Notis Sfakianakis
Encyclopedia
Panagiotis Sfakianakis (Greek
: Νότης Σφακιανάκης; born 2 November 1959) is a Greek singer of laika music, who is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece
and Cyprus
. Sfakianakis began his career in 1985, opening at nightclubs for other artists. He was discovered by Sony Greece
and released his debut album Proti Fora (1991). For his second album Eisai Ena Pistoli (1992), he moved to Minos EMI
. While his firsτ three releases were commercially successful, beginning in the mid-1990s, Sfakianakis released a series of multi-platinum albums that are among the best selling albums of all time in Greece — including Notioanatolitika Tou Kosmou (1994) with 120–150 thousand copies sold, 5o Vima (1996) which has been recognized as the best selling album of all time in Greece with 200 thousand copies sold, I Notes Einai 7psyhes with 132.5 thousand copies (265 thousand units) sold, the EPs Pro-Dia-Fimin (1997) with 100 thousand copies sold, and Around the World with 15 thousand copies shipped, XXX Enthimion (1999), which is the best selling live album of all time in Greece in terms of unit sales with 180 thousand copies (360 thousand units) sold, Polihroma Kai Entona (2000) that shipped 100 thousand copies and As Milisoun Ta Tragoudia (2002) which faired similarly. His signature song
"O Aetos" is one of the most popular songs in Greek music history. Sfakianakis was the best selling artist of the 1990s and stands as the best selling Greek artist of his generation. However, in the 2000s he faced a significant commercial decline. Me Agapi O,ti Kaneis (2004) and Ana...Genisis (2005) shipped 40 thousand copies each. Nihtes... Magikes (2007) and Mnimes (2008) sold 30 thousand copies each, while the EP Kinonia Ora 07:00 sold 15 thousand copies. He then embarked on the Matomeno Dakry album trilogy (2009–2011). He has sold over 5 million records in Greece alone and in addition to these he has sold over 900 thousand copies of his albums as newspaper covermount
s. Sfakianakis is also known for his controversial image and outspoken manner and opinions.
when he was seven. Notis became a disc jockey
in his early 20s. He supported himself by working as an electrician
, plumber
, waiter
, and labourer. In 1985 he formed a band and played in clubs in Kos. Due to the lack of success, the band broke apart after less than year of being formed. In 1986 Notis moved back to Crete to start his solo singing career.
Notis began opening for national acts like Poly Panou. He was discovered by Bourmas, the general manager of Sony
in Greece. Bourmas signed Sfakianakis to the label, and Notis recorded his debut album Proti Fora (First Time) which made it into the Greek top ten.
He is one of the most successful singers of his era in Greece.
Notis is on top of his game more than ever before. He knows how to change his music style to make his listeners want more. In his new live cd Nihtes... Magikes (Magical Nights) he once again displays his magical voice and again proves why he is one of the greatest performing talents in Greece. His ability to shift between traditional Greek music, such as the Zeimbekiko and Hasapiko, and more modern variations, is unmatched in the contemporary Greek music scene.
Of his early works, his most notable release was "Opa Opa
" which was written by Giorgos Alkaios
and later covered by Despina Vandi
and Antique. In 1994 he released the album Notioanatolika Tou Kosmou (Southeast of the World), which included "O Aetos" (The Eagle). It is widely agreed that this album was the catalyst for his achievement of superstardom in the Greek-speaking world. He followed this with high profile tracks such as "Den Se Hreiazome" (I Don't Need You), "Soma Mou" (My Body), "Gyftissa Mera" (Gypsy Day), "Na Hareis" (Cherish) and "Oi Skies" (Shadows).
One of the more popular of his 21st century tracks is "Genethlia" (or "Gennethleia
" as it was spelled when it featured on later albums and compilations). This song (the title of which translates as 'Birthday') was originally performed by Cretan lyra
player and singer Stelios Mpikakis.
