Laïko
Encyclopedia
Laïkó is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s: the Greek folk music
Greek folk music
Greek folk music includes a variety of Greek styles played by ethnic Greeks in Greece, Cyprus, Australia, the United States and elsewhere. Apart from the common music found all-around Greece, there are distinct types of folk music, sometimes related to the history or simply the taste of the...
(demotiká), including Smyrneika; and the Elafró tragoudi (literally: "light song"). The latter was represented by ensembles of singers/musicians
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
or solo artists like Attik and Nikos Gounaris
Nikos Gounaris
-Biography:Gounaris began playing the mandolin at the age of four. He attended the musical Conservatory of Music in Athens.Gounaris was a Greek Elafró singer and among the foremost Greek composers and musicians of the 1950s and 1960s. He was especially popular in the Greek community in America...
. It was (and is) the Greek version of the international pop music of any time. In the 1930s the first Rebetiko recordings had a massive impact on Greek music. As Markos Vamvakaris
Markos Vamvakaris
Markos Vamvakaris , was a rebetiko musician. He is universally referred to by rebetiko writers and fans simply by his first name, Markos...
stated "we were the first to record laïká (popular) songs". In the years to follow this type of music, the first form of what is now called laïkó tragoudi, became the mainstream Greek music.
Rebetiko Artists
1930s–1950s- Markos VamvakarisMarkos VamvakarisMarkos Vamvakaris , was a rebetiko musician. He is universally referred to by rebetiko writers and fans simply by his first name, Markos...
- Manolis ChiotisManolis ChiotisManolis Chiotis was a Greek Rebetiko composer, singer and bouzouki player. He was born on March 21, 1920 in Thessaloniki and died in 1970.- See also :* Bouzouki* Rebetes* Rebetiko* Laiko* Greek nightclubs* Greek music...
- Roza EskenaziRoza EskenaziRoza Eskenazi was a famous Jewish-Greek singer of rebetiko and Greek folk music born in Constantinople , whose recording and stage career extended from the late 1920s into the 1970s....
- Vassilis TsitsanisVassilis TsitsanisVassilis Tsitsanis was a Greek songwriter and bouzouki player. He became one of the leading Greek composers of his time and is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern Rebetika. Tsitsanis wrote more than 500 songs and is still remembered as an extraordinary bouzouki...
- Giannis PapaioannouGiannis PapaioannouGiannis Papaioannou was a famous Greek musician and composer born in Kios, Turkey . In English his name is sometimes romanized as Yannis, Ioannis or Yiannis. Most active in the 1940s, he wrote many songs, some of which are today considered classics of the rebetiko folk music style...
- Kostas SkarvelisKostas SkarvelisKostas Skarvelis was a Greek composer of popular music, οf the genre of rembetiko in particular. He also wrote the lyrics for his songs and was an excellent guitar player, having participated in many recordings.-Life:...
Classic laïkó
Classic laïkó as it is known today, was the mainstream popular music of Greece during the60s and 70s. Laïkó was dominated by singers such as Stelios Kazantzidis
Stelios Kazantzidis
Stylianos Kazantzidis was a prominent Greek singer. A leading singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's foremost composers.-Biography :...
. Among the most significant songwriters and lyricists of this period are George Zambetas and the big names of the Rembetiko era that where still in business, like Manolis Hiotis and Eftichia Papagianopoulos
Eftichia Papagianopoulos
Eftichia Papagianopoulos , also spelled as Eftihia Papagianopoulou, was a Greek lyricist.She was born in Aidini near Smyrna in Asia Minor in 1893. She left Smyrna in 1919 prior to the Greco-Turkish War and just three years before the Great Fire of Smyrna and Smyrna's 1922 conquest by the Turks...
. Many artists combined the traditions of éntekhno and laïkó with considerable success, such as the composers Stavros Xarchakos and Giorgos Mouzakis
Giorgos Mouzakis
Giorgos Muzakis was a prominent Greek composer and musician of light popular music.-Career:Born in Metaxourgeio, Mouzakis performed first as a trumpeter in 1938, recording his first album in 1946. He studied at the Athens Conservatoire and continued his education in Austria and Germany...
