Nikos Papazoglou
Encyclopedia
Nikolaos Papazoglou (in Greek
: Νίκος Παπάζογλου; 20 March 1948 – 17 April 2011) was a Thessaloniki
-born Greek
singer-songwriter
, musician and producer.
Papazoglou began performing in a number of Greek local groups in the 1960s. In 1972, he moved to Aachen
in Germany
with the group Zilotis in an attempt to break into the international music scene. The group recorded six songs in Milan, Italy. Shortly afterwards, he returned to Greece.
In 1976, Greek songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos
invited him to participate in Acharnees, a cycle of songs and stage acts based on the ancient comedy by Aristophanes
. There Papazoglou met Manolis Rasoulis
and the two, along with Dionysis Savvopoulos and Nikos Xydakis
, produced in 1978 the influential Ekdikisi Tis Gyftias . The work received critical acclaim. Papazoglou and Rasoulis cooperated the following year in another successful work, Ta Dithen (Τα δήθεν meaning so-called in Greek).
Since 1984 the artist organized his tours by himself. He and his band known as Loxi falaga ( meaning Oblique order
), played in small venues in villages and small islands, gaining huge popularity with the general public. His works generated an ever-expanding audience in northern Europe and America and was very well known as a cult persona with his signature red bandana, the playing of the baglamas and considered a veritable world music
figure.
Very well known Nikos Papazoglou songs include: "Κανείς εδώ δεν τραγουδά" (Kaneis edw den tragouda), "Αχ Ελλάδα" (Ax Ellada), "Αύγουστος" (Avgoustos), "Οι μάγκες δεν υπάρχουν πια" (Oi magkes den yparxoun pia) and "Υδροχόος" (Ydrokhoos) as well as many others that have become big Greek and international hits. Many of his songs have been interpreted by other Greek artists and been sung in various languages.
Papazoglou was a producer and sound technician to many of the underground rock scene of Greece in the 1980s through his Agrotikon Studio.
He lived in Thessaloniki with his wife and his two children. He died at 17 April 2011 after a long struggle with cancer
.
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;...
: Νίκος Παπάζογλου; 20 March 1948 – 17 April 2011) was a 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...
-born Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
singer-songwriter
Singer-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...
, musician and producer.
Papazoglou began performing in a number of Greek local groups in the 1960s. In 1972, he moved to Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
in 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...
with the group Zilotis in an attempt to break into the international music scene. The group recorded six songs in Milan, Italy. Shortly afterwards, he returned to Greece.
In 1976, Greek songwriter Dionysis Savvopoulos
Dionysis Savvopoulos
Dionysis Savvopoulos is a Greek music composer, lyricist and singer.He was born in Thessaloniki. In 1963 he moved to Athens, terminating his law studies in favour of his career in music...
invited him to participate in Acharnees, a cycle of songs and stage acts based on the ancient comedy by Aristophanes
Aristophanes
Aristophanes , son of Philippus, of the deme Cydathenaus, was a comic playwright of ancient Athens. Eleven of his forty plays survive virtually complete...
. There Papazoglou met Manolis Rasoulis
Manolis Rasoulis
Emmanouil Rasoulis , best known as the lyricist of famous songs, was a Greek music composer, singer, writer and journalist.Rasoulis was born in 1945 in Heraklion, Crete...
and the two, along with Dionysis Savvopoulos and Nikos Xydakis
Nikos Xydakis
Nikos Xydakis, in Greek Νίκος Ξυδάκης) is a Greek composer, pianist and singer. Born in Cairo, Egypt, he immigrated with his family to Greece in 1963. Much of his music has its root in theatrical music....
, produced in 1978 the influential Ekdikisi Tis Gyftias . The work received critical acclaim. Papazoglou and Rasoulis cooperated the following year in another successful work, Ta Dithen (Τα δήθεν meaning so-called in Greek).
Since 1984 the artist organized his tours by himself. He and his band known as Loxi falaga ( meaning Oblique order
Oblique order
The Oblique Order is a military tactic where an attacking army focuses its forces to attack a single enemy flank. The force commander concentrates the majority of his strength on one flank and uses the remainder to fix the enemy line. This allows a commander with weaker or equal forces to...
), played in small venues in villages and small islands, gaining huge popularity with the general public. His works generated an ever-expanding audience in northern Europe and America and was very well known as a cult persona with his signature red bandana, the playing of the baglamas and considered a veritable world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
figure.
Very well known Nikos Papazoglou songs include: "Κανείς εδώ δεν τραγουδά" (Kaneis edw den tragouda), "Αχ Ελλάδα" (Ax Ellada), "Αύγουστος" (Avgoustos), "Οι μάγκες δεν υπάρχουν πια" (Oi magkes den yparxoun pia) and "Υδροχόος" (Ydrokhoos) as well as many others that have become big Greek and international hits. Many of his songs have been interpreted by other Greek artists and been sung in various languages.
Papazoglou was a producer and sound technician to many of the underground rock scene of Greece in the 1980s through his Agrotikon Studio.
He lived in Thessaloniki with his wife and his two children. He died at 17 April 2011 after a long struggle 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...
.
Discography
Album title first in Greek, then English transliteration in parenthesis:- 1978: Η Εκδίκηση της Γυφτιάς (I Ekdikisi tis Gyftias)
- 1984: Χαράτσι (Harátsi)
- 1986: Μέσω Νεφών (Méso Nefón)
- 1990: Σύνεργα (Sínerga)
- 1991: Επιτόπιος ηχογράφησις στο θέατρο του Λυκαβηττού (Epitópios ichográfisis sto theatro tu Lykabittú)
- 1995: Όταν κινδυνεύεις παίξε την πουρούδα (Otan kidinevis paíkse tin puruda)
- 2005: Μάγισσα Σελήνη (Magissa selini)
- 2009: Ήμουν κι εγώ εκεί (Imoun ki ego ekei)