In November 2007 Sfakianakis released a new album, Mnimes (Memories). The songs which have become hits are "Ta Klemmena" (The Stolen), a grim reflection on the hardships faced by Greeks in Asia Minor, and "Par' Ta" (Take Them). In late 2009 and early 2010, after more than two years break, Sfakianakis released Kinonikon, the first part in a proposed trilogy of 7 song discs called Matomeno Dakry. The most popular songs from Kinonikon are "Den Ypohoro", "Akou file" and "Mpogias". The second part, Erotikon was released in early 2010 and includes several successful songs, in particular "Kleinw tis kourtines", "Esti Ine O Erotas" and "Akouse Me Kala". The third part, Horeutikon, focusing on upbeat dance songs which released in December 2010. The most popular songs are "Ellinas" and "Den Yparxeis".
. In 2003, Sfakianakis had an operation on his vocal chords, leading to a two-year gap between his last album, As Milisoun Ta Tragoudia, and his next one, Me Agapi O,ti Kaneis.
The year 2004, in which Sfakianakis released the aforementioned album, was marred by the death of his brother Giorgos due to cancer
.
In 2002 he released the song Provata (Sheep), which was in essence a barely concealed criticism of George W. Bush
. Although the then-United States President was not mentioned by name, the lyrics make several implicit references to him - there are mentions of the resident of a white house. In the song he compares the peoples of the world to sheep, that must be wary of the threat of a wolf (implied to be Bush). Despite the implicit nature of the lyrics, Bush's image is used openly in the video accompanying the song. In an interview that was recorded for a special release of the album Ana...Genissis, Sfakianakis was more direct in his criticism of Bush:
During a live performance in New York in 1999, Sfakianakis caused consternation amongst his audience after airing his critical opinions about America's foreign policies. As a result, certain members of the audience (composed mainly of Greek-Americans) attempted an unsuccessful boycott of Sfakianakis' concerts and productions.
In 2006, Sfakianakis released "To Systima" (The System), which was a scathing attack on the Greek music industry. In the song, Sfakianakis bemoaned the emergence of 'Tragoudistakia' - 'Little singers' - who are loosely defined in the lyrics as 'talentless kids with the same public image'. Since the release of the song Sfakianakis has also been critical of the emergence of TV talent shows such as The X-Factor
, claiming that such shows trivialize the entire notion of music production. This stance has drawn criticism, with some claiming that Sfakianakis is afraid of facing competition. Fellow laiko singer Thanos Petrelis
, who began his career after finishing third in the 2003 edition of Fame Story
, gave his take on Sfakianakis' criticism:
In the late nineties, Sfakianakis appeared in a television interview, during which he argued that cannabis
should be legalised in Greece. When asked if he had ever used the drug, Sfakianakis admitted that he had been habitually smoking cannabis for the last ten years.
He has also used his position to improve awareness of music piracy.
Live albums
Extended plays
Compilations
Video albums;
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Νότης Σφακιανάκης; born 2 November 1959) is a Greek singer of laika music, who is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. Sfakianakis began his career in 1985, opening at nightclubs for other artists. He was discovered by Sony Greece
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
and released his debut album Proti Fora (1991). For his second album Eisai Ena Pistoli (1992), he moved to Minos EMI
Minos EMI
Minos EMI is the domestic trade name of EMI Music Greece, a record company in Greece. It is the Greek record label division of the British-based, multinational EMI Group....
. While his firsτ three releases were commercially successful, beginning in the mid-1990s, Sfakianakis released a series of multi-platinum albums that are among the best selling albums of all time in Greece — including Notioanatolitika Tou Kosmou (1994) with 120–150 thousand copies sold, 5o Vima (1996) which has been recognized as the best selling album of all time in Greece with 200 thousand copies sold, I Notes Einai 7psyhes with 132.5 thousand copies (265 thousand units) sold, the EPs Pro-Dia-Fimin (1997) with 100 thousand copies sold, and Around the World with 15 thousand copies shipped, XXX Enthimion (1999), which is the best selling live album of all time in Greece in terms of unit sales with 180 thousand copies (360 thousand units) sold, Polihroma Kai Entona (2000) that shipped 100 thousand copies and As Milisoun Ta Tragoudia (2002) which faired similarly. His signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
"O Aetos" is one of the most popular songs in Greek music history. Sfakianakis was the best selling artist of the 1990s and stands as the best selling Greek artist of his generation. However, in the 2000s he faced a significant commercial decline. Me Agapi O,ti Kaneis (2004) and Ana...Genisis (2005) shipped 40 thousand copies each. Nihtes... Magikes (2007) and Mnimes (2008) sold 30 thousand copies each, while the EP Kinonia Ora 07:00 sold 15 thousand copies. He then embarked on the Matomeno Dakry album trilogy (2009–2011). He has sold over 5 million records in Greece alone and in addition to these he has sold over 900 thousand copies of his albums as newspaper covermount
Covermount
Covermount is the name given to storage media or other products packaged as part of a magazine or newspaper...
