Haris Alexiou

Her grandmother's family migrated to Thebes in 1924 from Seydiköy, İzmir (Greek name Smyrna).

Her name was given to a street in Gaziemir, in İzmir province, Turkey.

Alexiou has stated that she is of Arvanite origin on her father's side and of Anatolian Greek origin on her mother's side.

One of the songs, "Dimitroula", originally sung in the 1930s by Roza Eskenazi, has become an all-time standard.

In the same year, she appeared in "boites" in Plaka, pioneering a new way of presenting songs, completely different from the conventional big nightclubs.

It was the first year after the fall of the military junta, a time for political songs and the revival of "rebetika" songs, and Alexiou sang traditional songs, ballads, modern songs, folk songs and rebetika.

For many years, she collaborated with George Dalaras, Dimitra Galani, Vasilis Papakonstantinou and Yiannis Parios.

Her concerts in stadiums and theatres, with songs written by Manos Loïzos, Lefteris Papadopoulos, Nikolopoulos, Giannis Spanos, Theodorakis, Stavros Kouyioumtzis and others, were extremely successful.

Her popularity reached its peak and since then, she has been "Haroula of Greece".

Haris Alexiou (Χάρις Αλεξίου, ; born 27 December 1950 in Thebes, Greece as Hariklia Roupaka, Χαρίκλεια Ρουπάκα, ) is a Greek singer.

She has lived in Athens since 1958, when she and her family moved there from Thebes.

She is one of the most popular singers in Greece and has been commercially successful since the 1970s.

She has worked with important Greek songwriters and composers, has performed at top musical theatres all over the world, and has received several awards.

She has recorded over thirty albums and has been featured on albums of other musicians.

Haris Alexiou appeared in the Greek music scene in the early 1970s.

Her charismatic voice, combined with a unique way of performing and a strong stage presence, very soon led her to the top.

She has worked with the most important Greek songwriters, has performed at the greatest musical theatres on all five continents and has received several important awards.

She has recorded over thirty albums, has participated in albums of other artists, either renowned or young and promising, being always open to new ways in music.

The first important step in her career was her participation with George Dalaras in the album Mikra Asia (Asia Minor) written by Apostolos Kaldaras and Pythagoras (Pythagoras Papastamatiou) in 1972.

A historic album, the biggest hit of the '70s and included in "Minos-EMI's 100 Greatest Hits of the Century."

In 1973, Alexiou participated in the albums Kalimera ilie (Good Morning, Sun) by Manos Loïzos and Lefteris Papadopoulos, Byzantinos Esperinos (Byzantine Vesper) by Apostolos Kaldaras and Lefteris Papadopoulos and Odos Aristotelous (Aristotelous Street) by Yannis Spanos and Lefteris Papadopoulos.

Meeting Manos Loïzos was the beginning of a lifelong friendship and a prolific collaboration.

In 1975, her first personal album, 12 'Laika' Songs, was released.

Eight of her personal albums released between 1977 and 2003 have surpassed 1.5 million sales, the only Greek female singer to do so.

She also has an audience in Turkey and her various songs were sung in Turkish especially "Ola Se Thimizoun" (Everything reminds me of you) as "Olmasa Mektubun" (Without your letter) by Yeni Türkü, Erol Evgin, Müslüm Gürses, Sevda Karababa and Pilli Bebek; Teli Teli Teli as "Telli Telli" (Demoiselle, demoiselle), Pes Mou Pos Ginetai (Tell me, how is it possible?) as "Maskeli Balo" (Masquerade) by Yeni Türkü, Athena and Ata Demirer; Mia Pista Apo Fosforo (A floor of phosphorus) as "Her şeyi yak" by (Burn everything) Sezen Aksu and Duman and as "Nefes Almak İstiyorum" (I want to breathe) by Yonca Evcimik; Krata Gia To Telos (Keep it to the end) as "Sebahat Abla" (Elder sister Sebahat) by Müslüm Gürses; Fevgo (I'm leaving") as "Durma Yağmur" (Rain don't stop) by Gripin.

In 1979, the album Ta tragoudia tis Haroulas (Haroula's Songs) was released.

Manos Loïzos had written the music and the lyrics were written by Manolis Rasoulis and Pythagoras (Pythagoras Papastamatiou).

From this album, "o Fantaros" ("The Soldier") immediately became a big hit, while "Ola se thymizoun" ("All Things Remind Me of You") is considered one of the most beautiful Greek ballads of all time.

The 1980s started with two enormous hits: "Fevgo" ("I'm Leaving") and "Ximeroni" ("The Day Breaks").

Songs of Yesterday, her album with Dimitra Galani included ballads which fascinated the public.

At the same time, she recorded traditional and folk songs, rebetika and laika, and gave concerts both in Greece and abroad.

In 1983 she recorded the album Tsilika, a collector's item, with rebetika songs written between 1900 and 1935.

1986 is the year of her first collaboration with composer Thanos Mikroutsikos.

The album was I Agapi ine zali (Dizzy with Love), with lyrics by Alkis Alkeos, Nikos Kavvadias, Andreas Mikroutsikos and Babis Tsikliropoulos.

The title song became an enormous hit.

"Eleni" and "Erotikon", from the same album, were also extremely successful.

The same year Haroula conquered the French public, appearing in "Théâtre de la Ville", getting favorable reviews from the French press.

After that, she gave concerts in Cyprus, Tunisia, Germany and many towns all over Greece.

In 1987, world-famous Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis invited her to appear in his club "Sirius" with the "Unpredictable Songs".

On 14 March 2010 Alpha TV ranked Alexiou as the first top-certified female artist in Greece in the phonographic era (since 1960), Chart Show: Your Countdown and the Number 3 overall ranking with regards to the sale of the personal albums certified Gold or Platinum in Greek discography since 1970, behind the male singers George Dalaras and Yiannis Parios.