Thanassis Papakonstantinou
Encyclopedia
Athanasios Papakonstantinou (Θανάσης Παπακωνσταντίνου) (born April 26, 1959, in Tyrnavos
) is a Greek singer-songwriter
.
in Thessaloniki
, which he practices as well as being a musician. After military service (all males are conscripted in Greece), he had a spell of handcrafting traditional Greek musical instruments.
Now a Larissa
resident, Papakonstantinou has established himself as one of the most original and prolific people in the Greek music scene. He writes music in the Greek folk idiom, stemming from his own recollections of traditional songs his parents sang while working in the field. He usually writes his own lyrics or uses poems. He has collaborated with numerous notable artists from the Greek music scene, such as Giannis Aggelakas, Melina Kana, Sokratis Malamas
, Lizeta Kalimeri, Nikos Papazoglou
.
Sleeplessness, ungroped animal!
Without a spit of affection
in those who thirst for chimeras, you tilt
your mug that’s always empty.
Tyrnavos
Tyrnavos is a municipality in the Larissa regional unit, of the Thessaly region of Greece. Tyrnavos is the prefecture's third largest community within the Larissa prefecture. The town is near the mountains and the Thessalian Plain. The river Titarisios, a tributary of the Pineios, flows through...
) is a Greek 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...
.
Short biography
He is married, with two children. Papakonstantinou studied Mechanical EngineeringMechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
in 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...
, which he practices as well as being a musician. After military service (all males are conscripted in Greece), he had a spell of handcrafting traditional Greek musical instruments.
Now a Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
resident, Papakonstantinou has established himself as one of the most original and prolific people in the Greek music scene. He writes music in the Greek folk idiom, stemming from his own recollections of traditional songs his parents sang while working in the field. He usually writes his own lyrics or uses poems. He has collaborated with numerous notable artists from the Greek music scene, such as Giannis Aggelakas, Melina Kana, Sokratis Malamas
Sokratis Malamas
Sokratis Malamas is a Greek singer and songwriter.One of the great songwriters of his generation with a very personal and identifiable musical style in his narrative songs....
, Lizeta Kalimeri, Nikos Papazoglou
Nikos Papazoglou
Nikolaos Papazoglou was a Thessaloniki-born Greek singer-songwriter, musician and producer....
.
Discography
- Αγία Νοσταλγία - Agia Nostalgia (Holy Nostalgia) (produced by Nikos Papazoglou), April 1993
- Στην Ανδρομέδα και στη γη - Stin Andromeda kai sti Gi (On Andromeda and on Earth) (performed by himself, Melina Kana, Sokratis Malamas who also took care of the instrumentation), May 1995
- Της Αγάπης Γερακάρης - Tis Agapis Gerakaris (Hawk-tamer of love) (performed by Melina Kana), October 1996
- Λάφυρα – Lafyra ( Loot) (performed by Melina Kana and the group Ashkhabad from Turkmenistan), 1998
- Βραχνός Προφήτης – Vrachnos Profitis (Hoarse Prophet), July 2000
- Αγρύπνια - Agrypnia (Vigil), April 2002
- Τα ζωντανά - Ta zontana (The live ones), June 2004
- Η βροχή από κάτω - I vrochi apo kato (The rain from below), March 2006
- Διάφανος - Diaphanos (Diaphanous, Transparent), December 2006
- Ο Σαμάνος - O Samanos (The Shaman), July 2008
- Ο ελάχιστος εαυτός - O elachistos eaftos (The minimum self), February 2011
Lyrics Sample
Rhyme from Agripnia, 2002Sleeplessness, ungroped animal!
Without a spit of affection
in those who thirst for chimeras, you tilt
your mug that’s always empty.
Band members
- George Bandoek Apostolakis
- Alex Apostolakis
- Dimitris Mpaslam
- Mitsos Mistakidis
- Pantelis Stoikos
- Fotis Siotas
- Martha Frintzila
- Matoula Zamani
External links
- Unofficial website devoted to Thanasis Papakonstantinou, in Greek (The artist and some of his musicians are active members of the forum)
- Fan page at Myspace