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| Sakis Rouvas Σάκης Ρουβάς |
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|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anastasios Rouvas |
| Also known as | Sakis |
| Born | 5 January 1972 Mandoukion, Corfu, Greece |
| Origin | Athens, Greece |
| Genres | Pop, rock, R&B, dance |
| Occupations | Singer, dancer, choreographer, songwriter, actor, television presenter, model, businessman, athlete |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass, piano,[1] cello,[1] percussion |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | PolyGram Greece, Minos EMI, Universal Music France |
| Associated acts | Corfu Band |
| Website | www.SakisRouvas.com |
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (Greek: Αναστάσιος "Σάκης" Ρουβάς, pronounced [ˈsakis ruˈvas]; born 5 January 1972), often referred to mononymously as Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most commercially successful entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Beginning a career as a member of the national athletics team, Rouvas commenced a musical career in 1991 and became one of Greece's first pop performers; widely recognized as the genre's main performers to this day, he is credited with breaking cultural barriers and aiding in the popularization of Western music genres in Greece and Cyprus.
In the early 1990s after winning the Thessaloniki Song Festival, Rouvas became a dominant figure in Greek entertainment, gaining a mass fanbase and being cited as a phenomenon, a first for Greek music. His sexualized image and live performances utilizing complex choreography and costumes have earned him notoriety. He and manager Elias Psinakis formed a famous partnership in Greek show business. Rouvas' increasing popularity was coupled with criticism of both professional choices and personal struggles, which damaged his public image and lead to a brief, relatively unsuccessful period in the mid 90s. After five commercially successful albums with PolyGram Greece, Rouvas signed with Minos EMI in 1998. Having been a notable artist in the Balkans for years, Rouvas embarked on multiple projects abroad and represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004 and 2009 and co-presented the 2006 contest, while also venturing into film and television.
Amongst Rouvas' achievements include multiple recognized awards –including six Arion Music Awards, and a World Music Award– number-one albums and singles that have all achieved certifications of gold or higher, and sales of an estimated two million records as of 2008, making him one of Greece's best-selling music artists in history. Rouvas' distinct musical and performance style has influenced other artists, while his contributions to music have made him a prominent part of popular culture for nearly two decades.
Sakis Rouvas was born on 5 January 1972 in the village of Mandoukion, near Corfu City the island of Corfu, the eldest son out of four of Konstantinos "Kostas" Rouvas, an ambulance driver, and Anna-Maria Panaretou, a retail worker at an airport Duty Free shop.[2] Rouvas grew up in a poor family and he began taking care of his younger siblings as of age five since his parents worked long hours.[3] His talents were revealed from a young age; at age four, he demonstrated athletic abilities. Both his parents had some background in theater, and at age ten, Rouvas starred in his first theatrical production "An I Karharies Itan Anthropi" (If sharks were people), which quickly sold out in local theaters in Corfu. His much older co-stars were impressed at his talent and labeled him "The Miracle Child".[4] Soon after, Rouvas discovered his second great love after athletics, music. He taught himself how to play guitar and was inspired by international music and artists like Elvis Presley.[2]
In 1984, his parents were divorced, and due to strained relations between the two, Rouvas and his brother Tolis were forced to move to the village of Potamos to be raised by their paternal grandparents, while his father soon remarried. Rouvas worked multiple jobs to support his family,[2] including in a car repair shop, as a construction worker, and as a bartender.[5] From early childhood Rouvas began to hate school and suffered especially in reading and writing. Due to working in the daytime, he went to school at nights, where his mother, whom had never graduated lyceum, also attended.[3]
At age 15 the first turning point in his career occurred when he became a member of the Greek national gymnastics team. He idolized Ukrainian pole vaulter Sergei Bubka. His scores were consistently high and he won numerous national awards; vaulting on average 4.17 metres.[6] Rouvas continued in athletics until age 18 as he believed that it was very difficult to earn a living from it in order to support his family, while considering his potential in music to be greater.[6] He soon became a member of the Corfu Band. The first time he sang for a public audience was at his graduation where he performed his rendition of hits from Elvis and The Beatles.[7]
Rouvas soon started to perform at local clubs and hotels. At one of these venues, To Ekati, future manager Elias Psinakis would see him perform for the first time, however, they never confronted each other. Due to the escalating problematic situations in his life in Corfu, he left his native island alone at the age of 18 and moved to Patras in search of a better future.
Upon going to Patras, Rouvas continued to look for performance opportunities, until he met Dakis, a popular Greek artist of the era, who was the first person to help him professionally.[8] He moved to Athens, and after being given much advice by Dakis, in 1991, Rouvas made his first professional appearance at the Show Centre in Athens. During his performance of "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson[9] he was discovered by executives of the PolyGram record label, who signed him to his first recording contract immediately after the performance.[10] After first moving to Athens Rouvas lived with an English woman whom he had known since he was in Corfu. Their relationship ended after Psinakis became his manager and his goals became more oriented towards his career. The media later reported extensively on Rouvas' personal life over the years, speculating on relationships with model Zeta Logotheti, Sofi Kantarou, who was a Corfu local bar manager whom he had known from years earlier, and later singer Elli Kokkinou.[4] A few months later, Rouvas' made his first official début at the Thessaloniki Song Festival. At the competition, Rouvas lost the title for "Best Vocals" to another upcoming artist Giorgos Alkaios by only one point, but ultimately won the competition after he won first place for "Best Composition" with the song "Par'ta" ("Take them") with music by Nikos Terzis and lyrics by Giorgos Pavrianos.[11] During the moment that all of the competitors were called on stage there was a brief earthquake.[12]
Rouvas released his debut album titled Sakis Rouvas the day after the festival; it reached number one on the Greek Albums Chart.[7] "Par'ta" ("Take them") became a number one radio hit,[13] while the second single "1992" also became very popular. Following the popularity of the album, media attention arose around his fanatic fans, usually teenage girls, who would go crazy over him.[7]
In September 1992, Rouvas released his sophomore album titled Min Andistekese (Don’t resist), which was also fully composed by Nikos Terzis.[10] The album quickly shot up on the charts[citation needed], and helped establish him as a top performer in the Greek music industry.
