Sakis Rouvas
Encyclopedia
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II (Greek
: Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ˈsakis ruˈvas; 5 January 1972), often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Beginning a career as a member of the national athletics team, Rouvas commenced a musical career in 1991 and became one of Greece's first pop performers; widely recognized as the genre's main performers to this day, he is credited with breaking cultural and generational barriers and aiding in the popularization of Western music genres in Greece and Cyprus.
In the early 1990s after winning the Thessaloniki Song Festival, Rouvas became a dominant figure in Greek entertainment, gaining a mass fanbase
and being cited as a phenomenon
. His sexualized
image and live performances utilizing complex choreography and costumes have earned him notoriety. He and manager Elias Psinakis formed a famous partnership in Greek show business. Rouvas' increasing popularity was coupled with criticism of both professional choices and personal struggles, which damaged his public image and lead to a brief, relatively unsuccessful period in the mid 90s. After five commercially successful albums with PolyGram Greece
, Rouvas signed with Minos EMI
in 1998. Having been a notable artist in the Balkans
for years, Rouvas embarked on multiple projects abroad and represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest
in 2004
and 2009
and co-presented the 2006 contest
, while also venturing into film
and television
.
Rouvas has contributed to several philanthropic organizations and his influence went beyond the arts as he became nationalized into a cultural icon. He is the most commercially successful entertainer in Greece, having expanded his empire more than any other celebrity. Amongst Rouvas' other achievements include multiple recognized awards –including six Arion Music Awards, 12 MAD Video Music Awards —more than any other male artist—, an MTV Europe Music Award
, and a World Music Award
– number-one albums and singles that have all achieved certifications of gold or higher, and sales of an estimated two million records as of 2008, making him one of Greece's best-selling music artists in history. Rouvas' distinct musical and performance style has influenced other artists, while his contributions to music have made him a prominent part of popular culture
for nearly two decades. In 2009, Down Town named him "Entertainer of the Decade", while in 2010 Forbes
listed him as the third most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece and top ranked singer.
the island of Corfu
, the eldest son out of four of Konstantinos "Kostas" Rouvas, an ambulance driver, and Anna-Maria Panaretou, a retail clerk at a Duty Free shop at the local airport. At the time of his birth, his mother was still a teenager. He has three brothers named Billy (b. Vasilios), Tolis (b. Apostolos, 1975), and Nikos (b. Nikolaos, 1991). Rouvas grew up in a poor family and he began taking care of his younger siblings as of age five since his parents worked long hours. His talents were revealed from a young age; at age four, he demonstrated athletic abilities. As a child, Rouvas also took ballet
classes. Both his parents had some background in theater, and at age ten, Rouvas starred in his first theatrical production "An I Karharies Itan Anthropi" (If sharks were people), which quickly sold out in local theaters in Corfu. His much older co-stars were impressed at his talent and labeled him a "miracle child." Soon after, Rouvas discovered his second great love after athletics, music. He taught himself how to play guitar and was inspired by international music and artists like Elvis Presley
.
In 1984, his parents were divorced, and due to strained relations between the two, Rouvas and his brother Tolis were forced to move to the village of Potamos to be raised by their paternal grandparents, Anastasis and Elpiniki, while his father soon remarried. Rouvas worked multiple jobs to support his family, including in a car repair shop, as a construction worker
, and as a bartender
. From early childhood Rouvas began to hate school and suffered especially in reading
and writing
. Due to working in the daytime, he went to school at nights, where his mother, who had never graduated lyceum
, also attended.
At age 15 the first turning point in his career occurred when he became a member of the Greek national gymnastics team. He idolized Ukrainian
pole vaulter Sergei Bubka
. His scores were consistently high and he won numerous national awards; vaulting on average 4.17 metres. Rouvas continued in athletics until age 18 as he believed that it was very difficult to earn a living from it in order to support his family, while considering his potential in music to be greater. He soon became a member of the Corfu Band. The first time he sang for a public audience was at his graduation where he performed his rendition of hits from Elvis and The Beatles
.
Rouvas soon started to perform at local clubs and hotels. At one of these venues, To Ekati, future manager Elias Psinakis would see him perform for the first time, however, they never confronted each other. Due to the escalating problematic situations in his life in Corfu
, he left his native island alone at the age of 18 and moved to Patras
in search of a better future.
, and after being given much advice by Dakis, in 1991, Rouvas made his first professional appearance at the Show Centre in Athens. During his performances his attractive physical appearance, vocal abilities, and stage antics garnered the attention of music executives such as Nikos Mouratidis, who advised songwriter Giorgos Pavrianos to produce him. While performing "Man in the Mirror
" by Michael Jackson
he was discovered by executives of the PolyGram record label, who signed him to his first recording contract immediately after the performance. After first moving to Athens Rouvas lived with an older English
woman named Sally, whom he had been in a relationship with since he was in Corfu. Their relationship ended after Psinakis became his manager and his goals became more oriented towards his career. The media later reported extensively on Rouvas' personal life over the years, speculating on relationships with model Zeta Logotheti, Sofi Kantarou, who was a Corfu local bar manager whom he had known from years earlier, and later singer Elli Kokkinou
. A few months later, Rouvas' made his first official debut at the Thessaloniki Song Festival. At the competition, Rouvas lost the title for Best Vocal Performance to another upcoming artist Giorgos Alkaios
by only one point, but ultimately won the competition after he won first place for "Best Composition with the song "Par'ta" (Take them) with music by Nikos Terzis and lyrics by Giorgos Pavrianos. During the moment that all of the competitors were called on stage there was a brief earthquake
.
Rouvas released his eponymous debut album
the day after the festival; it reached number one on the Greek Albums Chart
. "Par'ta" ("Take them") became a number one radio hit, while the second single "1992" also became very popular. Following the popularity of the album, media attention arose around his fanatic fans
, usually teenage girls, who would go crazy over him.
In September 1992, Rouvas released his second album titled Min Andistekese
(Don’t resist), which was also fully composed by Nikos Terzis. The album produced the singles "Gyrna" (Return), "Min Andistekese", "Gia Fantasou" (Imagine), "Na Ziseis Moro Mou" (Live my baby), and "Me Kommeni Tin Anasa" (Breathless), with the title track being accompanied by a music video. The success of the album helped establish Rouvas as one of the top performers on the then-music scene.
In October 1993, Rouvas released his third studio album titled Gia Sena
(For you) with music by Alexis Papadimitriou and lyrics primarily by Eleni Giannatsoulia, as well as Evi Droutsa. The album became Rouvas third consecutive gold album in a time span of only two years. The single "Kane Me" (Make me) became a big radio hit, while the next singles "To Xero Eisai Moni" (I know you are alone), and "Xehase To" (Forget it) also gained airplay.
and record producer
Nikos Karvelas
for the production of his fourth studio album Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas
(Blood, tears & sweat) which was his first album to be certified platinum. The songs "Ela Mou" (Come to me) and "Xana" (Again) became radio hits. The collaboration with Karvelas, one of the most successful and iconic producers of the past two decades with the young artist resulted in mixed reaction by the media. When asked why he had chosen to collaborate with Rouvas, Karvelas simply gave a controversial response, stating that "Sakis is the only star, out of a generation which produces dull artists."
Rouvas became more recluse
and private about his personal life, When he was called to do his military service
in 1994, Rouvas had originally asked for a delay as it coincided with the scheduled release of his highly anticipated album Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas, although his request for a delay was denied. Although other artists had also delayed their service for career reasons, Rouvas' case became a central news story at the time. It was initially thought that the artist did not want to pull back from the spotlight during a time when his career was soaring, although Rouvas himself had claimed his inability to fulfill his service due to previous psychological trauma that resulted in him suffering from severe agoraphobia
. His claims were widely disbelieved: some media commented that agoraphobia was a strange condition for an entertainer, while critics of Rouvas accused him of draft dodging. Rouvas was then taken to the psychiatric hospital
of Penteli
for psychiatric evaluation, it was widely reported that while alone in his room he attempted suicide. After the initial widespread media coverage of the attempted suicide subsided, Rouvas was forced to fulfill his military service with a psychiatrist present on the scene, both to medicate him and make sure he would not cause harm to himself. For his military service, Rouvas was forced to remove his earring and cut his signature long hair, something that is featured in the beginning of the video for "Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas". Rouvas was also constantly taunted by paparazzi who would sneak into the military campus to photograph and film him for constant television reports. Psinakis blamed Rouvas' psychiatrist for things that occurred in the military, claiming that he was secretly pouring psychotropic drugs into Rouvas' alcoholic beverages because of a previous quarrel. Rouvas spoke about his military service in an interview with Nico Mastorakis
. When asked if he was suicidal, he said he did not think so, but at the time he was so intoxicated by the medication he received at the 411 that he did not have a clear recollection of the exact events. He also confirmed that he did indeed try to escape his service during rank by climbing under a Jeep
and latching himself onto the rails.
(Now the difficult times begin) which went platinum. Since his previous album was a big success, Rouvas once again collaborated with Nikos Karvelas
with the help of lyricist Natalia Germanou
. For the winter season, Rouvas performed live with Anna Vissi
at club Chaos in Athens. In the same year, a fan club for him, SRFC, was founded, which from its start went on to be the largest fan club
in Greece. In 1997, he was featured on Anna Vissi
's hit album Travma
(Trauma), in the duet "Se Thelo, Me Theleis" ("I want you, you want me") also composed by Nikos Karvelas
.
On 19 May 1997 he performed on stage with Turkish singer Burak Kut
at a bi-national concert on the Green Line
in Cyprus
as an initiative in the reconciliation of the country with an audience of over 4,000 people. The concert garnered international coverage and support, earning Rouvas an International Abdi Ipekçi Prize for understanding and co-operation; however, the concert generated significant controversy amongst Greek and Turkish protesters with reports going as far as potential death threats towards Rouvas. Opposition to the concert caused the Greek and Greek-Cypriot media to turn on Rouvas and the impact of its controversy is considered to be the catalyst for the forthcoming tabloid talk show
s in Greece. Rouvas had come into collaboration with Kut the previous year when they recorded a duet together in Greek
and Turkish
called "Birgün/Otan" (When), a cover of the song "Someday", for the soundtrack of the Greek-language dubbing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame
titled I Panagia Ton Parision, where Rouvas made his film debut voicing the role of Quasimodo
. Following his album success with PolyGram Greece
, Rouvas switched labels by signing with Minos EMI
.
(Something from me). The album was composed by Giorgos Theofanous and became a hit, going gold in its first week; the album later reached platinum certification. The song "Den Ehi Sidera I Kardia Sou" (Your heart does not have metal rails) became a massive hit, and remains one of his most popular songs. For promotion of the album, Rouvas performed live at the Virgin Megastore
in Athens where thousands of fans created a traffic jam in the centre of Athens. For the winter season 1999–2000, Rouvas sang at Bio Bio in Athens, and performed with Katy Garbi
at Pili Axiou in Thessaloniki
in the spring.
In March 2000, Rouvas released his seventh studio album 21os Akatallilos
(21+ X-Rated). The album and its first anthemic single, "Andexa", climbed immediately at number one on the charts. The album reached 2× platinum status and reached number one on the charts. On 25 October 2000, Rouvas began appearances with Antonis Remos
and Peggy Zina
at Apollonas for the winter season. During his May rehearsals for his summer performances, Rouvas was hospitalized with abdominal pain
s which were diagnosed as peritonitis
and underwent surgery to get his appendix
removed. That same year, Rouvas was commissioned by Pepsi
to be their spokesperson for their summer campaign in Greece, a first for a Greek entertainer. The collaboration with Pepsi continued in 2001 with a television ad airing in May 2001. The aforementioned ad, featuring a semi-nude Rouvas holding a Pepsi bottle in front of his genitals, was the subject of controversy amongst women's rights
organizations and parental associations who deemed it "insightly, vulgar and unacceptable" and attempted to have the advertisement blocked, saying that it "disgraces childhood innocence and dignity." A tour of seven Greek cities called the Pepsi Tour 2001 followed.
In the summer of 2000, Rouvas, Psinakis and a number of other celebrities went on vacation in Mykonos
on a yacht
that they were borrowing from a local physician
. They were subsequently accused of drug possession
, as the yacht was filled with various expensive narcotics. The situation received huge publicity and triggered speculations of whether Rouvas possibly had a drug addiction. The doctor who owned the yacht later admitted that the narcotics belonged to him, however, all of the men were taken into questioning. Wanting to avoid going to court, Rouvas paid bail
and did not give importance to the situation. This incident would become one of the most infamous situations in Rouvas' career as thousands of t-shirts were printed with the popular catchphrase at the time: "Imoun ki ego sto kotero!" ("I was on the yacht too!").
and collaborated with American music producer and songwriter Desmond Child
and Phoebus for the single "Disco Girl
". The single became a hit in Greece and was certified platinum. It won Rouvas the award for Pop Singer of the Year at the first Arion Music Awards. The single was also later released in France with an English version of the song penned by Andreas Carlsson
. At the start of the winter season, Rouvas sang with Despina Vandi
at Rex, which continued until spring 2002.
Rouvas premiered the single "Ola Kala" ("Everything is fine") for the first time at the Arion Music Awards. This was followed by the release of his eighth studio album Ola Kala
in June, once again collaborating with Desmond Child and Phoebus for the album, along with other Greek songwriters Natalia Germanou
and Vangelis Konstantinidis. The album became an instant hit in Greece going gold within one week, and platinum in four months. It settled at two times platinum later on. The following month after the Greek release, Universal Music released Ola Kala in many international markets in Europe
, Middle East
and Asia
. The music video for "Ola Kala" was director by French director Xavier Gens
in Montreal
, Canada
. In September 2002, Rouvas' third Pepsi
commercial aired.
In July 2003, Rouvas furthered his international collaboration under ULM by releasing the cover single and music video "Dis lui" (Tell her) in France, originally sung by Mike Brant
as a French adaptation of the 1975 Morris Albert
song "Feelings"
. "Dis Lui", as well as a cover of "Feelings"
, were also added to the 2003 international re-release of Ola Kala. Rouvas collaborated again with Xavier Gens for the "Feelings"/"Dis lui"/"Pes Tis" music video, which won two awards at the MAD Video Music Awards for Best Direction and Sexiest Appearance in a Video.
In April 2003, Rouvas appeared with Antonis Remos
together on stage with the evening's honouree, Nana Mouskouri
, at the Arion Awards. The same year, Rouvas signed a deal with Vodafone Greece
to be their spokesperson. For the summer, Rouvas went on tour around Greece, ending with a big concert at Lycabetus on 11 October 2003.
In December 2003, Rouvas released his ninth studio album To Hrono Stamatao
(I stop time), which was certified Gold following its release. Songs from the album quickly gained radio airplay, while in the same month, Rouvas started appearances at Fever with Giorgos Tsalikis and ONE
as his supporting acts for the winter season. A Greek language version of "Feelings" titled "Pes Tis" (Tell her) was released as a single off of To Hrono Stamatao and featured the same video as its French and English-language international counterparts.
after a long selection process through the reality show EuroStar had failed. Originally, the winner of the show was to represent the country with composer Nikos Terzis producing the song entry, however, the broadcaster decided to cancel these plans after doubts the winner could perform on stage, while Rouvas also exhibited an interest in representing the country. In mid-March, the song entry "Shake It
" composed by Nikos Terzis with lyrics by Nektarios Tyrakis, premiered on Greek radio. The song was described as possessing strong Mediterranean influences, which differ from Rouvas' typical western production style. At the end of March, Rouvas performed "Shake It" for the first time live at the third Arion Music Awards. At the awards, he also won the award for "Best Pop Singer" for the album To Hrono Stamatao. In mid-April, "Shake It" was released as a CD single and Rouvas began a large promotional tour around Europe for the contest. His album To Hrono Stamatao was also repackaged with the "Shake It" single as a bonus. The song peaked at number one on the Greek airplay charts for many weeks, while it continued to have popularity on the IFPI Greece Top 50 singles chart, remaining at number one for nine consecutive weeks and finally achieving four times Platinum status, becoming the best selling single of the year and one of the most successful of all time. It has since sold 110 thousand copies.
Rouvas was considered the favourite to win the final contest. On 12 May 2004, Rouvas took part in the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, performing 10th out of 22 in the running order. He passed the semi-final, and on 15 May 2004, he performed 16th out of 24 in the final. For the stage show, Rouvas had two female dancers with him, and three backing vocalists, whom were the winner of EuroStar and the other two finalists. Fokas Evangelinos, Rouvas' long time choreographer, produced the choreography for the stage show. "Shake It
" achieved third place in the final. Rouvas generated the greatest interest in the contest from the Greek public in its entire duration, with television share ratings of 86.7 percent, the highest ratings in Greek television history at the time. The participation in Eurovision was seen as a turning point in Rouvas' career from being perceived as a media-exposed celebrity to the possibly most notable artist in pop. He also became less reclusive and more open to media.
In June 2004, Rouvas performed at the first MAD Video Music Awards where he sang "Shake It". At the awards, he won the award for "Sexiest Appearance" for his music video "Pes Tis" (Tell her). On 7 July, Rouvas held a joint concert in Istanbul
with Turkish artist and 2003 Eurovision Song Contest winner Sertab Erener
in yet another attempt at keeping peace between the two countries. In August, Rouvas appeared carrying the Olympic torch through Panathinaiko Stadium
and also performed at the closing ceremony for the 2004 Summer Olympics
, where he was lowered on to the stage from the air and sang traditional Greek songs.
In fall 2004, Rouvas recorded a duet with the Russian pop singer Philip Kirkorov of his hit "Se Thelo San Trelos" ("I want you like crazy"), originally on the album 21os Akatallilos. A music video was filmed shortly after in Saint Petersburg
. Following that, in October 2004, Rouvas was a special guest star at three concerts with Nana Mouskouri, two of which took place in Berlin
, Germany
, and the other at the Athens Megaro Mousikis. Two months later in December, Rouvas began performances with Giorgos Mazonakis
at Fever for the winter season, with Elena Paparizou
as his opening act.
On 5 April 2005, Rouvas won the award for CD Single with the Highest Sales of 2004 for "Shake It" at the fourth Arion Music Awards. Rouvas also appeared on stage dancing the tango. The next day, 6 April, Rouvas released his tenth studio album S'eho Erotefthi (I'm in love with you) which went platinum in five months, and settled at 3× platinum. With the help of Vodafone Greece
as the main sponsors, release parties for the CD were held in Heraklion, Corfu, Thessaloniki, and Athens all on the same day. The songs "S'eho Erotefti", "Hilia Milia" ("Thousands of miles"), "Mila Tis" ("Speak to her"), "Na M'Agapas" ("Love me"), and "Cairo" all became radio hits. That same year, Rouvas also won the World Music Awards
for Best-Selling Greek Artist of 2004. In September he held a charity concert at the Olympic Indoor Hall
with an attendance of 20 thousand people, the largest production by any Greek entertainer until Rouvas broke his own record in 2009. This was followed by another concert in Patras.
