On 15 June, the famous Greek pop singer Demis Roussos celebrated his 65th birthday. Roussos, who was born in Egypt and now lives in Paris, absorbed the traditions, culture, and music from many countries and peoples, which, coupled with his unique voice, secured him enthusiastic and loyal fans all over the world {and I’m one of ‘em… who woulda thunk it: editor}.
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Quand je t’aime (When I Love You)
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Amis Pour La Vie (Friends For Life)
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Born in Alexandria, Egypt into a Greek expat family, music surrounded him since his earliest childhood. The mother of the future musician was a singer, whilst his father was a classical guitarist.
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Goodbye, My Love, Goodbye
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Demis sings an Italian opera aria, Una Furtiva Lagrima
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Demis Roussos (whose full name is Artemios Venturis Rousos) attended music school, where he learned to play guitar, trumpet, and contrabass.
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Demis sings From Souvenirs to Souvenirs with Diana Gurtskaya in a Moscow performance
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On Écrit sur les Murs (it’s Written on the Walls)
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After the Suez crisis wiped out his family’s holdings in Egypt, Demis and his family returned to Greece, and, in 1968, he joined the progressive rock band Aphrodite’s Child, which also included the now-famous composer Vangelis and Sideras Lucas. In the photo: Demis Roussos (1946- ) with Charles Aznavour (1924- ), in the late 1960s (right).
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The Four Horsemen from the Aphrodite’s Child album 666… it’s late ’60s acid-tinged to the core…
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Demis sings Triki, Triki in Spanish
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In 1968, after the rightwing “colonel’s junta” seized power in Greece, Roussos moved to Paris, and, in 1971, he left Aphrodite’s Child, and he began a solo career.
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Vangelis and Demis collaborated on Tales of the Future for the Blade Runner soundtrack… it’s kinda spooky and futuristic, if you catch my drift, not typical Demis stuff at all…
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Demis and Sergei Penkin sing in Russian…
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Success came to Demis with the album Forever and Ever. A single from this album, Happy to Be on an Island in the Sun, rose to fifth place in the British charts and the song When Forever Has Gone achieved second place.
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When Forever Has Gone
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Demis sings an old French Christmas hymn from Languedoc, Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes (Angels We Have Heard on High; literally, The Angels On Our Fields)
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Roussos adroitly exploited the decline in the popularity of recordings as compared to live performances, where he skilfully uses his unusual tenor. He allows himself creative freedom in designing his shows, and Demis warms up the audience personally before beginning to sing.
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Nana Mouskouri and Demis team up to sing an old Greek song, To Gelakaki
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We Shall Dance
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To date, Roussos has released more than 25 albums, he keeps up an extensive concert schedule, and he’s happy to come to Russia, where he has frequent performances.
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Editor:
Demis Roussos is one of the most popular and well-loved singers on the continent (including Russia)… sadly, navel-gazing Americans haven’t heard much of him. He’s a big-time, serious, and committed Greek Orthodox Christian… he gives concerts in Greek Orthodox parishes throughout the world. He’s one of my fave singers in French… as if you haven’t noticed by now. Only Daniel Lavoie and Garou beat him out for concert présence (and it’s a tight finish, kids… they’re all damned close to one another)… a girl can dream, can’t she?
BMD
Voice of Russia World Service
Voices from Russia 
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