In October 1993, Rouvas released his third studio album titled Gia Sena (For you) with music by Alexis Papadimitriou and lyrics primarily by Eleni Giannatsoulia, as well as Evi Droutsa. The album became Rouvas third consecutive gold album in a time span of only two years.[citation needed] The single "Kane Me" (Make me) became a big radio hit, while the next singles "To Xero Eisai Moni" (I know you are alone), and "Xehase To" (Forget it) also gained airplay.[11]
In the winter of 1994, Rouvas collaborated with famous singer-songwriter and record producer Nikos Karvelas for the production of his fourth studio album Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas (Blood, tears & sweat) which was his first album to be certified platinum.[citation needed] The songs "Ela Mou" (Come to me) and "Xana" (Again) became radio hits. The collaboration with Karvelas, one of the most successful and iconic producers of the past two decades with the young artist resulted in mixed reaction by the media. When asked why he had chosen to collaborate with Rouvas, Karvelas simply gave a controversial response, stating that "Sakis is the only star, out of a generation which produces dull artists."[14]
Rouvas became more recluse and private about his personal life,[12] When he was called to do his military service in 1994, Rouvas had originally asked for a delay as it coincided with the scheduled release of his highly anticipated album Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas, although his request for a delay was denied.[4][12][15] Although other artists had also delayed their service for career reasons, Rouvas' case became a central news story at the time.[4] It was initially thought that the artist did not want to pull back from the spotlight during a time when his career was soaring, although Rouvas himself had claimed his inability to fulfill his service due to previous psychological trauma that resulted in him suffering from severe agoraphobia.[12]<[4][15] His claims were widely disbelieved: some media commented that agoraphobia was a strange condition for an entertainer,[12] while critics of Rouvas accused him of desertion.[12][15] Rouvas was then taken to the psychiatric hospital of Penteli for psychiatric evaluation, and while alone in his room, Rouvas attempted suicide.[4][12][15] After the initial widespread media coverage of the attempted suicide subsided, Rouvas was forced to fulfill his military service with a psychiatrist present on the scene, both to medicate him and make sure he would not cause harm to himself.[4][12] For his military service, Rouvas was forced to remove his earring and cut his signature long hair, something that is featured in the beginning of the video for "Aima, Dakrya & Idrotas".[12] Rouvas was also constantly taunted by paparazzi who would sneak into the military campus to photograph and film him for constant television reports.[4][12][15] Psinakis blamed Rouvas' psychiatrist for things that occurred in the military, claiming that he was secretly pouring psychotropic drugs into Rouvas' alcoholic beverages because of a previous quarrel.[4][12]
A few months later in 1996, Rouvas released his fifth studio album Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola (Now the difficult times begin) which went platinum.[citation needed] Since his previous album was a big success, Rouvas once again collaborated with Nikos Karvelas with the help of lyricist Natalia Germanou. For the winter season, Rouvas performed live with Anna Vissi at club Chaos in Athens.[citation needed] In the same year, a fan club for him, SRFC, was founded, which from its start went on to be the largest fan club in Greece.[7] In 1997, he was featured on Anna Vissi's hit album Travma (Trauma), in the duet "Se Thelo, Me Theleis" ("I want you, you want me") also composed by Nikos Karvelas.[11]
On 19 May 1997 he performed on stage with Turkish singer Burak Kut at a bi-national concert on the Green Line in Cyprus as an initiative in the reconciliation of the country with an audience of over 4,000 people.[16] The concert garnered international coverage and support, earning Rouvas an International Abdi Ipekçi Prize for understanding and co-operation;[17] however, the concert generated significant controversy amongst Greek and Turkish protesters with reports going as far as potential death threats towards Rouvas.[18] Opposition to the concert caused the Greek and Greek-Cypriot media to turn on Rovuas.[16] Rouvas had come into collaboration with Kut the previous year when they recorded a duet together in Greek and Turkish called "Birgün/Otan" (When), a cover of the song "Someday", for the soundtrack of the Greek-language dubbing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame titled I Panagia Ton Parision, where Rouvas made his film debut voicing the role of Quasimodo.[citation needed] Following his album success with PolyGram Greece, Rouvas switched labels by signing with Minos EMI.[7]
In December 1998, Rouvas released his sixth studio album and first with his new label titled Kati Apo Mena (Something from me).[10] The album was composed by Giorgos Theofanous and became a hit, going gold in its first week; the album later reached platinum certification. The song "Den Ehi Sidera I Kardia Sou" (Your heart does not have metal rails) became a massive hit, and remains one of his most popular songs.[11] For promotion of the album, Rouvas performed live at the Virgin Megastore in Athens where thousands of fans created a traffic jam in the centre of Athens.[10] For the winter season 1999-2000, Rouvas sang at club Bio Bio in Athens, and performed with Katy Garbi in Thessaloniki in the spring.[19]
