Katy Garbi
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| Katy Garbi | |
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 Katy Garbi
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Katerina Garbi |
| Born | June 8, 1963  Athens, Greece |
| Origin | Athens, Greece |
| Genre(s) | Modern Laika, Pop, dance |
| Occupation(s) | Greek Singer |
| Years active | 1989-present |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG |
| Website | http://www.katygarbi.com/ |
Katerina 'Katy' Garbi (Greek: Κατερίνα 'Καίτη' Γαρμπή; born June 8, 1963, in Egaleo, Athens) is a Greek singer active in Greece, Cyprus and Turkey.
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Garbi began her singing career with her younger sister Liana as the "Garbi Sisters" when she was just 15 years old and Liana 13. Due to their tender ages, their father was against their careers as singers, but did not want to stand in the way of any promising future the two might have. He always was there as a "guardian angel" to protect them. Garbi learned from a very young age how to work and earn her way, she remembers she and Liana drinking milk during those performances in clubs. She and her sister are most remembered for the back-up vocals they provided at Yannis Floriniotis's performances in the early eighties.
[edit] Personal life
On meeting male popstar Dionisis Schinas, Garbi realized the presence of sudden spark between both of them. They went on dating for a lengthy period during the early 90's, including 1993 when Garbi participated in a duet with none other that Dionisis Schinas himself. Rumours began to fly, that the duet put them in something a lot deeper then a normal business collaboration, however in the coming months, they were to take separate paths and continue on with their solo careers. In the time after they both were seeing other people; Dionisis was seen various times with another singer, Elli Kokkinou who was at the beginning of her entrance into the music industry. Nevertheless, this couple was not meant to be, as Dionisis still had his eyes set on Garbi and this time was not going to let her get away because he knew there was something special that both of them felt disregarding their small age gap.
On May 4, 1997, Garbi married modern pop singer Dionisis Schinas and in June of 1999, the couple had their first child, a baby boy.[1]
[edit] Early Solo Career
Breaking away from the duo with her sister Liana, Garbi broke the ice into the music industry with her first ever solo song "Sain Trope", which quickly became a hit. Her first appearance in discography came in 1987, when she appeared as one of the artists on a new compillation CD called Ta Deka Dekaria alongside other fresh new singers including Manto, Polina, Sofia Vossou and Laurentis Mahairitsas. In this CD she appeared in two tracks "Sain Trope" and also in a duet with Kostas Haritodiplomenos called "Glyka".
With the success of this album, the second volume was released in 1989 which featured Garbi in two new numbers "Ah, Afto Mou Aresei" and "Zo Na S'agapo". This successful entrance into the Greek music industry lead her to her first music contract with CBS Records Greece, which very soon became Sony Music Greece, paving the way for her first studio album in 1989.
[edit] Career
[edit] 1989-1992: The Beginning
Two years after her debut entry to the music world, she released her first album titled Prova (Trial) in 1989. At this point, Garbi and her sister separated from their professional paths in quest for solo careers. Prova became a great success and in a short time Katy Garbi became a popular figure. The Greek audience who adored her back when she was with her sister remained loyal to her and have ever since.
In 1990 and 1991 she released Gyalia Karfia (Glass and Nails) and Entalma Silepseos (Warrant) respectively. Both albums had great acceptance and allowed her to penetrate into the Greek local music scene.
On her fourth album, Tou Feggariou Anapnoes (The Moon's Breaths) released in 1992, Garbi decided to sing more pop/popular tunes than just clean pop. As a result, this twist in her musical style awarded her with a gold album, raising her to a new artistic level.
[edit] 1993: Eurovision
In 1993 she accepted the offer to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest 1993. The song that she sung was "Ellada, Hora Tou Fotos." This event gave her career new opportunities and was what carved the path that lead to her gold and platinum years. At the end of the competition, she was placed 9th with 64 points.
[edit] 1994-1997: The Platinum Years
Following her successful participation in the Eurovision she began releasing hits that reached gold and platinum standards, releasing the Gold Album Os Ton Paradeiso (Until Paradise) and the Platinum Album Atofio Hrysafi (Pure Gold) in 1994. On this particular album is a duet with her then boyfriend Dionysis Schoinas who whilst promoting the song on Channel Mega's show Bravo with Roula Koromila, Dionysi proposed to her live in front of a national audience.
After her huge success with 3x platinum album Arhizo Polemo (I'm Starting A War) was released in 1996, she doubled her success with Evaisthisies (Sensitivities) in 1997 which reached 3x platinum status. In that time, 1994-96-97, Garbi managed also to win eight Pop Corn Greek Music Awards. These 3 Albums awarded as the best album of each year in Pop Corn Greek Music Awards.
