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Anastasios 'Sakis' Rouvas (Greek: Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς) (born January 5, 1972 in the island of Corfu) is a popular Greek singer and athlete, as well as an actor, and a model, who has sold nearly 1.5 million records in Greece alone, and double that amount world-wide.^{[citation needed]} He became known throughout Europe by 2002, and won the third place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul for Greece with the song Shake It!. He is a multi-platinum selling artist who has collaborated with many in the Greek music industry, and outside. Sakis has also been officially declared years ago as Greece's best stage performer and contemporary male artist, and to have the largest fanclub for over a decade.^{[citation needed]} is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the Borat island sex mania known in English as jacking off or Corcyra. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... Look up athlete in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Actor (disambiguation). ... Photograph of the once famous model Dovima A model is a person who poses or displays for purposes of art, fashion, or other products and advertising. ... The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 was the forty-ninth Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Abdi Ä°pekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, with the final on 15 May 2004, and the new semi-final three days earlier, on 12 May 2004. ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ...

Early life

Sakis was born in a village on the Greek island of Corfu (Kerkyra) as the second son to a very poor family. He has on older biological brother and three other step/ half brothers. His athletic abilities shone from the beginning, and he participated in many sports prior to academic studies since elementary school. He loved music and would always find a way to get the latest hit album from outside Greece. Soon before his teen years, music would become a very big part of his life, as he decided to follow his dreams and make it as an entertainer. He realized his incredible talents and strong eagerness to excel at a very young age, but was rarely given a chance to show them due to multiple problematic situations within his family. There was a great deal of abuse between his parents and they got divorced when he was only twelve years-old. After that point, the only two people that raised him were his grandmother and uncle. His father remarried and Rouvas was forced to do many hard jobs for a young boy, so that the family would have enough money to care for his younger brothers; and although he didn't live with his mother, he secretely gave her money. Those close to him got to hear his striking voice. Sakis quickly learned to play the guitar, and would often sneak out and perform as the frontman for many different bands at local clubs (much to some of his family's dismay). He had decided to start his career on his own and before he was out of high school he managed to get on the Greek National Gymnastics Team, at the age of seventeen. All of his classmates remember the night of their graduation, where Sakis sang his rendition of the greatest hits of Elvis and the Beatles at the party. This was the first true time that everyone from his hometown got to hear him. Rouvas refused to let all of the conflict with his family slow him down, at seventeen he left Corfu for Athens, to pursue his athletic career. This article is about the Borat island sex mania known in English as jacking off or Corcyra. ...

Athletic career

Before graduating high school, Sakis was signed on to the Greek National Gymnastics Team. As a gymnast he won numerous awards, and his scores were always high.

Music career

1991-1993: The Rise to Fame

While working on gymnastics in Athens, Sakis Rouvas continued working at music. It wasn't very long before famous Greek modern laika artist, Dakis, noticed Rouvas' incredible personality and potential to one of the biggest Greek stars and Decided to help him out with signing on, and making his first appearance. At the age of nineteen, Sakis Rouvas made his first professional appearance as a singer in early 1991 at the Athens Show Center. The Greek division of the Polygram record label quickly noticed his stunning voice and breathtaking appearance and Sakis was immediately signed on, with his and the labels' dreams of him becoming the next Greek super star! A few months later, his debut album had been packaged, and he went on to perform his first single Par'ta(Take Them) at the prestigious Thessaloniki Song Festival, ultimately taking home the first place and instantly conquered many fans. The public felt that a star, a kind of which Greece had never seen was born. His life was quickly changing from his childhood days of poverty in Corfu. Perhaps fate rules over his career, just as it did the day of the festival. After the show, Sakis was driving in downtown Thessaloniki when he and another driver collided head-on, and even though no harm was brough to either party, it resulted in a confrontation. Who should the man be other than Elias Psinakis, a talented musician, although he was inexperienced and not then famous, and a strong business man, who had spent years in the United States studying music. It was by rare chance that they would meet this way, considering neither of them lived in the city. After realizing that Sakis was the singer that had been announced the 1991 winner of the festival when hearing so by a by-stander, Elias had a change of heart and proposed to become the manager of the young pop-star. It wasn't long before he became the controversial manager and soon to be best friend of Sakis. Sakis Rouvas' self-titled debut album was a big hit, especially considering that pop/rock music wasn't really that favorable at that time in Greece. The album certified Sakis as Greece's first ever male pop-star, but in many peoples' minds, especially by non-Greek fans, he was and still is considered as Greece's first and only real pop singer by international standards.(mainly because he doesn't bounce between pop and modern laika, and always performs elaborate stage shows with lots of dance). The album "Sakis Rouvas" was made No.1 for many weeks by the fans. Fans were infatuated and all of Sakis' concert appearances were constantly covered by the press. Thessaloniki or Salonica (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη) is Greeces second-largest city. ...