In March 2000, Rouvas released his seventh studio album 21os Akatallilos (21+ X-Rated).[20] The album reached 2× platinum status and reached number one on the charts.[citation needed] On October 25, 2000, Rouvas began appearances with Antonis Remos and Peggy Zina at club Apollonas for the winter season.[21] That same year, Rouvas was commisioned by Pepsi to be their spokesperson for their summer campaign in Greece, a first for a Greek entertainer. The collaboration with Pepsi continued in 2001 with a television ad airing in May 2001[22] and a sold-out tour of seven Greek cities called the Pepsi Tour 2001.[10]
In the summer of 2000,[12] Rouvas, Psinakis and a number of other celebrities went on vacation in Mykonos on a yacht that they were borrowing from a local physician.[citation needed] They were subsequently accused of drug possession, as the yacht was filled with various expensive narcotics.[4][12] The situation received huge publicity and triggered speculations of whether Rouvas possibly had a drug addiction.[4][12] The doctor who owned the yacht later admitted that the narcotics belonged to him, however, all of the men were taken into questioning.[citation needed] Wanting to avoid going to court, Rouvas paid bail and did not give importance to the situation.[4][12] This incident would become one of the most infamous situations in Rouvas' career as thousands of t-shirts were printed with the popular catchphrase at the time: "Imoun ki ego sto kotero!" ("I was on the yacht too!").[4][12][23]
In 2001, Rouvas signed with Universal Licencing Music (ULM) of Universal Music France and collaborated with renowned music producer and songwriter Desmond Child and Phoebus for the single "Disco Girl".[11] The single became a hit in Greece and went platinum.[24] The single was also later released in France with an English version of the song penned by Andreas Carlsson.[25] At the start of the winter season, Rouvas sang with Despina Vandi at club Rex, which continued until spring 2002.
In March 2002, Rouvas won the award for "Pop Singer of the Year" at the first annual Arion Awards for the CD single "Disco Girl".[26] At the awards, he sang the single "Ola Kala" ("Everything is fine") for the first time.[7] Then in June 2002, Rouvas released his eighth studio album Ola Kala,[11] once again collaborated with Desmond Child and Phoebus for the album, along with other Greek songwriters Natalia Germanou and Vangelis Konstantinidis. The album became an instant hit in Greece going gold within one week,[27] and platinum in four months.[citation needed] It settled at 2x platinum later on.[citation needed] The following month after the Greek release, Universal Music released Ola Kala in many international markets in Europe, Middle East and Asia.[citation needed] The music video for "Ola Kala" was director by French director Xavier Gens in Montreal, Canada. In September 2002, Rouvas' third Pepsi commercial aired.
Around this time, Rouvas made one of his personal relationships public for the first time with Rebecca Wang,[4] an heiress of Taiwanese origin whose brother was an acquaintance of Psinakis.[28] They met at a philanthropic gala in London, England, organized by Prince Charles.[29] Early in the relationship Rouvas considered marriage to Wang,[28] however, they parted in 2004.[4][12] During this relationship Rouvas was reunited with super model Katia Zygouli, whom he had met once prior at an awards ceremony,[citation needed] during the filming of Rouvas' first television advertisement for Vodafone Greece[citation needed] where Zygouli played his girlfriend who became jealous after seeing him pose in a photo with a female fan. They became fully public about their relationship in 2005 after Rouvas' split with Wang and began living together at Rouvas' home in Neo Voutza.[4]
In July 2003, Rouvas furthered his international collaboration under ULM[citation needed] by releasing the cover single and music video "Dis lui" (Tell her) in France, originally sung by Mike Brant as a French adaptation of the 1975 Morris Albert song "Feelings". "Dis Lui", as well as a cover of "Feelings", were also added to the 2003 international re-release of Ola Kala. Rouvas collaborated again with Xavier Gens for the "Feelings"/"Dis lui"/"Pes Tis" music video, which won two awards at the MAD Video Music Awards for "Best Director" and "Sexiest Appearance in a Video".
In April 2003, Rouvas appeared with Antonis Remos together on stage with the evening's honouree, Nana Mouskouri, at the Arion Awards.[30] The same year, Rouvas signed a deal with Vodafone Greece to be their spokesperson.[citation needed] For the summer, Rouvas went on tour around Greece,[citation needed] ending with a big concert at Lycabetus on October 11, 2003.
In December 2003, Rouvas released his ninth studio album To Hrono Stamatao (I stop time).[citation needed] Songs from the album quickly gained radio airplay, while in the same month, Rouvas started appearances at club Fever with Giorgos Tsalikis for the winter season.[31] A Greek language version of "Feelings" titled "Pes Tis" (Tell her) was released as a single off To Hrono Stamatao and featured the same video as its French and English language international counterparts.
