris Alexiou, got his big break in the Greek music industry when their LP Mikra Asia ("Asia Minor") went platinum, his first album to do so. The songs were written by Apostolos Kaldaras, a heavyweight in the laïkó scene of the 50's and 60's, who at this time decided to enter the political fray of Greek music. Dalaras and Alexiou were immediately thrown into the limelight. The LP was also recently re-released in both CD and limited edition LP format by minos-emi 33â…“ LP vinyl record album from the 1960s A gramophone record (also phonograph record, or simply record) is an analogue sound recording medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed modulated spiral groove. ... General Name, Symbol, Number platinum, Pt, 78 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 6, d Appearance grayish white Atomic mass 195. ... Laïkó was the pop music of Greece the 50s and 60s. ...

The Mikra Asia LP was later followed up, by Vizantinos Esperinos ("Byzantine Vesper") in 1973. The album consisted again of Dalaras and Haris Alexiou, and was composed by Apostolos Kaldaras, however the lyrics were by the emerging Lefteris Papadopoulo, who ironically had written Dalaras first official recording (O stathmos msm 101 - Pistage to Topi). This was the last time that Dalaras had officially worked with Apostolo Kaldara in the studio, however, they worked together in live performances.

Unlike Mikra Asia, Vyzantinos Esperinos did not meet any exceptional sales, and is somewhat 'forgotten' in the repetoire of Dalara songs.

Rebetiko revival

After several LPs and further collaborations with Koujioumtzis, Kaldaras, and others, and due to the success of Apostolos Nikolaidis (Otan Kapnizei o Loulas) in the USA, Dalaras decided to release his own renditions of rebetiko songs on the double LP 50 Hronia Rembetiko Songs released 1975. The recording proved an immediate success, despite the toning down of the musical lyrics. However, as a result, a new movement was set to take place in Greek music, and the once forgotten rembetes were finding themselves performing, in some cases for the first time in 30 to 40 years, live in front of a live audience. Apostolos Nikolaidis (born 1896) marked Panathinaikos with his personality during the first years of the intervening period between the two world wars. ... Rebetiko, plural rebetika, (Greek ρεμπέτικο and ρεμπέτικα respectively) is the name for a type of urban Greek music. ...

He later followed up his work with an lp in 1980, Rembetika tis Katochis, which was a more gritty and meaty release, more faithfull to the tone of the original rembetika as heard in the 1930's however again, references to drugs were cut out, and only mentoned in fleeting. Unlike the previous double lp, this also contained some of the original musicians, Bayianteras and Genitsaris in particular making an appearence on the lp.

Collaborations and styles

Since the 1970's George Dalaras has recorded more than 120 records. He has sung numerous different Greek music styles (e.g. rebetiko, laïkó, latin, pop), Israeli and Arabic music, and religious music. He has collaborated with many contemporary Greek composers, including Mikis Theodorakis, Stavros Koujioumtzis, Manos Loizos, Apostolos Kaldaras, Stavros Xarhakos and Manos Hadjidakis to Hristos Nikolopoulos. He also discovered and supported little Areti Ketime, whose first CD album he produced. Rebetiko, plural rebetika, (Greek ρεμπέτικο and ρεμπέτικα respectively) is the name for a type of urban Greek music. ... Latin American music, sometimes simply called Latin music, includes the music of many countries and comes in many varieties, from the simple, rural conjunto music of northern Mexico to the sophisticated habanera of Cuba, from the symphonies of Heitor Villa-Lobos to the simple and moving Andean flute. ... For Popular music (music that is popular, rather than of a specific genre or style), see Popular music. ... Arab music is the music of Arabic-speaking people or countries, especially those centered around the Arabian Peninsula. ... Mikis Theodorakis Mikis Theodorakis (Greek: Μίκης Θεοδωράκης) (b. ... Manos Loïzos (Μάνος Λοΐζος, also transliterated as Loizos and Loisos, October 22, 1937 in Alexandria, Egypt – September 17, 1982 in Moscow, Soviet Union) was one of the most important Greek music composers, yet nearly unknown outside Greece. ... Greek Music composer, famous for this work on the movie Rembetiko the movie and many more sonatas and compositions Categories: People stubs ... Manos Hadjidakis (Μάνος Χατζιδάκις) (October 23, 1925–June 15, 1994) was a Greek music composer. ... Areti Ketime (b. ...

