Eleftheria Arvanitaki

“There is no doubt about it, the hot name internationally on the Greek music scene is Eleftheria Arvanitaki. Her voice has a clarity and emotional depth that registers whether or not you understand the words, and the music she sings has a lyricism and instrumental sophistication that sets it apart. Her performances at WOMAD festivals in 1998 marked a transition from performing to Greek communities round the world to a new audience of World Music fans. They weren’t disappointed” (Simon Broughton, Editor of World Music Rough Guide).
Eleftheria Arvanitaki started her career in the early 80s as the singer of a popular group of rembetika revivalists, named Opisthodromiki Kompania. Rembetika is a music idiom that developed in Greece among the underclasses in the early part of the 20th century and was particularly indebted to the Greek refugees from Asia Minor. In 1985, Eleftheria Arvanitaki started her solo career, which quickly established her as one of the most promising female voices for the years to come.
Eleftheria’s vocal qualities and her ability to combine the traditional and contemporary music of Greece have inspired some of the most distinguished composers, lyricists, and poets of the day to write songs for her that are now considered ‘‘classics’’ in Greek music. All of her personal albums have gone platinum. Moreover, she has received 2 Greek music awards for Best Female Singer of the Year (Greek Music Awards count only 5 years of history).
Every year she gives more than 120 performances in her country, almost 40 of them during her much-awaited (by the public all around Greece) summertime tours. According to critics - in and out of Greece - her live appearances are already considered as legendary and also a very important part of Greek music’s history.
However, Eleftheria’s career has crossed the Greek borders, during the last decade, and has met worldwide recognition for her artistic achievements. Eleftheria Arvanitaki is the first Greek singer who, since 1998, is being suggested to the international audience by the historical jazz label Verve through the album “Eleftheria Arvanitaki - The Very Best of 1989-1998”, which includes 14 of Eleftheria’s most favourite songs. Furthermore, her following albums ‘”Live in Gialino Theatre – Eleftheria Arvanitaki Live”, “Ekpompi - Broadcast” and “Ola sto fos – Everything brought to light” were also published worldwide by Verve.
Additionally, 3 of Eleftheria’s personal albums, i.e. Meno Ektos (I remain outside), I Nichta Kateveni (The night descends), Ta Kormia ke Ta Maheria (The Bodies and the knives), and the CD-single Zontana stous Vrachous - Kalokeri ’95 (Live at Vrachon Theatre – Summer ’95), are also released in Europe, Australia and the USA. Especially, the albums “Ta Kormia ke ta Maheria – Los Cuerpos y los cuchillos”, “Ektos programmatos – Fuera de Programa” and “Ekpompi - Emisión” were released in a special spanish edition.
Eleftheria also features in the album Gifted - Women of the World, where 9 female singers from around the world, such as Estrella Morente and Susana Baca, explore and celebrate the female experience.
The fact that Eleftheria Arvanitaki is considered outside of Greece as “The voice of contemporary Greece” is continuously shown on many occasions: - She took part in the Closing Ceremony of the Athens’ Olympic Games (2004), - She was the only greek singer invited by the Pope to sing in the celebrations of the ‘Giubileo della Terra’ series of events in Rome (1999) - In June 2004 Eleftheria Arvanitaki was invited to take part in Philip Glass’ project “Orion”, a work that the world-famous American composer made in special request from the “Athens 2004 Cultural Olumpiad”. “Orion” is a work that revolves around the musical traditions of the 5 continents. Eleftheria Arvanitaki was, at the same time the, only vocalist and European artist participating in this project among a group of excellent soloists from all over the globe, and the Philip Glass Ensemble. Her performance of the Greek traditional song “Tzivaeri” was characterized as unforgettable. This project was world-premiered at the Herodion Theatre in Athens, a unique Roman theatre on the shadow of Parthenon and the Acropolis. During 2004 and 2005 “Orion” traveled to Thessaloniki (Greece), Ravenna (Italy), London (United Kingdom), Lyon (France), Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (USA), Mexico, Austin and Melbourne. The live recording of “Orion” was released by Orange Mountain Music in June 2005.
Eleftheria Arvanitaki has extensively toured Europe (she has gone almost to every city of Spain since her first Iberian tour in 2002 and Germany, she has also gone to the UK, Belgium, France), but also sang in Australia, South Africa and the USA. Her live appearances abroad always have a huge success, most of them are sold–out many days before and they are also praised by the critics and audiences all around the world.