In March 2004, Hellenic Radio and Television (ERT) announced that Rouvas would represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004[32] after a long selection process through the reality show EuroStar had failed.[citation needed] Originally, the winner of the show was to represent the country with composer Nikos Terzis producing the song entry, however, the broadcaster decided to cancel these plans after Rouvas exhibited interest in representing the country.[citation needed] In mid-March, the song entry "Shake It" composed by Nikos Terzis with lyrics by Nektarios Tyrakis, premiered on Greek radio. The song was described as possessing strong Mediterranean influences, which differ from Rouvas' typical western production style.[33] At the end of March, Rouvas performed "Shake It" for the first time live at the third annual Arion Music Awards.[citation needed] At the awards, he also won the award for "Best Pop Singer" for the album To Hrono Stamatao.[34] In mid-April, "Shake It" was released as a CD single and Rouvas began a large promotional tour around Europe for the contest.[35] His album To Hrono Stamatao was also repackaged with the "Shake It" single as a bonus. The song peaked at number one on the Greek airplay charts for many weeks, while it continued to have popularity on the IFPI Greece Top 50 singles chart, remaining at number one for nine consecutive weeks[36] and finally achieving 4x Platinum status,[13] becoming the best selling single of the year and one of the most successful of all time.[7] It has since sold 110 thousand copies.[37]
Rouvas was considered the favourite to win the final contest.[38] On 12 May 2004, Rouvas took part in the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, performing 10th out of 22 in the running order. He passed the semi-final, and on 15 May 2004, he performed 16th out of 24 in the final. For the stage show, Rouvas had two female dancers with him, and three backing vocalists, whom were the winner of EuroStar and the other two finalists. Fokas Evangelinos, Rouvas' long time choreographer, produced the choreography for the stage show.[citation needed] "Shake It" achieved third place in the final.[11] Rouvas generated the greatest interest in the contest from the Greek public in its entire duration, with television share ratings of 86.7 percent, the highest ratings in Greek television history at the time.[39]
In June 2004, Rouvas performed at the first MAD Video Music Awards where he sang "Shake It".[40] At the awards, he won the award for "Sexiest Appearance" for his music video "Pes Tis" (Tell her).[11] On 7 July, Rouvas held a joint concert in Istanbul with Turkish artist and 2003 Eurovision Song Contest winner Sertab Erener in yet another attempt at keeping peace between the two countries.[41] In August, Rouvas appeared carrying the Olympic torch through Panathinaiko Stadium[42] and also performed at the closing ceremony for the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he was lowered on to the stage from the air and sang traditional Greek songs.[7][43]
In fall 2004, Rouvas did a duet with the Russian pop singer Philip Kirkorov of his hit "Se Thelo San Trelos" ("I want you like crazy")[citation needed], originally on the album 21os Akatallilos. The single became a radio hit in Russia, reaching number 20 on the Russian Airplay Chart, and a music video was filmed shortly after in Saint Petersburg.[7] Following that, in October 2004, Rouvas was a special guest star at three concerts with Nana Mouskouri, two of which took place in Berlin, Germany, and the other at the Athens Megaro Mousikis.[citation needed] Two months later in December, Rouvas began performances with Giorgos Mazonakis at club Fever for the winter season, with Elena Paparizou as his opening act.[citation needed]
On 5 April 2005, Rouvas won the award for "CD Single with the Highest Sales of 2004" for "Shake It" at the fourth Arion Music Awards.[citation needed] Rouvas also appeared on stage dancing the tango.[7] The next day, 6 April, Rouvas released his tenth studio album S'eho Erotefthi (I'm in love with you) which went platinum in five months, and settled at 3× platinum.[44] With the help of Vodafone Greece as the main sponsors, release parties for the CD were held in Heraklion, Corfu, Thessaloniki, and Athens all on the same day. The songs "S'eho Erotefti", "Hilia Milia" ("Thousands of miles"), "Mila Tis" ("Speak to her"), "Na M'Agapas" ("Love me"), and "Cairo" all became radio hits.[11] That same year, Rouvas also won the "World Music Awards" for "Best-Selling Greek Artist" of 2004.[45]
For the winter season of 2005–06, Rouvas decided to take a break and moved to Los Angeles, United States.[46] On 24 February 2006, he held a Valentine's Day concert that was recorded and videotaped for his fans where his popular ballads, as well as covering ballads of other Greek and foreign artists.[47][7] The live performance was later released as a CD and CD/DVD package in April 2006 titled Live Ballads, Rouvas' first live CD/DVD.[47] The CD featured two new studio tracks, "Horis Kardia" (Without a heart) and an English language version of "S'Eho Eroteftei" titled "I'm In Love With You".[47]
On 3 April 2006, Rouvas sang "Horis Kardia" at the Arion Music Awards, where he also won the award for "Best Pop Album" and "Best Pop Singer" for the album "S'Eho Eroteftei".[48] In the same month, Rouvas renewed his contract with Vodafone Greece[citation needed], while Village Roadshow Productions Greece announced that Rouvas would star in their upcoming film.[citation needed]
In May 2006, the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was held in Athens, as Greece won the contest the year before.[citation needed] Rouvas was asked by ERT to host with Maria Menounos the semi-final and final in English, Greek and French.[49] At the semi-finals, Rouvas opened the show by singing the Katrina and the Waves song "Love Shine a Light" with Menounos.[citation needed] For the voting intermission, Rouvas performed his song "I'm in Love With You".[50]
On 14 June 2006, Rouvas performed "Agapa Me" (Love me) and "Na M'Agapas" (You should love me) at the third MAD Video Music Awards.[51] Rouvas also won the awards for "Best Video by a Male Artist" for "Na M'Agapas" and "Best Dressed Artist in a Video" for "Mila Tis".[citation needed] That same month, Rouvas also dubbed the Greek language version of the Disney movie Cars where he voiced Lightning McQueen,[citation needed] while on November 13, he began filming his feature film debut Alter Ego.[52]