s. Sfakianakis is also known for his controversial image and outspoken manner and opinions.
Early life and career
Notis Sfakianakis and his family moved to the island of KosKos
Kos or Cos is a Greek island in the south Sporades group of the Dodecanese, next to the Gulf of Gökova/Cos. It measures by , and is from the coast of Bodrum, Turkey and the ancient region of Caria. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Kos peripheral unit, which is...
when he was seven. Notis became a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
in his early 20s. He supported himself by working as an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
, plumber
Plumber
A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable water, sewage, and drainage in plumbing systems. The term dates from ancient times, and is related to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." A person engaged in fixing metaphorical "leaks" may also be...
, waiter
Waiter
Waiting staff, wait staff, or waitstaff are those who work at a restaurant or a bar attending customers — supplying them with food and drink as requested. Traditionally, a male waiting tables is called a "waiter" and a female a "waitress" with the gender-neutral version being a "server"...
, and labourer. In 1985 he formed a band and played in clubs in Kos. Due to the lack of success, the band broke apart after less than year of being formed. In 1986 Notis moved back to Crete to start his solo singing career.
Notis began opening for national acts like Poly Panou. He was discovered by Bourmas, the general manager of Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
in Greece. Bourmas signed Sfakianakis to the label, and Notis recorded his debut album Proti Fora (First Time) which made it into the Greek top ten.
He is one of the most successful singers of his era in Greece.
Notis is on top of his game more than ever before. He knows how to change his music style to make his listeners want more. In his new live cd Nihtes... Magikes (Magical Nights) he once again displays his magical voice and again proves why he is one of the greatest performing talents in Greece. His ability to shift between traditional Greek music, such as the Zeimbekiko and Hasapiko, and more modern variations, is unmatched in the contemporary Greek music scene.
Of his early works, his most notable release was "Opa Opa
Opa Opa
"Opa Opa" is a song originally performed by Notis Sfakianakis from his second album Ise Ena Pistoli in 1992. It was written and produced by singer Giorgos Alkaios years earlier, and is one of Sfakianakis' most notable of his early works...
" which was written by Giorgos Alkaios
Giorgos Alkaios
Giorgos Alkaios is a Greek recording artist. His career began in 1989 after appearing on a Greek reality show. Following a brief period of stage acting, Alkaios dedicated himself to music. His first single, "Ti Ti", made him popular in Greece. His distinctive musical style fuses Greek and Oriental...
and later covered by Despina Vandi
Despina Vandi
Despina Malea , known by her stage name Despina Vandi , is a Greek singer. Born in Tübingen near Stuttgart, West Germany, Vandi's family returned to Kavala, Greece when she was six years old and she later enrolled at the University of Thessaloniki, but eventually dropped out to begin a career in...
and Antique. In 1994 he released the album Notioanatolika Tou Kosmou (Southeast of the World), which included "O Aetos" (The Eagle). It is widely agreed that this album was the catalyst for his achievement of superstardom in the Greek-speaking world. He followed this with high profile tracks such as "Den Se Hreiazome" (I Don't Need You), "Soma Mou" (My Body), "Gyftissa Mera" (Gypsy Day), "Na Hareis" (Cherish) and "Oi Skies" (Shadows).