, and lyricist Lefteris Papadopoulos
Lefteris Papadopoulos
Lefteris Papadopoulos is a Greek lyricist, writer and journalist.Lefteris Papadopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on 14 November 1935. He is the son of Greek refugees from the Asia Minor and Russia. He enrolled at the Law School of the University of Athens but he stopped during the third year in...
.
Artists
1960s–70s- Apostolos NikolaidisApostolos Nikolaidis (singer)Apostolos Nikolaidis was a Greek singer whose career spanned four decades. He was born in Drama, Greece and grew up in Thessaloniki...
(singer) - Giorgos Zambetas
- Grigoris BithikotsisGrigoris BithikotsisGrigoris Bithikotsis was a popular Greek folk singer/songwriter with a career spanning five decades.-Biography:...
- MarinellaMarinellaMarinella 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...
- Panos GavalasPanos GavalasPanagiotis Gavalas was a Greek singer.-Discography:-References:*The first version of the article is translated from the article at the Greek Wikipedia ...
- Rita SakellariouRita SakellariouRita Sakellariou was a famous Greek singer. Amongst her fans were Andreas Papandreou, Melina Mercouris, Aristotle Onasis, Anthony Quinn and others. She worked with some of the greater Greek musicians like Vassilis Tsitsanis and Giannis Papaioannou...
- Stelios KazantzidisStelios KazantzidisStylianos Kazantzidis was a prominent Greek singer. A leading singer of Greek popular music, or Laïkó, he collaborated with many of Greece's foremost composers.-Biography :...
- Stratos DionysiouStratos DionysiouStratos Dionysiou , was a Greek laika and elafro-laika singer who featured predominantly in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.-Early life:...
- Tolis VoskopoulosTolis VoskopoulosApostolos Voskopoulos is one of the legends of modern Greek music. He also starred in many films and played in the Theatre in Athens....
- Vicky MoscholiouVicky MoscholiouVicky Moscholiou , born in Metaxourgeio in Athens, was a Greek singer. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked Moscholiou the 13th top-certified female artist in the nation's phonographic era ....
Contemporary laïkó
Contemporary laïkó (σύγχρονο λαϊκό) (also called Modern laïkó) can be called in Greece the mainstream music genre, with variations in plural form as Contemporary laïká. Along with Modern laïká 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;...
is currently Greece's mainstream music genre. Contemporary laïká emerged as a style in the early 1980s. An indispensable part of the
contemporary laïká culture is the písta(πίστα; pl.: πίστες) dance floor/venue. Night clubs at which the DJs play only contemporary laïká where colloquially known on the 90s as ellinádhika. The main Greek
Culture of Greece
The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably into Classical Greece, through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek Eastern successor the Byzantine Empire...
dances and rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
s of today's Greek music culture laïká are Nisiotika
Nisiotika
Nisiotika is the name of the dances of Greek islands including a variety of Greek styles, played by ethnic Greeks in Greece, Cyprus, Australia, the United States and elsewhere....
, rebetiko
Rebetiko
Rebetiko, plural rebetika, , occasionally transliterated as Rembetiko, is a term used today to designate originally disparate kinds of urban Greek folk music which have come to be grouped together since the so-called rebetika revival, which started in the 1960s and developed further from the early...
, zeibekiko
Zeibekiko
Zeibekiko is a Greek folk dance with a rhythmic pattern of 9/4 or else 9/8 . The name of the dance derives from the Zeibek warriors of Anatolia. It is danced by one person only and is of free choreographic structure, which is often refers to ancient Greek tragedy...
, hasaposerviko
Hasapiko
The Hasapiko , is a Greek folk dance from Constantinople. The dance originated in the Middle Ages as a battle mime with swords performed by the Greek butchers guild, which adopted it from the military of Byzantine era. In Constantinople during the Byzantine times, it was called in Greek...