On 6 December 2006, Rouvas released his eleventh studio album titled Iparhi Agapi Edo (There is love here).[citation needed] The songs "Ego Travo Zori" (I'm having a hard time") and "18 (Iprahi Agapi Edo)" became radio hits,[citation needed] while the song "Ola Gyro Sou Gyrizoun" (Everything revolves around you) composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos became a dance hit on Greek radio, and one of the most played songs of 2007.[citation needed] All three of the songs peaked at number one on the airplay chart.[citation needed] One of the songs, "Mikros Titanikos (Se Latrevo)" (Little Titanic [I adore you]) was written especially for Rouvas by Yiannis Parios, while his son Haris Varthakouris composed the music. The song was eventually released and became a hit[citation needed], being used also to promote Rouvas' live album. The album Iparhi Agapi Edo debuted at number one[7] and was certified platinum, selling over 40 thousand copies as of April 2007.[53]
In March, Rouvas started performances at club Boom in Thessaloniki with Despina Vandi.[54] At the end of April, Rouvas held a large concert in Syntagma Square as part of Vodafone Greece's promotional campaign.[citation needed] On May 10, 2007, the film Alter Ego by Village Roadshow Productions starring Rouvas as Stefanos, the frontman of the rock group Alter Ego, premiered in theatres across Greece.[11] At a budget of two million euros, it was the most expensive production of all time in Greece,[52][55] but received only moderate success considering its production costs. Despite selling over 200 thousand theatre tickets, a success for the average film, Rouvas was fairly upset about the coverage it received.[56] Nevertheless, Rouvas garnered critical acclaim for his acting skills.[57] The film dealt with the themes of young musicians living the rock and roll lifestyle and drug abuse having to face their inner fears and cope with the loss of a loved one.[52] The soundtrack of the film was recorded by the cast and Rouvas, while the theme song to the movie "Zise Ti Zoi" ("Live Life") by Rouvas became a radio hit, reaching the top 10 of the charts.[58] On June 29, 2008, Alter Ego was screened in Los Angeles at a Greek festival.[59] On October 29, Rouvas was awarded his sixth Arion for "Best Pop Song" for "Ola Gyro Sou Gyrizoun", while being nominated for a further five awards, although he was not present at the actual ceremony.[60]
Following the 2007 Greek forest fires, Rouvas returned to Greece to raise money for the victims and embarked on a charity tour.[citation needed] On 20 July, he performed in Ptolemaida, Kozani as part of the Expedition for Environment Act Now![61] He also appeared on ANT1 answering phone call donations during a live telethon.[citation needed] On September 10, 2007 he gave a concert at Lycabetus as part of a OPAP's campaign for voluntary blood donations; the tour raised a staggering amount for the victims overall.[citation needed] The concert was also recorded, and released as a CD/DVD on December 12, 2007 titled This Is My Live.[62] In the spring of 2008, Rouvas went on tour with Antonis Remos to Australia and North America.[citation needed]
On 19 May 2008, Rouvas started singing with Peggy Zina at club Politia in Thessaloniki.[citation needed] A month later on 17 June, Rouvas performed a new song composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos titled "+ Se Thelo" ("And I want you") at the MAD Video Music Awards 2008 as the opening act for the show.[citation needed] His performance was dubbed as the best of the night by the Greek media[citation needed] as it included heavy choreography and elaborate lighting, as well as an overall Japanese theme.[citation needed] The also won the award for "Male Artist of the Year" amongst three other nominees.[citation needed] In July 2008, the song was released as a digital single and as a radio promo and became a dance hit,[citation needed] reaching number one on the Greek airplay chart where it remained for 10 weeks, becoming one of the biggest hits of the summer.[citation needed] An official music video using footage from the awards show was released at the end of the year.[63]
In July 2008 it was announced that Rouvas would be the host for the first season of the Greek version of The X Factor,[64] which premiered on 24 October 2008,[65] . On 4 December 2008, Rouvas premiered his winter season musical shows with the Maggira Sisters at STARZ for the 2008-09 winter season.[66][67] Rouvas was also Greece's representative with the hit "Stous 31 Dromous" ("On the 31 roads") in the OGAE Song Contest that was held in Zaragoza, Spain, on 25 October 2008, claiming the third place with 130 points by placing only behind Croatia and United Kingdom.[68]
Rouvas had been in a relationship Katia Zygouli since 2003, while Greek media reported in 2007 that their relationship was heading for an end as Rouvas had allegedly begun a relationship with model Vanessa Hessler.[4] However, the two later reunited and publicly announced Zygouli's pregnancy and on 2 November 2008. Zygouli gave birth to the couple's first child, a baby girl, who they baptized Anastasia after her father, on 18 October 2009. The godmother was Emmanouela Pavlatou, a close friend of Melina Mercouri, and the date of the baptism was chosen to coincide with Mercouri's birthday.[69] The birth of their child was widely covered by news outlets.[70][71] In an interview with Eleonora Meleti on Star Channel, Rouvas stated that marriage is not in his plans with Zygouli, even though he understands it is something that has been learned within society, he believes that they are happy enough as they are at the moment.[72] On 20 November 2008, Rouvas released the song he dedicated for his daughter, "Irthes" (You arrived).[73]
On 3 December 2008, Rouvas released his 12th studio album titled Irthes, produced by Dimitris Kontopoulos.[74]
The next day on 4 December 2008, Rouvas premiered his winter concert series with the Maggira Sisters at club STARZ where he performed songs off of the album.[75][76]