One of the more popular of his 21st century tracks is "Genethlia" (or "Gennethleia
Gennethleia
Genethlia is the name of a Greek song last covered by Notis Sfakianakis. The song is in the zeimbekiko style, meaning that it is played to a 9/8 beat.- The Original Version :...
" as it was spelled when it featured on later albums and compilations). This song (the title of which translates as 'Birthday') was originally performed by Cretan lyra
Lyra
Lyra is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Its principal star, Vega — a corner of the Summer Triangle — is one of the brightest...
player and singer Stelios Mpikakis.
In November 2007 Sfakianakis released a new album, Mnimes (Memories). The songs which have become hits are "Ta Klemmena" (The Stolen), a grim reflection on the hardships faced by Greeks in Asia Minor, and "Par' Ta" (Take Them). In late 2009 and early 2010, after more than two years break, Sfakianakis released Kinonikon, the first part in a proposed trilogy of 7 song discs called Matomeno Dakry. The most popular songs from Kinonikon are "Den Ypohoro", "Akou file" and "Mpogias". The second part, Erotikon was released in early 2010 and includes several successful songs, in particular "Kleinw tis kourtines", "Esti Ine O Erotas" and "Akouse Me Kala". The third part, Horeutikon, focusing on upbeat dance songs which released in December 2010. The most popular songs are "Ellinas" and "Den Yparxeis".
Personal life
Sfakianakis is married and has two children; the family lives in AthensAthens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. In 2003, Sfakianakis had an operation on his vocal chords, leading to a two-year gap between his last album, As Milisoun Ta Tragoudia, and his next one, Me Agapi O,ti Kaneis.
The year 2004, in which Sfakianakis released the aforementioned album, was marred by the death of his brother Giorgos due to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Recent Performances
In November 2009, Sfakianakis had his first North American tour since 1999 when his popularity was soaring. It was on this tour that he performed in Atlantic City, NJ , Chicago, IL, and Canada. Many in the Greek community believe that this 10-year period between Sfakianakis' last US visit was due to politically oriented comments he made during a concert in his prior visit that caused some displeasure among Greek-Americans. However, during his 2009 concert in Atlantic City, Sfakianakis expressed his gratitude to the audience for their devotion and affection over the years and wished to give them a concert that "we will all remember after 10 years." Sfakianakis made good on his word, as the crowd gave him numerous ovations during the concert.Controversies and opinion
The rare interviews that Sfakianakis gives to the press are always memorable; he has a reputation for being very outspoken and uses the press to air his opinions on various matters. When he has appeared on live television, he has drawn praise and criticism in equal measure - on the one hand, some have praised his disarming honesty and applauded him for addressing hard-hitting issues. On the other hand, he has been heavily criticised for being argumentative and confrontational; some critics claim he lacks the capacity to be diplomatic.In 2002 he released the song Provata (Sheep), which was in essence a barely concealed criticism of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Although the then-United States President was not mentioned by name, the lyrics make several implicit references to him - there are mentions of the resident of a white house. In the song he compares the peoples of the world to sheep, that must be wary of the threat of a wolf (implied to be Bush). Despite the implicit nature of the lyrics, Bush's image is used openly in the video accompanying the song. In an interview that was recorded for a special release of the album Ana...Genissis, Sfakianakis was more direct in his criticism of Bush:
- "The word 'bush' in English is apt. A bush does not have the capacity to think - it is not an intelligent plant."
During a live performance in New York in 1999, Sfakianakis caused consternation amongst his audience after airing his critical opinions about America's foreign policies. As a result, certain members of the audience (composed mainly of Greek-Americans) attempted an unsuccessful boycott of Sfakianakis' concerts and productions.
In 2006, Sfakianakis released "To Systima" (The System), which was a scathing attack on the Greek music industry. In the song, Sfakianakis bemoaned the emergence of 'Tragoudistakia' - 'Little singers' - who are loosely defined in the lyrics as 'talentless kids with the same public image'. Since the release of the song Sfakianakis has also been critical of the emergence of TV talent shows such as The X-Factor
The X Factor (Greece)
The X Factor is the Greek version of The X Factor, a show originating in the United Kingdom. It is a television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions....