, kalamatianos
Kalamatianos
The Kalamatianós Dance is one of the best known dances of Greece. It is popular Greek folkdance throughout Greece, Cyprus and internationally and is often performed at many social gatherings worldwide. As is the case with most Greek folk dances, it is danced in circle with a counterclockwise...
and syrtaki.
Renowned songwriters of contemporary laïká include Alekos Chrysovergis, 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...
, Phoebus
Phoebus (songwriter)
Phoebus sometimes spelled Phivos or Fivos , is a well-known songwriter in both Greece and Cyprus. Phoebus is mostly known for his music through Despina Vandi and Katy Garbi, although he has composed albums for many other artists in Greece and Cyprus...
, Nikos Terzis, Giorgos Theofanous and Evi Droutsa.
Modern laiko is traditional Greek laïkó music mixed in with modern Western influences, from such international mainstream genres as pop music and dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
. One of the first artists in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
to pioneer this was Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi
Anna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
. She introduced rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
elements in the early 1990s and dance pop elements in the early 2000s. The more cheerful version of laïkó, called elafró laïkó (ελαφρολαϊκό – elafrolaïkó 'light laïkó') and it was often used in musicals during the Golden Age of Greek cinema
Cinema of Greece
Greece has a long and rich cinematic history. Greek films dominate the domestic market, for example Safe Sex had more box office receipts than Titanic. Characteristics of Greek cinema include a dynamic plot, strong character development and erotic themes...
. Τhe big Greek Peiraiotes superstar Tolis Voskopoulos
Tolis Voskopoulos
Apostolos Voskopoulos is one of the legends of modern Greek music. He also starred in many films and played in the Theatre in Athens....
gave the after-modern version of Greek
Culture of Greece
The culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years, beginning in Mycenaean Greece, continuing most notably into Classical Greece, through the influence of the Roman Empire and its Greek Eastern successor the Byzantine Empire...
Laiko (Ελληνικό λαϊκό) listenings. Many artists have combined the traditions of éntekhno and laïkó with considerable success, such as the composers Mimis Plessas
Mimis Plessas
Mimis Plessas is one of the most significant modern Greek composers. He was born in Athens. In 1952 he started composing music and since then he has written music for over 100 Greek movies, Greek radio, theatre and TV...
, Stavros Xarchakos, Giorgos Mouzakis
Giorgos Mouzakis
Giorgos Muzakis was a prominent Greek composer and musician of light popular music.-Career:Born in Metaxourgeio, Mouzakis performed first as a trumpeter in 1938, recording his first album in 1946. He studied at the Athens Conservatoire and continued his education in Austria and Germany...
and the lyricist Lefteris Papadopoulos
Lefteris Papadopoulos
Lefteris Papadopoulos is a Greek lyricist, writer and journalist.Lefteris Papadopoulos was born in Athens, Greece on 14 November 1935. He is the son of Greek refugees from the Asia Minor and Russia. He enrolled at the Law School of the University of Athens but he stopped during the third year in...
.
Terminology
In effect, there is no single name for contemporary laïká in the Greek language, but it isoften formally referred to as σύγχρονο λαϊκό ˈsiŋxrono laiˈko, a term which is
however also used for denoting newly composed songs in the tradition of "proper" Laïkó; when
ambiguity arises, σύγχρονο ("contemporary") λαϊκό or disparagingly λαϊκο-πόπ ("folk-pop", also
in the sense of "westernized") is used for the former, while γνήσιο ("proper, genuine,
true") or even καθαρόαιμο ("pureblood") λαϊκό is used for the latter. The choice of contrasting
the notions of "westernized" and "genuine" may often be based on ideological and aesthetic
Value judgment
A value judgment is a judgment of the rightness or wrongness of something, or of the usefulness of something, based on a comparison or other relativity. As a generalization, a value judgment can refer to a judgment based upon a particular set of values or on a particular value system...
grounds. Laiko interacted more westernized sounds in the late of 2000s. The term modern laïká comes from the phrase μοντέρνα λαϊκά (τραγούδια), modern songs of the people.
Critical response
Despite its immense popularity, the genre of contemporary laïká (especially laïkο-pop)has come under scrutiny for "featuring musical clichés, average singing voices and slogan-like
lyrics" and for "being a hybrid, neither laïkó, nor pop".
