Vasilis Papakonstantinou

Vasilis Papakonstantinou

Vasilis PapakonstantinouVasilis Papakonstantinou (Βασίλης Παπακωνσταντίνου) (21 June 1950) is a Greek singer known mostly for his work in Greek rock. Most of his songs have gained considerable popularity, mainly in Greece and Cyprus.

His first musical encounter was with Mikis Theodorakis in the summer of 1974, in Paris - their collaboration commenced two years later. In 1974 Vasilis returned to Greece following the fall of the dictatorship and embarked on a professional singing career, singing in clubs, and also recorded a 45 rpm gramophone record. That same year he collaborated on the recording of "Ta Tragoudia tou Dromou" (Road Songs) by Manos Loïzos.
In 1975 he recorded "Ta Agrotika" (Rural Songs) by Thomas Bakalako and met with two composers with whom he was going to work closely for many years: Manos Loïzos and Thanos Mikroutsikos, two composers that were bearing a fresh new sound to Greek music. Both of them promoted in new manners the songs of the big city without following faithfully the traces of popular or artistic music of earlier famous composers. Papakonstantinou's interpretation was ideal in expressing their dynamism and expressiveness. In 1976 his much anticipated collaboration with Mikis Theodorakis took place in the recording of "Tis Exorias" (Songs of Exile), and in 1978 the composer included Vassilis in the singers who took part in his international tour of Europe, the Americas and Australia. At home Papakonstantinou actively took part in youth and worker movement rallies, singing at strikes, meetings, anti-racist and anti-fascist concerts.

From that time on, just before the 1980s, Papakonstantinou began demonstrating influences from the international rock movement. He performed songs which had an obviously more electronic sound and more acute and intervening lyrics. This trend appeared gradually in the two records that he recorded in the early 1980s; the first one was titled after his name and included songs written by Antonis Vardis and adaptations of songs written by Dionysis Savvopoulos, Mikis Theodorakis and Luis Lach.

The second one "Fovame" (I fear) with songs composed by Manos Loïzos, Lakis Papadopoulos, Giannis Zouganelis and Giannis Glezos consolidated his profile from that time up to date. He met Nikolas Asimos and took part in his first record "Xanapes" (Say it again) by singing two songs. Assimos became the second person after Loizos, who influenced him a lot with his peculiar personality. In 1984 with his record "Dieresi" (Division) his new sound was finally established. In 1987 he reconfirmed it in "Heretismata" (Greetings) including songs by Nikolas Asimos, Aphrodite Manou, and Christos Tolios and by the mid-1980s Vassilis Papakonstantinou was considered one of Greeces most popular concert performers.

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