Singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki started her career in the early 80s as the singer of a popular group of rembetika revivalists, named Opisthodromiki Kompania. Rembetika is a music idiom that developed in Greece among the under classes in the early part of the 20th century and was particularly indebted to the Greek refugees from Asia Minor. In 1985, Eleftheria Arvanitaki started her solo career, which quickly established her as one of the most promising female voices for the years to come.

Eleftheria's vocal qualities and her ability to combine the traditional and contemporary music of Greece have inspired some of the most distinguished composers, lyricists, and poets of the day to write songs for her that are now considered ''classics'' in Greek music. All of her personal albums are platinum. Moreover, she has received 2 Greek music awards for Best Female Singer of the Year. Every year she gives more than 120 performances in her country, almost 40 of them during her much-awaited (by the public all over Greece) summer tours. According to critics her live appearances are already considered as legendary and also a very important part of Greek music's history.

However, Eleftheria's career has crossed the...

Singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki started her career in the early 80s as the singer of a popular group of rembetika revivalists, named Opisthodromiki Kompania. Rembetika is a music idiom that developed in Greece among the under classes in the early part of the 20th century and was particularly indebted to the Greek refugees from Asia Minor. In 1985, Eleftheria Arvanitaki started her solo career, which quickly established her as one of the most promising female voices for the years to come.

Eleftheria's vocal qualities and her ability to combine the traditional and contemporary music of Greece have inspired some of the most distinguished composers, lyricists, and poets of the day to write songs for her that are now considered ''classics'' in Greek music. All of her personal albums are platinum. Moreover, she has received 2 Greek music awards for Best Female Singer of the Year. Every year she gives more than 120 performances in her country, almost 40 of them during her much-awaited (by the public all over Greece) summer tours. According to critics her live appearances are already considered as legendary and also a very important part of Greek music's history.

However, Eleftheria's career has crossed the Greek borders, during the last decade, and has met worldwide recognition for her artistic achievements. Eleftheria Arvanitaki is the first Greek singer who, since 1998, to be signed iconic jazz label Verve, her album Eleftheria Arvanitaki - The Very Best of 1989-1998 to reach a much wider international audience. Including 14 of Eleftheria's most favourite songs The Best Of was followed by her albums Live in Gialino Theatre - Eleftheria Arvanitaki Live, Ekpompi - Broadcast and Ola Sto Fos - Everything Brought To Light were also released worldwide by Verve.

In June 2004 Eleftheria was invited to take part in Philip Glass' project Orion, a work that the world-famous American composer made in special request from the Athens 2004 Cultural Olumpiad. Orion is a work that revolves around the musical traditions of the 5 continents. She was, at the same time the, only vocalist and European artist participating in this project among a group of excellent soloists from all over the globe and the Philip Glass Ensemble. Her performance of the Greek traditional song "Tzivaeri" was characterized as unforgettable.

This project was world-premiered in the Odeon of Herodus Atticus, a unique Roman theatre on the shadow of Parthenon in Athens. During 2004 and 2005 Orion traveled to Thessaloniki (Greece), Ravenna (Italy), London (United Kingdom), Lyon (France), Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (USA), Mexico, Austin and Melbourne. More live presentations of "Orion" are yet to come during 2006 and 2007 (Spain, Taiwan etc), with the live recording of "Orion" was released on CD in June 2005.

Eleftheria Arvanitaki has extensively toured Europe (she has gone almost to every city of Spain since her first Iberian tour in 2002 and Germany, she has also gone to the UK, Belgium, France), but also sang in Australia, South Africa and the USA. Her live appearances abroad always have a huge success, most of them are sold-out many days before and they are also praised by the critics and audiences all around the world.

In July 2003, Eleftheria Arvanitaki gave two concerts at the Small Theatre of ancient Epidavros (one of the most prestigious ancient theatres of Greece where only very special projects are presented) in the context of the Music July Festiva' (part of the Hellenic Festival – the biggest festival in Greece). These were two magnificent nights for the audience as they watched Eleftheria and her musicians, they performed songs of her albums Songs For The Months" and The Bodies And The Knives to a rapturous reception.

Her open-minded conception of music is mainly shown by her collaborations with world-renowned  artists such as: the Caboverdians, Cesaria Evora and Teofilo Chantre, the Portuguese Dulce Pontes, the Spanish group of Amaral and Carlos Nunez, the Armenian Ara Dinkjian and Arto Tuncboyacian and the Senegalese Ismael Lo.

Eleftheria Arvanitaki's latest album entitled Dromoi Paralliloi (‘Parallel Roads’) was released in Greece in November 2005. A double album containing 35 of her very best guest appearances on other artists' albums, plus three previously unreleased live recordings and two brand new recordings. The international version of this album entitled Stis Akres Ap' Ta Matia Sou (To The Edges Of Your Eyes) has recently been released (April 2006). Eleftheria is always preparing her next steps in her art with great care and attention. Her aim is never stop to surprise her audiences around the world.

(Shrink Biography)