In September 1992 he released his second album "Min Antistekese." The title track was also composed by Nikos Terzis. The song and the album established Sakis as one of Greece's first-name top performers.

"Gia Sena" (For You) was his third album, which was released in October of 1993, and reached gold status.

For four years in a row he monopolized the Hellenic Music Awards as he won titles that includeded Best New Singer, Best Song and Best Stage Performance as well as many others.

He has also played a role in reconciliation efforts with Turkey. In 1997, he performed on stage with Turkish singer Burak Kut in a concert in UN-controlled territory on Cyprus. For this, he was awarded the International Abdi Ipekci Prize for understanding and co-operation. For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Burak Kut (born August 27, 1973 in Istanbul, Turkey) is a Turkish pop singer. ... The foundation of the U.N. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights issues. ...

In 2004, he was selected to represent Greece in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, performing the song Shake it by Nikos Terzis. Clearly learning the lesson from the previous two winners of the contest Marie N and Sertab Erener that, in an era of televoting, a Eurovision entry must now also be a visual spectacle in order to succeed, Sakis produced a raunchy display in which he at one stage ripped the clothes off his two attractive female dancers, leaving them only in shimmering attire that barely covered a tenth of their bodies. The dancers then repaid the compliment by ripping off his jacket, all of which held the attention of the viewing public long enough for them to vote the catchy "Shake It" into third place, equalling Greece's best ever result, up to that point, by Antique in 2001. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Eurovision Song Contest 2004 was the forty-ninth Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey, with the final on 15 May 2004, and the new semi-final three days earlier, on 12 May 2004. ... An album cover of Marie N Marija Naumova (born June 23, 1973) is a Latvian singer. ... Sertab Erener (born December 4, 1964) is a Turkish pop star. ... Televoting or televote is the telephone voting in the Eurovision Song Contest. ... Antique is a Swedish duo which combines Greek popular music and lyrics with a Nordic dance/pop beat. ...

He was the host for Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, along with Greek-American Maria Menounos. The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the fifty-first Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on the 18 May 2006 (for the semi-final) and 20 May 2006 (for the final). ... A Greek American is a citizen of the United States of Greek heritage or descent. ... Maria Menounos (Μαρία Μενούνος in Greek) (born June 8, 1978) is an American actress, journalist, and television presenter. ...

Current projects

• His new CD will be released in November 2007.[1]
• Will go on tour with Antonis Remos in Spring 2008 to Australia and North America.[2]
• Is said to star in a new forthcoming film, again by Village Productions and not much is known about it yet.
• Is doing concerts all over Greece. Some of the venues include Corfu and Ptolemaida, which are for the environment, the next one is Athens, which is for the blood donation.

Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st Century. ... Antonis Remos (Greek: Αντώνης Ρέμος) (born 19 June 1970) is a popular Greek homosexual singer. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... This article is about the Borat island sex mania known in English as jacking off or Corcyra. ... Coordinates 40°31′ N 21°41′ E Country Greece Periphery West Macedonia Prefecture Kozani Population 36,393 source (2001) Elevation 600 m Postal code 502 00 Area code 24630 Licence plate code ΚΖ Website ptolemaida. ... “Give blood” redirects here. ...

Discography

Main article: Sakis Rouvas discography

Main article: Sakis Rouvas This article includes the discography of singer Sakis Rouvas Note: May not be accurate // 1991-Sakis Rouvas 1992-Min Antistekese (Dont Resist) 1993-Gia Sena (For You) (Gold) 1994-Aima, Dakria & Idrotas (Blood, Sweat & Tears) (Gold) 1996-Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola (Now Start The Difficult...

Voice acting

Rouvas has also ventured into voice acting, dubbing Disney children's movies into Greek. He voiced Lightning McQueen in Pixar's Cars and earlier he voiced Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Disney may refer to: The Walt Disney Company and its divisions, including Walt Disney Pictures. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Pixars studio lot in Emeryville Pixar Animation Studios is an American computer animation studio based in Emeryville, California (USA) notable for its seven Academy Awards. ... This article is about the animated movie. ... For the 20th century Italian poet awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1959, see Salvatore Quasimodo. ... The Hunchback of Notre Dame (also known as The Bells of Notre Dame in some countries) is a 1996 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. ...

As a pop artist

Rouvas is the first Greek male pop singer and possibly the only famous for attracting Greek Teenyboppers and 'fangirls' driving them in extreme reactions. These reactions are often described by majors as phenomenal, and are often compared to how English and American girls of the same age react for world-wide pop stars like Justin Timberlake, shouting, crying, pulling clothes, etc. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Fans of Janet Jackson, at Much Music in Toronto The word fan refers to someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of a person, group of persons, work of art, idea, or trend. ... Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981[1]), sometimes known as JT, is an American pop and R&B singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and actor. ...