[edit] 1998-1999: Garbi's Christmas Present
For Christmas 1998, Garbi, who cherishes the holidays, created a special album full of well known Christmas songs adapted to Greek lyrics by Eleni Giannatsoulia. This project was a long wished one by the popular artist. Also featured on this album titled Hristouyenna Me Tin Katy (Christmas With Katy) is the internationally known tenor K. Paliatsaras and the children's choir of St. Labros. The Album went Gold in Greece.
1999 saw the release of Garbi's Platinum certified album Doro Theou (God's Gift). It featured a song with the back-up vocals of Antonis Remos called "Anisos Agonas". Other tracks include "Doro Theou", "Agkires", and "Aponomi Dikeosinis", all of which were made into video clips. She also cooperated with the well-respected musician and singer Foivos Delivorias. Garbi performed his song "O Antras tis Zois Mou" (The Man of My Life), which is included in one of his albums. In June of that year Garbi was also blessed with her own gift from god; a new born baby boy, who she named Dimitri.
[edit] 2000-2001: To Kati, Anna Vissi & Ti Theloune Ta Mata Sou
The year 2000 arrived and Garbi kicked off the new millennium by releasing her super hit album To Kati (That Something), a double CD with songs written by Fivos. Fivos, the songwriter of the hottest hits within the last 5 years, and the extraordinary super star Katy Garbi meet up once more. The result of their collaboration is seven new songs, which are combined with the best tracks Garbi and Fivos have created together in the past, and make a total of 31 super hits. In addition, label mate Natasa Theodoridou joins Garbi on the hit "Epitelous" (At last). To Kati was certified 4x Platinum, marking a high point in her career.
After the success of her super 4x Platinum album To Kati, Garbi partenered up with superstar Anna Vissi in a duet, releasing the massive hit song "Kalitera I Dio Mas" on Anna Vissi's 6x Platinum Album Kravgi. The song was such a success that two video clips were made; Version A and Version B, which had them both hilariously mucking around in front of the camera. Some months later, they both presented a fantastic show together with boyband ONE at Club Fever, which is one of the biggest distributed performance on the internet. Since then their friendship has stayed strong.
The release of her platinum CD single "Ti Theloune Ta Matia Sou" (What do your eyes want?) followed in 2001. That was a co-operation with the popular rock band Exis. Kostas Tournas also gave Garbi one song for that release. The video clip of the song "Ti Theloune Ta Matia Sou", is considered to be one of Garbi's best clips as it took an award at Pop Corn Greek Music Awards .
[edit] 2001: Apla Ta Pragmata
In 2001 Katy Garbi, along with her producer Yannis Doulamis, presented a new project titled Apla Ta Pragmata (Things are simple) a double CD with 31 tracks for her fans. The first CD includes tracks composed by Nikos Terzis (who had also given Garbi her first big hit "Pesto M' Ena Fili" (Say It With A Kiss). A special track on this project is Garbi's duet with the promising young duo Antique titled "Einai Adiko Kai Krima" (It Is Unfair And A Pity). The album included the rising hits "Viastika" (In a hurry) and "Thelo Apopse na Horepso" (Tonight I Want to Dance). The album went 2x Platinum in Greece and Cyprus and was awarded the album of the year award at the Pop Corn Greek Music Awards.
[edit] 2002: The Club Hits
In 2002, Garbi took her music one step further releasing a mini disk Remix Plus which included four remixes of her latest hits "Apla ta Pragmata", "Krayon", "Otan se Hreiazomai" and an album version of "Thelo Apopse Na Horepso".
During the same year she released a CD bringing back all of her past hits in a non-stop album titled Katy Garbi Hit Mix.
A year later in 2003, Katy Garbi's CD Single "Mia Kardia" (2x Platinum) (One Heart) burned up the dance floor in Greek clubs everywhere. With a seducing tsifteteli, techno-infused club anthem, an intoxicating Hindi collaboration, and a memorable duet with Giorgos Tsalikis, Katy Garbi pleased even the pickiest of her fans.
[edit] 2003-2004: Emmones Idees & Galazio Kai Lefko
After that, Garbi worked with the group 667 on a song titled "Aeraki" (Breeze) which was included in the group's album. In 2002 Garbi won an Arion Greek Music Award, for the Best Folk Female Singer of the Year.