, United States
. On 24 February 2006, he held a Valentine's Day
concert that was recorded and videotaped for his fans where his popular ballads, as well as covering ballads of other Greek and foreign artists. The live performance was later released as a CD and CD/DVD package in April 2006 titled Live Ballads
, Rouvas' first live album and video. The CD featured two new studio tracks, "Horis Kardia" (Without a heart) and an English language version of "S'eho Erotefthi" titled "I'm in Love With You" and topped the Greek album chart.
On 3 April 2006, Rouvas sang "Horis Kardia" at the Arion Music Awards, where he also won the award for "Best Pop Album" and "Best Pop Singer" for the album S'eho Erotefthi. In the same month, Rouvas renewed his contract with Vodafone Greece
, while Village Roadshow Productions Greece announced that Rouvas would star in their upcoming film.
In May 2006, the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
was held in Athens
, as Greece won the contest the year before. Rouvas was asked by ERT to host with Maria Menounos
the semi-final and final in English, Greek and French. At the semi-finals, Rouvas opened the show by singing the Katrina and the Waves
song "Love Shine a Light" with Menounos. For the voting intermission, Rouvas performed his song "I'm in Love With You".
On 14 June 2006, Rouvas performed "Agapa Me" (Love me) and "Na M'Agapas" (You should love me) at the third MAD Video Music Awards. Rouvas also won the awards for Best Video by a Male Artist for "Na M'Agapas" and Best Dressed Artist in a Video for "Mila Tis". That same month, Rouvas also dubbed the Greek language version of the Disney movie Cars
where he voiced Lightning McQueen
, while on 13 November he began filming his feature film debut Alter Ego
.
On 6 December 2006, Rouvas released his eleventh studio album titled Iparhi Agapi Edo
(There is love here). The songs "Ego Travo Zori" (I'm having a hard time") and "18 (Iprahi Agapi Edo)" became radio hits, while the song "Ola Gyro Sou Gyrizoun" (Everything revolves around you) composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
became a dance hit on Greek radio, and one of the most played songs of 2007. All three of the songs peaked at number one on the airplay chart. One of the songs, "Mikros Titanikos (Se Latrevo)" (Little Titanic [I adore you]) was written especially for Rouvas by Yiannis Parios, while his son Haris Varthakouris composed the music. The song was eventually released and became a hit, being used also to promote Rouvas' live album. The album Iparhi Agapi Edo debuted at number one and was certified Platinum, selling over 40 thousand copies as of April 2007.
primetime special, Sakis Oscar Songs, aired on 20 February through Nova
. The special was filmed at a private concert at Athens Arena
, and paid tribute to songs that have been awarded with Academy Awards.
In March, he began performances at Boom in Thessaloniki
with Despina Vandi
. At the end of April, Rouvas held a large concert in Syntagma Square
as part of Vodafone Greece
's promotional campaign. On 10 May 2007, the film Alter Ego
by Village Roadshow Productions starring Rouvas as Stefanos, the frontman of the rock group Alter Ego, premiered in theatres across Greece. At a budget of two million euros, it was the most expensive production of all time in Greece. It received mixed reviews and did not manage to cover its grand production costs at the box office
, selling only a fifth of the needed tickets. However, at 200 thousand tickets sold, it was an average success in Greek cinema, although Rouvas was still fairly disappointed about the coverage it received. The film dealt with the themes of young musicians living the rock and roll lifestyle and drug abuse having to face their inner fears and cope with the loss of a loved one. The soundtrack of the film was recorded by the cast and Rouvas, while the theme song to the movie "Zise Ti Zoi" ("Live Life") by Rouvas became a radio hit, reaching the top 10 of the charts. On June 29, 2008, Alter Ego was screened in Los Angeles at a Greek festival
. Rouvas collaborated with Vodafone at a beach party concert at Yabanaki called Sakis on the Waves. On 29 October Rouvas was awarded his sixth Arion for "Best Pop Song" for "Ola Gyro Sou Gyrizoun", while being nominated for a further four awards, although he was not present at the actual ceremony.
Following the 2007 Greek forest fires
, Rouvas returned to Greece to raise money for the victims and embarked on a charity tour. On 20 July, he performed in Ptolemaida
, Kozani
as part of the Expedition for Environment Act Now! He also appeared on ANT1
answering phone call donations during a live telethon. On 10 September 2007 he gave a concert at Lycabetus as part of a OPAP's campaign for voluntary blood donations; the tour raised a staggering amount for the victims overall. The concert was also recorded, and released as a CD/DVD on 12 December 2007 titled This Is My Live
, releasing the single "Stous 31 Dromous
". In the spring of 2008, Rouvas and Antonis Remos collaborated on a world tour, visiting North America
, Australia
, and South Africa
.
On 19 May 2008, Rouvas started singing with Peggy Zina
at club Politia in Thessaloniki
. A month later on 17 June, Rouvas performed a new song composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
titled "+ Se Thelo
" ("And I want you") at the MAD Video Music Awards 2008 as the opening act for the show. His performance was dubbed as the best of the night by the Greek media as it included heavy choreography and elaborate lighting, as well as an overall Japanese
theme. The also won the award for "Male Artist of the Year" amongst three other nominees. In July 2008, the song was released as a digital single and as a radio promo and became a dance hit, reaching number one on the Greek airplay chart where it remained for 10 weeks, becoming the most-played song of the year. An official music video using footage from the awards show was released at the end of the year. "+ Se Thelo" became a staple in Rouvas' career. In addition to becoming one of the most successful songs of the decade, it was the only dance song of its era to have significant success in both charts and clubs and exhibit longevity. Critically, the song was deemed a landmark in the entertainer's career for exhibiting a rare case of a Greek artist breaking generational barriers and producing a hit of that extent nearly two decades into their career.
In August, Rouvas' home was victim to two robberies, both occurring within ten days.
In July 2008 it was announced that Rouvas would be the host for the first season of the Greek version
of The X Factor
, which premiered on 24 October 2008,. On 4 December 2008, Rouvas premiered his winter season musical shows with the Maggira Sisters at STARZ for the 2008-09 winter season. Rouvas was also Greece's representative with the hit "Stous 31 Dromous" ("On the 31 roads") in the OGAE Song Contest
that was held in Zaragoza
, Spain
, on 25 October 2008, claiming the third place with 130 points by placing only behind Croatia
and United Kingdom
.
Rouvas had been in a relationship Katia Zygouli
since 2003, while Greek media reported in 2007 that their relationship was heading for an end as Rouvas had allegedly begun a relationship with model Vanessa Hessler. However, the two later reunited and publicly announced Zygouli's pregnancy and on 2 November 2008. Zygouli gave birth to the couple's first child, a baby girl, who they baptized Anastasia after her father, on 18 October 2009. The godmother
was Emmanouela Pavlatou, a close friend of Melina Mercouri
, and the date of the baptism was chosen to coincide with Mercouri's birthday. The birth of their child was widely covered by news outlets. In an interview with Eleonora Meleti on Star Channel
, Rouvas stated that marriage is not in his plans with Zygouli, even though he understands it is something that has been learned within society, he believes that they are happy enough as they are at the moment, although in May 2010 Zygouli publicly appeared wearing a diamond
engagement ring
without any confirmation of an engagement being made. On 20 November 2008, Rouvas released the song he dedicated to his daughter, "Irthes" (You arrived). On 3 December, Rouvas released his 12th studio album of the same name
, produced by Dimitris Kontopoulos
. The next day on 4 December 2008, Rouvas premiered his winter concert series with the Maggira Sisters
at STARZ.
After being asked internally every year after his first performance, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) made an early announcement confirming that Rouvas would once again be Greece's participant in the Eurovision Song Contest
. Rouvas performed his three candidate songs, "Out of Control", "Right on Time", and "This Is Our Night
", all composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
, at the Greek national final on in February where the latter was the runaway winner with both the jury and the viewers, winning 81% of the vote, the largest margin ever, but also the most overall votes attained by ERT in a national final. The song subsequently debuted at number one on the Greek Digital Singles chart, while Rouvas embarked on an extensive promo tour throughout Europe. He had expressed that his goal was to bring the contest back to Greece the following year and a win was widely anticipated by the Greek public, with the country being one of two major favourites to win. Despite this, in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
, Rouvas finished seventh. The singer and Greek public were both deeply disappointed with the result and he issued a public apology to the Greeks for his loss. Despite this, Rouvas received universal support from the public and media, a first-case scenario for a Greek Eurovision entrant following the contest, regardless of how high the result.
On 27 March, Rouvas was appointed by President of ELPIDA Charity Foundation and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
Marianna Vardinoyannis as "messenger" of ELPIDA foundation, a charity supporting children with cancer
, after being a longtime supporter of the charity without wishing for his involvement to be publicized. In support of the charity, Rouvas teamed up with fastfood chain Goody's
for their ArGOODaki campaign, and in April 2010 made a charitable donation in the amount of 300 thousand euros to the foundation.
In April, Rouvas and partner Katia Zygouli launched the beauty franchise Mariella Nails Body and Mind Care, in which they own 25 percent of the share.
On 1 July Rouvas performed a sold out concert in support of the environment at the ancient ruins of Kallimarmaro Stadium
to an audience of 40 thousand people. As one of the few artists given permission ever to perform at the venue, it was the largest attendance ever at the stadium for a non-sporting event and the largest attendance by a single musical artist in Greek history. The concert —organized by the National Youth Council— coincided with the startdate of the national public smoking ban
. The sold out Sakis Live Tour followed to a further 10 cities from July to September, while he additionally performed a sold out concert series at Politia Live Clubbing in Thessaloniki.
In October 2009, Rouvas returned as host for the second season of the Greek version of The X Factor
, while he dubbed the voice of Captain Charles T. Baker for the Greek version of Planet 51
. He made his American film debut in the psychological thriller Duress
opposite of Martin Donovan
. The film was screened at various film festivals, such as in Poland and Russia and received a wide theatrical release in December 2009 by mainstream Greek distributor Hollywood Entertainment. It is also expected to be released on home video in the United States
.
Rouvas performed at the newly constructed venue The S Club for the winter 2009-10 season, where he is the owner, with Tamta as his supporting act as well as Eleftheria Eleftheriou
and American rapper Gifted. He additionally opened the sushi
club/restaurant EDO. On 2 March, The S Club –which was a huge success for Rouvas– caught fire with damages estimated up to four million euros. The cause of the fire was unknown, but was investigated by the Athens police as a possible arson
by rival club owners. Evidence supporting this theory was that some witnesses reported having spotted containers of gasoline
. The show was stopped for the repairs to be made, and resumed on 19 March to 9 April. The show moved to Thessaloniki on 7 May for a six week engagement at Politia Live Clubbing
. He is also featured on Tamta's single "Tharros I Alitheia
" for her album of the same name. The song became a major club hit and won a MAD Video Music Award for Best Duet–Collaboration Video.
Rouvas' 13th studio album, Parafora
, was released on 14 December 2010 and topped the IFPI Top 75 Albums chart. It distributed enough initial shipments to be certified double platinum within its first week, denoting shipments of at least 24 thousand units. The album's first single, "Spase Ton Hrono", reached number one on all Greek charts, becoming his fourth consecutive single to do so. The song won Rouvas the award for Best Balkan Song from Greece at the first Balkan Music Awards, while its video earned him five MAD Video Music Awards nominations, —more than any other video— winning Best Pop Video, Artist of the Year, and Fashion Icon of the Year and equaling the most awards won by an artist in one night, with four. The song also contributed to Rouvas' win for Best Greek Act
at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
, and he was then shortlisted in the category Best European Act
. "Emena Thes
", the second single, was released in May and peaked at number five on the mixed airplay chart as well as on the digital sales chart while the title track
, was released in October. and peaked at number one on the domestic airplay chart for three weeks. and number two on the mixed airplay chart. The album's fourth single was released in late February 2011 titled "Oi dyo mas". The video clip of the song was released at the end of March 2011 were the song topped the National Airplay chart. For the second consecutive year, Rouvas received the Singer of the Year title at the Status Men of the Year Awards.
In June, Rouvas and his brother Vasilis launched their own television and film production company, Sakis Rouvas Kinematografos EPE, while on 14 July Rouvas closed the French Embassy of Greece's celebratory commemoration of the national French anniversary with a performance of the French
and Greek national anthems.Rouvas embarked on his eight city summer tour from 24 July to 19 September. At the 27 July stop in Corinth
, he inaugurated his Sakis Rouvas Collection
clothing line, in which he had creative input, exclusively to Greek department store
retailer Sprider Stores. The collection was inaugurated on 16 September, is available from October and caters to both sexes. Rouvas performed at the Mykonos Xlsior Festival in support of LGBT
people on 27 August and was scheduled to perform at the first Εurovoice on 23 September, as one of four celebrities along with performers Enrique Iglesias
, Anastacia
, and host Pamela Anderson
, although his appearance was later canceled one day prior to the event due to undisclosed issues. For the winter season 2010–11, Rouvas teamed up with Anna Vissi
for a concert series at Athens Arena
called Face2Face, beginning on 15 October. ANT1 is in negotiations with him to star in a new television series following The X Factor and also presented the third season
of the talent show from 29 October–11 February. For his performance on the show, Rouvas was awarded Presenter of the Year at the 2011 Cypriot Men of the Year Awards. On 2 February, Rouvas was one of eight main acts participating in the first MADWalk, an equivalent to the international Fashion Rocks
, where he represented Celia Kritharioti Haute Couture..In the spring he did ten appearances at Thalassa.After a short break he continued his live appearances at Puli Axiou in Thessaloniki,while he announced his upcoming winter performances at Athens Arena with the band Onirama
and Eleni Foureira as his opening act...He also released his new single called "Kane na mi s' agapiso". On 15 October he and his longtime partner, Katia Zygouli
became parents for the second time to a baby boy. .
became his biggest musical idol. He came to like the music of The Beatles
, The Rolling Stones
, Kiss
, and Queen
, being most influenced by the musical styles of the 1960s, as well as expressing his liking of George Michael
and Michael Bolton
. He has called Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody
" "one of the ten best songs that have ever been written." Similarities between Presley and Rouvas have been noted by critics; during his STARZ performances, the Maggira Sisters' opening sketch was based on the joke that Presley had become concerned that a popular Greek musician was imitating him. Rouvas also covered Presley's "Suspicious Minds
" for the film Alter Ego
and its soundtrack
. He stated that what he found most impressive about Presley as a child was "the way that he sang, that he danced, that he felt what he interpreted and what I believed that his audience felt when they heard him". He has also been influenced by Greek artists outside of his own era and musical style such as Giannis Parios
, Marinella
, and Nana Mouskouri
, who became a personal mentor to him, and has cited Haris Alexiou
and Anna Vissi
as the two greatest female artists in Greece.
Later on, pop
, R&B
, and funk influences became more prominent, and Rouvas has noted that he listens to a broad range of music in order to educate himself and further develop his own style, with these genres ranging from rock, classical
, and jazz
. Michael Jackson
became a great influence on many aspects of his vocals, dancing, and views on the music industry and humanitarian issues. Jackson's "Earth Song
" is another favourite, particularly for its environmental message. Following Jackson's death
, Rouvas dedicated a song to him at his Concert for the Environment and spoke to the public of Jackson's legacy, igniting ongoing applause from the audience:
In addition to musical influences, Rouvas' work has been influenced by literature
, Greek art
, and spirituality
. He has credited his success to his faith, which he associated with more as he got older, saying "I am very thankful. I feel blessed. And everyday I thank God for that. Everyday. That is something that I didn't do in the past. Once, I didn't understand, I didn't value." He has a close personal relations with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who baptized his first-born child.
, English
, and French
, having presented the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
in a mixture of all three languages. He has previously recorded songs in all three, while he has also studied Turkish
and Russian
phonetically for recordings
, namely for his 1997 collaboration with Burak Kut
in Cyprus
and for his Russian duet of his hit "Se Thelo San Trelos" with Philipp Kirkorov
called "Kak Sumashedshij Ya", that became a hit in Russia, being recorded in three different versions. Rouvas can play guitar, bass
, piano
, and cello
at a fluent level as well as some percussion. On several tours Rouvas appears playing his black Gibson
Les Paul electric guitar, while he also plays acoustic guitar for unplugged performances, such as his Live Ballads performance.
Rouvas has expressed disappointment that a lot of younger generations are ignorant of music legends from past decades. Rouvas has described his music style as being "always more rock" as an artist than he has been given credit for, however he has never felt the need to push this persona. Overall he self-identifies as both a pop and rock artist. He has been praised for not tapping into traditional Greek genres in order for more commercial success, as pop music is a minority genre in Greece. In response to whether he believed it was difficult being a pop/rock artist in a folk market, Rouvas replied that he believed that there was a need for variety of music genres, adding that while he has experimented with some more traditional Greek styles, it is not what he feels he does best.
in a relatively short time. Some of his critics have alleged that his voice is only average and that he mostly sells based on image. Many —whether critical or approving of Rouvas' vocals— agree that his vocal abilities have often been overshadowed by his other qualities, such as stage performance and appearance, which have received more emphasis by media; many preferred to watch him perform rather than just hear him. However, for the most part these generalizations were diminishing by the second decade of his career. The singer's voice changed significantly from his early performing period as a teenager to his fully developed adult voice. Rouvas sings in a tenor
vocal range
; while also singing below the treble clef staff
, he usually prefers his higher range and can hit notes beyond the typical tenor high extreme, reaching notes above the staff without the use of falsetto
. Even as a young musician, Rouvas' most notable vocal characteristics were his range of volume
and vocal power
, notably on songs such as "Mia Fora" from Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas, which was his first album to fully exhibit his vocal abilities. These characteristics continually developed as he grew older. During the hiatus of 1997–98, Rouvas received voice lessons from American vocal coach Raz Kennedy, focusing on rock and blues techniques. Kati Apo Mena was an important album in Rouvas' vocal development. Throughout the album he exhibited new dimensions of his voice that had previously only been observed on a few select tracks on his first five albums. In Live Ballads, Pavlos Zervas of Music Corner was under the impression that Rouvas' voice had reached its most mature form.
