Entertainment News from Athens, Tributes to Greek Artists

Ketty Panou was born in Burgas, Bulgaria but emigrated to Greece at a young age.  She was very talented and became a child star, performing in many theatrical plays.  She studied acting and ballet at the George Theodosiadi school of Cinema & Acting and had the leading role in one of the first big screen movies that had sound and vocals ' The Voice of the Heart" in 1943.  She is mostly remembered as the wife of famous Greek actor Lambros Constantaras, as she frequently was his partner in theatrical plays and movies. She appeared in more that 25 big screen films and appeared in many television series and stage plays until her death in 2008. Listen to the podcast and find out more:

Kakia Panagiotou was a greek actress born in Athens on 26th of Ιανουαρίου 1923.  She studied at the National School of Arts, ‎she  made her first appearance on stage in ‎‎1945‎‎ in the play  "Avlaia" and in ‎‎1948‎‎ she was hired at the National Theatre of Greece as the first in the dance of the ancient drama. In the performance of "‎‎Oresteia‎‎" by ‎‎Aeschylus‎‎, she was particularly distinguished, playing Cassandra. She continued assumed primary roles in newer performances of works.‎‎ She toured with the theatrical company of ‎‎renowned Marika Kotopouli‎‎ in ‎‎Egypt‎‎ and ‎‎Cyprus‎‎. From 1953 she was a permanent member of the National Theatre of Greece. In the 1960s she was intensely involved in Greek cinema where she participated in several films, such as "Stefania", "‎‎Love forever‎‎", "‎‎Manto Mavrogenous‎‎", "‎‎Lieutenant Natassa‎‎". ‎‎In the ‎‎television season 2007-2008‎‎ she played the role of the narrator in the series‎‎ "‎‎Deligiannion Girls' School‎‎".‎ Listen to the podcast and find out more about this talented Greek actress.

Dimitris Mitropanos was a Greek singer. He was renowned for his mastery of Laïkó, a Greek music style. He worked with some of the most renowned Greek composers, such as Mikis Theodorakis, Stavros Xarhakos, Giorgos Zabetas, Manos Hatzidakis, Marios Tokas, and Thanos Mikroutsikos. Mitropanos considered Giorgos Zampetas to be a great teacher and a second father to himself. As he stated, "Zambetas is the only man in music who helped me without expecting anything. With all my other colleagues, I got something and I gave something in return". In 1967, Mitropanos recorded his first 7" single "Thessaloniki." This followed the recording of "Chameni Paschalia", a song that was censored by the Greek military junta and thus never released."Agios Fevrouarios", "The Road to Kythera", Ta Ladadika, are some of his well known recordings, building a career intertwined with the Laïko tradition, until the late 1980s.His songs which continued to be popular among Greeks, such as "Roza", "Panta gelastoi", "Ta Ladadika" "Alimono" and many more,gave him  standing ovations at many of hiw world tours. Listen to the podcast and find out more about this popular Greek singer that was renamed "the Voice of Modern Greece"

Manolis Chiotis: March 21, 1921 – March 20, 1970 He is considered one of the greatest bouzouki soloists of all time. He popularised the four-course bouzouki (tetrachordo) and introduced the guitar-like tuning, who found it better suited to the kind of virtuoso playing he was famous for.‎ Manolis Chiotis reportedly wrote more than 1500 songs, however, he also regularly participated as a soloist in recordings of many other folk composers. ‎‎In the 1960s, he was permanently included in a special painting of Greek artists of the ceremonial service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the proposed entertainment of the high visitors of the country. Manolis Chiotis had sung in front of many rulers and other country leaders, and had been invited to play at the ‎‎White House‎‎ on President ‎‎Lyndon Johnson's‎‎ birthday.‎ Listen to the podcast and find out more

Giorgos Zampetas, Greek music composer, singer and one of the greatest bouzouki artists, from a very young age, Zampetas showed a great interest in music anything that was producing sound seemed exciting to him and helped him in his compositions, he won his first prize, playing his first song in a school competition. He was one of the most recognized Greek musicians of all times, working in the Greek cinema.  He appeared in many Greek film productions, and his compositions used in many, one of the most famous being "Siko Horepse Sirtaki". He also worked with famous Greek composers, such as Manos Hadjidakis in 1959, and there after collaborated with various leading Greek musicians such as Theodorakis, Stavros Xarchakos and many others. He is considered to be the first Greek rapper when ‎during the 70s, Zampetas turns to satire in the form of a show, with his well-known hits "Thanasis", "The Fiftieth", "Yes Sir", etc. to create a sensation in the audience again.‎ Listen to the podcast and find out more about this unforgettable master of the bouzouki, that composed hundreds of the most memorable music hits.  