Artists
Some well-known artists representing this genre include:(1980s–2000s)
- Angie Samiou
- Anna VissiAnna VissiAnna Vissi , known as Anna Vishy in Cypriot Greek, is a Greek-Cypriot recording artist and actress...
- Antique (duo)Antique (duo)Antique was a Greek singing duo consisting of Elena Paparizou and Nikos Panagiotidis originating from Sweden which combined Greek popular music and lyrics with a Nordic dance pop beat. Both Paparizou and Panagiotidis were born and raised in Sweden by Greek parents...
- 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...
- Apostolia ZoiApostolia ZoiApostolia Zoi is a popular Greek singer who was born in Volos, Greece. She has released four studio albums.-Early life:At the age of 14, Apostolia moved to Thessaloniki to pursue her interest in diving and swimming where she graduating from the Gymnastics Academy. One night while out on the town...
- Chryspa
- Despina VandiDespina VandiDespina 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...
- Dionysis MakrisDionysis MakrisDionysis Makris born Dionysis Syntrivanis, is a popular Greek singer, of laiko music.-Biography:Makris was born on February 5, 1982 in Thessaloniki, Greece and was on the Greek talent show Dreamshow....
- Elena PaparizouElena PaparizouEleni "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...
- Elli KokkinouElli KokkinouElli 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,...
- Giorgos PapadopoulosGiorgos PapadopoulosGiorgos Papadopoulos is a Cypriot singer who began its career in Cyprus. After 3 successful EPs he released his first album in both Greek and Cypriot market and started getting popularity also in Greece...
- Kelly KelekidouKelly KelekidouKelly Kelekidou , sometimes referred to as Kel Kel, is a Greek singer. To date, she has released four studio albums and one CD Single which was certified Gold.-Career:...
- Katy GarbiKaty GarbiKaterina '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...
- Marianda Pieridi
- Nancy Alexiadi
- Nikos VertisNikos VertisNikolaos Vertis is a popular Greek singer who was born in Gorinchem, Netherlands. To date, he has released five studio albums along with one CD single, and two special edition CD/DVD albums.-Early life:...
- Notis SfakianakisNotis SfakianakisPanagiotis Sfakianakis is a Greek singer of laika music, who is one of the most commercially successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Sfakianakis began his career in 1985, opening at nightclubs for other artists. He was discovered by Sony Greece and released his debut album Proti Fora...
- Paschalis TerzisPaschalis TerzisPaschalis Terzis is a popular Greek singer.-Biography:Terzis was born in Pylaia, a suburb of Thessaloniki in the region of Northern Greece. In his early teens he began to sing with friends, some of whom helped him in his career...
- Peggy ZinaPeggy ZinaKalliopi 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...
- SabrinaSabrina (Greek singer)Sabrina is a Greek pop singer born in Zimbabwe to Greek immigrant parents. Her grandparents fled during the Greek-Turkish War and settled in Africa as many Greek refugees did so back then. The family moved back to Greece and Sabrina began her pop career....
- SarbelSarbelSarbel Michael known professionally as Sarbel, is a Greek Cypriot pop singer of partial Cypriot and Lebanese ancestry. He is well known in Cyprus, Greece and parts of the Arab world for his debut single, "Se pira sovara", and his subsequent albums Parakseno sinesthima, Sahara and Kati san esena...
- Thanos PetrelisThanos PetrelisAthanasios Petrelis is a popular singer. He has released four albums and several singles.-Fame Story:...
- Vasilis KarrasVasilis KarrasVasilis Karras is a Greek folk singer, in 2010 he celebrated his 30th year as a recording artist.-Biography:...
- Giorgos MazonakisGiorgos MazonakisGiorgos 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...
- Dimitris MitropanosDimitris MitropanosDimitris Mitropanos is a Greek singer. He is renowned for his mastery of Laïkó, a Greek music style.-Biography:Mitropanos lived in his native city of Trikala in northwest Thessaly until the age of 16, beginning his musical career in 1964....