Additionally, Zervas commended Rouvas for his continuous selection of "especially difficult and demanding" repertoire. Rouvas' vocals have received the most praise in power ballads
, a style that became his signature. The singer's live vocals have also received favourable reviews, with Down Town citing him as one of the few Greek artists who always performs his shows live instead of using a playback track. Billboard
also noted his ability to sing well in English, increasing his international appeal. Rouvas has sung in numerous contemporary and traditional styles; in some songs he performs spoken verses which he first pioneered in Min Andistekese, although it was most notably acknowledged in later works such as Iparhi Agapi Edo and has been described as a "light rap
." Above his technical vocal abilities, Rouvas' defining characteristic as a vocalist has been his capability of expression
. Rouvas takes special care of his voice with a strict diet of organic food
, as well as by not drinking alcohol
or smoking
, and also prohibits anyone from smoking in his dressing room.
performances for his Presley covers. In the late 1990s, he began a long collaboration with choreographer Fokas Evangelinos for his performances. Evangelinos also collaborated with Rouvas for his two Eurovision performances. In the first, he combined contemporary and traditional Greek dance, while in the second, EBU credited Greece for making high technological advancements in the contest's standards. The performance which was described as "advanced and modern" with "intense choreography", made use of a rotating podium that transported him from left to right and back on the stage, was used as a base to lock in the feet of the performers during the bridge where they performed the anti-gravity lean inspired by Michael Jackson in the music video of "Smooth Criminal
", and finally to lift him into the air and reveal a Greek flag only visible to television viewers. For his STARZ performances Rouvas embarked on a musical-type show. In 1999, Billboard
wrote "a great live performer, he combines dancing and singing skills with impressive costumes" and acknowledged him as the "most promising new Greek pop male artist on the international scene."
Rouvas was amongst the first Greek artists to regularly use music videos as a promotional tool. From his albums Gia Sena to Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola, Psinakis played a part in the production of his music videos, either as a director or screenwriter. The video for "Disco Girl
" was shot in Cape Town
, South Africa
at a budget of 300 thousand euros, making it one of the most expensive Greek music videos of all time. The concept brought a humorous approach to a James Bond
-inspired theme. "Shake It
" was shot in Santorini
on various inaccessible locations, including dancing on the edge of a cliff, climbing a hill, and swimming in cold waters. The video was nominated for "Video of the Year" at both the MAD and Arion awards. Rouvas' forthcoming music video "Emena Thes" will incorporate a "highly atmospheric" visual and will possess a cinematographic effect that has never been used before in Greece.
Rouvas holds a number of records at the MAD Video Music Awards, including the most awards won by a male artist (twelve) as of 2010, being the second most honoured artist overall. His five-time nominee "Spase To Hrono" received more nominations than any other video in the awards' history (including contribution to the nominations Male Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year). Excluding the two special categories awarded by MAD Radio and MAD TV Bulgaria, he has received the maximum six nominations more times than any other artist (2006, 2009, 2010), is one of the few artists to have received nominations on every year since the ceremony's launch in 2004, and has won at least one award every year with the exception of 2005. Rouvas has won in eight different categories and been nominated in ten. Additionally, he has won more times than any other artist in the Best Male category (three), and is tied for most wins in the Artist of the Year (two) and fashion (two) categories.
. He had been interested in cinema from childhood and finally made the decision to make films, while one year and a half after he began studying he received a proposal from Village Roadshow. In his first feature film, Alter Ego, where he also served as associate producer, Rouvas played a role similar to what he is in reality. Before that he had dubbed English-language animated films in Greek. When comparisons between Rouvas and the protagonist Stefanos arose, with speculations of the scenario being autobiographical, Rouvas replied that despite some similarities in their characters, Stefanos was a "much more aggressive person." Rouvas adopted a new look for the film, which was credited by Nitro as assisting the new emo
movement emerging amongst Greek youth. While Rouvas was able to garner some critical acclaim as a singer-turned-actor, some critics felt that it did not offer enough to judge whether Rouvas possessed any exceptional acting talent. His second feature, the indie film Duress was a Hollywood psychological thriller, where the actor plays the antagonist role of a serial killer, a role differing heavily from his perceived public image amongst Greek audiences. Rouvas cited the film as the most difficult thing he had done in his career up until that point. In the film's plot theme of "cat and mouse", Giannis Zoumboulakis of To Vima
believed Rouvas to be highly convincing: "You accept the proposal from the first moments, forgetting completely that the 'bad' guy in the story is the host of X-Factor." He concluded that "Going against his own image Rouvas creates a very exceptional psycho killer. With his gray-beige
[,] old[,] wool coat and grimey[,] parted hair and without his bright smile he creates from scratch a hero that is all his." Panagiotis Timogiannakis however argued that Rouvas had begun showing a different side of himself since Alter Ego, and that the fact that this was being widely ignored was unfair. Timogiannakis also noted that in the silver screen Rouvas seems to lose the luster he has on stage and television as the lighting
does not flatter him; seeing as how this was the case in both films, he pondered whether the actor had chosen this effect himself to be deglamourized in order to become an actor of serious roles, saying "he needs to clear up whether he wants to have a career of a star or of a role player. A born role player he does not seem to be. A born star he is."
The presentation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was a catalyst for longterm hosting roles such as The X Factor, where Rouvas further presented a glib side of himself. Television producer Giannis Latsios stated that Rouvas' presence contributed significantly to the show's success and called the presenter's first season performance "great", adding that "We had a program that had to do with music and Sakis, on a collective level, is an icon that the generation which participates in this show has as an idol. He is a glowing character with much higher capabilities of expression and, if he decides to continue this path, will improve. He has immediacy, critique and most of all he gave to a program a luster, which was not standard from the beginning."
, tennis
, football, and skiing
, while also taking part in extreme sports, claiming to have sky-dived from 3,000 metres.
Rouvas became a major fashion and stylistic icon. In his early performing period, his most characteristic fashion was a series of jackets, beginning with leather styles during the Min Andistekese era and evolving into more militaristic styles following Gia Sena. He revisited this trend later on with his white "Shake It" performance jacket. This look later evolved into the black leather pants and open white shirt that he wore in all four music videos from Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas. Additionally, his aviator sunglasses
have remained his signature throughout his career. Following the media attention attracted by his Valentino skirt, it became more common for male celebrities in Greece to wear skirts at public events in the future, such as singers Nino
and Giorgos Mazonakis
, and French footballer Djibril Cissé
, a striker
for the Greek Panathinaikos FC
.
Rouvas' image and personal life has at times generated significant controversy. Pertaining his fashion and stage antics, Journalist Thomai Karathanou has suggested that controversy towards this would most likely not be as intense if Rouvas were abroad: "The Greek societal reality, denying to accept a skirt on a man in a show setting, something that compared to Lady Gaga
of today, seems like a simple stroll with a shirt and jeans."
Rouvas has been recognized for his acts of philanthropy
in the support of numerous charitable organizations and causes, particularly ones directed to children and the environment. Rouvas had been bothered by social and environmental issues since childhood. In a January 1992 interview that exhibited the homes of young upcoming artists, Rouvas was asked about his wildest dream, to which he responded "I dream about a new planet that will have all of the beauties that the Earth had a few years ago. The environmental destruction that our planet has suffered hurts me and for this we are all responsible. Only with some kind of crazy dream like that can we save it." The artist also supports equal rights for LGBT
people and performed at the Athens Pride 2010, and has openly supported the creation of a proposition that would oppose Proposition 8
and legalize gay marriage and equal rights for all.
His relationship with Zygouli has been highly publicized and recognized as Greece's most prominent supercouple
, being equated to Brangelina
. The birth of their child was highly anticipated; this was largely in part due to the result being a combination of genetics of two people considered to be the most beautiful in the entertainment industry. From his early career Rouvas has been considered a sex symbol
and has been cited as one of the most attractive men in entertainment and an icon for youth and beauty, To Vima
published a 1997 study that found Rouvas' facial structure and features fit the golden ratio
to near perfection. Ηe has been featured on several lists. Ιn 2009, he was ranked number three on Glamour
s Sexiest Men list, being one of six Greek men featured and the highest ranking, and later fourth on its list of 50 Sexiest Greek Men in 2010. He was voted the Most Handsome Greek Man in 2009 in a landslide victory by readers of Yupi, who also described him as having "the most attractive abdominals in showbiz." Greek People
named him its first Sexiest Man Alive
in 2010. Α 2009 study found that the entertainer was the man women would most want to marry. On the topic of being a male role model, Men's Health
stated Rouvas was equivalent to a "Superman
" figure to men and "the archetype
of a highly successful man", while also describing him as the nation's "ultimate health icon". With the exception of entertainers who chose to be professionally recognized mononymously, Rouvas was the only entertainer to be widely recognized on a first-name basis. Rouvas' media fame often allowed him to break traditional gender boundaries and he has often been featured on covers of women's interest magazines or men's magazines that exclusively feature female models. He became the first man to be featured on the cover of Greek Vogue
in 2002, the first man on the cover of Nitro in 2004, the only man to date on the cover of Glamour in 2009, as well as the only man in the world to ever make the cover of Cosmopolitan
(Greek April 2004 edition) and in April 2010 resumed this role in celebration of the magazine's 10 year Greek anniversary, reaching unprecedented sales. For this he received positive attention from American celebrity blog
ger Perez Hilton
, making him one of two celebrities working in Greece to be mentioned on his blog. He has also been featured on the cover of Down Town more than any other man as of 2009. Rouvas' widespread appeal makes him particularly sought after by advertisers, as his seal of approval is a significant addition to a brand's credibility and marketability, according to Forbes
; he has had more endorsement deals than any other Greek celebrity including Martini
, Pepsi
, Vodafone Greece
, BU Perfume, Trident, Kri Kri, Luxottica
, and Fage
's Ageladitsa yoghurt
. He has been noted for his use of technological trends to efficiently communicate with fans and promote himself, and admittedly has an obsession with gadgets which led to him serving as the jury president at the 2010 Digital Media Festival that was held in Athens. Rouvas is the most popular Greek celebrity in terms of social networks; from its beginning in 1996, his official fanclub, the "SRFC" (Sakis Rouvas Fanclub) became the largest fan club of any Greek entertainer, a title that it holds to date. As of 2010, he has over 200 thousand Facebook
fans, making him the sixth most popular Eurovision participant on the network following Canadian singer Céline Dion
who represented Switzerland
, the band maNga
of Turkey
, ABBA
of Sweden
, Lena Meyer-Landrut
of Germany
, and Toše Proeski
who represented Republic of Macedonia
, while within the first year of use he had 15 thousand followers on Twitter
, a trend which he pioneered among the nation's celebrities. Additionally, he has multiple videos on the file sharing
website YouTube
that have surpassed one million views.
. He has played a major role in breaking cultural barriers through the popularization of Western music genres and the development of pop music in the Greek industry, being widely credited as the genre's primary performer. Even by 2006, Pavlos Zervas of MusicCorner alleged that Rouvas was the primary performer supporting the pop/dance genre in Greece with such success. Jarmo Siim of the EBU
characterized Rouvas as "undoubtedly the ultimate pop star in Greece with great international appeal." In the early 1990s, Rouvas became a dominant figure in Greek music, gaining notoriety for having a mass fanbase, especially with youth, leading to him being recognized as a phenomenon
, a first in Greek music; he was compared to international phenomenons, Presley and Jackson, and the effect was often dubbed "Rouvomania", while the term "Rouvitsa" was coined for female members of his fanbase, who were distinguished by what were considered to be extreme reactions towards the singer. By the late 1990s, Rouvas had gained the largest fan club of any Greek figure. His success led to him being dubbed "The Golden Man of the Decade" by Down Town in 1999. In 2009, five of his singles ("1992", "Ela Mou", "Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola", "Shake It", and "+ Se Thelo") were included on Mega Stars 20th anniversary as songs that defined the past 20 years. In the end of 2009 Down Town named him "Εntertainer of the Decade", its highest honour, for his contributions to music, film, television, and overall cultural relevance, indicating that Rouvas was the only case of a full-out entertainer in the nation. Greek Forbes
also listed him as the third most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece and top ranked singer.
Describing him as a "commercial phenomenon", Rouvas was recognized as the most commercially successful entertainer with his name being associated as the strongest brand
in Greece. During 2009–2010, Rouvas earned 18 thousand euros per night at The S Club, as well as a percentage of the venue's profits and makes 250 thousand per season on The X Factor, as well as 35–40 thousand in personal gain alone per concert, while he is paid 100–350 thousand euros per campaign in advertising. At the same time, MAD TV described him as "unstoppable" for continuous success in a wide field of ventures, while its presenter Themis Georgantas called him the standard for radio deejay
s in doubt what to play, and considered that at this point he had broken generational barriers, having a wide fanbase of varying ages as well as continuous popularity with newer audiences. MTV Networks
summarized him as "an exceptional artist who encompasses pure devotion to music and brings evolving inginuity to all of his performances." Nearing the third decade of his career, Rouvas had already been cited as the most popular Greek artist by varying sources as well as of the most internationally recognizable. Rouvas retained a standard of autonomy. Unlike most artists, he no longer needed commercial success to maintain a high degree of cultural relevance. Rouvas achieved financial and entrepreneurial control by becoming the first Greek entertainer to market themselves through products and business ventures, such as having his own line of dolls and ready-to-wear fashion line, having pioneered both.
Rouvas has been referred to as the "king" of both Greek pop and showbiz. Amongst his other achievements are multiple number-one albums and singles, Pop Corn, Arion, and MAD Video Music Awards, an MTV Europe Music Award
, and a World Music Award
, being one of only four artists recording in Greece to ever be a recipient. His total record sales have been estimated at nearly two million records as of 2008, making him one of the most commercially successful Greek artists of all time and also one of the most influential, with the artist having been considered analogous to Michael Jackson
to Greece from the beginning of his career. His distinct musical, fashion, and performance style has heavily influenced the new pop generation and movement, and has also generated a number of others who have been deemed copycats. Michalis Hatzigiannis
, Nino
, and Kostas Martakis
have all been cited as artists who follow in Rouvas' pattern. As one of the most media exposed Greek celebrities, Rouvas' influence went beyond the arts as he has had an effect on social issues affecting the nation and younger generation. He became nationalized
into a cultural icon
and throughout his career has had an "unparalleled" influence over the younger generation. Swedish-Finnish journalist Lilian Brunell stated that from her perspective as a foreigner, Rouvas seemed to be a modern-day cultural equivalent to Alexander the Great. His contributions to the music and entertainment industries, as well as Greek culture and society, have kept him a part of popular culture
for nearly two decades.
Live albums
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|-
|-
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | World Music Awards
|-
|-
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | Other
|-
|-
Greek alphabet
The Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
: Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, ˈsakis ruˈvas; 5 January 1972), often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful and influential entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Beginning a career as a member of the national athletics team, Rouvas commenced a musical career in 1991 and became one of Greece's first pop performers; widely recognized as the genre's main performers to this day, he is credited with breaking cultural and generational barriers and aiding in the popularization of Western music genres in Greece and Cyprus.
In the early 1990s after winning the Thessaloniki Song Festival, Rouvas became a dominant figure in Greek entertainment, gaining a mass fanbase
Fandom
Fandom is a term used to refer to a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of sympathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest...
and being cited as a phenomenon
Phenomenon
A phenomenon , plural phenomena, is any observable occurrence. Phenomena are often, but not always, understood as 'appearances' or 'experiences'...
. His sexualized
Sexualization
The definition of the term, Sexualization has been the subject of debate and dispute. It has been described as the act or process of sexualizing. It refers to the making of a person, group or thing to be seen as sexual in nature or a person to become aware of sexuality...
image and live performances utilizing complex choreography and costumes have earned him notoriety. He and manager Elias Psinakis formed a famous partnership in Greek show business. Rouvas' increasing popularity was coupled with criticism of both professional choices and personal struggles, which damaged his public image and lead to a brief, relatively unsuccessful period in the mid 90s. After five commercially successful albums with PolyGram Greece
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
, Rouvas signed with 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....
in 1998. Having been a notable artist in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
for years, Rouvas embarked on multiple projects abroad and represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
in 2004
Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
and 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
and co-presented the 2006 contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
, while also venturing into film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
Rouvas has contributed to several philanthropic organizations and his influence went beyond the arts as he became nationalized into a cultural icon. He is the most commercially successful entertainer in Greece, having expanded his empire more than any other celebrity. Amongst Rouvas' other achievements include multiple recognized awards –including six Arion Music Awards, 12 MAD Video Music Awards —more than any other male artist—, an MTV Europe Music Award
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
, and a World Music Award
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
– number-one albums and singles that have all achieved certifications of gold or higher, and sales of an estimated two million records as of 2008, making him one of Greece's best-selling music artists in history. Rouvas' distinct musical and performance style has influenced other artists, while his contributions to music have made him a prominent part of popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
for nearly two decades. In 2009, Down Town named him "Entertainer of the Decade", while in 2010 Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
listed him as the third most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece and top ranked singer.
Early life and athletic career (1972–1990)
Sakis Rouvas was born on 5 January 1972 in the village of Mandoukion, near Corfu CityCorfu (city)
Corfu is a city and a former municipality on the island of Corfu, Ionian Islands, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it is part of the municipality Corfu, of which it is a municipal unit. It is the capital of the island and of the Corfu regional unit. The city also serves as a capital...
the island of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, the eldest son out of four of Konstantinos "Kostas" Rouvas, an ambulance driver, and Anna-Maria Panaretou, a retail clerk at a Duty Free shop at the local airport. At the time of his birth, his mother was still a teenager. He has three brothers named Billy (b. Vasilios), Tolis (b. Apostolos, 1975), and Nikos (b. Nikolaos, 1991). Rouvas grew up in a poor family and he began taking care of his younger siblings as of age five since his parents worked long hours. His talents were revealed from a young age; at age four, he demonstrated athletic abilities. As a child, Rouvas also took ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
classes. Both his parents had some background in theater, and at age ten, Rouvas starred in his first theatrical production "An I Karharies Itan Anthropi" (If sharks were people), which quickly sold out in local theaters in Corfu. His much older co-stars were impressed at his talent and labeled him a "miracle child." Soon after, Rouvas discovered his second great love after athletics, music. He taught himself how to play guitar and was inspired by international music and artists like Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
In 1984, his parents were divorced, and due to strained relations between the two, Rouvas and his brother Tolis were forced to move to the village of Potamos to be raised by their paternal grandparents, Anastasis and Elpiniki, while his father soon remarried. Rouvas worked multiple jobs to support his family, including in a car repair shop, as a construction worker
Construction worker
A construction worker or builder is a professional, tradesman, or labourer who directly participates in the physical construction of infrastructure.-Construction trades:...
