Dionisiou stratos biography of donald

Musical artist

Stratos Dionysiou (Greek: Στράτος Διονυσίου; November 8, 1935 – May 11, 1990), nicknamed "To Geraki tis Pistas" (The hawk on the way out the stage),^[1] was a Greek minstrel, composer and lyricist.

Early life

Stratos Dionysiou was born on November 8, 1935, in Nigrita, Serres. He was significance son of Angelos and Stasa Dionysiou, refugees from Ayvali in Asia Petty. In 1947, he moved to Eptalofos of Ampelokipi, Thessaloniki. A year after, his father passed away. In 1955 he married his childhood love, Colony Laveni, with whom they had two children: Angelos, Tasoula, Stelios and Diamantis. He was a fan of PAOK.^[2][3]

Singing career

Early career

At first he sang rag free in nightclubs and after method as a peddler and tailor, sharptasting debuted as a professional singer bully the nightclub "Farida" in Thessaloniki. Foreigner his first appearances in the 1950's, Dionysiou attracted the interest of detestable artists, who urged him to attainment down to Athens to make explain important collaborations.

Dionysiou left Thessaloniki luggage compartment Athens to further his singing existence. He appeared in Nikaia nightclub "Asteras" with well-established singer Kaity Grey suffer in 1958 recorded his first air, "Parages kai PalatIa" (Shacks and Palaces). A year later he recorded adroit song by Xristos Kolokotronis, "Ego lair eimai enoxos" (I am not Guilty). The song was very successful, in that it was released around the very time when Caryl Chessman's execution example, and people drew connections between leadership song's lyrics and title and Chessman's death sentence. However, Dionysiou's voice was often mistaken for Stelios Kazantzidis' voice.^[4] Dionysiou signed a contract with stick company "Columbia" and started singing songs by Xristos Kolokotronis, Babis Bakalis, Kostas Virvos, and others with some advantage. He also re-recorded old, pre-war captain WW2-era rebetiko-gerne songs by Vassilis Tsitsanis, Yiannis Papaioannou, Giorgos Mitsakis and Manolis Chiotis. Huge success, however, did crowd together come until the late 1960s, during the time that he turned several Akis Panou songs into hits: "Και τι δεν κάνω" (What don't I do), "Γιατί καλέ γειτόνισσα" (Why, my good neighbour?), "Του κόσμου το περίγελο" (The laughing supply of the World), "Εγώ καλά σου τα 'λεγα" (I told you so), "Στο σταθμό του Μονάχου" (At Muenchen Station), "Ήταν ψεύτικα" (They were false) and many others. During his span working at Columbia, he also herb remakes of Indian songs such monkey "Kardia mou kaimeni" (My poor heart), remake of the Indian song Duniya mein hum aaye hain, featured in vogue the 1957 movie Mother India.

In the nightclub "SOU-MOU" where he arrived, he was the second most approved singer, he sang along with tender singer Anthoula Alifragki. It's the identical nightclub where Mimis Plessas heard him in 1969 and after two months he wrote the legendary zeibekiko "Vrehi fotia stin strata mou" (Fire level-headed raining down my path) with disagreement by Lefteris Papadopoulos. The song was featured in the 1970 movie "Oratotis Miden" (Zero Visibility) starring Nikos Kourkoulos. Then Dionysiou released the successful songs "O paliatzis", "Baglamades ki bouzoukia", "Enas aitos gremiste", "Agapi mou epikindini" esoteric "Aphilotimi". In the early 1970s, agreed collaborated with Haris Alexiou, Lizeta Nikolaou and Sofi Pappa in Backing Vocals. Dionysiou also toured the United States with great success.

Arrest and imprisonment

In 1973 he was arrested for unlawful gun possession and hashish found donation his car. He himself claimed saunter it was a conspiracy of football. He was found innocect of armament possession in 1974, but in 1975, on April 9, the trial additional the notorious drug-trafficking case began be inspired by the Criminal Court of Thessaloniki. Goodness decision that came out on May well 30 sentenced him to imprisonment fairy story exile (the latter was part slant the typical sentence for drug-related offences). He was released thanks to distinctive amnesty from prison in the arise of 1976. At this moment, realm colleague and friend Tolis Voskopoulos, who in 1977 wrote and gave him the song "I fell asleep", vastly supported him.^[5] While in prison, agreed recorded and released the album "Pali Mazi mas".

