Annette Artani
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Annette Artani (Αννέτ Αρτάνη in Greek) (Annette Stamatelatos originally), is an Greek singer/song writer and represented Cyprus in the Eurovision 2006 contest in Athens, Greece.
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[edit] Biography
Annette was born Annette Stamatelatos to the Greek immigrants Ioulia & Gregoris Stamatelatos in New York City, NY. She became a popular second-generation Greek-American singer, famous mainly in Greece and Cyprus. Her family originates from the village of Karavados on the island of Kefalonia, Greece. She is named after her maternal grandmother, Anneta, and she chose to use her paternal grandmother’s first name in her stage name, Artani, as a dedication to both of them for guiding and inspiring her both during their lives and after their deaths.
Her older sister and only sibling also sings. She had the pleasure to sing with the Karabiotis brothers (Spiros & Makis), the most famous duet of traditional music on the island of Kefalonia. She and her sister formed a rock band named Nootropia, singing in Greek, and promoted on National Greek TV (NGTV) and Aktina FM, with a fast-growing New York following.
[edit] Career
Annette expressed her interest and love for music at a young age, particularly in offerings of such greats as Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Nana Mouskouri. In 1994, she received a scholarship from BMG for writing and performing an original song, called "Summer Days". She has also won several talent titles in America’s Favorite Pageants, the New York Star Pageant, the Ophelia Devoure Talent Connection, and has been featuring in both Pageantry and Billboard Magazine.
Over the years, Annette incorporated influences of singing in her college Gospel choir, as well as listening to R&B, pop and rock music. She started off her singing career as an opening act for Mando, a Greek pop star, and has been featured in her own summer concert in 1995.
She collaborated with several accomplished writers in New York such as Jeff Franzel, who’s written for NSYNC and played with Frank Sinatra, and Tom Lamendola, who has written for Jon Secada. She gained more experience by being a backup vocal for the Britney Spears's Dream Within a Dream tour. She also collaborated with Spears and helped co-wrote the chorus to the hit single Everytime, which became an international hit.
She also participated in the third edition of the Greek show Fame Story. She left after a month because it turned out she was only there to introduce herself to Greece, not for the competition. Although she didn't win, she did establish a big fan base and went on to release a single called "Goodbye Amor", which quickly became popular. Her work has her bouncing back and forth between New York and L.A..
True to her roots, Annette's songs fuse the oud and bouzouki laced instrumentations of her Greek culture with a modern, city-wise pop, rock, and blues sound.
Her debut full length album Mia Foni (One Voice) was released in Greece in April 2006.
[edit] News
In 2006 the Cypriot public selected its entry from ten songs on February 22nd during a show entitled, "Song For Europe" where Annette won the majority of the votes with her ballad "Why Angels Cry." She represented Cyprus in Athens during the Eurovision 2006 Contest but was knocked out in the semi-finals.
Currently Annette is preparing to release her debut CD "Mia Foni" (One voice) which Why Angels Cry will be the first single. It will be released sometime this year. She is also getting ready to shoot the video clip for "Why Angels Cry", and will be embarking on a european promotional tour. In March Annette was a special guest at the Greek song selection, where Anna Vissi was performing several songs and the Greek public had to select for the country's Eurovision entry which was won by the song "Everything" sung by Vissi. Annette is now studying the dumbek, a Middle-Eastern percussion instrument.
[edit] Albums
- Mia Foni(One Voice)
