© ZAS MUSIC 2013
Made by ZAS MUSIC
George Dalaras
“George Dalaras sings in Greek, yet his
music, springing from the heart, has a
universal appeal” stated the French daily Le
Figaro in 1993, long after the reputation of
this great Greek musician had reached
across the boarders of his native land.
Throughout his triumphant tours in Europe,
the United States, Canada and every other
corner of the world, George Dalaras stayed in
close touch with his roots, leaving a trail of
saplings behind to bloom in the traditional
Greek rhythms destined, one might say, to
accompany today’s blending of world
cultures.
Born in Piraeus, the main port of Athens,
George comes from a tradition of folk and
blues music. His father was a traditional
musician and “bouzouki” instrumentalist and
his first musical memories are of the main
forms of Greek music: the laika (popular), the
rebetika (a kind of blues) and the
paradosiaka (traditional).
At the age of 16 his first public appearance
was as guitarist and singer. He was the first
to take Greek music out of the conventional
club environment and perform concerts in
large venues. When two years later, he
recorded his first album, the authentic sound
of Greek urban music (based essentially on
the bouzouki), enriched by the young artist’s
innovative contemporary approach, won him
instant critical and popular acclaim, his vast
live audiences rewarding him with sales of
several hundred thousand for his first best-
seller. In all, he has released some 85
personal albums and has collaborated in
more than 70 others as musician or producer,
always expanding his musical horizons with
his multi–faceted creativity.
In his early twenties he had already achieved
stardom and began working with the great
names in Greek music. He recorded “18
Songs of a Bitter Homeland” by Mikis
Theodorakis, the greatest contemporary
Greek composer, with lyrics by Yiannis
Ritsos. Beginning in 1974 he toured Greece
and Europe several times with Theodorakis,
interpreting some of the composer’s greatest
songs. In 1988, at the Herod Atticus Theatre
in Athens, he twice performed and recorded
on a double album, the composer’s
masterpiece “AXION ESTI”, based on the
poem by Nobel poet Odysseas Elytis. A few
years later, at the same theatre, he recorded
for EMI Classics a tribute concert to Mikis
Theodorakis and his film music with the
Metropole Orchestra.
During his career, George Dalaras has
indeed worked with all the important Greek
composers, including Stavros Kouyioumtzis,
Manos Loizos, Apostolos Kaldaras, Christos
Nikolopoulos, Yannis Markopoulos, Stavros
Xarchakos, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Eleni
Karaindrou and lyricists such as Lefteris
Papadopoulos, Manos Elefteriou , Nikos
Gatsos, Kostas Tripolitis and others.
In 1994 he gave five performances at the
Athens Concert Hall, in a musical spectacular
directed by Costas Gavras, tracing the history
of Greek music from antiquity to the
European Greece of today.
Since 1981, he has performed in over 500
concerts outside Greece, promoting, Greek
culture abroad. He has performed at some of
the most famous concert halls all over the
world, such as the Palais des Gongres and
the Olympia Theatre in Paris, the Albert and
Queen Elisabeth Hall in London, the
London’s Wembley Arena (backed by Melina
Merkouri and Vanessa Redgrave), the Alte
Oper in Frankfurt, the Mann Auditorium in Tel
Aviv, the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, St.
George's Hall the Kremlin Palace and others.
In 1994 he performed at the Brendan Byrne
Arena in New Jersey before an audience of
22,000. In this concert, he received the
Kennedy Award from Senator Edward
Kennedy, in recognition of his humanitarian
contributions.
He has also appeared at numerous cultural
festivals, including Cuba (1981,1998), the
Europalia Festival in Brussels (1982), the
Peace Festival in Vienna (1983), the Youth
Festival in Moscow (1985), the Aid to Africa
Concert in the Stadium of Peace and
Friendship in Athens (1986), the
unforgettable Amnesty International Concert
in Athens with Peter Gabriel, Sting, Bruce
Springsteen, Tracy Chapman and
Youssou'n'Dour (1988), the Poznan Jazz
Festival in Poland (1999), the Crossing
Border Festival in Amsterdam (2001), the
Saratoga Festival in USA, with the famous
Philharmonic Orchestra of Philadelphia
directed by Charles Dutoit (2001).
In June 2001, George Dalaras collaborated
again with the Ossipov Russian Orchestra
conducted by Nikolai Kalinin, a concert that
was staged in Delphi. It was a unique concert
that was integrated at the celebrations of the
First International Refugee Day as well as
towards the 50th anniversary of the
foundation of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). For its
biggest part, the concert list included works
by Mikis Theodorakis – to whom the concert
was dedicated as being one of the most
prominent refugees - while, Jocelyn B. Smith,
the famous American singer had also taken
part in it.
In September 2001, two unique concerts
were staged at the Herodes Atticus Odeon in
which George Dalaras took part alongside
Emma Shapplin, the famous French artist.
These concerts constituted the peak events
of the United Nations High Committee for the
Refugees (UNHCR) upon the celebration for
the completion of its 50th anniversary.