Apart from his prominent singing career, Dalaras is considered to be one of the greatest Greek musicians as he plays most of the stringed instruments of a Greek folk band with great success, including the guitar, bouzouki, baglama, tzoura and outi. In fact he is a highly accomplished guitarist, often playing with Al Di Meola and Paco de Lucía, among others. In recent years however, Dalara only plays rythmic guitar, taking second place to the other musicians on stage with him. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Greek (tetrachordo) Bouzouki The bouzouki (gr. ... The baÄŸlama is a stringed musical instrument shared by various cultures in the Eastern Mediterranean. ... Front and rear views of an oud. ... Elegant Gypsy (1977) Al Di Meola (born July 22, 1954 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is a jazz fusion guitarist, known, among other things, for his incredible technique and the discipline with which he plays. ... Paco De Lucia on the cover of El Duende Flamenco de Paco de Lucia (1972). ...

Dalaras' most important projects include collaborations with world renowned singers, such as British singer Sting, even releasing a duet with Sting ("I'm lost without you"). He has also collaborated with Bruce Springsteen, Jethro Tull and many others. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, CBE (born 2 October 1951), usually known by his stage name Sting, is a British musician from Newcastle upon Tyne. ... Bruce Frederick Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American rock and folk singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... Jethro Tull can refer to: Jethro Tull (agriculturist), inventor of the seed drill Jethro Tull (band), progressive rock band This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Concerts and sales

In his almost 40-year singing career, Dalaras has performed in thousands of concerts, and in 1996, re-entered the era of the live Grek club. Two historical concerts occurred in the Athens Olympic Stadium, attended by more than 160,000 people. This was the largest attendance at a Greek concert, to the point where Rolling Stone magazine commented that Dalarasσ was responsible for the birth of the Stadium era in Greece. Many of his concerts were dedicated to the Cyprus political problem, not only in 1974, but most notably in the late 80's and early 90's where he produced many concerts for the cause of the Cypriot people against the Turkish peace operation of 1974. This also resulted in the release of two LPs which included both music and lyrics written by Cypriots. The Olympic Stadium (also known as the Athens Olympic Stadium) is a stadium that is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. ... // History John Lennon - RS 1 (November 9, 1967)How I Won the War Film Still Founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner (who is still editor and publisher) and music critic Ralph J. Gleason, Rolling Stone was initially identified with and reported on the hippie counterculture of the...

Dalaras has sold more than 10,000,000 records in his career and is regarded as one of the biggest names in contemporary Greek music. He has toured extensively throughout the world and was even invited to sing for Nelson Mandela on his birthday. Mandela redirects here. ...

Currently he has outsold every single other Greek artist; his live albums, including tributes to Vassilis Tsitsanis (3 disc box set + DVD) and his live Vamvakari double CD, all reached multi platinum sales, and resulted in being among the top 10 releases of 2005. As of December 2005, he released a live recording with various renditions of Greek, Israeli and Arabic songs, and famous musicians from Hebrew and Arabic backgrounds, which gained multi platinum status, however, sales of his last three stuido lp's have been not so succesful. Vassilis Tsitsanis (Greek Βασίλης Τσιτσάνης January 18, 1915 - January 18, 1984) was a Greek singer and songwriter. ...

Personal life

Despite the fact that Dalaras is regarded as a serious professional singer, he has been involved in many public conflicts with four celebrities of Greece. His three best known disputes are with songwriter Manolis Rassoulis, stand-up comedian,singer,actor Jimmy Panoussis and actor/scriptwriter Lakis Lazopoulos. In all trials that took place Dalaras came into his own. Many insiders argue that Dalara started changing when he met his current wife Anna Dalara, who also manages his career.

In recent weeks, Dalara left his homestay label of minos (now minos-emi) in favour of Universal, thus ending an almost 40 year collaboration.