She has also taken part in the majority of the most important festivals: in WOMAD festivals (Redding/UK, 1998; Lisbon/Portugal, 1998; Las Palmas - The Canarias, 1998; Caceres/Spain, 1999; Athens/Greece, 2001), in the International Jazz and Ethnic Festival of MONTREUX in Switzerland (1999), in the SFINKS festival of ethnic music in Belgium (1998), in the International Jazz Festival of Jerusalem (1998), in the Pirineos Sur Festival at the Pyrenées (1999), in the festival of Salamanca in Spain (1999), , in the Millenium End Festival of Barcelona (1999), in the ZELTFESTIVAL of Meinz, Germany (2001), in the International Jazz Festival of Istanbul (2001), in the STIMMEN Festival in Lörrach, Germany (2001), in the ‘Summer in the City’ Festival of Madrid (2002), and the Getxo Festival, Basque country (2002).
Moreover, her concerts are hosted in some of the most prestigious venues of the countries she visits: La Cigale - Paris (France); Berklee Performance Center - Boston (USA); Madison Square Garden & New York’s Town Hall - New York (USA); Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elisabeth Hall, Barbican Centre – London (UK); Palau de la Musica – Barcelona; Palacio de Congresos y de La Opera – La Coruna; Palacio de Congresos – Granada; Palacio de los Congresos, La Riviera, Teatro Colisseum, Teatro Albeniz - Madrid (SPAIN), etc
In July 2003, Eleftheria Arvanitaki gave two concerts at the Small Theatre of ancient Epidavros (one of the most prestigious ancient theatres of Greece where only very special projects are presented) in the context of the ‘Music July Festival’ (part of the Hellenic Festival – biggest festival of Greece). These were two magnificent nights for the audience who watched Eleftheria and her musicians performing the songs of her albums “Songs for the months” and “The bodies and the knives”.
In June 2006, Eleftheria Arvanitaki gave 2 concerts at the Herodion Theatre in Athens performing film songs of the great Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis. These were the opening concerts for the Hellenic Festival, 2006. Additionally, in July she took part in the “Espirelia Festival” in Lorca, Spain where she played together with the Murcia Symphonic Orchestra. It was an unforgettable concert in which Eleftheria performed songs of all of her personal albums.
Her open - minded vision of music is reflected on her collaborations with internationally acclaimed artists such as: the Caboverdians Cesaria Evora and Teofilo Chantre, the portuguese Dulce Pontes, the spanish group of Amaral and Carlos Nunez, and the Armenians Ara Dinkjian and Arto Tuncboyacian, as well as with the world famous composer and academy award winner Philip Glass.
Eleftheria Arvanitaki’s latest international album entitled “To the edges of your eyes” was released in April 2006. In this album one can find the very best of Eleftheria’s guest appearances plus two very interesting adaptations: “My love is somewhere” of the great Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis, and “I hide in goodbye” of the popular Spanish group Amaral. Her latest release in Greece (October 2006) is the album entitled “Grigora I ora perase” (i.e. “The time passed quickly”). Eleftheria Arvanitaki performs the songs of the composer Nikos Xydakis, which are based on poetry mainly by Sappho. It is undoubtedly a work of magic, which went golden a month after its release. Eleftheria Arvanitaki and Nikos Xydakis gave a series of performances in both Thessaloniki and Athens in April and May 2007, in which they presented the songs of “Grigora i ora perase”. All shows were sold out.
In October 2007 Eleftheria Arvanitaki took part in the “Forum Universal de las Culturas”, a very important multi-cultural festival taking place in a different part of the globe every three years. This year the “Forum” was held in Monterrey, Mexico, where Eleftheria Arvanitaki gave 2 unforgettable concerts.
Last but not least, in December 2007 Eleftheria Arvanitaki released a compilation entitled “Dynata 1986-2007” including 27 of her greatest hits, which were digitally remastered at Steling Studios (NY), plus one new recording. This compilation was released only in the Greek market by Universal Music. The album went platinum, while the single “Min Orkizesai” has been on top of the Greek charts ever since the album’s release.
Also in December, Eleftheria Arvanitaki started her series of shows in Athens together with Dimitra Galani. They did 80 shows together and they all were sold out.
In April 2008 Eleftheria Arvanitaki toured in 4 Spanish cities (Castellon, ? Coruna, Zaragoza, San Sebastian). All concerts were sold out and the audience was absolutely enthusiastic.