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Haris Alexiou
Her real name is Harikleia Roupaka. She was born on 27/12/1950 in Thebes and has been living in Athens since 1958. She first appeared in Plaka in 1967 and released her first record in 1971 (‘Otan peene mia gynaika”- “When a woman drinks”). At the beginning of the 70s, she belonged to the so-called artistic popular music scene and sang songs created by Kaldaras, Kougioumtzis, Loizos, Spanos. In the 80s her voice donned songs of Thanos Mikroutsikos while nowadays she seems to be experimenting on new modern music forms. Undoubtedly one of the best female voices of the last thirty years with a big following in Europe and the USA.

Markos Vamvakaris
“ Spring time my heart blossomed. I was sitting for hours on end and listened to the flowers blooming. It was as if I was constantly burning inside me. That’s what I remember.” Markos Vamvakaris
“It is very often the case that history is faked by sly people and its potential writers are lost. For a small period of time fortunately. Markos knew his history and his destiny. As we say, the progress of dithyramb reaches up to Aeschylus and becomes art with a capital A, the same happens with Markos. The greatest woes of Markos meet the greatest figure”. Yiorgis Christofilakis, The Legend of Rebetika, Markos Vamvakaris, Tegopoulos Maniateas Publications, Athens, 1997.
He was born in Syros on 10/5/1905 and died on 8/2/1972 in Athens. The composer of the songs: “Frangosyriani” (The Catholic lady from Syros), “Antilaloun oi fylakes” (The prisons echo), “Kavouras”, “Rixe tsiggana ta chartia” (Read the cards, gypsy woman), “Vergoules” (Small rods). Perhaps the most original representative of what is literally called Rebetiko.

Dimitra Galani
She was born in Athens on 14/11/1952 and started recording in 1969. One of the greatest Greek singers with a deep voice that penetrates and ‘fills” space… “reaching deep down the soul”. She cooperated with the greatest Greek composers and sung songs of Hatzidakis, Theodorakis, Xarchakos, Mikroutsikos, Tsitsanis etc. Luscious voice, plethoric, dynamic and original presence.

Nikos Gatsos
“I sung you
like an endless beach
like a pomegranate
without branches.
I sung you
Like a big beach
Like a nest
Without birds”
Dakrya tou Fthinoporou (Tears of Autumn) (Fysa Aeraki Fysa Me… [Blow wind blow…])
He was born in Asea of Arcadia (or otherwise Chania of Fragovrisi) on the 8th December either of 1911 or 1914. He publishes his first and last collection of poems “Amorgos” in 1943.
He started writing lyrics mainly for Hatzidakis, as well as for Theodorakis, Xarchakos, Moutsis, Chatzinasios, and Chalaris in the 50s. With his works, he brings a new breeze in the Greek lyric writing. At the same time, he gets involved with the translation mainly of plays and among others, he translates Lorka, Strindberg and Genet.
In 1991, Barcelona’s Academy elected him as a corresponding member recognizing his contribution to the preservation of Spanish literature.
He dies on the 12th May 1992.

Giorgos Zambetas
Composer, singer, master player of bouzouki. He was born in Athens on 25/1/1925. He made his debut as a musician in 1950 and he started recording in 1953 (San Simera (Like Today), song: Prodromos Tsaousakis). He started his career in the period after rebetika and met with great success in the 60s and 70s both as a musician and as a popular showman. His excellent talent in bouzouki playing, was recognized –as it is often the case with the exceptionally talented people- a bit before and a bit after his death (10/3/1992). Spontaneous, saucy, humorist but also ‘magas’ (crafty), when he was asked by a journalist about his relationship with hashish, he answered: “If I have smoked hashish? A whole pasture!” “Yes, sir” (Malista kyrie) (title of a Zambeta’s song –song: Giorgos Zambetas, Lyrics: Alexandros Kayantas).

Mikis Theodorakis
He was born on 29/7/1925 in Chios. One of the greatest Greek composers. He appeared in the music circles at the end of the 50s. He used popular music in order to promote the poetic word achieving to attract a huge audience. He set to music works of poets of high caliber such as Seferis, Elytis and Ritsos managing to make his songs sung by everybody, everywhere. Some of his great works, such as “Epitaphios” (Epitaph) and “Axion Esti” (It is worthy), followed exactly this direction. He was greatly involved in politics and he fought against the dictatorship. He is considered the introducer of ‘popular folk concerts'. His work has established him as a figure of international fame.