Rouvas had stated in an interview on Nitro Radio in June 2008 that he would like to represent Greece in 2009, and on 15 July 2008, Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) confirmed that Rouvas would once again be Greece's participant in the Eurovision Song Contest[77] and that Dimitris Kontopoulos will be the composer of the song.[78] Rouvas performed his three candidate songs at the Greek national final on 18 February where "This Is Our Night" was the runaway winner with both the jury and the viewers, winning 81% of the vote,[79] the largest margin ever, but also the most overall votes attained by ERT in a national final.[80] The song subsequently debuted at number one on the Greek Digital Singles chart,[81] while Rouvas officially embarked on a promo tour throughout Europe.[82] In the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, Rouvas finished seventh."[83]
On 27 March Rouvas was appointed by President of ELPIDA Charity Foundation and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis as "messenger" of ELPIDA foundation.[84] after being a longtime supporter of the charity without wishing for his involvement to be publicized.[85] In April, Rouvas had also launched another business venture, this time with Zygouli and the beauty franchise Mariella Nails Body and Mind Care,[86] in which they own 25 percent of the share.[87]
On 1 July Rouvas performed a sold out concert in support of the environment at the ancient ruins of Kallimarmaro Stadium to an audience of 40 thousand people,[88] the largest attendance ever at the stadium for a non-sporting event and one of the largest performances by a musical artist in Greek history.[89] The concert —organized by the National Youth Council— coincided with the startdate of the national public smoking ban.[90] The Sakis Live Tour followed to a further 10 cities.[91]
Rouvas had previously talked about a film in the United States he was involved in that was due to be released in theatres in early 2009, revealing that it is a haunting psychological thriller that stars Martin Donovan and that the producers have also collaborated with actors such as Jennifer Lopez.[92] The said film was eventually revealed to be a psychological thriller titled Duress and marks Rouvas' American film debut. The film was screened at various film festivals, such as in Poland and Russia.[93] It received a wide theatrical release in Greece on 3 December 2009 by mainstream Greek distributor Hollywood Entertainment.[94][95] It is also expected to be released on home video in the United States.[96]
In October 2009, Rouvas returned as host for the second season of the Greek version of The X Factor.[97] On 20 November Rouvas released his newest single "Spase Ton Hrono".[98] Rouvas is performing with Tamta at the newly-constructed venue The S Club for the winter 2009-10 season.[99][100]and as he considered The X-Factor contestant Eleftheria Eleftheriou's voting off unjust, he offered her a performance slot with him for the winter on air.[101] He opened a new club/restaurant in Athens called Edo by Christmas.[102] Rouvas has also started filming and producing the Greek film Apla Erotevmeni where he plays a gigolo,[103] as well as having begun work on a new English-language album.[104] He is also featured on a new dance single "Tharros I Alitheia", also composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos for Tamta's upcoming album .[100]and ANT1 is in negotiations with him to host a new television series following The X Factor, while soon he will be launching his own television and film production company.[105]
On March 15, 2010, it was announced that Rouvas will be appearing with Anna Vissi for a concert series at Athinon Arena for the winter season 2010-2011.[106] This will be their first appearance and collaboration together since they both appeared together at club Haos in 1996.[106]
Rouvas' musical roots lie in rock music and as child and young adult he followed mainly the international music scene.[citation needed] Elvis Presley became his biggest musical idol. He came to like the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Kiss, and Queen, being most influenced by the musical styles of the 1960s,[107] as well as expressing his liking of George Michael and Michael Bolton.[108] He has called Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" "one of the ten best songs that have ever been written."[109] Similarities between Presley and Rouvas have been noted by critics; during his STARZ performances, the Maggira Sisters' opening sketch was based on the joke that Presley had become concerned that a popular Greek musician was imitating him.[110] Rouvas also covered Presley's "Suspicious Minds" for the film Alter Ego and its soundtrack. He stated that what he found most impressive about Presley as a child was "the way that he sang, that he danced, that he felt what he interpreted and what I believed that his audience felt when they heard him".[5] He has also been influenced by Greek artists outside of his own era and musical style such as Giannis Parios, Marinella, and Nana Mouskouri, who became a personal mentor to him,[111] and has cited Haris Alexiou and Anna Vissi as the two greatest female artists in Greece.[6]
Later on, pop, R&B, and funk influences became more prominent, and Rouvas has noted that he listens to a broad range of music in order to educate himself and further develop his own style, with these genres ranging from rock, classical, and jazz.[citation needed] Michael Jackson became a great influence on many aspects of his vocals, dancing, and views on the music industry and humanitarian issues.[citation needed] Jackson's "Earth Song" is another favourite, particularly for its environmental message.[112] Following Jackson's death, Rouvas dedicated a song to him at his Concert for the Environment and spoke to the public of Jackson's legacy, igniting ongoing applause from the audience:[113]
"[Michael Jackson was] one of the most significant singers ever on this planet and the biggest showman that has ever passed by on this planet [...] a person whose life was a 'thriller', but however complicated his life was, he dedicated it for the good of the children and of the planet. Many people want to remember him for the complex persona that he had, I want to remember him for everything that he gave to us all of these years, and for all the reasons that he inspired us."[112]
In addition to musical influences, Rouvas' work has been influenced by literature, Greek art, and spirituality.[citation needed] He has credited his success to his faith, which he associated with more as he got older, saying "I am very thankful. I feel blessed. And everyday I thank God for that. Everyday. That is something that I didn't do in the past. Once, I didn't understand, I didn't value."[114] He has a close personal relations with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople,[115] who baptized his first-born child.