‎Stalia - stalia‎‎ is the title of ‎‎Marinella's‎‎ first personal ‎‎album‎‎, after her separation from ‎‎Stelios Kazantzidis‎‎. It was released on a ‎‎33' vinyl record‎‎ in ‎‎Greece‎‎ and ‎‎Cyprus‎‎ on ‎‎January 17,‎‎ ‎‎1969‎‎ by PolyGram Records, under the label of Philips Records. ‎Listen to the podcast and find out what composer Giorgos Zambetas said about creating this gem of an old time classic song

‎Fragosyriani‎‎ is a song by ‎‎Markos Vamvakaris‎‎ that was written and recorded by him in 1935. It is one of the most important and well-known songs of the composer. The song has been recorded and re-performed by many well-known Greek & foreign artists. The most famous, probably, adaptation is considered to be that of ‎‎Grigoris Bithikotsis‎‎, in 1960,‎‎ which made it better known. ‎Listen to the podcast and learn how and why it was written & a few modern takes of this popular song. 

Dinos Dimopoulos  22 August 1921 – 28 February 2003 was a Greek actor, film director, screenwriter and theatre director. He directed 47 films between 1953 and 1993. His 1959 film Astero was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film Festival. His 1960 film Madalena was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival. He wrote also some theatrical plays. He has won the best director award in Thessaloniki Film Festival for the film The Asphalt Fever. He collaborated with legendary actors & musicians, he experimented with different film genres, delivering unforgettable comedies, engaging melodramas, crime mysteries, even films with a bucolic touch. He is also the lyricist of many Greek songs listen to the podcast and find out how this multi talented artist sealed the Hellenic Film Industry with his passion, creativity and ingenuity.

Tzeni Vanou born Eugenia Vrachnou; 10 February 1939 – 5 February 2014, was a Greek singer, born in Athens. She had planned on studying physics, but she met her mentor, Greek composer Mimis Plessas, who persuaded her to become a singer. She began her career in 1959 performing with the ERT orchestra. In 1964, she won first prize in the Thessaloniki Song Festival. ‎In 1969 she traveled to America, after signing a contract, for an international career, which he refused at the last minute. There she recorded a 45" album with two American songs, she also sang in Italian and French.   ‎She was a key performer and "muse" of many composers performing  songs by Mimis Plessas, ‎‎Mikis Theodorakis‎‎, ‎‎Giorgos Mouzakis‎‎, ‎‎Kostas Giannidis‎‎, ‎‎Jacques Iakovidis‎‎, ‎‎Attik‎‎, ‎‎Alekos Chrysovergis‎‎, ‎‎Takis Moussafiris‎‎ of Nini Zacha, Giorgos Manikas, Giorgos Katsaros etc. ‎‎For her work she was awarded in ‎‎Spain‎‎, ‎‎Poland‎‎ and the former ‎‎Soviet Union‎‎. ‎‎She was refered to as "The Voice" due to her outstanding vocal abilities and compared to Barabara Streisand or Ella Fitzgerald. Listen to the poscact and find out more about this brilliant artist...

Filopimin Finos 1908 – January 26, 1977 was a pioneer Greek film producer of 186 films and the founder of Finos Film, whose first film was in 1939. He built the first sound recording device in Greece, and shot the first colour film with stereo sound. ‎ During the second world ‎‎war‎‎ he filmed important documentaries from the ‎‎Front of Albania‎‎ and ‎‎German-occupied‎ Athens. He is considered the Father of Greek Cinema. He was the "creator" of hundreds of movie stars, directors, musicians, dancers, and all talents related to cinema. Listen to his fascinating life story and beating all odds with only a vision of  becoming a successful movie producer, to be to be regarded as  the "Patriarch of Greek Cinema"