November 15: Dionissis Savopoulos in Los Angeles

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From: HR-Net News Distribution Manager <dist@hri.org>

Originally From: Dinos Vlahopoulos <yper@starone.com>

YPER The only Greek Magazine in West Coast Presents:

Dionissis Savopoulos in a special apperance at the Whilshire Ebell Theater located at 4401 West 8th Street, Los Angeles. November 15, 1996, Time: 8:00 P.M.

Telephone: (818)782-0199 Fax: (818) 782-1155 e-mail yper@starone.com

Dionissis Savopoulos, one of the most important musical figures of Europe. As a songwriter, in his native Greece, he has played a great and decisive role in forming an alternative artistic approach in the new era of contemporary music, based on the finest elements of popular music. Through his poetic lyrics and musical exploration, he has emerged as the most influential songwriter of the new generation, transforming and mixing ethnic Balkan and Western sounds with a modern and unique style.

Through his lyrics, both simple and sophisticated, but always with deep social, political and cultural content, he expresses the feelings, objections, visions and aspirations of a large part of the younger population, establishing himself as a symbol of progressive and new ideas.

In a creative process spanning 30 years (1963-1993), Dionissis Savopoulos has released 15 long-playing records with his own songs, achieving big sales worldwide. At the same time, he continued performing in theaters, stadiums and concert halls, in and out of Greece. He helped rediscover artists of the older generation and also helped launch new and promising artists in a series of records produced by him. He also got involved in writing and producing for radio and television.

The work of Dionissis is well known all over the world, especially in Cyprus, and countries with strong Greek communities, such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Sweden etc.. On the international level, important artists like Wolf Bierman in Germany, Louis Liach in Spain, Peguri in Italy etc. have tranlated, arranged and recorded his songs. Not to forget to mention "Dirlada", performed by him for the first time in 1969, wich has been re-recorded by local artists almost in all parts of the world.

BIOGRAPHY

Dionissis Savopoulos was born in Salonica on December 2, 1944. In 1963, he moves to Athens, quitting his studies at the Law School in order to write and sing songs.

Starting in 1964, he performs in several night clubs. Almost immediately his songs become popular and the release of his first album "The Lorry" introduces him to a wider audience. His idiosyncratic way of singing, as well as the originality and quality of his music and lyrics, distinguish him from all other young performers of his day.

Three years later, his follow - up record, entitled "The Garden of the Fool", achieves international success.

In the same period (69-71), while performing at the legendary "Rodeo" club, he confronts the junta censorship and became a symbol of resistance throughout Greece. In August of 1967, the military regime throws him in a prison cell. Most happily, in October of same year, he gets married to his beloved Aspasia Arapidou. They have two sons, Cornilios and Romanos.

"Ballos" and "Dirty bread", released in 1971 and 1972, make evident that the artist is influenced by the Greek and Balkan musical tradition, as well as the contemporary western trends.

During that period, his performances become more and more complicated. Evgenios Spatharis' shadow theater "Karagiozis", movies produced by Lakis Papastathis and Alexis Kiritsopoulos, street wrestlers like Jimis the tiger, traditional musicians like Tasso Chalkias and Domna Stamiou, even Markos Vamvakaris doing his last apperance, take part in his multidimentional show at the "Cell" ( 1972-1974).

In the period right after the fall of the junta, his record, entitled "Ten years peaces" (1975), is the most reflective of his work.

In 1976, he writes the score for the film "Happy Day", directed by Pantelis Voulgaris, a story based on life in Greece just after the civil war. Although his music won the first prize for best musical score of the year, Savopoulos rejects the award as a protest against the way the Salonica film is run.

In that same year, Savopoulos presents "Aristophanes Who Returned Fom The Underworld", a new approach to the comedy of Aristophanes' "Aharnis", with a cast of young artists, like Nikos Papazoglou, Manolis Rasoulis, Panos Katsimichas, Melina Tanagri, Elias Liougos, Nikos Ziogalas and Sakis Boulas.

His next recording is entitled " Small Tables Outdoors". In September of 1983, he celebrates the 20th anniversry of his career at the Olympic Stadium of Athens, in front of 80.000 people.

From October 1986 till June 1987, he presents his own television series of 19 shows "Long live the Greek song", reflecting the music scene as a whole. A collection of these recordings comes out as a double album in Christmas of 1987.

In January of 1988, at "Zoom", the old section of Athens, Savopoulos collaborates with Manos Hatzidakis, under the title "Mr. Savopoulos Thanks Mr. Hatzidakis And He Will Certainly Be There", which is also the title of record containing a live recording of the show.

Next year, at the same venue, Savopoulos sings and plays "Haircut", which is the title of another LP, released in 1989.

"In Retrospect, 63-89" is his latest album

From June 1992 till February 1993, he spends his time working in New York City.

This year, on the way to his next recording, he presents 6 new songs in a special performance a "9/8" "Rebetica Club."

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