, and as a bartender
Bartender
A bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
. From early childhood Rouvas began to hate school and suffered especially in reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
and writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
. Due to working in the daytime, he went to school at nights, where his mother, who had never graduated lyceum
Lyceum
The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...
, also attended.
At age 15 the first turning point in his career occurred when he became a member of the Greek national gymnastics team. He idolized Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
pole vaulter Sergei Bubka
Sergei Bubka
Serhiy Nazarovych Bubka ; is a retired Ukrainian pole vaulter. Repeatedly voted the world's best athlete, he represented the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991....
. His scores were consistently high and he won numerous national awards; vaulting on average 4.17 metres. Rouvas continued in athletics until age 18 as he believed that it was very difficult to earn a living from it in order to support his family, while considering his potential in music to be greater. He soon became a member of the Corfu Band. The first time he sang for a public audience was at his graduation where he performed his rendition of hits from Elvis and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
Rouvas soon started to perform at local clubs and hotels. At one of these venues, To Ekati, future manager Elias Psinakis would see him perform for the first time, however, they never confronted each other. Due to the escalating problematic situations in his life in Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, he left his native island alone at the age of 18 and moved to Patras
Patras
Patras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
in search of a better future.
Early commercial success (1991–93)
Upon going to Patras, Rouvas continued to look for performance opportunities, until he met Dakis, a popular Greek artist of the era, who was the first person to help him professionally. He moved to 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...
, and after being given much advice by Dakis, in 1991, Rouvas made his first professional appearance at the Show Centre in Athens. During his performances his attractive physical appearance, vocal abilities, and stage antics garnered the attention of music executives such as Nikos Mouratidis, who advised songwriter Giorgos Pavrianos to produce him. While performing "Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
" by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
he was discovered by executives of the PolyGram record label, who signed him to his first recording contract immediately after the performance. After first moving to Athens Rouvas lived with an older English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
woman named Sally, whom he had been in a relationship with since he was in Corfu. Their relationship ended after Psinakis became his manager and his goals became more oriented towards his career. The media later reported extensively on Rouvas' personal life over the years, speculating on relationships with model Zeta Logotheti, Sofi Kantarou, who was a Corfu local bar manager whom he had known from years earlier, and later singer Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou
Elli Kokkinou is a Greek singer who was born in Athens, Greece. Kokkinou is among the most popular singers in Greece today. She has performed together with Greek music stars such as Anna Vissi, Glykeria, Paschalis Terzis, Sakis Rouvas, Tolis Voskopoulos, Thanos Petrelis, Natassa Theodoridou,...
. A few months later, Rouvas' made his first official debut at the Thessaloniki Song Festival. At the competition, Rouvas lost the title for Best Vocal Performance to another upcoming artist 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...
by only one point, but ultimately won the competition after he won first place for "Best Composition with the song "Par'ta" (Take them) with music by Nikos Terzis and lyrics by Giorgos Pavrianos. During the moment that all of the competitors were called on stage there was a brief earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
.
Rouvas released his eponymous debut album
Sakis Rouvas (album)
Sakis Rouvas is the self-titled debut album by Greek pop-rock musician Sakis Rouvas, released in October 1991 by PolyGram Records in Greece and Cyprus. The entire album was produced by composer Nikos Terzis who was on the rise in the early 1990s, while the songs have all been penned by Giorgos...
the day after the festival; it reached number one on the Greek Albums Chart
Greek Albums Chart
International Federation of the Phonographic Industry Greece or IFPI Greece is the Greek branch of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and is the official charts provider and recording sales certification body for Greece. Currently two charts are compiled, one for sales of...
. "Par'ta" ("Take them") became a number one radio hit, while the second single "1992" also became very popular. Following the popularity of the album, media attention arose around his fanatic fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
, usually teenage girls, who would go crazy over him.
In September 1992, Rouvas released his second album titled Min Andistekese
Min Andistekese
Min Andistekese is the second studio album by Greek pop musician Sakis Rouvas, released in September 1992 in Greece and Cyprus by PolyGram Records Greece...
(Don’t resist), which was also fully composed by Nikos Terzis. The album produced the singles "Gyrna" (Return), "Min Andistekese", "Gia Fantasou" (Imagine), "Na Ziseis Moro Mou" (Live my baby), and "Me Kommeni Tin Anasa" (Breathless), with the title track being accompanied by a music video. The success of the album helped establish Rouvas as one of the top performers on the then-music scene.
In October 1993, Rouvas released his third studio album titled Gia Sena
Gia Sena
-Singles:thumb|right|150px|Rouvas in the "Kane Me" music video.thumb|right|150px|Rouvas in the "To Xero Ise Moni" music video.thumb|right|150px|Rouvas in the "Xehase To" music video."Kane Me"'"To Xero Ise Moni"'"Xehase To"-Release history:...
(For you) with music by Alexis Papadimitriou and lyrics primarily by Eleni Giannatsoulia, as well as Evi Droutsa. The album became Rouvas third consecutive gold album in a time span of only two years. The single "Kane Me" (Make me) became a big radio hit, while the next singles "To Xero Eisai Moni" (I know you are alone), and "Xehase To" (Forget it) also gained airplay.
Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas, military service, and personal struggles (1994–96)
In the winter of 1994, Rouvas collaborated with famous singer-songwriterSinger-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple...
for the production of his fourth studio album Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas
Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas
Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas is the fourth studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released in November 1994 in Greece and Cyprus by PolyGram Records Greece. This album was Rouvas' primary collaboration with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nikos Karvelas.-Production history:The album was...
(Blood, tears & sweat) which was his first album to be certified platinum. The songs "Ela Mou" (Come to me) and "Xana" (Again) became radio hits. The collaboration with Karvelas, one of the most successful and iconic producers of the past two decades with the young artist resulted in mixed reaction by the media. When asked why he had chosen to collaborate with Rouvas, Karvelas simply gave a controversial response, stating that "Sakis is the only star, out of a generation which produces dull artists."
Rouvas became more recluse
Recluse
A recluse is a person who lives in voluntary seclusion from the public and society, often close to nature. The word is from the Latin recludere, which means "shut up" or "sequester." There are many potential reasons for becoming a recluse: a personal philosophy that rejects consumer society; a...
and private about his personal life, When he was called to do his military service
Conscription in Greece
As of 2009, Greece has mandatory military service of 9 months for men between the ages of 18 and 45. Citizens discharged from active service are normally placed in the Reserve and are subject to periodic recall of 1–10 days at irregular intervals.-Duration:Universal conscription was introduced in...
in 1994, Rouvas had originally asked for a delay as it coincided with the scheduled release of his highly anticipated album Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas, although his request for a delay was denied. Although other artists had also delayed their service for career reasons, Rouvas' case became a central news story at the time. It was initially thought that the artist did not want to pull back from the spotlight during a time when his career was soaring, although Rouvas himself had claimed his inability to fulfill his service due to previous psychological trauma that resulted in him suffering from severe agoraphobia
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
. His claims were widely disbelieved: some media commented that agoraphobia was a strange condition for an entertainer, while critics of Rouvas accused him of draft dodging. Rouvas was then taken to the psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospital
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental hospitals, are hospitals specializing in the treatment of serious mental disorders. Psychiatric hospitals vary widely in their size and grading. Some hospitals may specialise only in short-term or outpatient therapy for low-risk patients...
of Penteli
Penteli
Pentéli or Pendeli, , and Vrilissos or Vrilittos , Mendeli in medieval times) is a tall mountain and mountain range situated northeast of Athens and southwest of Marathon. Its elevation is 1,109 m...
for psychiatric evaluation, it was widely reported that while alone in his room he attempted suicide. After the initial widespread media coverage of the attempted suicide subsided, Rouvas was forced to fulfill his military service with a psychiatrist present on the scene, both to medicate him and make sure he would not cause harm to himself. For his military service, Rouvas was forced to remove his earring and cut his signature long hair, something that is featured in the beginning of the video for "Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas". Rouvas was also constantly taunted by paparazzi who would sneak into the military campus to photograph and film him for constant television reports. Psinakis blamed Rouvas' psychiatrist for things that occurred in the military, claiming that he was secretly pouring psychotropic drugs into Rouvas' alcoholic beverages because of a previous quarrel. Rouvas spoke about his military service in an interview with Nico Mastorakis
Nico Mastorakis
Nico Mastorakis is a Greek Z movie filmmaker, director and radio producer.-Early career:At the age of 18 Mastorakis as a young reporter with the Greek newspaper "Ethnikos Kirikas" scored his first international scoop, an exclusive interview with the exiled Princess Soraya...
. When asked if he was suicidal, he said he did not think so, but at the time he was so intoxicated by the medication he received at the 411 that he did not have a clear recollection of the exact events. He also confirmed that he did indeed try to escape his service during rank by climbing under a Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
and latching himself onto the rails.
Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola, peace concert, and move to Minos EMI (1996–97)
A few months later in 1996, Rouvas released his fifth studio album Tora Arhizoun Ta DyskolaTora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola
Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola is the fifth studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released on May 12, 1996 in Greece and Cyprus by PolyGram Records Greece...
(Now the difficult times begin) which went platinum. Since his previous album was a big success, Rouvas once again collaborated with Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple...
with the help of lyricist Natalia Germanou
Natalia Germanou
Natalia Germanou is a Greek lyricist, television hostess, radio producer, DJ and journalist.Germanou has written lyrics for many popular Greek singers such as Anna Vissi, Christos Dantis, Elena Paparizou, Sakis Rouvas, Despina Vandi, Mihalis Hatzigiannis, Notis Sfakianakis, Natasa Theodoridou,...
. For the winter season, Rouvas performed live with Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
at club Chaos in Athens. In the same year, a fan club for him, SRFC, was founded, which from its start went on to be the largest fan club
Fan club
A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...
in Greece. In 1997, he was featured on Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
's hit album Travma
Travma
Travma is the name of a Greek album by singer Anna Vissi released in Greece and Cyprus on April 14, 1997. In Greece it became Gold within 12 days and 3x Platinum within 6 months.The album also includes a duet with fellow Greek pop star Sakis Rouvas....
(Trauma), in the duet "Se Thelo, Me Theleis" ("I want you, you want me") also composed by Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas
Nikos Karvelas is a Greek songwriter, producer and singer. He has sold millions of records as a producer and is most recognizable for his three-decade-long collaboration with Anna Vissi, while some of his other well-known collaborations include Sakis Rouvas. Karvelas has released multiple...
.
On 19 May 1997 he performed on stage with Turkish singer Burak Kut
Burak Kut
Burak Kut is a Turkish pop singer.-Biography:As a child, Burak attended Müziğe Çapa and played in the orchestra for many years. He continued playing in an orchestra until he entered high school at İstanbul Anadolu Güzel Sanatlar Lisesi, where he began to play flute and piano...
at a bi-national concert on the Green Line
United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus
The United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus runs for more than along what is known as the Green Line and has an area of . The zone partitions the island of Cyprus into a southern area effectively controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus , and the northern area...
in 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...
as an initiative in the reconciliation of the country with an audience of over 4,000 people. The concert garnered international coverage and support, earning Rouvas an International Abdi Ipekçi Prize for understanding and co-operation; however, the concert generated significant controversy amongst Greek and Turkish protesters with reports going as far as potential death threats towards Rouvas. Opposition to the concert caused the Greek and Greek-Cypriot media to turn on Rouvas and the impact of its controversy is considered to be the catalyst for the forthcoming tabloid talk show
Tabloid talk show
Tabloid talk shows are a genre of American television programming talk shows that achieved peak viewership during the late 20th century. Airing mostly during the day and distributed mostly through broadcast syndication, this genre originated with The Phil Donahue Show and was popularized by the...
s in Greece. Rouvas had come into collaboration with Kut the previous year when they recorded a duet together in Greek
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;...
and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
called "Birgün/Otan" (When), a cover of the song "Someday", for the soundtrack of the Greek-language dubbing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is inspired by Victor Hugo's novel of...
titled I Panagia Ton Parision, where Rouvas made his film debut voicing the role of Quasimodo
Quasimodo
Quasimodo is a fictional character in the novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Quasimodo was born with a hunchback and feared by the townspeople as a sort of monster but he finds sanctuary in an unlikely love that is fulfilled only in death. The role of Quasimodo has been played by...
. Following his album success with PolyGram Greece
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
, Rouvas switched labels by signing with 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....
.
Kati Apo Mena, return to prominence, and 21os Akatallilos (1998–2000)
In December 1998, Rouvas released his sixth studio album and first with his new label titled Kati Apo MenaKati Apo Mena
Kati Apo Mena is the sixth studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released on 3 December 1998. The album is largely written and entirely produced by Giorgos Theofanous...
(Something from me). The album was composed by Giorgos Theofanous and became a hit, going gold in its first week; the album later reached platinum certification. The song "Den Ehi Sidera I Kardia Sou" (Your heart does not have metal rails) became a massive hit, and remains one of his most popular songs. For promotion of the album, Rouvas performed live at the Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastores is an international chain of record shops, founded by Sir Richard Branson on London's Oxford Street in early 1971. Virgin Megastores are best described today as entertainment retailers....
in Athens where thousands of fans created a traffic jam in the centre of Athens. For the winter season 1999–2000, Rouvas sang at Bio Bio in Athens, and performed with Katy Garbi
Katy Garbi
Katerina 'Katy' Garbi is a Greek singer active in Greece and Cyprus, with some popularity in Turkey. Her career has spanned over 20 years and is marked by several multi-platinum releases. Garbi was one of the most successful artists of the 1990s...
at Pili Axiou in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
in the spring.
In March 2000, Rouvas released his seventh studio album 21os Akatallilos
21os Akatallilos
21os Akatallilos is the eighth studio album by Greek pop sensation Sakis Rouvas and his second produced by Vangelis Yannopoulos, for Minos Emi. The album was released on April 9, 2000 in Greece and Cyprus, and debut at number one on the charts...
(21+ X-Rated). The album and its first anthemic single, "Andexa", climbed immediately at number one on the charts. The album reached 2× platinum status and reached number one on the charts. On 25 October 2000, Rouvas began appearances with Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos , is a Greek laïko singer.-Early life:Antonis Remos was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He was raised there by his Greek parents, and later his family moved back to their native Thessaloniki, Greece, where he finished school. During his childhood he got involved with music and...
and Peggy Zina
Peggy Zina
Kalliopi Zina , known professionally as Peggy Zina, is a Greek singer. Peggy Zina made her discographic debut in 1995 with her self-titled album. She has since released ten studio albums and is a high-profile artist in the Greek music industry...
at Apollonas for the winter season. During his May rehearsals for his summer performances, Rouvas was hospitalized with abdominal pain
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom. Abdominal pain is a common problem...
s which were diagnosed as peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
and underwent surgery to get his appendix
Vermiform appendix
The appendix is a blind-ended tube connected to the cecum , from which it develops embryologically. The cecum is a pouchlike structure of the colon...
removed. That same year, Rouvas was commissioned by Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
to be their spokesperson for their summer campaign in Greece, a first for a Greek entertainer. The collaboration with Pepsi continued in 2001 with a television ad airing in May 2001. The aforementioned ad, featuring a semi-nude Rouvas holding a Pepsi bottle in front of his genitals, was the subject of controversy amongst women's rights
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
organizations and parental associations who deemed it "insightly, vulgar and unacceptable" and attempted to have the advertisement blocked, saying that it "disgraces childhood innocence and dignity." A tour of seven Greek cities called the Pepsi Tour 2001 followed.
In the summer of 2000, Rouvas, Psinakis and a number of other celebrities went on vacation in Mykonos
Mykonos
Mykonos is a Greek island, part of the Cyclades, lying between Tinos, Syros, Paros and Naxos. The island spans an area of and rises to an elevation of at its highest point. There are 9,320 inhabitants most of whom live in the largest town, Mykonos, which lies on the west coast. The town is also...
on a yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
that they were borrowing from a local physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
. They were subsequently accused of drug possession
Drug possession
Drug possession is the crime of having one or more illegal drugs in one's possession, either for personal use, distribution, sale or otherwise. Illegal drugs fall into different categories and sentences vary depending on the amount, type of drug, circumstances, and jurisdiction.A person has...
, as the yacht was filled with various expensive narcotics. The situation received huge publicity and triggered speculations of whether Rouvas possibly had a drug addiction. The doctor who owned the yacht later admitted that the narcotics belonged to him, however, all of the men were taken into questioning. Wanting to avoid going to court, Rouvas paid bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
and did not give importance to the situation. This incident would become one of the most infamous situations in Rouvas' career as thousands of t-shirts were printed with the popular catchphrase at the time: "Imoun ki ego sto kotero!" ("I was on the yacht too!").
Ola Kala, international exposure, and To Hrono Stamatao (2001–04)
In 2001, Rouvas signed with Universal Licencing Music (ULM) of Universal Music FranceUniversal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
and collaborated with American music producer and songwriter Desmond Child
Desmond Child
Desmond Child is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.-Career:...
and Phoebus for the single "Disco Girl
Disco Girl
"Disco Girl" is the name of a song released by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas on December 17, 2001 by Minos EMI. It was released as a two track CD single with the original song and a remix, both of which were produced by Desmond Child and Phoebus....
". The single became a hit in Greece and was certified platinum. It won Rouvas the award for Pop Singer of the Year at the first Arion Music Awards. The single was also later released in France with an English version of the song penned by Andreas Carlsson
Andreas Carlsson
Andreas Carlsson is a Swedish music producer, composer, and pop songwriter.-Biography:Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2001....
. At the start of the winter season, Rouvas sang with 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...
at Rex, which continued until spring 2002.
Rouvas premiered the single "Ola Kala" ("Everything is fine") for the first time at the Arion Music Awards. This was followed by the release of his eighth studio album Ola Kala
Ola Kala
Ola Kala is the eighth studio album and first international album featuring a number of English language songs by popular Greek singer-songwriter Sakis Rouvas, originally released on June 16, 2002 in Greece and Cyprus by Minos EMI. International songwriter and producer Desmond Child is the main...
in June, once again collaborating with Desmond Child and Phoebus for the album, along with other Greek songwriters Natalia Germanou
Natalia Germanou
Natalia Germanou is a Greek lyricist, television hostess, radio producer, DJ and journalist.Germanou has written lyrics for many popular Greek singers such as Anna Vissi, Christos Dantis, Elena Paparizou, Sakis Rouvas, Despina Vandi, Mihalis Hatzigiannis, Notis Sfakianakis, Natasa Theodoridou,...
and Vangelis Konstantinidis. The album became an instant hit in Greece going gold within one week, and platinum in four months. It settled at two times platinum later on. The following month after the Greek release, Universal Music released Ola Kala in many international markets in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The music video for "Ola Kala" was director by French director Xavier Gens
Xavier Gens
Xavier Gens is a French film director.-Director:*Vanikoro *The Divide *Hitman *Frontier *Sable noir - short film*Au petit matin - short film*Born to Kast - short film...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In September 2002, Rouvas' third Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
commercial aired.