, claiming that such shows trivialize the entire notion of music production. This stance has drawn criticism, with some claiming that Sfakianakis is afraid of facing competition. Fellow laiko singer Thanos Petrelis
Thanos Petrelis
Athanasios Petrelis is a popular singer. He has released four albums and several singles.-Fame Story:...
, who began his career after finishing third in the 2003 edition of Fame Story
Fame Story
Fame Story was a Greek reality TV show that was a licensed version of Endemol's Star Academy on the ANT1 network. It has been one of the most successful Greek TV shows over the last years. The contestants gave a weekly performance in a 2½–3 hour episode in which the contestants were judged...
, gave his take on Sfakianakis' criticism:
- "Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have no problem with him doing so. He does make some valid points, and I agree with him to an extent. But [Sfakianakis] should acknowledge that these are exceptions - those who lack talent are in the minority. My mantra is that it is better to be envied than to be pitied."
In the late nineties, Sfakianakis appeared in a television interview, during which he argued that cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
should be legalised in Greece. When asked if he had ever used the drug, Sfakianakis admitted that he had been habitually smoking cannabis for the last ten years.
He has also used his position to improve awareness of music piracy.
Discography
Studio albums- Proti Fora (1991) (First time)
- Eisai Ena Pistoli (1992) (You are a gun) (Platinum)
- Me To N Kai Me To S (1993) (With the N to the S) (Platinum)
- Notioanatolitika Tou Kosmou (1994) (Southeast of the world) (2× Platinum)
- 5o Vima (1996) (Fifth step) (4× Platinum)
- I Notes Einai 7psyhes (1998) (The notes are immortal) (5× Platinum)
- Polihroma Kai Entona (2000) (Multi-coloured and intense) (2× Platinum)
- As Milisoun Ta Tragoudia (2002) (Let the songs speak) (Platinum)
- Me Agapi O,ti Kaneis (2004) (With love whatever you do) (Platinum)
- Ana Gennisis (2005) (Rebirth) (2× Platinum)
- Mnimes (2007) (Memories) (Platinum)
- 21+4 Matomena Dakrya (2011) (Bloody teardrops) (4× Platinum)
Live albums
- Empirion Sillektis (1997) (Collector of experiences) (2× Platinum)
- XXX Enthimion (1999) (XXX Keepsake) (7× Platinum)
- Nihtes... Magikes (2007) (Magical nights) (Platinum)
Extended plays
- Pro-Dia-Fimin (1997) (By reputation) (4× Platinum)
- Proangelos (1999) (Precursor) (5× Platinum)
- Around the World (1999) (Gold)
- Telos... Dihos Telos (2001) (An end... Without an end) (4× Platinum)
- Anixis (2002) (Springtime) (2× Platinum)
- Kinonia Ora... 07:00 (2006) (Social hour... 07:00) (Platinum)
- Matomeno Dakry: Kinonikon (2009) (Bloody teardrop: of society) (Platinum)
- Matomeno Dakry: Erotikon (2010) (Bloody teardrop: of love) (Platinum)
- Matomeno Dakry: Horeftikon (2010) (Bloody teardrop: of dance) (Platinum)
Compilations
- Ta Zeïbekika Tou Noti Stis 9/8 (2002) (Notis' zeibekika at 9/8)
- 32 Megales Epitihies (2002) (31 big hits)
- Notis: Deka Me Tono (2003) (Notis: ten with an accent) (Gold)
- Evaisthites Notes (2004) (Sensitive notes)
- I Oraioteres Balantes (2005) (The most beautiful ballads)
- 14 Megala Tragoudia (2007) (14 big songs)
- The Collection: The EMI Years (2007)
- Opa Opa...Ta Horeftika (2010) (Opa Opa...the dance songs)
- 25 Hronia (2010) (25 years)
Video albums;
- Hits on DVD: Notis Sfakianakis — 1992–2001 (2004)
- Ta Horeftika Tou Noti (2005) (Notis' dance songs)