The ultimate Greek superstar. The reigning music queen. Not just in Greece and her native Cyprus, but for millions all over the world. It seems that Anna Vissi adds to her following with everything she does. Perhaps because with every new release and every live appearance, Anna builds on her legacy and adds to her impact on contemporary Greek music.

Her repertoire over the years has been vast and varied. From traditional Greek folk songs to hard edged rock. From classical opera to techno pop, Anna has done it all.

But still she continues to surprise her audience. On her recent release, Apagorevmeno (Forbidden in Greek), Anna has enlisted some of the world's foremost music producers and worked in some of the world's top studios to create a richness and variety of sound never before captured in contemporary Greek music. This album went Gold the first day of its release and shot to the number one position on the charts just days thereafter.

It's hard to imagine Anna's impact on the Greek music world. A closer look at her recording career provides a hint of just how significant that impact is: 26 albums. One seven times Platinum. Three triple Platinum. Four double Platinum. Seven Platinum. Nine Gold.

FROM ROCK TO OPERA

One of the great things about the talented Greek Goddess is the depth of her repertoire.

In 1991, Anna starred in the first Greek rock opera, Demons, music by Nikos Karvelas, based on a libretto by Stavros Sideras. Directed by Roger Williams, the show ran for two years, after which she played the lead role of Aphrodite in the one act opera, Ode to the Gods. This was staged at the Commonwealth Day celebrations in Limasol, Cyprus in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and 47 Heads of State...

The year 2001 saw Anna move in yet another direction when she appeared in a Hungarian multimedia production in Romania to over 100,000 people, 2001: A Peace Odyssey featuring the band No Smoking and the acclaimed cinema director and producer, Emir Kusturica.

THE EARLY YEARS

Anna's story begins in Larnaca, Cyprus. She was born, one of three girls, to Nestor and Sofia Vissi. At the age of six she began formal music training at the local conservatory studying classical piano and ballet. By the age of twelve Anna was recognized for her natural talent when she took first prize in a national talent contest.

In 1973 while still in high school, Anna signed her first recording contract with RCA/Greece and quickly became a staple at the legendary nightclubs in the Plaka, district of Athens, a cult area under the world renowned, Acropolis.

THE BIRTH OF A STAR

Anna was on her way. Her first big break came in 1977, when she was invited to tour with famed crooners George Dalaras and Haris Alexiou Later that year she was named Best Singer, and awarded Best Song at the Thessaloniki Song Festival.

In 1980, Anna was selected to represent Greece at Eurovision song contest. Two years later she represented Cyprus with her own composition, Mono I Agapi, which won her 5th place with Cyprus' highest vote to date. Anna's global reputation began to grow.

In 1983, Anna married the musician, singer and composer Nikos Karvelas, whom she had met in 1975. This marked the beginning of an especially close and remarkably successful collaboration which only ended after the couple's separation in 2006.

THE NINETIES

By the mid nineties, Anna's popularity grew in leaps and bounds. In 1996, she released the triple platinum album Klima Tropiko.

In February 1997, she won three Greek Music Awards - Best Female Singer, Best Performance and for the song, Sentonia, with the most Airplay. In April of the same year she released Travma which went Gold within twelve days and triple platinum within six months.

Antidoto was released in 1998, selling 80,000 copies in one week and breaking all prior records.

On her live performance at the Bekin Theatre, the Los Angeles Times wrote: "A performance so charismatic, so filled with sheer magnetic talent... expect big things from this potential new international star", while the New York Times wrote: "She was no unapproachable, packaged pop diva, but an irrepressible entertainer", following her performance at Madison Square Garden.

ANNA IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM

Following a short break from music, Anna appeared in the Millennium Show at London's Royal Albert Hall in April 2000. Kravgi, a double album released in November 2000, went Gold within hours and eventually went 7x Platinum, making it one of the most successful albums in the history of Greek music.

In 2004, Anna performed a concert in Nicosia to mark the entry of Cyprus into the European Union and performed during the closing ceremony of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

In 2005, Anna showed her full versatility and her constant ability to surprise her audience with the release of Nylon, an eclectic mix of rock, ballads, dance and hip-hop. The album went Platinum within 24 hours.

By 2007 Anna was touring the world, with appearances in Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, Chicago, New York, Atlantic City, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Toronto in North America, Amsterdam and Brussels in Europe, and Sun City in South Africa.

ANNA REVEALED

In February 2008, Anna signed with Maple Jam Music Group in California. "I want to make music which truly represents who I am. This can only be done by working with the top people in the recording industry worldwide."

Anna's collaboration with producer Greg Ladanyi led to productions with Patrick Leonard, Glen Ballard, and Dave Stewart from the US, and on December 9, 2008 Apagorevmeno was released in Greece.

The album achieved Gold on the first day of release, climbed to the number one position on the Greek sales charts within a week, and then proceeded to go Double Platinum in both Greece Cyprus. Apagorevmeno also rated six songs in the national radio charts of Greece at the same time, with Anna as the only artist listed with multiple songs from the same album.

Due to it's huge popularity, Apagorevmeno was repackaged and re-released on November 16, 2009. This re-released version of the album, Apagorevmeno+, included three new songs and two remixes.

RECENTLY

In 2010 Anna again showcased her multi-platinum talent on a global level with tour of Australia, where Anna lit up stages from Brisbane to Sydney.

After deciding to again collaborate with Nikos Karvelas of Greece, Anna released Agapi Einai Esi on December 17, 2010. The rock-oriented album was third on Greek charts by its third week on the streets, and went Gold in its fourth week.

In Spring of 2011, Anna went on yet another international tour across the United States and Canada, performing in such cities as Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, and Las Vegas.

WHAT'S NEXT

Keep an eye out for her 2011 European tour, which will begin on June 15 in Limassol, followed closely by a concert in Bucharest on the June 17.

Fall 2011, Anna will debut "Oso Eho Foni" on Alpha TV, a music documentary series focusing on her everyday life. The series will include footage from the last three years of Anna's musical career, including life at home and performance rehearsals.

Official Website(s)

annavissi.net

Discography