In July 2003, Rouvas furthered his international collaboration under ULM by releasing the cover single and music video "Dis lui" (Tell her) in France, originally sung by Mike Brant
Mike Brant
Mike Brant was an Israeli pop star who achieved fame after moving to France. His most successful hit was "Laisse-moi t'aimer"...
as a French adaptation of the 1975 Morris Albert
Morris Albert
Morris Albert is a Brazilian singer and songwriter, famous for his 1975 hit single "Feelings"....
song "Feelings"
Feelings (song)
"Feelings" is a song based on a melody composed by Loulou Gasté and made famous by Morris Albert, who recorded it as a single released in 1974 that later appeared as the title track of his 1975 debut album. The song's lyrics, recognizable by their "whoa whoa whoa" chorus, concern the singer's...
. "Dis Lui", as well as a cover of "Feelings"
Feelings (song)
"Feelings" is a song based on a melody composed by Loulou Gasté and made famous by Morris Albert, who recorded it as a single released in 1974 that later appeared as the title track of his 1975 debut album. The song's lyrics, recognizable by their "whoa whoa whoa" chorus, concern the singer's...
, were also added to the 2003 international re-release of Ola Kala. Rouvas collaborated again with Xavier Gens for the "Feelings"/"Dis lui"/"Pes Tis" music video, which won two awards at the MAD Video Music Awards for Best Direction and Sexiest Appearance in a Video.
In April 2003, Rouvas appeared with Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos
Antonis Remos , is a Greek laïko singer.-Early life:Antonis Remos was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He was raised there by his Greek parents, and later his family moved back to their native Thessaloniki, Greece, where he finished school. During his childhood he got involved with music and...
together on stage with the evening's honouree, Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
, at the Arion Awards. The same year, Rouvas signed a deal with Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece is the Greek subsidiary of Vodafone. Its headquarters are in Halandri - one of the northern suburbs of Athens.Vodafone Greece was established in Greece in 1992 – under the trade name Panafon – with the participation of Vodafone Group Plc., France Telecom, Intracom and Data Bank, and...
to be their spokesperson. For the summer, Rouvas went on tour around Greece, ending with a big concert at Lycabetus on 11 October 2003.
In December 2003, Rouvas released his ninth studio album To Hrono Stamatao
To Hrono Stamatao
To Hrono Stamatao is the tenth studio album by Greek pop-rock singer-songwriter Sakis Rouvas, released in December 2003 by Minos EMI in Greece and Cyprus...
(I stop time), which was certified Gold following its release. Songs from the album quickly gained radio airplay, while in the same month, Rouvas started appearances at Fever with Giorgos Tsalikis and ONE
One (band)
ONE was a boy band that first appeared in 1999, recognized as both Greece and Cyprus's very first boy band. The band was formed by leading Cypriot-Greek composer Giorgos Theofanous who got them signed with Minos EMI and wrote all their music and lyrics, and consisted of Constantinos Christoforou,...
as his supporting acts for the winter season. A Greek language version of "Feelings" titled "Pes Tis" (Tell her) was released as a single off of To Hrono Stamatao and featured the same video as its French and English-language international counterparts.
Eurovision and S'eho Erotefthi (2004–05)
In March 2004, Hellenic Radio and Television (ERT) announced that Rouvas would represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004Eurovision Song Contest 2004
The Eurovision Song Contest 2004, was the 49th Contest and it was held in the Abdi İpekçi Arena in Istanbul, Turkey. This was the first occasion in which the contest was held in Turkey after they had won the competition in 2003 with Sertab Erener singing "Everyway That I Can"...
after a long selection process through the reality show EuroStar had failed. Originally, the winner of the show was to represent the country with composer Nikos Terzis producing the song entry, however, the broadcaster decided to cancel these plans after doubts the winner could perform on stage, while Rouvas also exhibited an interest in representing the country. In mid-March, the song entry "Shake It
Shake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
" composed by Nikos Terzis with lyrics by Nektarios Tyrakis, premiered on Greek radio. The song was described as possessing strong Mediterranean influences, which differ from Rouvas' typical western production style. At the end of March, Rouvas performed "Shake It" for the first time live at the third Arion Music Awards. At the awards, he also won the award for "Best Pop Singer" for the album To Hrono Stamatao. In mid-April, "Shake It" was released as a CD single and Rouvas began a large promotional tour around Europe for the contest. His album To Hrono Stamatao was also repackaged with the "Shake It" single as a bonus. The song peaked at number one on the Greek airplay charts for many weeks, while it continued to have popularity on the IFPI Greece Top 50 singles chart, remaining at number one for nine consecutive weeks and finally achieving four times Platinum status, becoming the best selling single of the year and one of the most successful of all time. It has since sold 110 thousand copies.
Shake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
" achieved third place in the final. Rouvas generated the greatest interest in the contest from the Greek public in its entire duration, with television share ratings of 86.7 percent, the highest ratings in Greek television history at the time. The participation in Eurovision was seen as a turning point in Rouvas' career from being perceived as a media-exposed celebrity to the possibly most notable artist in pop. He also became less reclusive and more open to media.
In June 2004, Rouvas performed at the first MAD Video Music Awards where he sang "Shake It". At the awards, he won the award for "Sexiest Appearance" for his music video "Pes Tis" (Tell her). On 7 July, Rouvas held a joint concert in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
with Turkish artist and 2003 Eurovision Song Contest winner Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener
Sertab Erener is a Turkish pop music singer and also a cross-over soprano with a vocal range that extends to high F. She is one of the most successful female Turkish pop singers in her homeland, and is considered one of the divas of Turkish pop music...
in yet another attempt at keeping peace between the two countries. In August, Rouvas appeared carrying the Olympic torch through Panathinaiko Stadium
Panathinaiko Stadium
The Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium , also known as the Kallimarmaro , is an athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896...
and also performed at the closing ceremony for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, where he was lowered on to the stage from the air and sang traditional Greek songs.
In fall 2004, Rouvas recorded a duet with the Russian pop singer Philip Kirkorov of his hit "Se Thelo San Trelos" ("I want you like crazy"), originally on the album 21os Akatallilos. A music video was filmed shortly after in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Following that, in October 2004, Rouvas was a special guest star at three concerts with Nana Mouskouri, two of which took place in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and the other at the Athens Megaro Mousikis. Two months later in December, Rouvas began performances with Giorgos Mazonakis
Giorgos Mazonakis
Giorgos Mazonakis is a Modern Laika and pop Greek singer.-Biography:Giorgos Mazonakis born and raised in the neighbourhood of Nikaia, Athens. He grew up listening to traditional folk songs of Stratos Dionysiou, Yiannis Parios, Marinella and Haris Alexiou. Very quickly, at the age of 15, he...
at Fever for the winter season, with Elena Paparizou
Elena Paparizou
Eleni "Elena" Paparizou , usually referred to abroad as Helena Paparizou, is a Greek-Swedish singer and occasional songwriter, who was born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents. She began her career there in 1999 as a member of the duo Antique, while she also worked briefly as a model for a...
as his opening act.
On 5 April 2005, Rouvas won the award for CD Single with the Highest Sales of 2004 for "Shake It" at the fourth Arion Music Awards. Rouvas also appeared on stage dancing the tango. The next day, 6 April, Rouvas released his tenth studio album S'eho Erotefthi (I'm in love with you) which went platinum in five months, and settled at 3× platinum. With the help of Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece is the Greek subsidiary of Vodafone. Its headquarters are in Halandri - one of the northern suburbs of Athens.Vodafone Greece was established in Greece in 1992 – under the trade name Panafon – with the participation of Vodafone Group Plc., France Telecom, Intracom and Data Bank, and...
as the main sponsors, release parties for the CD were held in Heraklion, Corfu, Thessaloniki, and Athens all on the same day. The songs "S'eho Erotefti", "Hilia Milia" ("Thousands of miles"), "Mila Tis" ("Speak to her"), "Na M'Agapas" ("Love me"), and "Cairo" all became radio hits. That same year, Rouvas also won the World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
for Best-Selling Greek Artist of 2004. In September he held a charity concert at the Olympic Indoor Hall
Olympic Indoor Hall
The O.A.C.A. Olympic Indoor Hall which is part of the Olympic Athletic Center of Athens "Spiros Louis" , was completed in 1995 and was the largest indoor venue in use for sporting events at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. It is located in the suburb of Maroussi...
with an attendance of 20 thousand people, the largest production by any Greek entertainer until Rouvas broke his own record in 2009. This was followed by another concert in Patras.
Live Ballads, Eurovision, and Iparhi Agapi Edo (2006)
As of the second half of 2005 Rouvas had moved to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On 24 February 2006, he held a Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
concert that was recorded and videotaped for his fans where his popular ballads, as well as covering ballads of other Greek and foreign artists. The live performance was later released as a CD and CD/DVD package in April 2006 titled Live Ballads
Live Ballads
Live Ballads is the first live CD or video album, and eleventh album overall by popular Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released in Greece and Cyprus on 27 April 2006 by Minos EMI. The concert was recorded on 14 February 2006 as a special Valentine's Day performance called Sakis For Valentines...
, Rouvas' first live album and video. The CD featured two new studio tracks, "Horis Kardia" (Without a heart) and an English language version of "S'eho Erotefthi" titled "I'm in Love With You" and topped the Greek album chart.
On 3 April 2006, Rouvas sang "Horis Kardia" at the Arion Music Awards, where he also won the award for "Best Pop Album" and "Best Pop Singer" for the album S'eho Erotefthi. In the same month, Rouvas renewed his contract with Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece is the Greek subsidiary of Vodafone. Its headquarters are in Halandri - one of the northern suburbs of Athens.Vodafone Greece was established in Greece in 1992 – under the trade name Panafon – with the participation of Vodafone Group Plc., France Telecom, Intracom and Data Bank, and...
, while Village Roadshow Productions Greece announced that Rouvas would star in their upcoming film.
In May 2006, the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
was held in Athens
Athens
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...
, as Greece won the contest the year before. Rouvas was asked by ERT to host with Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos is a Greek-American actress, journalist, and television presenter known in America for her appearances as a correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, Extra, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.-Early life and beauty pageants:Menounos, a...
the semi-final and final in English, Greek and French. At the semi-finals, Rouvas opened the show by singing the Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves
Katrina and the Waves was an English pop rock band, best known for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" and their 1997 Eurovision Song Contest victory with the song "Love Shine a Light".-Pre-history: The Waves and Mama's Cookin' :...
song "Love Shine a Light" with Menounos. For the voting intermission, Rouvas performed his song "I'm in Love With You".
On 14 June 2006, Rouvas performed "Agapa Me" (Love me) and "Na M'Agapas" (You should love me) at the third MAD Video Music Awards. Rouvas also won the awards for Best Video by a Male Artist for "Na M'Agapas" and Best Dressed Artist in a Video for "Mila Tis". That same month, Rouvas also dubbed the Greek language version of the Disney movie Cars
Cars (film)
Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
where he voiced Lightning McQueen
Lightning McQueen
Lightning McQueen, typically referred to by his surname McQueen, and occasionally called "Stickers" by his girlfriend Sally , is an anthropomorphic racecar and the main protagonist in the 2006 animated Pixar film Cars, and the deuteragonist of its sequel Cars 2...
, while on 13 November he began filming his feature film debut Alter Ego
Alter Ego (film)
Alter Ego is a 2007 film produced by Village Roadshow Films . It premiered on May 10, 2007 in Greek theaters, and is famous for being the debut film of Greek superstar Sakis Rouvas. The film was one of the most successful films of all time in Greece, and at a budget of £2,000,000, it is recognized...
.
On 6 December 2006, Rouvas released his eleventh studio album titled Iparhi Agapi Edo
Iparhi Agapi Edo
Iparhi Agapi Edo is the eleventh studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas. It was first released in Greece on December 7, 2006 by Minos EMI. Iparhi Agapi Edo includes 15 tracks including a ballad called "Mikros Titanikos" that was written especially for Rouvas by Yiannis Parios...
(There is love here). The songs "Ego Travo Zori" (I'm having a hard time") and "18 (Iprahi Agapi Edo)" became radio hits, while the song "Ola Gyro Sou Gyrizoun" (Everything revolves around you) composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...
became a dance hit on Greek radio, and one of the most played songs of 2007. All three of the songs peaked at number one on the airplay chart. One of the songs, "Mikros Titanikos (Se Latrevo)" (Little Titanic [I adore you]) was written especially for Rouvas by Yiannis Parios, while his son Haris Varthakouris composed the music. The song was eventually released and became a hit, being used also to promote Rouvas' live album. The album Iparhi Agapi Edo debuted at number one and was certified Platinum, selling over 40 thousand copies as of April 2007.
Film and television career, This Is My Live, fatherhood, and Irthes (2007–08)
Rouvas' Academy AwardsAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
primetime special, Sakis Oscar Songs, aired on 20 February through Nova
Nova Television
Nova Television is the first Bulgarian commercial television network launched on July 16, 1994....
. The special was filmed at a private concert at Athens Arena
Athens Arena
Athens Arena is a grand music venue in Athens, Greece. It is a large-scale convention centre and concert hall, designed to host up to 3,000 people seated. It is owned by the Papatheoharis Group. Artists featured in the Arena are Marinella , Antonis Remos Sakis Rouvas and greek superstar Anna Vissi...
, and paid tribute to songs that have been awarded with Academy Awards.
In March, he began performances at Boom in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
with 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...
. At the end of April, Rouvas held a large concert in Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square
Syntagma Square , is located in central Athens, Greece. The Square is named after the Constitution that King Otto was forced to grant the people after a popular and military uprising, on September 3, 1843....
as part of Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece is the Greek subsidiary of Vodafone. Its headquarters are in Halandri - one of the northern suburbs of Athens.Vodafone Greece was established in Greece in 1992 – under the trade name Panafon – with the participation of Vodafone Group Plc., France Telecom, Intracom and Data Bank, and...
's promotional campaign. On 10 May 2007, the film Alter Ego
Alter Ego (film)
Alter Ego is a 2007 film produced by Village Roadshow Films . It premiered on May 10, 2007 in Greek theaters, and is famous for being the debut film of Greek superstar Sakis Rouvas. The film was one of the most successful films of all time in Greece, and at a budget of £2,000,000, it is recognized...
by Village Roadshow Productions starring Rouvas as Stefanos, the frontman of the rock group Alter Ego, premiered in theatres across Greece. At a budget of two million euros, it was the most expensive production of all time in Greece. It received mixed reviews and did not manage to cover its grand production costs at the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
, selling only a fifth of the needed tickets. However, at 200 thousand tickets sold, it was an average success in Greek cinema, although Rouvas was still fairly disappointed about the coverage it received. The film dealt with the themes of young musicians living the rock and roll lifestyle and drug abuse having to face their inner fears and cope with the loss of a loved one. The soundtrack of the film was recorded by the cast and Rouvas, while the theme song to the movie "Zise Ti Zoi" ("Live Life") by Rouvas became a radio hit, reaching the top 10 of the charts. On June 29, 2008, Alter Ego was screened in Los Angeles at a Greek festival
Greek festival
A Greek festival or Greek Fest is an annual celebration of Greek culture presented by many ethnic Greek American communities and organization in the United States and Canada, particularly Greek Orthodox churches. Typically, these events are intended for attendance by the general public. Attendees...
. Rouvas collaborated with Vodafone at a beach party concert at Yabanaki called Sakis on the Waves. On 29 October Rouvas was awarded his sixth Arion for "Best Pop Song" for "Ola Gyro Sou Gyrizoun", while being nominated for a further four awards, although he was not present at the actual ceremony.
Following the 2007 Greek forest fires
2007 Greek forest fires
The 2007 Greek forest fires were a series of massive forest fires that broke out in several areas across Greece throughout the summer of 2007. The most destructive and lethal infernos broke out on August 23, expanded rapidly and raged out of control until August 27, until they were put out in early...
, Rouvas returned to Greece to raise money for the victims and embarked on a charity tour. On 20 July, he performed in Ptolemaida
Ptolemaida
Ptolemaida is a town and a former municipality in Kozani peripheral unit, West Macedonia, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Eordaia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
, Kozani
Kozani
Kozani is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of West Macedonia region. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley...
as part of the Expedition for Environment Act Now! He also appeared on ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
answering phone call donations during a live telethon. On 10 September 2007 he gave a concert at Lycabetus as part of a OPAP's campaign for voluntary blood donations; the tour raised a staggering amount for the victims overall. The concert was also recorded, and released as a CD/DVD on 12 December 2007 titled This Is My Live
This Is My Live
This Is My Live is the name of the second live album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released on December 12, 2007 in Greece and Cyprus by Minos EMI. The album was recorded on September 9, 2007 at Rouvas' sold-out show at Lycabetus Theatre with an audience of 7,000. The concert was the final stop on...
, releasing the single "Stous 31 Dromous
Stous 31 Dromous (song)
"Stous 31 Dromous" is a song by Greek pop/rock singer Sakis Rouvas. The uptempo ballad was written by Dimitris Kontopoulos with lyrics by Viki Gerothodorou as the theme song of the Mega Channel television series of the same name as well as serving as the sole single from his live album This Is My...
". In the spring of 2008, Rouvas and Antonis Remos collaborated on a world tour, visiting North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Peggy Zina
Kalliopi Zina , known professionally as Peggy Zina, is a Greek singer. Peggy Zina made her discographic debut in 1995 with her self-titled album. She has since released ten studio albums and is a high-profile artist in the Greek music industry...
at club Politia in Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
. A month later on 17 June, Rouvas performed a new song composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...
titled "+ Se Thelo
+ Se Thelo
"+ Se Thelo", also written as "Kai Se Thelo", is a single by popular Greek singer Sakis Rouvas from the album Irthes, released as a radio single on June 17, 2008 in Greece and Cyprus.-Production history:...