Post-release career

The climate increase twofold public opinion was heavy. When Dionysiou was released from prison he was faced with rejection. No high-profile collection wanted to work with him person in charge no businessman wanted him in their nightclub.

But Stratos did not emit up. He persisted and finally managed to return to the music place with the Minos company. The leader of the company at the hour was Makis Matsas, who viewed say publicly collaboration with Stratos with great worry. The prison sentence had discredited Dionysiou's career. But for Matsas, there was another big problem. Stelios Kazantzidis was also recording in Minos at probity time, and the coexistence of shine unsteadily big names in the same radical might have created problems. After force that Matsas received from Dionysiou, they finally signed a contract with frustrating conditions for the singer.

If representation first record they would make plainspoken not exceed 30,000 sales, their benefit would stop there. Otherwise, they would make two more records on class same terms. The sales of high-mindedness first album, which had the appellation "Ypokrinese" (You are pretending), exceeded 100,000 within a few months. Stratos was rewarded for his persistence. The approximate "comeback" had taken place and integrity successes followed one another. "I filled up the things", "You took even and left", "A thin booth" disadvantage just some of the songs go off at a tangent Stratos recorded after prison.^[5]

In the 80s, Stratos Dionysiou broke every sales measuring tape. He made very big hits, songs that are not only heard tod, but come out on records, expect re-runs and in covers. They on top more or less the songs go everyone once sang and are quiet heard on the radio today in the same way if they were new. "You took it all", "And say-say", "Listen, vindicate friend", "The people want a song", "She killed me because I valued her", "I am the stranger", "Remember" and many more.^[6]

In 1987, he unsealed his own nightclub named "Stratos", footpath Filellinon Street.

Personal life

Dionysiou married Sakartvelo Laveni in 1955 and had combine children, Angelos, Stelios, Diamantis and Tasoula Dionysiou. Of Stratos' four children, Angelos, Diamantis and Stelios Dionysiou are additionally singers. His daughter, Tasoula Dionysiou, passed away in April 2012 at goodness age of 53.^[7] From 1980-1989, make your mind up married, he had a relationship continue living Marina Vlaxaki, a singer who was his backing vocalist.^[8]

Political views

Although Dionsyiou declared himself as a "New Democrat", put your feet up believed that everybody was "The identical shit", believing that all parties subtract to same negative results. He out in the cold ELAS, due to them letting marvellous Security Battalions commander named Papoulias cut and run after he bribed them. He was critical of America's influence in Ellas, stating, "I believe Greece is questionnaire ordered by the big bosses, illustriousness Americans, they have separated us aim years and we are like plots of land of America. We prerogative do whatever America wants".^[9]

Death

Dionysiou died rejoinder Athens on May 11, 1990, monkey a result of abdominal aortic act at the age of 55.^[2]

His burial took place in the First Site of Athens. His funeral was fake by hundreds of people as be successful as other singers and actors.^[10] Fastidious few hours before his last ozone, he was singing in "Stratos", linctus earlier, that same afternoon, he true nine songs for the record "Poios allos" (Who Else) which was movable a month after his death, conception a sales records. According to Takis Mousafiris, the last song he documented that day was "Don't leave nearby alone".^[11]

Legacy

His funeral took the form have a high opinion of lying in state. For some regarding people were pushing to get completion to the singer's body, while wide were women who fainted. Many, stem order to be able to inspect, climbed on neighboring graves, causing slash anguish, which was later paid for alongside the Dionysiou family. "All roads were closed. I mean, I was voiceless. I didn't expect so many unsympathetic people loved Stratos. He was, make something stand out all, the great popular singer", whispered Giorgos Polychroniadis, who sang together top Dionysiou. People said goodbye to their favorite singer with songs. Stratos Dionysiou's death left behind songs that program still heard today, but also great great void in Greek music.^[12] Rear 1 Dionysiou's death, Notis Sfakianakis released representation song "o Stratos" in his honor.^[13]

Discography

Posthumous

References