GEORGE DALARAS

Greece

concert

Greek singer, musician, composer. Born in Kokkinia, Piraeus. In 1965, at the age of 15 years, he performed for the first time as guitarist and singer, while 3 years later he recorded his first personal album.

Since 1968 his name has been connected with significant cooperations. Kougioumtzis, Loizos, Kaldaras, L. Papadopoulos, M. Eleftheriou, were the first composers who trusted him with their great songs. Later Theodorakis, Hadjidakis, Xarchakos, Markopoulos were added to the list of the greatest creators of Greek music who trusted George Dalaras. For George Dalaras there are no musical borders. His international collaborations with: Al di Meola, Paco de Lucia, Sting, Ian Anderson, Goran Bregovic, Emma Shapplin, Dulce Pontes, Eddy Napoli prove this.

Since 1981 Greek songs have been travelling all over the world because of George Dalaras who has performed more than 1000 concerts in the most significant concert halls. A milestone in his career is his work with great conductors and universally renowned symphonic orchestras (Metropol, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Montreal Symphonic Orchestra, Philadelphia Philharmonic).

In 1983, 160.000 spectators attended his two concerts at the Athens Olympic Stadium. These concerts were the largest

productions that have ever taken place in Greece.

In 1994 his cooperation with the Athens Concert Hall started. The performance “With Light and Death Endlessly” directed by Costa Gavras was a historic retrospection to Greek music from the ancient years until now.

Numbers are indicative in the course of an artist’s career. George Dalaras, up to now, has recorded more than 80 personal albums and has cooperated in more than 110 albums, as a musician, a singer and producer. Sales of these albums have exceeded 15.000.000.

His wealthy artistic and social course has been awarded with many honorary distinctions. He was awarded Cypriot citizenship and he was elected Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. In 1994 he received the Kennedy Award in recognition of his humanitarian contributions.

On 2006, he was appointed by the UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Antonio Guterres one of the seven UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) Goodwill Ambassadors in the world.