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Haris Alexiou

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Haris Alexiou is a Greek singer, born on 27 December 1950. She has lived in Athens since 1958, when her family moved there from Thebes. In the early 1970s she came to prominence in the Greek music world, with a warm, powerful voice and a strong stage presence. A first step was her contribution to the 1972 album Mikra Asia by Apostolos Kaldaras and Pythagoras, alongside George Dalaras.

Music and breakthrough

In 1975, shortly after the fall of the military junta, her first solo album, 12 λαϊκά τραγούδια, was released. It includes Dimitroula, a song from the 1930s that Roza Eskenazi had sung and that has been a standard ever since. That same year she performed in the boîtes of the Plaka, a more intimate way of performing than the big nightclubs. More than thirty albums followed, with titles such as Ξημερώνει, Τα τσίλικα and Εμφύλιος έρωτας, and collaborations with major Greek lyricists and composers.

Influence

Alexiou sings laïka, Greek popular song, and also moves through other styles of Greek song. She has performed in theatres on all five continents. She also has an audience in Turkey: songs of hers were sung again there in Turkish. She is regarded as one of the most popular singers in Greece.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Dimitroula on her album 12 λαϊκά τραγούδια. Notice how she gives an old song from the 1930s new colour with her own voice, and how the accompaniment carries the popular atmosphere.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists