Provincia Spaniae Province of Spania Province of the Byzantine (Roman) Empire ← 552–624 → Spania at its greatest extent, around the time of its foundation Capital Málaga or Cartagena Historical era Early Middle Ages  - Established 552  - Disestablished 624

History of Spain
This article is part of a series
Early History
Prehistoric Iberia
Roman Hispania
Medieval Spain
Visigothic Kingdom
Kingdom of Asturias
Suebic Kingdom
Byzantine Spania
Al-Andalus
Reconquista
Kingdom of Spain
Age of Expansion
Age of Enlightenment
Republic
Reaction and Revolution
First Spanish Republic
The Restoration
Second Spanish Republic
Under Franco
Spanish Civil War
Francoist Spain
Modern Spain
Transition to Democracy
Modern Spain
Timeline
Topics
Colonial History
Economic History
Military History
Spain Portal v t e

Spania (Latin: Provincia Spaniae) was a province of the Roman (Byzantine) Empire from 552 until 624^[1] in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. It was a part of the conquests of Emperor Justinian I in an effort to restore the western provinces of the Empire.

Conquest and foundation[link]

The conquest of the Vandal kingdom in Tunisia and reestablishment of the Byzantine province of Mauretania by Belisarius was accomplished in 534 and brought the Byzantine military in contact with the Visigoths of Spain. Despite his efforts, the Vandal king Gelimer had been unable to effect an alliance with the Gothic king Theudis, who probably took the opportunity of the collapse of Vandal authority to conquer Ceuta (Septem) across the Straits of Gibraltar in 533, probably to prevent the Byzantines from using it as a launch point for an attack on Spain. This citadel was reconquered the following year by an expedition dispatched by Belisarius, but Spain was not invaded. Ceuta, which was briefly recaptured by the Visigoths in 540 and lost through a subterfuge,^[2] became a part of Mauretania. It was an important base for reconnaissance of Spain in the years leading up to the peninsula's invasion by Justinian's forces in 552.

In 550, in the reign of Agila I, Spain was troubled by a series of revolts, two of which were serious. The citizens of Córdoba rebelled against Gothic or Arian rule and Agila was roundly defeated, his son killed, and the royal treasure lost. He himself retreated to Mérida.^[3] The date of the other major revolt cannot be arrived at precisely. Either at the commencement of his reign (549) or as late as 551, a nobleman named Athanagild took Seville, capital of Baetica, and presumed to rule as king in opposition to Agila. Exactly who approached the Byzantines for assistance and when is also disputed; the primary sources are divided.^[4] Even the name of the general of the Byzantine army is disputed. Although Jordanes wrote that the Patrician Liberius was its commander:

He [Theudis] was succeeded by Agila, who holds the kingdom to the present day. Athanagild has rebelled against him and is even now provoking the might of the Roman Empire. So Liberius the Patrician is on the way with an army to oppose him.^[5]

James J. O'Donnell, in his biography of Liberius, casts doubt on this statement, since the patrician was an octogenarian at the time, and Procopius reports he had returned to Constantinople when the Byzantines invaded Hispania and could not have led the invasion. O'Donnell states that "Jordanes may have heard that Liberius' name was being mentioned for commander of the Spanish expedition, but, in the end, the fact of his relief from command of the forces in Sicily makes the story of his voyage to Spain incredible."^[6]

However, according to Isidore of Seville in his History of the Goths, it was Athanagild, in autumn of 551 or winter of 552, who begged Justinian for help. The army was probably sent in 552 and made landfall in June or July. Liberius' forces landed probably at the mouth of the Guadalete or perhaps Málaga and joined with Athanagild to defeat Agila as he marched south from Mérida towards Seville in August or September 552.^[7] The war dragged on for two more years. Liberius returned to Constantinople by May 553 and it is likely that a Byzantine force from Italy, which had only recently been pacified after the Gothic War, landed at Cartagena in early March 555 and marched inland to Baza (Basti) in order to join up with their compatriots near Seville. Their landing at Cartagena was violent. The native Catholic population, which included the family of Leander of Seville, was well disposed to the Visigoths and the Byzantine government of the city was forced to suppress their freedoms, an oppression which lasted decades into their occupation. Leander and most of his family fled and his writings preserve the strong anti-Byzantine sentiment.

