Coordinates	6°8′0″N102°15′0″N
Name	Kostas MartakisΚώστας Μαρτάκης
Background	solo_singer
Born	May 25, 1984 Athens, Greece
Origin	Athens, Greece
Genre	Pop, Rock
Years active	2006-Present
Label	Sony BMG Greece (2006-2009)Universal Music Greece (2009-present)
Website	}}

Konstantinos (Kostas) Martakis () (born May 25, 1984 in Athens, Greece) is a Greek singer. He rose to fame in the television singing competition ''Dream Show'' aired by Alpha TV in 2006. Martakis also participated in the Greek national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

Biography

Early life

Kostas Martakis was born on May 25, 1984 in Athens to parents Nikos Martakis and Labrini Martaki of Cretan origin. Martakis has an older sister and after his mother and father divorced, Martakis lived with his mother.

2006–2007: Dream Show and debut album

Martakis first gained fame on the reality talent show ''Dream Show''. Prior he had also done modelling work and played basketball in amateur minor leagues where he won some medals, as well as majoring in computer technologies at American College of Greece. Shortly after his appearance on ''Dream Show'', he signed a contract with Sony BMG Greece and released his first CD-single in the summer of 2006 titled "Panda Mazi" (Always together). By winter 2006, Martakis was singing alongside Despina Vandi and Giorgos Mazonakis at REX night club, while in summer 2007 he starting singing with Kelly Kelekidou and Dionisis Makris at "Romeo" summer club. In June 2007, Martakis released his first studio album titled ''Anatropi'' (Reversal). The album was generally well received, leading him to win the award for "Best New Artist" at the MAD Video Music Awards 2007.

In the summer of 2007, he also took part of the international competition ''New Wave Festival 2007'' held in Latvia, where he scored 2nd place, winning 1st place in the public vote. Shortly after, he was booked by Sony BMG Russia to release an English album in all the ex-soviet countries in 2008, although this never materialized and his collaboration with the Russian branch was terminated.

2008: Greece's Eurovision national final

Seeing his growing popularity, ERT asked him to compete in the Greek national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. Kostas Martakis competed in the Greek National Final with a song by Dimitris Kontopoulos, with lyrics by Vicky Gerothodorou. The song was "Always and Forever". and it was recorded in two different styles. The pop rock version of the song was originally supposed to be performed at the National Final, but the dance version was chosen instead by Martakis and his label. The winning entrant was "Secret Combination" by Kalomoira, and Martakis' entry "Always and Forever" placed second. Following the Greek national final, a Russian language cover of "Always and Forever" based on the dance version with the title "С тобой навеки" (With you forever) was released in ex-soviet countries, while in December 2008, "Always & Forever" was added to American retailer Abercrombie & Fitch's nationwide US in-store music playlist, thus indirectly introducing the song to the American market.

Kostas Martakis and Danish-Greek singer Shaya were chosen to record a Greek-language version of Right Here, Right Now from the soundtrack of the Disney film High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The cover was titled "Mikroi Theoi" (Little Gods) and was released as a single off of the Greek edition of the film's soundtrack, as well as being made into a music video with Martakis and Shaya molded together with scenes from the film. The music video was included as a bonus feature on the Greek edition of the film's home video release. Walt Disney Records, via its international distribution partner EMI, commissioned several local market, foreign language versions of songs from the entire High School Musical series, although "Mikroi Theoi" was the only Greek version song.

"Fila Me" is another single by Martakis of which was made into a music video and released as a digital single. Martakis then took a break from recording and live shows as he was called to fulfill service in the Hellenic Navy.

In fall 2008, Kostas Martakis was the opening act for the Athens concert of Jennifer Lopez. He was chosen by concert organizers after they reviewed several video screenings of Greek artists. Ιn November 2008 American television station E! included Martakis on their "25 Most Sexy Men in the World", describing him a "Greek God".

2009: Second album ''Pio Konta''

In March 2009, it was announced that Kostas Martakis signed with Universal Music Greece. The collaboration with Sony BMG helped spawn nine singles, but his departure from the label in 2009 was on good terms.

In June 2009, Martakis released a song as a digital download single titled "Pio Konta" (Come closer) composed by Swedish producers Holter & Erixson. A music video, directed by Dimitris Silvestros, debuted shortly after. Martakis released his second platinum album ''Pio Konta'' on November 12, 2009.

2011–present: ''New album 2011 and Dancing with the Stars ''

Kostas Martakis traveled in March to record a duet entitled "Sex Indigo", in a study in Moscow with the Russian pop star Diana Díez the song was produced and written by Alexander Sandrique Pogvebetsky and Sam Bagdasarov. The video was shot in Ukraine by the director Alan Badev , the song will be included in the new albums of artists. The premiere of song "Sex Indigo" was on March 18, the version of "Sex Indigo" in Greek "Vres Ton Tropo" (Find the Way) was premiere on April 28 and the version of" Sex Indigo "in Spanish was the May 4. The world premieres of the three versions were on the Official Facebook Group of Kostas and the channel of the artist on YouTube, the letter of the Spanish version of "Sex Indigo" was written by juliana Lira and Fermin Lira, mastered by Universal Mastering Studios and Sam Bagdasarov.

Kostas Martakis participated in the second season of the Greek version of Dancing with the Stars and was partnered with Maria Antimisari.

Discography

Studio albums

All the albums listed below were released in Greece and Cyprus. width=100%>

Year	Title	Certification
			!	!
2007	''Anatropi''
2009	''Pio Konta''

CD Singles

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Year	Title	Certification
			!	!
2006
2008

References

External links

ERT Biography

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Greek male singers Category:Greek pop singers Category:MAD Video Music Awards winners Category:Modern Greek-language singers

bn:কোসতাস মারতাকিস el:Κώστας Μαρτάκης es:Kostas Martakis it:Kostas Martakis lv:Kosts Martakis pl:Kostas Martakis ru:Мартакис, Костас fi:Kostas Martakis sv:Kostas Martakis tr:Kostas Martakis uk:Костас Мартакіс vi:Kostas Martakis

Coordinates	6°8′0″N102°15′0″N
name	Kostas
background	non_performing_personnel
birth name	Kostas Lazarides
origin	Greece
genre	Country
occupation	Songwriter
years active	1989-present?
label	Liberty
associated acts	Patty LovelessDwight Yoakam
website	}}

Kostas Lazarides is a Greek-born American country music songwriter, known professionally as Kostas. He has written for several country music artists, including Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, and Travis Tritt, and has won eleven awards from Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI). In addition, he recorded one album, entitled ''XS in Moderation'', on Liberty Records in 1994.

Biography

Kostas Lazarides was born in Greece. While he was seven years old, he and his family moved to the United States, taking up residence in Montana. Lazarides eventually began identifying himself by the singular name Kostas.

Kostas was divorced from his wife Hope Evangeline in 2001. They have a daughter named Sofia, who was aged 8 at the time of the divorce. Custody of Sofia was awarded to Kostas. Sofia disappeared on August 25, 2003, while visiting her mother in Nashville, prompting and FBI hunt for her that lasted 6 years. Hope was arrested by FBI agents in Dallas, Texas, on February 24, 2009. She was returned to Tennessee where she was charged with custodial interference and appeared before General Sessions Judge Gale Robinson on March 11, 2009.

Musical career

He continued to perform in Montana as a singer and songwriter throughout the 1980s. Eventually, he was discovered by record producer Tony Brown, who was searching for new material for country singer Patty Loveless. Kostas's first cut as a songwriter, "Timber, I'm Falling in Love", was recorded by Loveless; released as a single in 1989, it went to Number One on the ''Billboard'' country charts, becoming Loveless's first Number One hit. She would also release three more of his songs as singles: "The Lonely Side of Love" (1989), "On Down the Line" (1990), and "Blame It On Your Heart" (1994). "Blame It on Your Heart" also earned BMI's Robert J. Burton award for being the most performed single of 1994.

Dwight Yoakam also recorded several songs written by Kostas, including "Nothing's Changed Here", "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose", and "Send a Message to My Heart" (a duet with Loveless), all of which were released as singles from Yoakam's 1990 album ''If There Was a Way''. Yoakam's 1993 album, ''This Time'', included another song co-written by Kostas: the single "Ain't That Lonely Yet", which earned Yoakam a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance - Male in 1994. During the early 1990s, Kostas also wrote singles for McBride & the Ride, Travis Tritt, Holly Dunn, Martina McBride, and The Mavericks.

In 1980, Kostas released a self titled album on First American Records

In 1994, Kostas signed to Liberty Records as a recording artist.''XS in Moderation'', was released that year. The album, which included his own renditions of the singles that he had written, was part of a special songwriters' series by Liberty.