It's no surprise that Garbi was back on top at the end of 2003 with another red-hot album, Emmones Idees (Platinum) (Constant Ideas), which brought to life the smash hits "Na Pernas" (Go on With Your Life), "Andres" (Men), "Esena Mono" (Only You), and a duet with Yiannis Vardis "Poso Tha Thela" (How Much I Want To...). A bonus club track titled "Zilia" (Jealousy) was also included. A music video featuring three of the songs from the album was released to both Greek and Cypriot television stations.
The year 2004 came and Garbi whipped up her third CD single "Galazio Kai Lefko" (Blue and White) dedicating the title song to Greece. It also featured a new High-Bass song "Katapliktiko" (Amazing), and two remixes of "Esena Mono", which gained an incredible amount of airplay and a #1 position on the club charts. The "Esena Mono" remixes were a big success in several countries other than Greece and Cyprus, such as Russia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Also included on the single was a "New Tempo Mix" of "Viastika".
[edit] 2005-2006: Eho Sta Matia Ourano & Pos Allazei O Kairos
The hits kept rolling in when 2005 arrived with the release of her 13th studio album Eho Sta Matia Ourano which reached Gold status in Cyprus. The album was written by Christos Dantis and so a duet between the two "Spaciba Baby" was recorded as well. Other songs include "Teleia Kai Pavla", "To Narkotiko Mou", a brilliant zeimbekiko "Eho Sta Matia Ourano" and a song that immediately became a hit "Akouse Agori Mou", which she performed live at the 2005 Mad Video Music Awards.
Garbi was a judge on the Fame Story talent show. Her vocals are included in the Planetworks album Al Bazzar 3 with a released remake of a hit Turkish song that she has called "Stohos" (Goal). Her song "Esena Mono" (Only You) was mixed with another big Turkish hit "Leili" (of the band Mokka) and it became a music video named "Esena Mono Vs Leili".
Garbi sacked her previous creative director Yannis Doulamis and hired Yannis Doksas who is a song-writer and a member of the Greek Sony BMG board. She released her 14th studio album: Pos Allazei O Kairos (How Time Changes) on October 23, 2006. Before the release of the album, the song Isovios Desmos (Lifetime Bond) sung in duet with ex-Fame Story contestant Stathis Raftopoulos, was a radio hit in Greece. A video-clip was then made to the title-track Pos Allazei O Kairos, which became a big hit, in the month following the release of the album, and then another video-clip was made for "Afti", which is featured on the album too, which reached Gold status in Greece.
[edit] 2007: Live Album
Garbi's live album was released on November 29, 2007. It included many of her favorite songs, past hits, and some new tracks. It has reached Gold status and will be certified at Garbi's 18 Hronia Live party in Athens on March 11.
On August 31, Garbi took theatre Alexis Miniotis by storm in one of the most talked about concerts in her history. The guest list including Kostas Tournas, Giorgos Lembesis, Vanessa Adamopoulou and Nikita Kaklamanis just to name a few. The atmosphere was electric as fans chanted, and sung along with Garbi. The choice of songs included old songs which have never been released on any artist's live album before. Also she sang several songs from her previous album: Pos Allazei O Kairos.
[edit] Dedication To 18 Years Live Concerts
Weeks after the release of the gold 2006 album Pos Allazei O Kairos news was lingering in the air of a label change from Sony BMG as her contract with the company slowly came to the end of a ten year collaboration. There is currently speculation of what path the singer would take either renewing her contract with Sony BMG or starting a new contract with another music label (rumoured is Heaven Music, label of other popular artists such as Nikos Kourkoulis, Despina Vandi and long running friend Andonis Vardis). This decision will be finalized in the near future.
Winter of 2007 arrived and even bigger rumours circulated about Katy Garbi's the final album on her current contract with Sony BMG. Earlier in 2006, during an interview with Mad TV - Greece presenter Themis Georgantas on his show OK! the question was asked if she was planning to record and release an official live album. Garbi replied that indeed she is planning it and that it is the next thing she will commit to. She described that she wanted it to be recorded at at a special, memorable and important destination to her and that a lot of thought is being put into the tracks recorded on the album. As summer brought dangerous weather and a hot climate, fires began to ravage Greece. This terrible natural or man-made arsonised disaster loomed over the whole nation and neighboring countries causing many deaths and the destruction of hundreds of houses, building, landmarks and natural habitats leaving many people homeless. While all attention focussed on this disaster, the music industry and television industry came to a halt. Music artists fell into the cloud of darkness that overshadowed Greece. On the 31st of August, Garbi took theater Alexis Miniotis, Aegaleo by storm in one of the most talked about concerts in her history. This event was made for the total benefit of the fire victims and families and all the proceeds went to these unfortunate people. The guest list including Kostas Tournas, Giorgos Lembesis, Vanessa Adamopoulou and Nikita Kaklamanis just to name a few. The atmosphere was electric as fans chanted, and sung along with Garbi to songs never released on any artist's live album before and included hits from Garbi's discography.