In late March 555, the supporters of Agila, in fear of the recent Byzantine successes, turned and assassinated him, making Athanagild the king of the Goths. Quickly the new king tried to rid Spain of the Byzantines, but failed. The Byzantines occupied many coastal cities in Baetica and this region was to remain a Byzantine province until its reconquest by the Visigoths barely seventy years later.

The Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent under Justinian I. Justinian's inherited empire in pink with his conquests, including Spania, in orange. It is the westernmost province.

Extent and geography[link]

The Byzantine province of Spania was never extended very far inland and received relatively little attention from East Roman authorities, probably because it was designed as a defensive bulwark against a Gothic invasion of Africa, which would have been an unnecessary distraction at a time when the Persian Empire was a larger threat in the East.^[8] The most important cities of Byzantine Spania were Málaga and Cartagena, the probable landing sites of the Byzantine army, which was renamed from Carthago Nova to Carthago Spartaria. It is unknown which of those two cities was the provincial capital, but it was almost certainly one of them. The cities were the centres of Byzantine power and while a few were retaken by Agila, the ones which were retained were a bulwark against Visigothic attempts at reconquest. The Goths easily ravaged the countryside of Spania but were inept at sieges and the fortified towns were safe centres of Roman administration.

Spania at its greatest extent, with cities indicated and lost territory.

There are few cities which can be confidently considered to have been under Byzantine government in the period. The city of Medina Sidonia (Asidona) was held until 572, when it was reconquered by Leovigild. Gisgonza (also Gigonza, ancient Sagontia)^[9] was also held until the reign of Witteric (603–610) and it indicates that the south of the province of Baetica was completely Byzantine from Málaga to the mouth of the Guadalete. In the province of Carthaginiensis, wherein lay Cartagena and of which it was capital, the city of Baza was also Byzantine and it probably resisted the inroads of Leovigilid into that territory in 570, though it was Visigothic by 589.

Among the cities which have been disputed as being Byzantine, Córdoba is the greatest. Some historians have suspected it of being the first capital of the province of Spania and ascribed the cities of Ecija (Astigi), Cabra (Egabra), Guadix (Acci), and Granada (Illiberris) to the Byzantines on this basis, but there is no positive evidence in the sources of Roman rule in any of these cities. Córdoba was in a state of rebellion, briefly joined by Seville from 566–567, until Leovigild put it down in 572. It may have had a local government during this period, or may have recognised Byzantine suzerainty.^[10]

Aside from the southern parts of the provinces of Baetica and Carthaginiensis (the southern Levante), the Byzantines also held Ceuta across from the Gibraltar and the Balearic Islands, which had fallen to them along with the rest of the Vandal kingdom. Ceuta, though it had been Visigothic and was destined to be associated with the Iberian peninsula for its subsequent history, was attached to the province of Mauretania Secunda. The Balearics with Baetica and Carthaginiensis formed the new province of Spania. By the year 600 Spania had dwindled to little more than Málaga and Cartagena and it extended no further north than the Sierra Nevada. George of Cyprus recorded only one civitas (city, people) in the province: the "Mesopotamians", though the meaning of this is uncertain.

Administration[link]

The Lápida de Comenciolo, an inscription from Cartagena recording the patriciate of Comenciolus

Secular government[link]

The chief administrative official in Spania was the magister militum Spaniae, meaning "master of the military of Spain." The magister militum governed civil and military affairs in the province and was subordinate only to the Emperor. Typically the magister was a member of the highest aristocratic class and bore the rank of patrician. The office, though it only appears in records for the first time in 589, was probably a creation of Justinian, as was the mint, which issued provincial currency until the end of the province (c. 625).

There were five known magistri in the history of the province, though this certainly does not represent the whole. Two are passingly mentioned by Isidore as successive governors in the time of Suinthila, but he omits their names. The first known governor, Comenciolus (possibly Comentiolus), repaired the gates of Cartagena in lieu of the "barbarians" (i.e. the Visigoths) and left an inscription (dated 1 September 589) in the city which survives to this day.^[11] It is in Latin and may reflect the continued use of Latin as the administrative language of the province. (It does not, however, imply that Cartagena was the capital of Spania.) Around 600 there was a governor named Comitiolus who bore the rank of gloriosus, the highest rank after that of emperor. The patrician and magister Caesarius made a peace treaty with Sisebut in 614 and conferred with the emperor Heraclius, who was more concerned with matters in Mesopotamia.