Rouvas has mentioned that personal fitness and health play an important role in his life.[citation needed] He has claimed that he does not drink alcohol or smoke, and does not allow anyone to smoke in his dressing room in order to preserve his voice.[12] He has said that being physically fit is not only important to him for the purpose of physical appearance, but also for the purpose of physical health, while it helps improve his psychological state.[92] In order to maintain a good physical condition, Rouvas participates in water-skiing, surfing, tennis, football, and skiing, while also taking part in extreme sports, claiming to have sky-dived from 3,000 metres.[12]
Rouvas has been recognized for his acts of philanthropy in the support of numerous charitable organizations and causes, particularly ones directed to children and the environment.[citation needed]
His relationship with Zygouli has been highly publicized and recognized as Greece's most prominent supercouple, being equated to Brangelina. The birth of their child was highly anticipated; this was largely in part due to the result being a combination of genetics of two people considered to be the most beautiful in the entertainment industry.[116]
Rouvas is fluent in Greek, English, and French, having presented the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in a mixture of all three languages.[49] He has previously recorded songs in all three, while he has also studied Turkish and Russian phonetically for recordings[citation needed], namely for his 1997 collaboration with Burak Kut in Cyprus and for his Russian duet of his hit "Se Thelo San Trelos" with Philipp Kirkorov called "Kak Sumashedshij Ya", that became a hit in Russia, being recorded in three different versions.
Rouvas has expressed disappointment that a lot of younger generations are ignorant of music legends from past decades.[107] Rouvas has described his music style as being "always more rock" as an artist than he has been given credit for, however he has never felt the need to push this persona. Overall he self-identifies as both a pop and rock artist.[117] He has been praised for not tapping into traditional Greek genres in order for more commercial success, as pop music is a minority genre in Greece.[1][12] In response to whether he believed it was difficult being a pop/rock artist in a folk market, Rouvas replied that he believed that there was a need for variety of music genres, adding that while he has experimented with some more traditional Greek styles, it is not what he feels he does best.[6] Down Town cited Rouvas as one of few the Greek artists who always performs live at his performances instead of using a playback track.[1]
Highly praised were Rouvas' vocal abilities, especially in ballads, as well as his choices of especially difficult repertoire. Further mentioned that in his Live Ballads album Rouvas seemed "more mature than ever."[118] In 1999, Billboard wrote "A great live performer, he combines dancing and singing skills with impressive costumes" and acknowledged him as the "most promising new Greek pop male artist on the international scene".[119]
In his first club performances, Rouvas self-choreographed swing-style performances for his Presley covers.[12] In the late 1990s, he began a long collaboration with choreographer Fokas Evangelinos for his performances. Evangelinos also collaborated with Rouvas for his two Eurovision performances. In the first, he combined contemporary and traditional Greek dance, while in the second, EBU credited Greece for making high technological advancements in the contest's standards. The performance which was described as "advanced and modern" with "intense choreography", made use of a rotating podium that transported him from left to right and back on the stage, was used as a base to lock in the feet of the performers during the bridge where they performed the anti-gravity lean inspired by Michael Jackson in the music video of "Smooth Criminal", and finally to lift him into the air and reveal a Greek flag only visible to television viewers.[120] For his STARZ performances Rouvas embarked on a musical-type show.
Rouvas was amongst the first Greek artists to regularly use music videos as a promotional tool.[citation needed] From his albums Gia Sena to Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola, Psinakis played a part in the production of his music videos, either as a director or screenwriter.[121] The video for "Disco Girl" was shot in Cape Town, South Africa at a budget of 300 thousand euros, making it one of the most expensive Greek music videos of all time.[12] The concept brought a humorous approach to a James Bond-inspired theme.[27] "Shake It" was shot in Santorini on various inaccessible locations, including dancing on the edge of a cliff, climbing a hill, and swimming in cold waters.[122] The video was nominated for "Video of the Year" at both the MAD and Arion awards.