Stelios Kazantzidis
He was called ‘Child of the people’ and he was also known as ‘Stelaras’ (Big Stelios). He was one of the most loved singers. He was born in Athens in 1931 and died in 2001. He started recording in 1953 (Kale kopela- Hi, girl) and sung songs of Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Manolis Chiotis, Stavros Xarchakos. He has been called the ‘voice of our century’ and his voice remained the same for 49 years. Manos Hatzidakis said in 1965: “Voices like the voice of Stelios Kazantzidis appear only every two centuries”.

Maria Kallas
Her name was Maria Kalogeropoulou. She was born on 2/12/1923 in New York and died on the 16/9/1977 in Paris. She rightly deserves the title of ‘the absolute diva of opera’. Her contribution to opera singing is invaluable.

Manolis Kalomiris
He was born on 26/12/1883 in Smyrna and completed his music studies in Athens, Constantinople and Vienna. He settled down in Greece in 1910. He is considered the composer founder of the Greek National Music School. In 1919, he founded the National Conservatory. His work has been questioned as it is believed to have allowed foreign sound influences to be accepted in the Greek music progress. He died on 3/4/1962 in Athens.

Simon Karas
He was born on 21/5/1905 in Olympia and his cultural work in Greek music is huge. The works he left after his death are many and of multiple importance. He was actively involved in different fields and the importance of his work lies in his effort to collect and list the folk songs as well as the organization of systematic teaching, studying and performance of folk songs.

Manos Loizos
He was born on 17/9/1937 in Alexandria, Egypt, and started recording in 1965 (“To tragoudi tou dromou” (The song of the road), song: Giorgos Moutsios, lyrics: Nikos Gatsos). He is the composer who left early –he died in Moscow on 17/9/1982. Because of a big part of his oeuvre, he could be classed as one of the representatives of the ‘political songs’ in Greece.

Nana Mouschouri
Spiritual child of Manos Hatzidakis. She is the only Greek singer who met with such a big success in Europe and, more specifically, in France. She was born on 13/10/1936 in Chania, Crete, and started her career in 1959 starring in the first three Greek Song Festivals. She has released records singing in Greek, French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Jewish. She has more than 300 gold and platinum records and is said to have sold more than 200 million records. The Europeans stream into concert halls wherever she appears and honour the value of her crystal-clear voice.

Thanos Mikroutsikos
He was born on 13/4/1947 in Patras, he studied piano, harmony, counterpoint and composition, has a degree in Mathematics, was Minister of Culture and is considered an important Greek composer. In the course of his work, he duly kept his distance from the temptations of the East and he followed his own path in the Greek song writing. Many of his works, which belong to the contemporary literary idiom, are often performed in European festivals. Some of his most important compositions are: “Stavros tou Notou” (Southern Cross), “Mousiki Praxi ston Breht” (Musical Praxis on Breht), “Sygnomi gia tin Amyna” (Sorry for defending myself), “Ola apo Cheri Chamena” (All was lost from the start).

Grigoris Bithikotsis
He was born on 11/12/1922 in Peristeri and started recording in 1949 (“Kantili tremosvini” (Oil-lamb flickers), composition: G.Bithikotsis, song: G.Bithikotsis, M. Vamvakaris). He was characterized as the ‘sir’ of Greek music. His ‘wooden’ voice sealed most of Mikis Theodorakis’ work.

Sotiria Bellou
She was born in 1921 in Drosia, Euboea, and is one of the most important singers of popular music. With strong influences of rebetiko, with a voice of exquisite dynamic and recognizable elements of drama, she sang in a unique way and without doubt she belongs to the Pantheon of the greatest voices in the history of Greek music.

Giorgos Dalaras
Great Greek singer who has been on the forefront of the music scene for more than thirty years. He comes from a family of popular musicians from Asia Minor, son of Loukas Daralas. He was born on 29/9/49 in Athens and started recording in 1967 (“Prosmoni” –Waiting). He became known singing songs of Stavros Kouyoumtzis, Manos Loizos and Apostolos Kaldaras. An artist with expanded music presence, he got successfully involved with a plethora of music genres and this led to some people criticizing him. He is well known for the strict professionalism of his productions.