" ("And I want you") at the MAD Video Music Awards 2008 as the opening act for the show. His performance was dubbed as the best of the night by the Greek media as it included heavy choreography and elaborate lighting, as well as an overall Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
theme. The also won the award for "Male Artist of the Year" amongst three other nominees. In July 2008, the song was released as a digital single and as a radio promo and became a dance hit, reaching number one on the Greek airplay chart where it remained for 10 weeks, becoming the most-played song of the year. An official music video using footage from the awards show was released at the end of the year. "+ Se Thelo" became a staple in Rouvas' career. In addition to becoming one of the most successful songs of the decade, it was the only dance song of its era to have significant success in both charts and clubs and exhibit longevity. Critically, the song was deemed a landmark in the entertainer's career for exhibiting a rare case of a Greek artist breaking generational barriers and producing a hit of that extent nearly two decades into their career.
In August, Rouvas' home was victim to two robberies, both occurring within ten days.
In July 2008 it was announced that Rouvas would be the host for the first season of the Greek version
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....
of The X Factor
The X Factor (TV series)
The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
, which premiered on 24 October 2008,. On 4 December 2008, Rouvas premiered his winter season musical shows with the Maggira Sisters at STARZ for the 2008-09 winter season. Rouvas was also Greece's representative with the hit "Stous 31 Dromous" ("On the 31 roads") in the OGAE Song Contest
OGAE
OGAE is one of the 2 major international fan club networks of the Eurovision Song Contest. It has branches in 37 European countries.Although the Eurovision Song Contest started in 1956, OGAE began only in 1984 in Finland. All countries that take part or have already taken part in the Eurovision...
that was held in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, on 25 October 2008, claiming the third place with 130 points by placing only behind Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Rouvas had been in a relationship Katia Zygouli
Katia Zygouli
Ekaterini Zygouli , born July 4, 1978, is a Greek fashion model and occasional actress.-Career:Zygouli is considered as one of the highest-paid Greek models...
since 2003, while Greek media reported in 2007 that their relationship was heading for an end as Rouvas had allegedly begun a relationship with model Vanessa Hessler. However, the two later reunited and publicly announced Zygouli's pregnancy and on 2 November 2008. Zygouli gave birth to the couple's first child, a baby girl, who they baptized Anastasia after her father, on 18 October 2009. The godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
was Emmanouela Pavlatou, a close friend of Melina Mercouri
Melina Mercouri
Melina Mercouri , born as Maria Amalia Mercouri was a Greek actress, singer and politician.As an actress she made her film debut in Stella and met international success with her performances in Never on Sunday, Phaedra, Topkapi and Promise at Dawn...
, and the date of the baptism was chosen to coincide with Mercouri's birthday. The birth of their child was widely covered by news outlets. In an interview with Eleonora Meleti on Star Channel
Star Channel
Star Channel is a Greek television network that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek programming. It launched in December 1993 and is owned by Nea Tileorasi A.E.. The main news bulletin is called Star Eidiseis, which is currently hosted by Aimilios Liatsos...
, Rouvas stated that marriage is not in his plans with Zygouli, even though he understands it is something that has been learned within society, he believes that they are happy enough as they are at the moment, although in May 2010 Zygouli publicly appeared wearing a diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
engagement ring
Engagement ring
An engagement ring is a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, especially in Western cultures. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, engagement rings are traditionally worn only by women, and rings can feature diamonds or other gemstones. In other cultures...
without any confirmation of an engagement being made. On 20 November 2008, Rouvas released the song he dedicated to his daughter, "Irthes" (You arrived). On 3 December, Rouvas released his 12th studio album of the same name
Irthes
-This Is Our Night :-Singles:"+ Se Thelo""Irthes""This Is Our Night"'"Ksehna To Prin Kai To Meta"-Release history:-Promotion:...
, produced by Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...
. The next day on 4 December 2008, Rouvas premiered his winter concert series with the Maggira Sisters
Maggira Sisters
Betty and Mathildi Maggira also known as "The Maggira sisters" are two Greek television presenters, and a comedy act. They are known for hosting the Greek Eurovision Song Contest selections and also being the commentators at the Eurovision Song Contest for ERT, the Greek network broadcasting the...
at STARZ.
Eurovision, Duress, Parafora, business career, and second child (2009–present)
After being asked internally every year after his first performance, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) made an early announcement confirming that Rouvas would once again be Greece's participant in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
. Rouvas performed his three candidate songs, "Out of Control", "Right on Time", and "This Is Our Night
This Is Our Night
"This Is Our Night" is a song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, from the album Irthes. It was selected as Greece's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009...
", all composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos
Dimitris Kontopoulos is one of the most famous Greek music composers known for his dance-pop music.-Personal life:Dimitris Kontopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on November 9, 1971...
, at the Greek national final on in February where the latter was the runaway winner with both the jury and the viewers, winning 81% of the vote, the largest margin ever, but also the most overall votes attained by ERT in a national final. The song subsequently debuted at number one on the Greek Digital Singles chart, while Rouvas embarked on an extensive promo tour throughout Europe. He had expressed that his goal was to bring the contest back to Greece the following year and a win was widely anticipated by the Greek public, with the country being one of two major favourites to win. Despite this, in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
, Rouvas finished seventh. The singer and Greek public were both deeply disappointed with the result and he issued a public apology to the Greeks for his loss. Despite this, Rouvas received universal support from the public and media, a first-case scenario for a Greek Eurovision entrant following the contest, regardless of how high the result.
On 27 March, Rouvas was appointed by President of ELPIDA Charity Foundation and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are celebrity advocates of UNESCO who use their talent or fame to spread the UNESCO ideals, especially attracting media attention...
Marianna Vardinoyannis as "messenger" of ELPIDA foundation, a charity supporting children with 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...
, after being a longtime supporter of the charity without wishing for his involvement to be publicized. In support of the charity, Rouvas teamed up with fastfood chain Goody's
Goody's
Goody's is Greece's biggest fast food company founded in 1975 by Ioannis Dionisiadis, Achilleas Folias and Nikolaos Pappas in Thessaloniki. It has since grown into one of the most well-reputed firms in Greece. It is the leading firm in fast-food restaurants of Greece having left behind the...
for their ArGOODaki campaign, and in April 2010 made a charitable donation in the amount of 300 thousand euros to the foundation.
In April, Rouvas and partner Katia Zygouli launched the beauty franchise Mariella Nails Body and Mind Care, in which they own 25 percent of the share.
On 1 July Rouvas performed a sold out concert in support of the environment at the ancient ruins of Kallimarmaro Stadium
Panathinaiko Stadium
The Panathinaiko or Panathenaic Stadium , also known as the Kallimarmaro , is an athletic stadium in Athens that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896...
to an audience of 40 thousand people. As one of the few artists given permission ever to perform at the venue, it was the largest attendance ever at the stadium for a non-sporting event and the largest attendance by a single musical artist in Greek history. The concert —organized by the National Youth Council— coincided with the startdate of the national public smoking ban
Smoking ban
Smoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
. The sold out Sakis Live Tour followed to a further 10 cities from July to September, while he additionally performed a sold out concert series at Politia Live Clubbing in Thessaloniki.
In October 2009, Rouvas returned as host for the second season of the Greek version of 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....
, while he dubbed the voice of Captain Charles T. Baker for the Greek version of Planet 51
Planet 51
Planet 51 is a 2009 Spanish/British/American animated science fiction/family film directed by Jorge Blanco, written by Joe Stillman, and starring Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott, and John Cleese. Produced by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios and...
. He made his American film debut in the psychological thriller Duress
Duress (film)
Duress is a 2009 American psychological thriller B movie. The film was initially screened at various film festivals in May 2009 in Poland and Russia. The film was released theatrically in Greece on December 3, 2009 by mainstream Greek distributor Hollywood Entertainment.The movie is written by Jim...
opposite of Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan
Martin Donovan is an American stage and film actor. He has had a long collaboration with the director Hal Hartley, appearing in many of his films, including Trust , Surviving Desire , Simple Men , Flirt , Amateur , and The Book of Life...
. The film was screened at various film festivals, such as in Poland and Russia and received a wide theatrical release in December 2009 by mainstream Greek distributor Hollywood Entertainment. It is also expected to be released on home video in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Rouvas performed at the newly constructed venue The S Club for the winter 2009-10 season, where he is the owner, with Tamta as his supporting act as well as Eleftheria Eleftheriou
Eleftheria Eleftheriou
Eleftheria Eleftheriou is a Greek-Cypriot singer who is famous for her participation in the second season of talent show The X Factor Greece.-Early life:...
and American rapper Gifted. He additionally opened the sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
club/restaurant EDO. On 2 March, The S Club –which was a huge success for Rouvas– caught fire with damages estimated up to four million euros. The cause of the fire was unknown, but was investigated by the Athens police as a possible arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
by rival club owners. Evidence supporting this theory was that some witnesses reported having spotted containers of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
. The show was stopped for the repairs to be made, and resumed on 19 March to 9 April. The show moved to Thessaloniki on 7 May for a six week engagement at Politia Live Clubbing
Politia Live Clubbing summer 2010
Politia Live Clubbing summer 2010 is a 2004 series of concerts by Greek pop/rock singer Sakis Rouvas with Greek pop singer Tamta, rock group CABIN 54, and upcoming singers Stefania Rizou and Eleana Azoukia as his supporting acts, with Giorgos Axas as his special series guest...
. He is also featured on Tamta's single "Tharros I Alitheia
Tharros I Alitheia (song)
"Tharros I Alitheia" is a song by Greek pop singer Tamta, featuring fellow Greek pop/rock singer Sakis Rouvas...
" for her album of the same name. The song became a major club hit and won a MAD Video Music Award for Best Duet–Collaboration Video.
Rouvas' 13th studio album, Parafora
Parafora
Parafora is the 13th studio album by Greek recording artist Sakis Rouvas and 15th album overall. It was released by Minos EMI in Greece and Cyprus on 14 December 2010 and distributed digitally ten days later to all Eurozone countries and elsewhere...
, was released on 14 December 2010 and topped the IFPI Top 75 Albums chart. It distributed enough initial shipments to be certified double platinum within its first week, denoting shipments of at least 24 thousand units. The album's first single, "Spase Ton Hrono", reached number one on all Greek charts, becoming his fourth consecutive single to do so. The song won Rouvas the award for Best Balkan Song from Greece at the first Balkan Music Awards, while its video earned him five MAD Video Music Awards nominations, —more than any other video— winning Best Pop Video, Artist of the Year, and Fashion Icon of the Year and equaling the most awards won by an artist in one night, with four. The song also contributed to Rouvas' win for Best Greek Act
MTV Europe Music Award for Best Greek Act
The following is a list of the MTV Europe Music Award winners and nominees for Best Greek Act. Viewers vote online, and the winner of this award is then entered in the running for the Best European Act, which is then further narrowed down by online voters to five acts.-2000's:-2010's:-References:...
at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
MTV Europe Music Awards 2010
The 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards took place on November 7, 2010 at Caja Mágica in Madrid. The award show was presented by Eva Longoria and Justin Bieber was the official MTV EMA 2010 digital host. The nominations were announced on September 20...
, and he was then shortlisted in the category Best European Act
MTV Europe Music Award for Best European Act
The following is a list of the MTV Europe Music Award winners and nominees for Best European Act.-2000's:-2010's:- See also :* MTV VMA International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV Europe...
. "Emena Thes
Emena Thes
"Emena Thes" is the second single by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas from his 13th studio album Parafora. It is a romantic hard rock ballad written by Dimitris Fakos and produced by Freakchild. The song was released to radio stations on 4 May 2010...
", the second single, was released in May and peaked at number five on the mixed airplay chart as well as on the digital sales chart while the title track
Parafora
Parafora is the 13th studio album by Greek recording artist Sakis Rouvas and 15th album overall. It was released by Minos EMI in Greece and Cyprus on 14 December 2010 and distributed digitally ten days later to all Eurozone countries and elsewhere...
, was released in October. and peaked at number one on the domestic airplay chart for three weeks. and number two on the mixed airplay chart. The album's fourth single was released in late February 2011 titled "Oi dyo mas". The video clip of the song was released at the end of March 2011 were the song topped the National Airplay chart. For the second consecutive year, Rouvas received the Singer of the Year title at the Status Men of the Year Awards.
In June, Rouvas and his brother Vasilis launched their own television and film production company, Sakis Rouvas Kinematografos EPE, while on 14 July Rouvas closed the French Embassy of Greece's celebratory commemoration of the national French anniversary with a performance of the French
La Marseillaise
"La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. The song, originally titled "Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin" was written and composed by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792. The French National Convention adopted it as the Republic's anthem in 1795...
and Greek national anthems.Rouvas embarked on his eight city summer tour from 24 July to 19 September. At the 27 July stop in Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
, he inaugurated his Sakis Rouvas Collection
Sakis Rouvas Collection
The Sakis Rouvas Collection is a ready-to-wear fashion brand headed by Greek entertainer Sakis Rouvas, launched exclusively to Greece's largest multinational department store franchise, Sprider Store, in 2010, and making Rouvas the first Greek artist to have his own fashion line.It was also...
clothing line, in which he had creative input, exclusively to Greek department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
retailer Sprider Stores. The collection was inaugurated on 16 September, is available from October and caters to both sexes. Rouvas performed at the Mykonos Xlsior Festival in support of LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people on 27 August and was scheduled to perform at the first Εurovoice on 23 September, as one of four celebrities along with performers Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias
Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish pop music singer, a son of singer Julio Iglesias.Enrique started his musical career on Mexican label Fonovisa...
, Anastacia
Anastacia
Anastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
, and host Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Denise Anderson is a Canadian-American actress, model, producer, author, activist, and former showgirl, known for her roles on the television series Home Improvement, Baywatch, and V.I.P. She was chosen as a Playmate of the Month for Playboy magazine in February 1990...
, although his appearance was later canceled one day prior to the event due to undisclosed issues. For the winter season 2010–11, Rouvas teamed up with Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
for a concert series at Athens Arena
Athens Arena
Athens Arena is a grand music venue in Athens, Greece. It is a large-scale convention centre and concert hall, designed to host up to 3,000 people seated. It is owned by the Papatheoharis Group. Artists featured in the Arena are Marinella , Antonis Remos Sakis Rouvas and greek superstar Anna Vissi...
called Face2Face, beginning on 15 October. ANT1 is in negotiations with him to star in a new television series following The X Factor and also presented the third season
The X Factor (Greece series 3)
The X Factor Greece is an Greek television reality music competition, based on the original series in the UK, to find new singing talent. The winner of which receives a recording contract with Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music Greece is Haris Antoniou. The third series began airing on ANT1 on 1...
of the talent show from 29 October–11 February. For his performance on the show, Rouvas was awarded Presenter of the Year at the 2011 Cypriot Men of the Year Awards. On 2 February, Rouvas was one of eight main acts participating in the first MADWalk, an equivalent to the international Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks
Fashion Rocks was an annual international charity fundraiser event which features fashions by the world's top designers being presented to live performances by popular music acts.The inaugural event was held at the Royal Albert Hall on October 15, 2003...
, where he represented Celia Kritharioti Haute Couture..In the spring he did ten appearances at Thalassa.After a short break he continued his live appearances at Puli Axiou in Thessaloniki,while he announced his upcoming winter performances at Athens Arena with the band Onirama
Onirama
Onirama is a Greek pop rock band that has had a number of hits in Greece. They are known for their wide range of music, and party-like concerts.-2000-2005: Beginnings & First successes:...
and Eleni Foureira as his opening act...He also released his new single called "Kane na mi s' agapiso". On 15 October he and his longtime partner, Katia Zygouli
Katia Zygouli
Ekaterini Zygouli , born July 4, 1978, is a Greek fashion model and occasional actress.-Career:Zygouli is considered as one of the highest-paid Greek models...
became parents for the second time to a baby boy. .
Influences
Rouvas' musical roots lie in rock music and as child and young adult he followed mainly the international music scene. Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
became his biggest musical idol. He came to like the music of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Kiss
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, and Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, being most influenced by the musical styles of the 1960s, as well as expressing his liking of George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
and Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
. He has called Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
" "one of the ten best songs that have ever been written." Similarities between Presley and Rouvas have been noted by critics; during his STARZ performances, the Maggira Sisters' opening sketch was based on the joke that Presley had become concerned that a popular Greek musician was imitating him. Rouvas also covered Presley's "Suspicious Minds
Suspicious Minds
"Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned...
" for the film Alter Ego
Alter Ego (film)
Alter Ego is a 2007 film produced by Village Roadshow Films . It premiered on May 10, 2007 in Greek theaters, and is famous for being the debut film of Greek superstar Sakis Rouvas. The film was one of the most successful films of all time in Greece, and at a budget of £2,000,000, it is recognized...
and its soundtrack
Alter Ego (soundtrack)
Alter Ego is the soundtrack for the film of the same name. It was released in June 2007 by Minos EMI. All five singles from the soundtrack are sung by popular singer Sakis Rouvas, who also made his feature film début, interpreting the lead role of Stefanos....
. He stated that what he found most impressive about Presley as a child was "the way that he sang, that he danced, that he felt what he interpreted and what I believed that his audience felt when they heard him". He has also been influenced by Greek artists outside of his own era and musical style such as Giannis Parios
Giannis Parios
- Biography :Yiannis Parios was born Ioannis Varthakouris on the island of Paros .- Discography :*Yiannis Parios *Ti theleis na kano *Anthropina kai kathimerina...
, Marinella
Marinella
Marinella is one of the most popular Greek singers whose career has spanned several decades. She has sung professionally since 1957. Since the beginning of her career, she has released 66 personal albums and has been featured in albums of other musicians.-Early life:She was born Kyriaki...
, and Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri
Nana Mouskouri , born Ioánna Moúschouri on October 13, 1934, in Chania, Crete, Greece, is a Greek singer who has sold about 300 million records worldwide in a career spanning over five decades, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She was known as Nána to her friends and...
, who became a personal mentor to him, and has cited Haris Alexiou
Haris Alexiou
Haris Alexiou is a Greek singer. She is considered one of the most popular singers in Greece and has been commercially successful since the 1970s. She has worked with important Greek songwriters and composers, has performed at top musical theatres all over the world and has received several awards...
and Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
as the two greatest female artists in Greece.
Later on, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, and funk influences became more prominent, and Rouvas has noted that he listens to a broad range of music in order to educate himself and further develop his own style, with these genres ranging from rock, classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
became a great influence on many aspects of his vocals, dancing, and views on the music industry and humanitarian issues. Jackson's "Earth Song
Earth Song
"Earth Song" is the third single from Michael Jackson's album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. It is the fifth song on the second disc of the album. It is a ballad that incorporates elements of blues, gospel and opera. Jackson had a long-standing history of releasing socially conscious...