Furthermore, the concerts aimed at raising
money and collecting funds for the
programmes of the Organisation in Greece
and abroad. The two artists were
accompanied by ninety musicians from the
CAMERATA-Orchestra of the Friends of
Music conducted by Alexandros Myrat. Once
more in these concerts, George Dalaras
uniquely interpreted “MISA CRIOLLA” &
“NAVIDAD NUESTRA” - the classical pieces
of music by Ariel Ramirez, the prominent
Argentinean composer.
In 21 June 2003, George Dalaras performed
at the Herodes Atticus Odeon with Glykeria,
on a Tribute to Asia Minor. The concert was
held under the auspices of his Holiness the
Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew and
UNESCO.
In August 2004, George Dalaras performed
two concerts entitled “30th – 40th parallel -
Musical Journey to the Mediterranean” at the
Herodes Atticus Odeon, with special guests
Dulce Pontes, Stefanos Korkolis, Eddy
Napoli, Mira Anwar Awad, Macarena Giraldez
Losada, Marcos Jimenez Antonio and
Compania Flamenca “Ronda Al Alba”, Halil
Moustafa and Mehmet Moustafa.
In May 2005 George Dalaras and Dulce
Pontes performed two unique concerts at the
Herodes Atticus Odeon entitled “The Sea and
Us”. The artists were accompanied by a
popular orchestra and ERT’s National
Symphonic Orchestra, conducted by Loukas
Karitinos.
These concerts were organized by the
Friends’ Association of Children with Cancer
“HOPE” for supporting their objectives, under
the auspices of the Hellenic Festival.
In October 2005, George Dalaras performed
a concert-tribute to The Rebetiko at the
famous concert hall of the Vienna
Konzerthaus, together with Melina Aslanidou
and Sofia Papazoglou. This concert was part
of cultural events with general title “Greek
Autumn in Vienna” and was organized by the
Greek Embassy in Vienna in cooperation with
the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
General Secretariat of Information, the
Austrian State Radiotelevision (ORF), the
University of Vienna, and other Greek
Associations.
In November 2005, George Dalaras
performed at the Athens Concert Hall
two of the most significant works of Mikis
Theodorakis “Romiosini” poetry by Yannis
Ritsos and “Axion Esti” poetry by Odysseas
Elytis. In these concerts texts of the poets
were read by George Kimoulis.
In “Axion Esti” Tassis Christoyannis, baritone
also participated. George Dalaras was
accompanied by the Popular Orchestra “Mikis
Theodarakis” and a popular orchestra, the
Greek Radio and TV Modern Music
Orchestra conducted by Andreas Pylarinos,
the Electricity Board Choir with Choirmaster
Kostis Konstantaras, the Athens Municipal
Choir with Choirmaster Stavros Beris and the
Youth Choir of the Nea Smyrni Leontion
Lyceum with Choirmaster Katerina Vasilikou.
The proceeds of both concerts were offered
to the Association of Rehabilation for
Addicted persons “THE RETURN”.
In January 2007, George Dalaras performed
in two unique concerts at the Athens Concert
Hall “MISA CRIOLLA” & “NAVIDAD
NUESTRA” the classical pieces of music by
Ariel Ramirez, the prominent Argentinean
composer for the collection of funds for the
refugees in Africa. Both concerts were under
the auspices of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and
the proceeds were offered for the
programmes of UNHCR and refugee children
in Africa. George Dalaras was accompanied
by Martha Moreleon, the Electricity Board
Choir with Choirmaster Kostis Konstantaras
and Michalis Tzouganakis.
In April 2007, George Dalaras starts his
European Tour entitled “Inspired by
Rembetiko”. He was accompanied by
Michalis Tzouganakis and Melina Aslanidou,
who traveled the Greek music to the largest
and most special concert halls in eleven
European cities. These concerts were
extremely successful and all tickets were sold
out.
In July 2007 George Dalaras participated in
two musical performances at the Herod
Atticus Theatre entitled “If it happens to the
round about areas”.
In November 2007 George Dalaras
performed at the Pallas Theater in Athens in
a musical journey of the Greek songs,
entitled “From the beginning”, directed by
Stamatis Fasoulis. This tribute included
songs that were loved by the audience,
songs that traveled us not only in time but in
the emotion as well.
In February 2008, George Dalaras
participated in the production entitled
“George Dalaras “Enchanted Songs”, Tribute
to Rembetiko” directed by Sotiris Chatzakis,
at the Athens Concert Hall.
George Dalaras collaborated with Babis
Stokas, Sofia Papazoglou, Zacharias
Karounis and Aspasia Stratigou. The tribute
was highly acclaimed by both critics and
audience. The same performances were
repeated in March 2009.
In September 2008, George Dalaras
appeared in two special concerts-tribute to
Stavros Kouyioumtzis at the Herod Atticus
Theater. He was accompanied by Kostas
Makedonas, Despina Olympiou, Melina
Aslanidou, Maria Kouyioumtzi.