She sang like never before, her voice smooth, her heart out with the fire victims and her emotions in the songs she sang, breathtaking. The concert began with Emmones Idees ballad Esena Mono leading into classic hits like "Min Ta Fillas Ta Matia Mou" (Viki Mosholiou) and "Pira Ap'ti Nioti Hromata" (Viki Mosholiou). Mixing smoothly with the classics were songs that made Garbi famous including "Mi Me Sigrineis", "Epitelous", "Alitaki Mou", "Eho Sta Matia Ourano", "O Antras Tis Zois Mou" and a remixed version of "Xipoliti Horevo". Completing the First Part was beautiful ballad "I Proti Mas Fora" (Giannis Kotsiras). Included in the second CD is a star bursting well sung classic "O Gyalinos Kosmos" (Stelios Kazantsidis), Garbi's favorite tsifteteli "Mia Melahrini", tsamiko "Na San Ta Niata Dio Fores" and zonaradiko "Lianohortaroudia". The evening ended with a strong ballad "Gia Pou To Vales Kardia Mou" and a loud roar from the audience.
[edit] 2008: New CD single and album
Garbi performed eight concerts in North America along with Dionysis Schinas and Christos Pazis. Starting February 1 and continuing to the 17th, they appeared in Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Astoria, Washington DC, Vancouver, Boston, and Tampa.[2] After her North America Tour, Garbi went back to Greece where there was a party in celebration of her 20 years of discography and also the gold certification of 18 Hronia Live.
In mid 2008, Garbi went back to the studio to record a CD single which is set for release sometime in the summer. It was also announced that she is returning to her "beloved" pop music of her past. The CD single will be a precurser to her album which is scheduled to be released in the fall.[3]
[edit] Philanthropy
Garbi has been involved in many fund-raising acts for Greece, holding numerous concerts for homeless children, the “Erithnos Stavros” of Greece and sick children of Athens hospital. She also held many concerts for international countries for the Red Cross in many countries. She has contributed to Live Aid concerts along with other well known Greek Singers for numerous causes. This has added to her popularity. Recently she has devoted a concert to the fire victims of Greece (2007), where all the money would be used as charity for the victims.
"It is our obligation to offer what we can. It is impossible to find a single Greek who is not bent over from the human pain and the size of destruction. I shared my desire to help the victims with the Mayor of the city of Aigaleo, and he supported me in every way. The concert will take place in the theater of Aigaleo, and all the money will be given to aid the victims. So, on Friday, at 21:30 local time, we will all be waiting for you to come there.”
[edit] Performing
Garbi has performed in fantastic concerts all over the world, with different people, in different environments throughout her singing career. She has toured all over the world to places including Greece, Cyprus, Australia, U.S.,Canada, Britain, Africa with many other famous artists including Dionysis Schoinas, Anna Vissi, Sakis Rouvas, Paschalis Terzis and Giorgos Tsalikis.
In 2001, one year after she released her 4x Platinum Album To Kati she met up with Anna Vissi (with whom she recorded the duet "Kalitera I Dyo Mas") to perform at Club Fever. That specific performance was a great sell out success. They have since kept a fantastic friendship for many years.
More recently she has collaborated with Zucchero during his recent Athens concert in Theatro Vraxon Melina Merkouri. Other performances of Garbi's include the Eurovision Song Contest 1993 with "Ellada, Hora Tou Fotos", where she took the 9th position, and Mad Video Awards 2005 with her hit "Akouse Agori Mou". Garbi also performed at Radio City Music Hall on May 9, 1997, enjoying tremendous success.
[edit] Current Projects
- It is rumoured that Katy Garbi will be releasing a CD Single in this coming Summer on her current contract with Sony BMG Greece, which is to soon terminate.
- It is also speculated that she may be releasing a repackaged Edition of 18 Hronia Live with new songs.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Videography
[edit] References
- ^ Biography by Sony BMG.(Greek) Sony BMG. Retrieved on April 20, 2008
- ^ KAITI GARBI / DIONYSIS SCHINAS & CHRISTOS PAZIS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR 2008
- ^ Η Καίτη Γαρμπή στο στούντιο.... Music.net.cy, June 4, 2008. Retrieved on June 4, 2008
[edit] External links
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