" is another favourite, particularly for its environmental message. Following Jackson's death
Death of Michael Jackson
On June 25, 2009, American singer Michael Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication after he suffered a respiratory arrest at his home in the Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. His personal physician, Conrad Murray, said he found Jackson in his room, not breathing, but with a faint pulse,...
, Rouvas dedicated a song to him at his Concert for the Environment and spoke to the public of Jackson's legacy, igniting ongoing applause from the audience:
"[Michael Jackson was] one of the most significant singers ever on this planet and the biggest showman that has ever passed by on this planet [...] a person whose life was a 'thriller', but however complicated his life was, he dedicated it for the good of the children and of the planet. Many people want to remember him for the complex persona that he had, I want to remember him for everything that he gave to us all of these years, and for all the reasons that he inspired us."
In addition to musical influences, Rouvas' work has been influenced by literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, Greek art
Greek art
Greek art began in the Cycladic and Minoan prehistorical civilization, and gave birth to Western classical art in the ancient period...
, and spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
. He has credited his success to his faith, which he associated with more as he got older, saying "I am very thankful. I feel blessed. And everyday I thank God for that. Everyday. That is something that I didn't do in the past. Once, I didn't understand, I didn't value." He has a close personal relations with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, who baptized his first-born child.
Musicianship
Rouvas is fluent in GreekGreek 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;...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, having presented the Eurovision Song Contest 2006
Eurovision Song Contest 2006
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock...
in a mixture of all three languages. He has previously recorded songs in all three, while he has also studied Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
phonetically for recordings
Phonetical singing
Phonetical singing is when a singer learns and performs, the lyrics of a song by the words' phonetic sounds without necessarily understanding of the content of the lyrics....
, namely for his 1997 collaboration with Burak Kut
Burak Kut
Burak Kut is a Turkish pop singer.-Biography:As a child, Burak attended Müziğe Çapa and played in the orchestra for many years. He continued playing in an orchestra until he entered high school at İstanbul Anadolu Güzel Sanatlar Lisesi, where he began to play flute and piano...
in 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...
and for his Russian duet of his hit "Se Thelo San Trelos" with Philipp Kirkorov
Philipp Kirkorov
Philipp Bedrosovich Kirkorov is a Bulgarian-born Russian singer and producer living and working in Moscow.-Biography:Philipp Kirkorov was born on April 30, 1967 in Varna, Bulgaria. His father is Bulgarian singer of Armenian and Belarusian ethnicity Bedros Kirkorov. His mother, Victoria, is...
called "Kak Sumashedshij Ya", that became a hit in Russia, being recorded in three different versions. Rouvas can play guitar, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
at a fluent level as well as some percussion. On several tours Rouvas appears playing his black Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
Les Paul electric guitar, while he also plays acoustic guitar for unplugged performances, such as his Live Ballads performance.
Rouvas has expressed disappointment that a lot of younger generations are ignorant of music legends from past decades. Rouvas has described his music style as being "always more rock" as an artist than he has been given credit for, however he has never felt the need to push this persona. Overall he self-identifies as both a pop and rock artist. He has been praised for not tapping into traditional Greek genres in order for more commercial success, as pop music is a minority genre in Greece. In response to whether he believed it was difficult being a pop/rock artist in a folk market, Rouvas replied that he believed that there was a need for variety of music genres, adding that while he has experimented with some more traditional Greek styles, it is not what he feels he does best.
Vocal style
Rouvas never had any type of music lessons as a child and taught himself everything aurally, so during the recording of his first studio album he had to learn music theoryMusic theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
in a relatively short time. Some of his critics have alleged that his voice is only average and that he mostly sells based on image. Many —whether critical or approving of Rouvas' vocals— agree that his vocal abilities have often been overshadowed by his other qualities, such as stage performance and appearance, which have received more emphasis by media; many preferred to watch him perform rather than just hear him. However, for the most part these generalizations were diminishing by the second decade of his career. The singer's voice changed significantly from his early performing period as a teenager to his fully developed adult voice. Rouvas sings in a tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
vocal range
Vocal range
Vocal range is the measure of the breadth of pitches that a human voice can phonate. Although the study of vocal range has little practical application in terms of speech, it is a topic of study within linguistics, phonetics, and speech and language pathology, particularly in relation to the study...
; while also singing below the treble clef staff
Staff (music)
In standard Western musical notation, the staff, or stave, is a set of five horizontal lines and four spaces that each represent a different musical pitch—or, in the case of a percussion staff, different percussion instruments. Appropriate music symbols, depending upon the intended effect,...
, he usually prefers his higher range and can hit notes beyond the typical tenor high extreme, reaching notes above the staff without the use of falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
. Even as a young musician, Rouvas' most notable vocal characteristics were his range of volume
Volume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by some closed boundary, for example, the space that a substance or shape occupies or contains....
and vocal power
Belt (music)
Belting refers to a specific technique of singing by which a singer produces a loud sound in the upper middle of the pitch range. It is often described as a vocal register although some dispute this since technically the larynx is not oscillating in a unique way...
, notably on songs such as "Mia Fora" from Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas, which was his first album to fully exhibit his vocal abilities. These characteristics continually developed as he grew older. During the hiatus of 1997–98, Rouvas received voice lessons from American vocal coach Raz Kennedy, focusing on rock and blues techniques. Kati Apo Mena was an important album in Rouvas' vocal development. Throughout the album he exhibited new dimensions of his voice that had previously only been observed on a few select tracks on his first five albums. In Live Ballads, Pavlos Zervas of Music Corner was under the impression that Rouvas' voice had reached its most mature form.
Additionally, Zervas commended Rouvas for his continuous selection of "especially difficult and demanding" repertoire. Rouvas' vocals have received the most praise in power ballads
Power Ballads
Power Ballads is the debut album by Aqueduct. It was recorded by Trent Bell at Bell Labs and self-released on February 25, 2003. After releasing the album, frontman David Terry relocated to Seattle, Washington. Twelve hours after Terry's arrival in Seattle, Aqueduct opened for Modest Mouse...
, a style that became his signature. The singer's live vocals have also received favourable reviews, with Down Town citing him as one of the few Greek artists who always performs his shows live instead of using a playback track. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
also noted his ability to sing well in English, increasing his international appeal. Rouvas has sung in numerous contemporary and traditional styles; in some songs he performs spoken verses which he first pioneered in Min Andistekese, although it was most notably acknowledged in later works such as Iparhi Agapi Edo and has been described as a "light rap
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
." Above his technical vocal abilities, Rouvas' defining characteristic as a vocalist has been his capability of expression
Expression
Expression may refer to:Symbolic expression* Expression , a thought communicated by language* Expression , a finite combination of symbols that are well-formed according to applicable rules...
. Rouvas takes special care of his voice with a strict diet of organic food
Organic food
Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...
, as well as by not drinking alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
or smoking
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
, and also prohibits anyone from smoking in his dressing room.
Live performance and music videos
In his first club performances, Rouvas self-choreographed swing-styleSwing (dance)
"Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1950s, although the earliest of these dances predate swing jazz music. The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a popular partner dance that originated in Harlem and is still danced today...
performances for his Presley covers. In the late 1990s, he began a long collaboration with choreographer Fokas Evangelinos for his performances. Evangelinos also collaborated with Rouvas for his two Eurovision performances. In the first, he combined contemporary and traditional Greek dance, while in the second, EBU credited Greece for making high technological advancements in the contest's standards. The performance which was described as "advanced and modern" with "intense choreography", made use of a rotating podium that transported him from left to right and back on the stage, was used as a base to lock in the feet of the performers during the bridge where they performed the anti-gravity lean inspired by Michael Jackson in the music video of "Smooth Criminal
Smooth Criminal
"Smooth Criminal" is the seventh single from Michael Jackson's 1987 Bad album. The song contains a fast-paced beat intertwined with Jackson's lyrics about a woman named Annie, who has been attacked in her apartment by a "smooth" assailant. It was released as a single on October 24, 1988 and peaked...
", and finally to lift him into the air and reveal a Greek flag only visible to television viewers. For his STARZ performances Rouvas embarked on a musical-type show. In 1999, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
wrote "a great live performer, he combines dancing and singing skills with impressive costumes" and acknowledged him as the "most promising new Greek pop male artist on the international scene."
Rouvas was amongst the first Greek artists to regularly use music videos as a promotional tool. From his albums Gia Sena to Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola, Psinakis played a part in the production of his music videos, either as a director or screenwriter. The video for "Disco Girl
Disco Girl
"Disco Girl" is the name of a song released by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas on December 17, 2001 by Minos EMI. It was released as a two track CD single with the original song and a remix, both of which were produced by Desmond Child and Phoebus....
" was shot in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
at a budget of 300 thousand euros, making it one of the most expensive Greek music videos of all time. The concept brought a humorous approach to a James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
-inspired theme. "Shake It
Shake It (Sakis Rouvas song)
"Shake It" is an English language song by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas and was the Greek entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004. The song is an up-tempo number, with Rouvas telling his lover that "I would trade my life for a night with you" and asking the lover to "shake it" for him...
" was shot in Santorini
Santorini
Santorini , officially Thira , is an island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about southeast from Greece's mainland. It is the largest island of a small, circular archipelago which bears the same name and is the remnant of a volcanic caldera...
on various inaccessible locations, including dancing on the edge of a cliff, climbing a hill, and swimming in cold waters. The video was nominated for "Video of the Year" at both the MAD and Arion awards. Rouvas' forthcoming music video "Emena Thes" will incorporate a "highly atmospheric" visual and will possess a cinematographic effect that has never been used before in Greece.
Rouvas holds a number of records at the MAD Video Music Awards, including the most awards won by a male artist (twelve) as of 2010, being the second most honoured artist overall. His five-time nominee "Spase To Hrono" received more nominations than any other video in the awards' history (including contribution to the nominations Male Artist of the Year and Artist of the Year). Excluding the two special categories awarded by MAD Radio and MAD TV Bulgaria, he has received the maximum six nominations more times than any other artist (2006, 2009, 2010), is one of the few artists to have received nominations on every year since the ceremony's launch in 2004, and has won at least one award every year with the exception of 2005. Rouvas has won in eight different categories and been nominated in ten. Additionally, he has won more times than any other artist in the Best Male category (three), and is tied for most wins in the Artist of the Year (two) and fashion (two) categories.
Film and television
As of moving to Los Angeles in 2005, Rouvas had been studying acting and attending classes, but also received some training from his friend Tom HanksTom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
. He had been interested in cinema from childhood and finally made the decision to make films, while one year and a half after he began studying he received a proposal from Village Roadshow. In his first feature film, Alter Ego, where he also served as associate producer, Rouvas played a role similar to what he is in reality. Before that he had dubbed English-language animated films in Greek. When comparisons between Rouvas and the protagonist Stefanos arose, with speculations of the scenario being autobiographical, Rouvas replied that despite some similarities in their characters, Stefanos was a "much more aggressive person." Rouvas adopted a new look for the film, which was credited by Nitro as assisting the new emo
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
movement emerging amongst Greek youth. While Rouvas was able to garner some critical acclaim as a singer-turned-actor, some critics felt that it did not offer enough to judge whether Rouvas possessed any exceptional acting talent. His second feature, the indie film Duress was a Hollywood psychological thriller, where the actor plays the antagonist role of a serial killer, a role differing heavily from his perceived public image amongst Greek audiences. Rouvas cited the film as the most difficult thing he had done in his career up until that point. In the film's plot theme of "cat and mouse", Giannis Zoumboulakis of To Vima
To Vima
To Vima is a Greek daily newspaper first published in 1922 by Dimitris Lambrakis, the father of Christos Lambrakis. It is owned by Lambrakis Press Group, a group which also publishes the newspaper Ta Nea, amongst others in its fold of publications...
believed Rouvas to be highly convincing: "You accept the proposal from the first moments, forgetting completely that the 'bad' guy in the story is the host of X-Factor." He concluded that "Going against his own image Rouvas creates a very exceptional psycho killer. With his gray-beige
Beige
Beige may be described as an off tan color or an extremely pale brown color.The term originates from beige cloth, a cotton fabric left undyed in its natural color...
[,] old[,] wool coat and grimey[,] parted hair and without his bright smile he creates from scratch a hero that is all his." Panagiotis Timogiannakis however argued that Rouvas had begun showing a different side of himself since Alter Ego, and that the fact that this was being widely ignored was unfair. Timogiannakis also noted that in the silver screen Rouvas seems to lose the luster he has on stage and television as the lighting
Lighting
Lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to achieve some practical or aesthetic effect. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources such as lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing daylight...
does not flatter him; seeing as how this was the case in both films, he pondered whether the actor had chosen this effect himself to be deglamourized in order to become an actor of serious roles, saying "he needs to clear up whether he wants to have a career of a star or of a role player. A born role player he does not seem to be. A born star he is."
The presentation of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was a catalyst for longterm hosting roles such as The X Factor, where Rouvas further presented a glib side of himself. Television producer Giannis Latsios stated that Rouvas' presence contributed significantly to the show's success and called the presenter's first season performance "great", adding that "We had a program that had to do with music and Sakis, on a collective level, is an icon that the generation which participates in this show has as an idol. He is a glowing character with much higher capabilities of expression and, if he decides to continue this path, will improve. He has immediacy, critique and most of all he gave to a program a luster, which was not standard from the beginning."
Public image
Rouvas has mentioned that personal fitness and health play an important role in his life. He has said that being physically fit is not only important to him for the purpose of physical appearance, but also for the purpose of physical health, while it helps improve his psychological state. In order to maintain a good physical condition, Rouvas participates in water-skiing, surfingSurfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, football, and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, while also taking part in extreme sports, claiming to have sky-dived from 3,000 metres.
Rouvas became a major fashion and stylistic icon. In his early performing period, his most characteristic fashion was a series of jackets, beginning with leather styles during the Min Andistekese era and evolving into more militaristic styles following Gia Sena. He revisited this trend later on with his white "Shake It" performance jacket. This look later evolved into the black leather pants and open white shirt that he wore in all four music videos from Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas. Additionally, his aviator sunglasses
Aviator sunglasses
Aviator sunglasses are a style of sunglasses that were developed by Bausch & Lomb and branded as Ray-Ban. They are characterized by dark, often reflective lenses having an area two or three times the area of the eye socket, and metal frames with bayonet earpieces or flexible cable temples that hook...
have remained his signature throughout his career. Following the media attention attracted by his Valentino skirt, it became more common for male celebrities in Greece to wear skirts at public events in the future, such as singers Nino
Nino (Greek singer)
Nino Xypolitas is a Greek singer, known professionally as Nino. He rose to fame in 2003 after appearing as a contestant on the debut season of the television show Fame Story. He has since released five studio albums.-Early life:...
and Giorgos Mazonakis
Giorgos Mazonakis
Giorgos Mazonakis is a Modern Laika and pop Greek singer.-Biography:Giorgos Mazonakis born and raised in the neighbourhood of Nikaia, Athens. He grew up listening to traditional folk songs of Stratos Dionysiou, Yiannis Parios, Marinella and Haris Alexiou. Very quickly, at the age of 15, he...
, and French footballer Djibril Cissé
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
, a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for the Greek Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
.
Rouvas' image and personal life has at times generated significant controversy. Pertaining his fashion and stage antics, Journalist Thomai Karathanou has suggested that controversy towards this would most likely not be as intense if Rouvas were abroad: "The Greek societal reality, denying to accept a skirt on a man in a show setting, something that compared to Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
of today, seems like a simple stroll with a shirt and jeans."
Rouvas has been recognized for his acts of philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
in the support of numerous charitable organizations and causes, particularly ones directed to children and the environment. Rouvas had been bothered by social and environmental issues since childhood. In a January 1992 interview that exhibited the homes of young upcoming artists, Rouvas was asked about his wildest dream, to which he responded "I dream about a new planet that will have all of the beauties that the Earth had a few years ago. The environmental destruction that our planet has suffered hurts me and for this we are all responsible. Only with some kind of crazy dream like that can we save it." The artist also supports equal rights for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people and performed at the Athens Pride 2010, and has openly supported the creation of a proposition that would oppose Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
and legalize gay marriage and equal rights for all.
His relationship with Zygouli has been highly publicized and recognized as Greece's most prominent supercouple
Supercouple
A supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
, being equated to Brangelina
Brangelina
Brangelina is a celebrity supercouple consisting of American actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Pitt has appeared in over 40 major films, including 12 Monkeys , Ocean's Eleven , and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , while Jolie has appeared in over 30 major films, including Girl, Interrupted...
. The birth of their child was highly anticipated; this was largely in part due to the result being a combination of genetics of two people considered to be the most beautiful in the entertainment industry. From his early career Rouvas has been considered a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
and has been cited as one of the most attractive men in entertainment and an icon for youth and beauty, To Vima
To Vima
To Vima is a Greek daily newspaper first published in 1922 by Dimitris Lambrakis, the father of Christos Lambrakis. It is owned by Lambrakis Press Group, a group which also publishes the newspaper Ta Nea, amongst others in its fold of publications...
published a 1997 study that found Rouvas' facial structure and features fit the golden ratio
Golden ratio
In mathematics and the arts, two quantities are in the golden ratio if the ratio of the sum of the quantities to the larger quantity is equal to the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller one. The golden ratio is an irrational mathematical constant, approximately 1.61803398874989...
to near perfection. Ηe has been featured on several lists. Ιn 2009, he was ranked number three on Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....
s Sexiest Men list, being one of six Greek men featured and the highest ranking, and later fourth on its list of 50 Sexiest Greek Men in 2010. He was voted the Most Handsome Greek Man in 2009 in a landslide victory by readers of Yupi, who also described him as having "the most attractive abdominals in showbiz." Greek People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
named him its first Sexiest Man Alive
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
in 2010. Α 2009 study found that the entertainer was the man women would most want to marry. On the topic of being a male role model, Men's Health
Men's Health (magazine)
Men's Health , published by Rodale Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, United States, is the world’s largest men’s magazine brand, with 44 editions around the world. It is also the best-selling men's magazine on U.S. newsstands. It covers fitness, nutrition, sexuality, lifestyle and other aspects of...
stated Rouvas was equivalent to a "Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
" figure to men and "the archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
of a highly successful man", while also describing him as the nation's "ultimate health icon". With the exception of entertainers who chose to be professionally recognized mononymously, Rouvas was the only entertainer to be widely recognized on a first-name basis. Rouvas' media fame often allowed him to break traditional gender boundaries and he has often been featured on covers of women's interest magazines or men's magazines that exclusively feature female models. He became the first man to be featured on the cover of Greek Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
in 2002, the first man on the cover of Nitro in 2004, the only man to date on the cover of Glamour in 2009, as well as the only man in the world to ever make the cover of Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
(Greek April 2004 edition) and in April 2010 resumed this role in celebration of the magazine's 10 year Greek anniversary, reaching unprecedented sales. For this he received positive attention from American celebrity blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
, making him one of two celebrities working in Greece to be mentioned on his blog. He has also been featured on the cover of Down Town more than any other man as of 2009. Rouvas' widespread appeal makes him particularly sought after by advertisers, as his seal of approval is a significant addition to a brand's credibility and marketability, according to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
; he has had more endorsement deals than any other Greek celebrity including Martini
Martini
Martini may refer to:* Martini , a popular cocktail* Martini , a brand of vermouth* Martini , a Swiss automobile company* Martini , a French manufacturer of racing cars...
, Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
, Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece
Vodafone Greece is the Greek subsidiary of Vodafone. Its headquarters are in Halandri - one of the northern suburbs of Athens.Vodafone Greece was established in Greece in 1992 – under the trade name Panafon – with the participation of Vodafone Group Plc., France Telecom, Intracom and Data Bank, and...
, BU Perfume, Trident, Kri Kri, Luxottica
Luxottica
Luxottica Group S.p.A. is the world's largest eyewear company. Its best known brands include Ray-Ban, Persol and Oakley, Inc.. It also makes sunglasses and prescription frames for a multitude of designer brands such as Chanel and Prada, whose designs and trademarks are used under license...
, and Fage
Fage
Fage S.A. is a Greek dairy company and one of the major dairy brands in the country. It is headquartered in Athens in the Athens Industrial Area west of downtown. It manufactures dairy products including milk, yogurt and ice cream...
's Ageladitsa yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
. He has been noted for his use of technological trends to efficiently communicate with fans and promote himself, and admittedly has an obsession with gadgets which led to him serving as the jury president at the 2010 Digital Media Festival that was held in Athens. Rouvas is the most popular Greek celebrity in terms of social networks; from its beginning in 1996, his official fanclub, the "SRFC" (Sakis Rouvas Fanclub) became the largest fan club of any Greek entertainer, a title that it holds to date. As of 2010, he has over 200 thousand Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
fans, making him the sixth most popular Eurovision participant on the network following Canadian singer Céline Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
who represented Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the band maNga
MaNga
Manga is a Turkish nu metal band whose music is mainly a fusion of Anatolian melodies with electronic elements. In 2009, they won both the Best Turkish Act award from MTV Turkey and consequently the Best European Act award from MTV Networks Europe in MTV Europe Music Awards 2009...
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut , known professionally as Lena, is a German singer-songwriter. She represented Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 in Oslo, Norway, and won the contest with the song "Satellite"...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Toše Proeski
Toše Proeski
Todor Toše Proeski was a Macedonian multi-genre singer, songwriter and actor. He was popular across the entire Balkan area and all around Eastern Europe, and locally he was considered a top act of the Macedonian music scene...
who represented Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, while within the first year of use he had 15 thousand followers on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, a trend which he pioneered among the nation's celebrities. Additionally, he has multiple videos on the file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
website YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
that have surpassed one million views.
Legacy and influence
Rouvas is frequently cited as Greece's biggest and occasionally only superstarSuperstar
A superstar is a widely acclaimed celebrity.Superstar or superstars may also refer to:-People:* Warhol Superstar, associates of Andy Warhol* WWE Superstar, the term used to refer to entertainers from the WWE...
. He has played a major role in breaking cultural barriers through the popularization of Western music genres and the development of pop music in the Greek industry, being widely credited as the genre's primary performer. Even by 2006, Pavlos Zervas of MusicCorner alleged that Rouvas was the primary performer supporting the pop/dance genre in Greece with such success. Jarmo Siim of the EBU
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
characterized Rouvas as "undoubtedly the ultimate pop star in Greece with great international appeal." In the early 1990s, Rouvas became a dominant figure in Greek music, gaining notoriety for having a mass fanbase, especially with youth, leading to him being recognized as a phenomenon
Phenomenon
A phenomenon , plural phenomena, is any observable occurrence. Phenomena are often, but not always, understood as 'appearances' or 'experiences'...
, a first in Greek music; he was compared to international phenomenons, Presley and Jackson, and the effect was often dubbed "Rouvomania", while the term "Rouvitsa" was coined for female members of his fanbase, who were distinguished by what were considered to be extreme reactions towards the singer. By the late 1990s, Rouvas had gained the largest fan club of any Greek figure. His success led to him being dubbed "The Golden Man of the Decade" by Down Town in 1999. In 2009, five of his singles ("1992", "Ela Mou", "Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola", "Shake It", and "+ Se Thelo") were included on Mega Stars 20th anniversary as songs that defined the past 20 years. In the end of 2009 Down Town named him "Εntertainer of the Decade", its highest honour, for his contributions to music, film, television, and overall cultural relevance, indicating that Rouvas was the only case of a full-out entertainer in the nation. Greek Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
also listed him as the third most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece and top ranked singer.
Describing him as a "commercial phenomenon", Rouvas was recognized as the most commercially successful entertainer with his name being associated as the strongest brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
in Greece. During 2009–2010, Rouvas earned 18 thousand euros per night at The S Club, as well as a percentage of the venue's profits and makes 250 thousand per season on The X Factor, as well as 35–40 thousand in personal gain alone per concert, while he is paid 100–350 thousand euros per campaign in advertising. At the same time, MAD TV described him as "unstoppable" for continuous success in a wide field of ventures, while its presenter Themis Georgantas called him the standard for radio deejay
Deejay
A deejay is a reggae or dancehall musician who sings and toasts to an instrumental riddim .Deejays are not to be confused with disc jockeys from other music genres like hip-hop, where they select and play music. Dancehall/reggae DJs who select riddims to play are called selectors...
s in doubt what to play, and considered that at this point he had broken generational barriers, having a wide fanbase of varying ages as well as continuous popularity with newer audiences. MTV Networks
MTV Networks
MTV Networks is a division of media conglomerate Viacom that oversees the operations of many television channels and Internet brands, including the original MTV channel in the United States...
summarized him as "an exceptional artist who encompasses pure devotion to music and brings evolving inginuity to all of his performances." Nearing the third decade of his career, Rouvas had already been cited as the most popular Greek artist by varying sources as well as of the most internationally recognizable. Rouvas retained a standard of autonomy. Unlike most artists, he no longer needed commercial success to maintain a high degree of cultural relevance. Rouvas achieved financial and entrepreneurial control by becoming the first Greek entertainer to market themselves through products and business ventures, such as having his own line of dolls and ready-to-wear fashion line, having pioneered both.
Rouvas has been referred to as the "king" of both Greek pop and showbiz. Amongst his other achievements are multiple number-one albums and singles, Pop Corn, Arion, and MAD Video Music Awards, an MTV Europe Music Award
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
, and a World Music Award
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
, being one of only four artists recording in Greece to ever be a recipient. His total record sales have been estimated at nearly two million records as of 2008, making him one of the most commercially successful Greek artists of all time and also one of the most influential, with the artist having been considered analogous to Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
to Greece from the beginning of his career. His distinct musical, fashion, and performance style has heavily influenced the new pop generation and movement, and has also generated a number of others who have been deemed copycats. Michalis Hatzigiannis
Michalis Hatzigiannis
Michael Hatzigiannis is a popular Greek Cypriot recording artist. From 2000 to 2009, Hatzigiannis has received over 30 certifications in Greece alone, making him one of most successful artists of the decade. Hatzigiannis is also known for representing Cyprus in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998...
, Nino
Nino (Greek singer)
Nino Xypolitas is a Greek singer, known professionally as Nino. He rose to fame in 2003 after appearing as a contestant on the debut season of the television show Fame Story. He has since released five studio albums.-Early life:...
, and Kostas Martakis
Kostas Martakis
Konstantinos "Kostas" Martakis is a Greek singer, who rose to fame after appearing on Greek talent show Dream Show aired by Alpha TV in 2006. Following his participation, he went on to release three studio albums and also participated in the Greek national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008...
have all been cited as artists who follow in Rouvas' pattern. As one of the most media exposed Greek celebrities, Rouvas' influence went beyond the arts as he has had an effect on social issues affecting the nation and younger generation. He became nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
into a cultural icon
Cultural icon
A cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building or other image that is readily recognized and generally represents an object or concept with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group...
and throughout his career has had an "unparalleled" influence over the younger generation. Swedish-Finnish journalist Lilian Brunell stated that from her perspective as a foreigner, Rouvas seemed to be a modern-day cultural equivalent to Alexander the Great. His contributions to the music and entertainment industries, as well as Greek culture and society, have kept him a part of popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
for nearly two decades.
Discography
Studio albums- Sakis RouvasSakis Rouvas (album)Sakis Rouvas is the self-titled debut album by Greek pop-rock musician Sakis Rouvas, released in October 1991 by PolyGram Records in Greece and Cyprus. The entire album was produced by composer Nikos Terzis who was on the rise in the early 1990s, while the songs have all been penned by Giorgos...
(1991) - Min AndistekeseMin AndistekeseMin Andistekese is the second studio album by Greek pop musician Sakis Rouvas, released in September 1992 in Greece and Cyprus by PolyGram Records Greece...
(1992) - Gia SenaGia Sena-Singles:thumb|right|150px|Rouvas in the "Kane Me" music video.thumb|right|150px|Rouvas in the "To Xero Ise Moni" music video.thumb|right|150px|Rouvas in the "Xehase To" music video."Kane Me"'"To Xero Ise Moni"'"Xehase To"-Release history:...
(1993) - Aima, Dakrya & IdrotasAima, Dakrya & IdrotasAima, Dakrya & Idrotas is the fourth studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released in November 1994 in Greece and Cyprus by PolyGram Records Greece. This album was Rouvas' primary collaboration with singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nikos Karvelas.-Production history:The album was...
(1994) - Tora Arhizoun Ta DyskolaTora Arhizoun Ta DyskolaTora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola is the fifth studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released on May 12, 1996 in Greece and Cyprus by PolyGram Records Greece...
(1996) - Kati Apo MenaKati Apo MenaKati Apo Mena is the sixth studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released on 3 December 1998. The album is largely written and entirely produced by Giorgos Theofanous...
(1998) - 21os Akatallilos21os Akatallilos21os Akatallilos is the eighth studio album by Greek pop sensation Sakis Rouvas and his second produced by Vangelis Yannopoulos, for Minos Emi. The album was released on April 9, 2000 in Greece and Cyprus, and debut at number one on the charts...
(2000) - Ola KalaOla KalaOla Kala is the eighth studio album and first international album featuring a number of English language songs by popular Greek singer-songwriter Sakis Rouvas, originally released on June 16, 2002 in Greece and Cyprus by Minos EMI. International songwriter and producer Desmond Child is the main...
(2002) - To Hrono StamataoTo Hrono StamataoTo Hrono Stamatao is the tenth studio album by Greek pop-rock singer-songwriter Sakis Rouvas, released in December 2003 by Minos EMI in Greece and Cyprus...
(2003) - S'eho Erotefthi (2005)
- Iparhi Agapi EdoIparhi Agapi EdoIparhi Agapi Edo is the eleventh studio album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas. It was first released in Greece on December 7, 2006 by Minos EMI. Iparhi Agapi Edo includes 15 tracks including a ballad called "Mikros Titanikos" that was written especially for Rouvas by Yiannis Parios...
(2006) - IrthesIrthes-This Is Our Night :-Singles:"+ Se Thelo""Irthes""This Is Our Night"'"Ksehna To Prin Kai To Meta"-Release history:-Promotion:...
(2008) - ParaforaParaforaParafora is the 13th studio album by Greek recording artist Sakis Rouvas and 15th album overall. It was released by Minos EMI in Greece and Cyprus on 14 December 2010 and distributed digitally ten days later to all Eurozone countries and elsewhere...
(2010)
Live albums
- Live BalladsLive BalladsLive Ballads is the first live CD or video album, and eleventh album overall by popular Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released in Greece and Cyprus on 27 April 2006 by Minos EMI. The concert was recorded on 14 February 2006 as a special Valentine's Day performance called Sakis For Valentines...
(2006) - This Is My LiveThis Is My LiveThis Is My Live is the name of the second live album by Greek singer Sakis Rouvas, released on December 12, 2007 in Greece and Cyprus by Minos EMI. The album was recorded on September 9, 2007 at Rouvas' sold-out show at Lycabetus Theatre with an audience of 7,000. The concert was the final stop on...
(2007)
Filmography
| Films | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes and Awards |
| 1996 | I Panagia ton Parision The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film) The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirty-fourth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, the film is inspired by Victor Hugo's novel of... |
Quasimodo Quasimodo Quasimodo is a fictional character in the novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Quasimodo was born with a hunchback and feared by the townspeople as a sort of monster but he finds sanctuary in an unlikely love that is fulfilled only in death. The role of Quasimodo has been played by... |
Protagonist Protagonist A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify... , Voice |
| 2006 | Aftokinita Cars (film) Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney... |
Lightning McQueen Lightning McQueen Lightning McQueen, typically referred to by his surname McQueen, and occasionally called "Stickers" by his girlfriend Sally , is an anthropomorphic racecar and the main protagonist in the 2006 animated Pixar film Cars, and the deuteragonist of its sequel Cars 2... |
Protagonist, Voice |
| 2007 | Alter Ego Alter Ego (film) Alter Ego is a 2007 film produced by Village Roadshow Films . It premiered on May 10, 2007 in Greek theaters, and is famous for being the debut film of Greek superstar Sakis Rouvas. The film was one of the most successful films of all time in Greece, and at a budget of £2,000,000, it is recognized... |
Stefanos | Protagonist Also associate producer |
| 2009 | Duress Duress (film) Duress is a 2009 American psychological thriller B movie. The film was initially screened at various film festivals in May 2009 in Poland and Russia. The film was released theatrically in Greece on December 3, 2009 by mainstream Greek distributor Hollywood Entertainment.The movie is written by Jim... |
Abner Solvie | Antagonist Antagonist An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend... |
| 2009 | Planitis 51: Episkeptis Apo Ti Gi Planet 51 Planet 51 is a 2009 Spanish/British/American animated science fiction/family film directed by Jorge Blanco, written by Joe Stillman, and starring Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott, and John Cleese. Produced by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios and... |
Captain Charles "Chuck" T. Baker | Protagonist, Voice |
| 2011 | Aftokinita 2 Cars 2 Cars 2 is a 2011 American computer-animated action film produced by Pixar, and it is the sequel to the 2006 film, Cars. In the film, race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater head to Japan and Europe to compete in the World Grand Prix, but Mater becomes sidetracked with international espionage... |
Lightning McQueen | Voice |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes and Awards |
| 1996 | Kalinyhta Mama | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Eurovision Song Contest 2006 Eurovision Song Contest 2006 The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May and 20 May 2006 . The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Radiofonía Tileórasi . The Finnish band Lordi won the contest with the song "Hard Rock... |
Himself | Host with Maria Menounos Maria Menounos Maria Menounos is a Greek-American actress, journalist, and television presenter known in America for her appearances as a correspondent for Today, Access Hollywood, Extra, and abroad for co-hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece.-Early life and beauty pageants:Menounos, a... |
| 2007 | Kostas Statiris Song Contest 2007, Farsala | Himself | Host with Kostas Statiris |
| 2008-2011–present | 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.... |
Himself | Host
|
Tours
- Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola Summer Tour (1997)
- Pepsi Tour (2001)
- Ola Kala World Tour (2002)
- Sakis Live in Town Tour (2003)
- Sakis on Stage Tour (2005)
- Fire Victims Tour (2007)
- Antonis RemosAntonis RemosAntonis Remos , is a Greek laïko singer.-Early life:Antonis Remos was born in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He was raised there by his Greek parents, and later his family moved back to their native Thessaloniki, Greece, where he finished school. During his childhood he got involved with music and...
- Sakis Rouvas World Tour (2008) - Kalokairino Randevou me ton Saki Tour (2008)
- Sakis Live Tour (2009)
- Sakis Summer Tour 2010
Resident shows
- To Ekati (1990)
- Athens Show Center (1991)
- Posidonio (1992)
- Posidonio (1994)
- Chaos (1996)
- Pyli Axiou (1997)
- Chaos (1998)
- Vio Vio (1999–2000)
- Pyli Axiou (2000)
- Apollonas (2000–01)
- Rex (2001–2002)
- Fever (2003–04)
- Fever (2004–05)
- Boom (2007)
- Politia (2008)
- STARZ (2008–09)
- Politia Live Clubbing (2009)
- The S Club (2009–2010)
- Politia Live ClubbingPolitia Live Clubbing summer 2010Politia Live Clubbing summer 2010 is a 2004 series of concerts by Greek pop/rock singer Sakis Rouvas with Greek pop singer Tamta, rock group CABIN 54, and upcoming singers Stefania Rizou and Eleana Azoukia as his supporting acts, with Giorgos Axas as his special series guest...
(2010) - Face2Face (2010–11)
- The S Club at Thalassa: People's Stage (2011)
- Pyli Axiou (2011)
- UnderWorld S Club:Athens Arena (2011-2012)
See also
- List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters
- List of Greeks
- List of honorific titles in popular music
- List of Pepsi spokespersons
- Mononymous personsMononymous personsA mononymous person is an individual who is known and addressed by a mononym, or "single name". In some cases, that name has been selected by the individual, who may have originally been given a polynym...
External links
- Official Sakis Rouvas websites: ProfessionalBlogWeb TV
- Official Russian site
- Sakis Rouvas at All MusicAll MusicAll Music was an Italian free-to-air television station which mainly broadcast music videos and music programs. Originally called Rete A, the name was changed to Rete A - All Music , and for a brief period was affiliated before with MTV Italy and after with VIVA.-History:In late 2004 the former...
- Sakis Rouvas at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Sakis Rouvas on the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Sakis Rouvas at MAD TV Greece
- Sakis Rouvas at Minos EMIMinos EMIMinos 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....
|-
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
|-
|-
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | World Music Awards
World Music Awards
The World Music Awards is an international awards show founded in 1989 that annually honors recording artists based on worldwide sales figures provided by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry . John Martinotti is an executive producer and co-founder of the show...
|-
|-
! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | Other
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