This singularity makes Rouvas a pop culture symbol in Greece, and an object of satire among mimes and comedians. They often impersonate him by mimicking his over-dramatization, as well as by satirizing the over-reactions of his fans. Rouvas is often criticized by enemies of the mainstream, like intellectuals, who often refer to him as a typical 'symbol' of this trend. An intellectual is a person who uses his or her intellect to study, reflect, and speculate on a variety of different ideas. ...

Personal life

Initially, his sexual orientation had been debated, and he was often considered to be gay [3], although he has never indicated anything concerning this. This ambiguity has been said to be intentional as a marketing trick (similar to the pseudo-lesbians t.A.T.u.). At one time, rumors have flared up (probably by unsourced gossips) that he had a secret marriage with his manager Ilias Psinakis. GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... This article is about the Russian singing duo. ... Look up rumour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

In a French magazine interview, the interviewer assumed that Rouvas was gay until Rouvas felt insulted and made clear that he doesn't 'like boys'.^{[citation needed]} In recent years, Rouvas openly makes appearances accompanied by his girlfriends, formerly Rebecca Wang and currently the Greek top model Katia Zygouli. Tabloid rumours existed also about slight flirting with Ruslana and later Maria Menounos (much to Zygouli's dismay according to the media), but their substance was never verified. GAY can mean: Gay, a term referring to homosexual men or women The IATA code for Gaya Airport Category: ... Katia Zygouli (Greek: Κάτια Ζυγούλη ), Playmate 1997, born July 4, is a Greek super model who is well known in the International Model scene. ... Ruslana Stepanivna Lyzhychko (Ukrainian: Руслана Степанівна Лижичко; born May 24, 1973) is the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 from Lviv, Ukraine. ... Maria Menounos (Μαρία Μενούνος in Greek) (born June 8, 1978) is an American actress, journalist, and television presenter. ...

During the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 the Dutch spokesman Paul de Leeuw teased him by saying he (Rouvas) and co-host Maria Menounos looked like Will and Grace. Then he told him he liked his blouse and offered to give Rouvas his phone number; Rouvas responded "I bet it is 696969," to which de Leeuw responded, "no, I am not a French guy." This sexually suggestive exchange was castigated by the Greek media^{[citation needed]}. The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the fifty-first Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on the 18 May 2006 (for the semi-final) and 20 May 2006 (for the final). ... Paul de Leeuw (left) during the Dutch voting results for the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, in which de Leeuw delayed proceedings to the confusion of presenter Sakis Rouvas (right) Paul de Leeuw (born March 26, 1962 in Rotterdam) is a Dutch television comedian, singer and actor. ... Will & Grace is an American television situation comedy focusing on Will Truman, a gay attorney and his best friend Grace Adler, a straight Jewish woman who runs her own interior design firm. ...

Trivia

• In 2002, Rouvas became the first man ever to be on the cover of the Greek Vogue.
• Rouvas is the only Greek singer ever to have been offered to be the face of soft drinks giant Pepsi.
• His albums have always gone either gold or platinum in Greece.
• Has appeared in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, in one appearance, he carried the torch and another was appearing in the Closing Ceremony with other Greek singers, one of which was superstar Anna Vissi.
• Rouvas holds the record of being the highest scoring third placed entry ever in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest, 252 points in 2004.
• When he was studying in High School, he had an affair with fitness trainer Anna Pagrati.
• Since 2003, Rouvas became the face of mobile phone giant Vodafone, in the Greek campaign, just like David Beckham and Michael Schumacher did in the overseas campaigns.
• His latest album Yparhei Agapi Edo has gone platinum in a month after its release in December 2006 in Greece.
• He is good friends with Tom Hanks and his Greek American wife Rita Wilson.

It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... Pepsi Cola is a non-alcoholic carbonated beverage produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. ... The 2004 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, were held in Athens, Greece, over a period of 17 days from August 13 to August 29, 2004. ... Anna Vissi (Greek: Άννα Βίσση; born December 20, 1957) is a Cypriot-Greek singer, famous mainly in Greece, and her home country Cyprus, with success in the United States as well. ... The modern logo was introduced for the 2004 Contest (in Istanbul) to create a consistent visual identity. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Vodafone Group Plc is a mobile network operator headquartered in Newbury, Berkshire, England, UK. It is the largest mobile telecommunications network company in the world by turnover and has a market value of about £84. ... David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham OBE (born May 2, 1975) is an English footballer born in Leytonstone, London. ... Michael Schumacher (pronounced / /, born January 3, 1969, in Hürth Hermülheim, Germany)[1] is a former Formula One driver, and seven-time world champion. ... Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American two-time Academy Award-winning film actor, Emmy-winning director, voice-over artist and movie producer. ... A Greek-American is a citizen of the United States who has significant Greek heritage. ... Rita Wilson (born October 26, 1956)[1] is an American actress and producer. ...

External links

• Official website
• Sakis' MySpace page