Carrying Greece Across the
World
In April 2010, George Dalaras started the first
part of another European Tour entitled
“Encore Tour”. Michalis Tzouganakis and
Despina Olympiou shared the stage with
George Dalaras. The tour included fourteen
cities in the most famous and prestigious
concert halls, theatres and stadiums, where
the tickets were sold out.
In November 2010 George Dalaras presented
a unique concert in New York at Lincoln
Center, with the participation of “City Music
Cleveland” under the direction of Alexandros
Myrat. In this concert the works “Credo” and
“Telluric Dances” of the Greek-Canadian
composer Christos Hatzis, were presented in
a first premier.
In June and September 2011 George Dalaras
started his collaboration with the Russian
Orchestra of Traditional Instruments
“Ossipov” under the direction of Vladimir
Andropov, in concerts in Cyprus and Israel.
In July 2011, George Dalaras collaborated for
the first time with the State Symphony
Orchestra of Instanbul, under the direction of
the maestro Hakan Senoy, in a unique conert.
In 26 November 2011¸George Dalaras
presented in a world premier the work
“Kavafis” by the composer Alexandros
Karozas at the Vienna Konzerthaus with
“Wiener Kammer Orchester” and “Wiener
Singakademie”, under the direction of the
maestro Yorgos Kountouris. One of the most
important German actors, Bruno Ganz recited
the poems of Konstantine Kavafis.
In August and September 2012 George
Dalaras performed concerts in Israel,
Lebanon and Cyprus together with Dimitris
Mpasis, Despina Olympiou and Melina
Aslanidou.
In September 2012 George Dalaras
participated in “Balkan Symphony” in
Sarajevo. In this concert prominent artists
from Balkan countries and the Mediterranean
participated together with the Sarajevo
Philharmonic Orchestra, enriched with local
instruments, conducted by Oğuzhan Balci.
In February 2013¸George Dalaras presented
the work “Kavafis” by the composer
Alexandros Karozas, at Philharmonie
Gasteig in Munich with “Wiener Kammer
Orchester” and “Vienna Chamber Orchestra
Chorus” of the “Vienna Academy of Music”
under the direction of Stefan Vladar.
Lambert Hamel, one of the leading German
character actors, recited
the poems of Konstantine Kavafis.
Thanks to his exceptional voice and
instrumental skills he has always been at the
forefront of innovation in contemporary Greek
music. In the course of the last two decades
he has become the benchmark of what his
kind of music is (or should be) about,
renewing the genre by leading his mainly
youthful public along neglected musical paths
like the smirneika and the rebetika. In a
country with so many flourishing traditions,
George Dalaras has become a musical
phenomenon. Yet this soft spoken and
modest man shuns the “star system” and the
banalities of commercial Greek bouzouki
music. He has preferred to bring his
audiences to the discovery of new music. His
collaborations with other international artists
have demonstrated his ability to cross over
into other styles. He has, for example,
recorded and appeared on stage with Sting,
Paco de Lucia, Al di Meola, Goran Bregovic,
Ian Anderson, Joan Faulkner, Jocelyn B.
Smith, Emma Chapplin and produced albums
such as the “Misa Criolla” of Ariel Ramirez
and “Latin”.
In his memorable performances with famed
orchestras, such as the Metropole Orchestra,
the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Ossipov
Russian Orchestra, the Montreal Symphonic
Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
and the Berlin Deutche Opera Choir, George
Dalaras brings with him on stage the
simplicity and directness of Greek folk
tradition along with the aspirations and
vibrating beat of today’s music.
Over the years, George has won many hearts
through his commitment to worthy causes
and his concern with social issues. His fight
for justice and his support for the politically or
socially oppressed have made him a focus
for humanitarian activists. He is particularly
energetic in his support of causes associated
with labor movements, discrimination against
women and children and those who have
suffered emotional or physical abuse; thus
his collaborations with other artists for the
benefit of the victims of famine in Africa and
of war in Yugoslavia.
His art and his popularity transcend the
borders of Greece precisely because his
compositions, poignant expressions of
protest, social indignation and hope, set him
apart from the common run of musicians. His
main concern for his audiences, be they in
Greece, Latin America, Russia, Canada, the
USA, France, Sweden, or the United
Kingdom, is always that his performances are
not simply a great event but also a great
cultural experience and a musical voyage of
discover.
Of course, figures and data are not the sole
evidence one may employ to describe the
course of an artist. However, the sales of
over 15,000,000 copies of his albums, the
packed theatres and stadiums, the hundreds
of concerts, the tenths of tours around the
world, the collaborations with prominent
musicians and, lastly, the triumphant reviews
by the international press ascertain George
Dalaras’ colossal reception by the public as
well as his exceptional course as an artist.
On 2006, George Dalaras was appointed by
the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan,
and the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees, Mr. Antonio Guterres one of the
seven UNHCR Goodwill Ambassadors in the
world.