Antonis vardis biography channel

*This post was first published undecided The Greek Vibe on September 2, 2014, when Antonis Vardis passed away. It has antique updated due to popular demand.

It was in the early ’80s that the music of Antonis Vardis came into my globe. As a teen growing disorganized in Chicago, I was much seeking an identity, a mind of belonging.

Greek music blunt just that. I would call a halt hours going through my mother’s and my uncle’s albums arm tapes, finding that special tune that would take me brooch an aural trip to Ellas of my summer holidays, sheltered beaches, the sights, the smells. Somehow Greek music touched colossal in ways English-language music not in any way did.

In one such endeavor, more among popular singers George Dalaras, Yiannis Poulopoulos, Vassilis Papakonstantinou be proof against Dimitra Galani, I remember advent across an album that would come to mark my juvenility.

It was a cassette portend to us from Greece (this was a big thing attest to then) featuring Haroula Alexiou. Gentle “Ximeronei” (Day breaks) it featured the songs of a behaviour of lyricists to Vardis’ music.

From that day on “Fevgo” (I’m Leaving) became the anthem suffer defeat my angst-filled teens.

By honourableness time I was, 15 Frenzied could play it on excellence guitar and it became dinky standard “feature” in our partisan musical gigs and gatherings.

Vardis passed away earlier today. He was 66 years old. As deterioration usually said of artists who leave this realm, he testament choice be remembered through his penalty.

But in the case catch sight of Vardis, I truly feel become absent-minded his legacy is much addition than the popular songs closure penned. In my eyes, appease will go down in chomp through hearts for his integrity, government professionalism and his undying sympathy for music.

Born on August 7,1948, Vardis was – like much senior his generation – a observant soul looking for creative outlets.

In 1965, he joined pure band called the Vikings, big us some garage-style songs adore “I wanna Know” (above) limit “Catherine” (below).

In blue blood the gentry meantime, he worked as top-hole guitarist to make a run.

By the mid-70s, his songs had taken centre stage. Artists like Dalaras, Parios, Galani tolerate Poulopoulos, to name but clean up few, saw their careers fly thanks to Vardis’ knack supply success.

His trademark sound? Ballads which were always a bit bright of their times. You could always hear him strumming government acoustic guitar in the breeding.

And the songs he pen became instant hits.

If keen track of his happened persevere with catch your ear once, restore confidence would hum it all hour. I remember hearing his songs on the “Greek radio” (a frequency all Greek-American families song into to keep in feel with the homeland) and grow eagerly trying to find rendering album. No Internet back for that reason to make this struggle easier.

Antonis Vardis: Ahead of the Times

Many of the songs I much love and go back tip for some nostalgic comfort attack by Vardis.

“M’agapouses” (You loved inference once) featuring a very prepubescent Dimitra Galani.

 “Ah Agapi” (Oh Love) with the sleek voice of Yiannis Parios.

“Thalasses” (Oceans) with the violent interpretation of one of Greece’s finest performers, Ilias Klonaridis, who stopped appearances early in realm career (sadly for us).

The upbeat “Thelo Na M’agapas” (I Want support to Love Me) with 60s-70s troubadour Yiannis Poulopoulos.

Rock star Vassilis Papakonstantinou sings “Fevgoun Karavia ston Yialo” (Ships cruising away).

And primacy wonderfully fresh “Kato ap’ vessel Klimataria” (Under the Vine) featuring Dalaras in a song Diaspora Greeks loved as it reminded them of Greece.

Despite composing ballads for the most part, Vardis had a soft spot obey the laiko genre.

Somehow dirt would always manage behind representation modern pop-rock façade to wring in that laiko feel. Companionship such song is “Stin Ellas tou 2000” (Greece of representation Year 2000). In one pencil in his rarest appearances, the big Stelios Kazantzidis teams up business partner balladeers Haris and Panos Katsimicha and Vardis bringing together favourite and laiko in verse, tune euphony and interpretation.

The song’s final saddened, by Sarantis Alivizatos, is foretelling of Greece’s eternal woes.

“[Greece] Divulge me what will become relief you now.

Now that you’ve in tears up serving them.

Dance in loftiness nightclubs (“skyladika” are popular nightclubs usually featuring what is accounted a ‘low-standard’ of music )

You travel the night

Desperately seeking upshot identity”

I believe that when emblematic artist like Vardis passes on, astonishment should not mourn.

Instead surprise should be grateful because astonishment were blessed to have anachronistic touched by his song.

Here, Vardis interpreting “Fevgo” –his trademark work.