Songs written by Kostas

The following singles were written or co-written by Kostas:

Dixie Chicks – "I Can Love You Better"

Holly Dunn – "Heart Full of Love"

Farmer's Daughter - "You and Only You"

Sammy Kershaw – "Your Tattoo"

Patty Loveless – "Timber, I'm Falling in Love", "The Lonely Side of Love", "On Down the Line", "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You", "Blame It on Your Heart", "High on Love", "Out of Control Raging Fire" (with Travis Tritt)

The Mavericks – "Here Comes the Rain", "There Goes My Heart", "What a Crying Shame"

Martina McBride – "Life #9"

McBride & the Ride – "Going Out of My Mind", "Love on the Loose, Heart on the Run"

Jo Dee Messina – "Because You Love Me"

Shane Minor – "Slave to the Habit"

Perfect Stranger – "Ridin' the Rodeo"

Marty Stuart – "You Can't Stop Love"

Travis Tritt – "Lord Have Mercy on the Working Man"

Dwight Yoakam – "Nothing's Changed Here", "Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose", "Ain't That Lonely Yet", "Send a Message to My Heart" (w/ Patty Loveless), "Try Not to Look So Pretty", "Nothing"

References

External links

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:American country songwriters Category:Greek expatriates in the United States Category:People from Montana Category:Greek songwriters

Coordinates	6°8′0″N102°15′0″N
Name	Giorgos Papadopoulos
Background	solo_singer
Born	Nicosia, Cyprus
Genre	pop music
Occupation	Singer, songwriter
Years active	2003
Instrument	Vocals
Label	All Records Cyprus, Virus Music Greece }}

Giorgos Papadopoulos is a Cypriot singer who began its career in Cyprus. After 3 successful EPs he released his first album in both Greek and Cypriot market and started getting popularity also in Greece. He worked with Anna Vissi, Christos Dantis, Nama, Constantinos Christoforou, Christos Thiveos, Helena Paparizou and others.

Discography

''Sto Vitho'' (2003)

First EP, released only in Cyprus. Reached Gold status. The lead single was a composition by popular Greek composer Christos Dantis. The song was later included in Dantis live album performed by himself.

''Sose Me'' (2004)

The second EP, also only released in Cyprus, also achieving Gold status. Lead single was presented during Anna Vissi sold out concert in Nicosia, Cyprus before reaching #1 in Cypriot airplay.

''Se Pethimisa'' (2006)

Papadopoulos final release with All Records Cyprus, was this third EP. The lead single ''Kati Mou Leei'' was another #1 hit for Papadopoulos composed by Constantinos Christoforou. The song was later covered by Chirstoforou himself on his 2009 album ''Alios''.

''Thalasses'' (2008)

Papadopoulos debut album and first release in Greece after he joined Virus Records. The album featured 13 all-new songs. Three singles were taken off the original release, that being ''Ochi'' (''No''), a top 20 hit in Greece and #1 in Cyprus, ''Ta Psichologika Mou'' and ''Thalasses'' (another top 20 hit in Greece).

In 2009 the album was re-released in two editions. The first was a '2 packages box set' featuring the original release package and a bonus disc ''Soma Me Soma'' with 4 bonus songs and 4 video clips. The second edition is a CD+DVD set with the CD containing all 13 songs from the original release + the 4 bonus songs from ''Soma Me Soma'' and a DVD with the 4 video clips. The 4 bonus songs were new top 20 single ''Soma Me Soma'', ''Gia Tin Agapi Sou'' the official soundtrack of the tv-series of Ant1 Cyprus with the same name (already a big hit in Cyprus) and a top 30 hit in Greece, ''Sose Me'' from the 2004 EP and ''Maybe'' a cover of ''Ochi'' in English. The 4 video clips were: ''Ochi'', ''Ta Psichologika Mou'', ''Thalasses'' and ''Gia Tin Agapi Sou''. On June 2010 the album was certified 2x Platinum in Greece.

''Mazi Mou Se Thelo'' (2010)

On March 2010 his second album was released titled "''Mazi Mou Se Thelo'' (I Want You With Me)". First single off the album was the song "Min Svinis Ta Fota" which reached top 20 in Greece and no1 in Cyprus. The second single from the album is "Ti Na Protothimitho" which also reached no1 in Cyprus..

References

External links

Official Website

Category:Cypriot male singers Category:People from Nicosia Category:Living people

uk:Гіоргос Пападопулос