Stavros Xarchakos
He was born on 14/3/1939 in Athens and was called the third greatest Greek composer after Manos Hatzidakis and Mikis Theodorakis. He cooperated with distinguished poets and lyric writers such as Nikos Gatsos, Lefteris Papadopoulos, Vangelis Goufas, Iakovos Kambanelis etc. He was rightly characterized as a top composer having created a huge music oeuvre starting from ‘Kokkina Fanaria” (Red Lights) up to “Rebetiko”.

Iannis Xenakis
Composer and architect. He was born on 29/5/1922 in Vraila, Romania. He lived in Athens between 1932 and 1947. According to some researchers, his innovative music makes him a global figure worthy of Picasso in painting and Le Corbusier in architecture. He invented original methods of music development with the aid of technology (e.g Polygogia).

Vangelis Papathanasiou
He was born on 29/3/1943 in Agria, Magnesia, and marked the Greek pop culture of the 60s with the Forminx band. He has been living in London since 1975. He started his international career with the Aphrodite’s Child band. His music is based on computers and he became globally known as Vangelis. He won the Oscar Award for the soundtrack of the film “Chariots of Fire”.

Dionisis Savvopoulos
He was born on 2/12/1944 in Thessalonica and is regarded as the representative of a whole music culture. He makes his dynamic debut in the record production scene in the mid 60s with the “Fortigo’ (The Truck). Composer, lyric writer, singer, he introduces in the Greek music scene the term ‘tragoudopoios” (bard). One of the most important personalities of the New Wave, a protesting dissenter, he is still on the forefront of the Greek society justly challenging the title of the leading figure of a part of Greek music.

Domna Samiou
She was born on 12/10/1928 in Kesariani. With the passion of reconstructing the violently expatriated identity –something that characterized the refugees of Asia Minor- she devoted herself to the collection, promotion and maintenance of folk songs. Domna Samiou is regarded as a very important figure in the preservation of the Greek culture.

Pavlos Sidiropoulos
Legendary Greek rock persona, point of reference of the Greek rock culture. He was born on 27/7/1948 in Athens and succumbed under the weight of his rock sensitivity on 6/12/1990. Gifted singer and writer of lyrics full of ideology, he is the inspiration of the dissenting generation who were not able to transform their problems with his record “Flou” towards the end of the 70s towards the end of the 70s.

Cleon Triantafyllou (Attic):
He was born in Athens in 1885 and died in 1944. Representative of the music genre which prevailed in the 30s and 40s in Greece and was called ‘light music’. He worked in Paris with the penname “Attic”. His contribution lies in the originality of his work and his excellent work in setting lyrics to music.

Vassilis Tsitsanis
“Cloudy Sunday
You resemble my heart
It is always cloudy
My God and Virgin Mary”
“It was a real incident. It took place a dark winter night. Sunday. I saw with my own eyes the death of a lad. My heart bled. I took a piece of paper and wrote down what choked me. I felt extremely proud when I saw with what love the people embraced this song.” Vassilis Tsitsanis
He was born on 18/1/1915 in Trikala and he records for the first time in 1936. Yiannis Tsarouchis used to say: “With Tsitsanis, we remember that we have culture.” Vassilis Tsitsanis could undoubtedly be called our National Bard. He died in London on 18/1/1984.

Tasos Chalkias
He was born in 1914 in Granitsopoula, Hepirus. Member of a big and historic family of musicians from Hepirus. Expert clarinetist, he leaves Hepirus in the first postwar years and comes to Athens where he releases records with the group of the Chalkias family. In 1960, he goes to New York and starts working in Greek clubs. There he meets the American… clarinetist of jazz Benny Goodman. The two men cooperated in a Benny Goodman record. He died on 12/8/1992.

Manos Hatzidakis
He was born on 23/10/1925 in Xanthi and came to Athens in 1932. He started writing music for the theater in 1946. He was a citizen of the world and he inspired and expressed a major part of the Greek culture of the second half of the 20th century. He changed the course of Greek music granting it the aura of his sensitivity, he made rebetiko an acceptable form of music in the consciousness of the Greek urban citizen of post war Athens, he created a model state cultural organization, the Third Programme, and Sirios Record Company, he created a whole generation of artists and inherited a plethora of gems to the Greek culture of our century. Manos Hatzidakis is not a part of our civilization. He is the Greek Civilization himself. He died on 15/6/1994 in Athens.