As of moving to Los Angeles in 2005, Rouvas had been studying acting and attending classes, but also received some training from his friend Tom Hanks. In his first feature film, Alter Ego, where he also served as associate producer, Rouvas garnered critical acclaim for his acting, playing a role similar to what he is in reality. Before that he had dubbed English-language animated films in Greek. When comparissons between Rouvas and the protagonist Stefanos arose, with speculations of the senario being autobiographical, Rouvas replied that despite some similarities in their characters, Stefanos was a "much more aggressive person."[123] Rouvas adopted a new look for the film, which was credited by Nitro as assisting the new emo movement emerging amongst Greek youth.[124] His second feature film Duress was a Hollywood psychological thriller, where the actor plays the antagonist role of a serial killer, a role differing heavily from his perceived public image amongst Greek audiences. Panagiotis Timogiannakis however argued that Rouvas had begun showing a different side of himself since Alter Ego, and that the fact that this was being widely ignored was unfair. Timogiannakis also noted that in the silver screen Rouvas seems to lose the luster he has on stage and television as the lighting does not flatter him; seeing as how this was the case in both films, he pondered whether the actor had chosen this effect himself to be deglamourized in order to become an actor of serious roles, saying "he needs to clear up whether he wants to have a career of a star or of a role player. A born role player he does not seem to be. A born star he is."[125]
Rouvas has played a major role in breaking cultural barriers through the popularization of Western music genres and the development of pop music in the Greek industry, being widely credited as the genre's primary performer.[126] In 2006, Pavlos Zervas of MusicCorner alleged that Rouvas was the primary performer supporting the pop/dance genre in Greece with such success.[127] Jarmo Siim of the EBU characterized Rouvas as "undoubtedly the ultimate pop star in Greece with great international appeal."[83] In the early 1990s, Rouvas became a dominant figure in Greek music, gaining notoriety for having a mass fanbase, especially with youth, leading to him being recognized as a phenomenon, a first in Greek music;[12] he was compared to international phenomenons, Presley and Jackson, and the effect was often dubbed "Rouvomania", while the term "Rouvitsa" was coined for female members of his fanbase, who were distinguished by what were considered to be extreme reactions towards the singer.[12] The singularity made Rouvas a media target and popular in character depictions.[citation needed] By the late 1990s, Rouvas had gained the largest fan club of any Greek figure[80] and was proclaimed by the Pop Corns to be the nation's greatest stage performer after winning the said award, as a result of continuously winning at the Pop Corns.[citation needed] His success led to him being dubbed "The Golden Man of the Decade" by Down Town in 1999.[1][128] In 2009, five of his singles ("1992", "Ela Mou", "Tora Arhizoun Ta Dyskola", "Shake It", and "+ Se Thelo") were included on Mega Star's 20th anniversary as songs that defined the past 20 years.[129].In the end of 2009 "Down Town" magazine named him "Εntertainer of the Decade",indicating that in Greek dictionary next to the word entertainer is only the name Sakis Rouvas.[130] Amongst his other achievements are multiple number-one albums and singles, Pop Corn, Arion, and MAD Video Music Awards, and a World Music Award, being one of only four artists recording in Greece to ever be a recipient[citation needed], as well as an estimated record sales of nearly two million records as of 2008,[13][131] making him one of the most commercially successful Greek artists of all time. Since the beginning of his career, Rouvas has been considered as analogous to Michael Jackson to Greece.[113] His distinct musical and performance style has inspired numerous other artists,[132] while his contributions to music have kept him a part of popular culture for nearly two decades.
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Studio albums
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Live albums
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| Films | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes and Awards |
| 1996 | I Panagia ton Parision | Quasimodo | Protagonist, Voice |
| 2006 | Aftokinita | Lightning McQueen | Protagonist, Voice |
| 2007 | Alter Ego | Stefanos | Protagonist Also associate producer |
| 2009 | Duress | Abner Solvie | Antagonist |
| 2009 | Planet 51[133] | Captain Charles "Chuck" T. Baker | Protagonist Release date: November 26 |
| 2009 | Apla Erotevmeni[134] | Unnamed gigolo | Protagonist Also producer In production |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes and Awards |
| 2006 | Eurovision Song Contest 2006 | Himself | Host with Maria Menounos |
| 2007 | Kostas Statiris Song Contest 2007, Farsala | Himself | Host with Kostas Statiris |
| 2008-2009 | The X Factor | Himself | Host |
| 2009-2010 | The X Factor 2 | Himself | Host |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest | ||
| Preceded by Mando with Never Let You Go Kalomira with Secret Combination |
Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 2009 |
Succeeded by Elena Paparizou with My Number One Giorgos Alkaios & Friends with OPA |
| Preceded by Pavlo Shylko & Maria Efrosinina |
Eurovision Song Contest presenter (with Maria Menounos) 2006 |
Succeeded by Mikko Leppilampi & Jaana Pelkonen |
| World Music Awards | ||
| Preceded by Haris Alexiou |
World's Best-Selling Greek Artist 2005 |
Succeeded by N/A |
|
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| Sakis Rouvas Σάκης Ρουβάς | |
|---|---|
| File:Sakis Rouvas ERT Sakis Rouvas in 2009.
| |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anastasios Rouvas |
| Born | January 5, 1972 Mandoukion, Corfu, Greece |
| Genres | Pop, rock, R&B, soul, dance |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, choreographer, actor, film producer, television host, businessman |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, bass, piano, cello, percussion |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Labels | PolyGram Greece, Minos EMI, Universal France |
| Associated acts | Corfu Band |
| Website | SakisRouvas.com |
Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas (January 5, 1972) is a Greek pop/rock singer, dancer, songwriter, record producer, actor and former pole vaulter who is one of the most successful artists of all time in Greece and Cyprus with sales of two million records.[1] Rouvas was one of the first pop singers and stage performers in Greece and he made music genres of the western world popular. He is known as a sex symbol for his sexualized stage shows and music videos and for having a very large fan base. His personal life is also widely reported and he has been a large pop culture icon for nearly two decades.
Rouvas has won multiple Hellenic Music/Arion Awards, MAD Video Music Awards, and a World Music Award among many others. He represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 with the song "Shake It", winning third place, and again in 2009 with the song "This Is Our Night", winning seventh place, while he hosted the 2006 contest in Athens. Other than having produced 14 albums, Rouvas has also starred in five films and hosted numerous television events.
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