The border between Spania and Visigothic kingdom was not closed. Travel between the border for personal and mercantile reasons was allowed and the two regions experienced prolonged periods of peace. The ease of traversing the frontier was noted by the exiled Leander, whose brother more than once crossed it without hindrance. The border had been determined by a treaty (pacta) between Athanagild and Justinian I, but the date of the treaty is still debated. It may have been part of the initial conditions of Byzantine assistance in 551 or 552 or it may have been a product of the war between Goth and Roman in 555 or later. It was certainly signed before Justinian's death in 565. The legitimacy of the pacta was recognised as late as the seventh century, which accounts for the ease of travel and trade.

Ecclesiastical government[link]

The province of Spania was predominantly Latin Christian, while the Byzantine governors were the same, though many were Eastern Christians. Despite this, the relationship between subject and ruler and between church and state seems to have been no better than in Arian Visigothic Spain. The church of Spania was also less independent of the Papacy than the Gothic church, which was composed largely of Hispano-Romans. The two churches were separate. No clerics of one ever attended councils of the other. Indeed, no provincial council ever met in Spania. The theological controversies of each, however, were shared: the one stirred up by Vincent of Zaragoza's conversion to Arianism sparked a response from the bishop of Málaga.

Byzantine oil lamp from Cartagena

Gregory the Great interfered successfully in the various bishoprics of the province more than any pope ever did in the Visigothic kingdom. He came to the defence of the property of two deposed bishops and lorded it over the magister militum Comitiolus, whom he accused of interfering in ecclesiastical affairs. He implicitly accused Licinianus of Cartagena of ordaining ignoramuses to the priesthood, but Licinianus simply replied that to not do so would leave the diocese of the province empty: a sad commentary on the state of clerical education in Spania.^[12]

Culture[link]

The architectural and artistic style prevalent in Spania was not that of Byzantium proper but rather the Byzantinist styles of northern Africa. Two churches, one at Algezares south of Murcia and that of San Pedro de Alcántara near Málaga, have been excavated and studied archaeologically. Only in the Balearic Islands did the style of Greece and Thrace take a foothold. And though Byzantine stylistic markers are present throughout Spain, in the Gothic regions they do not share connections with the African styles prevalent in Spania.

In the vicinity of Cartagena, pottery has been discovered bearing distinctively African amphorae that further testify to the close ties between the provinces of Spania and Mauretania Secunda. Cartagena has in recent years been excavated quite thoroughly and a housing complex probably created for Byzantine soldiers occupying the city discovered.^[13] Many artefacts of the Byzantine presence can be seen in the Museo Arqueológico de Cartagena. Nevertheless, the city, like most in Spain at that time was much diminished in population and area under the Byzantine government.

Decline and Visigothic conquest[link]

Spania in 586 after the conquests of Leovigild (with dates of conquest on map).

In the reigns of Athanagild and Leovigild, the Byzantines were unable to push their offensive forward and the Visigoths made some successful pushes back. Around 570, Leovigild ravaged Bastetania (Bastitania or Bastania, the region of Baza) and took Medina Sidonia through the treachery of an insider named Framidaneus (possibly a Goth). He may have taken Baza and he certainly raided into the environs of Málaga, defeating a relief army sent from there. He took many cities and fortresses in the Guadalquivir valley and defeated a large army of rustici (rustics), according to John of Biclarum, who may have been referring to an army of bandits called Bagaudae who had established themselves in the disputed buffer zone between Gothic and Roman control.^[14] In 577 in Orospeda, a region under Byzantine control, Leovigild defeated more rustici rebellantes, probably Bagaudae. After two seasons of campaigning against the Romans, however, Leovigild concentrated his military efforts elsewhere.

During the rule of Reccared, the Byzantines again took the offensive and probably even regained or gained ground. Reccared recognised the legitimacy of the Byzantine frontier and wrote to Pope Gregory requesting a copy be sent from the Emperor Maurice. Gregory simply replied that the text of the treaty had been lost in a fire during Justinian's reign and warned Reccared that he would not want it found because it would have probably granted the Byzantines more territory than they actually then possessed (August 599). Leovigild's gains against the Roman government were greater than the Roman reconquests of Reccared's reign; the Byzantine province of Spania was in decline.

Among later kings, Witteric campaigned frequently against Spania, though his generals were more successful than he. The latter captured the small town of Gisgonza. Gundemar moved the primatial see of Carthaginiensis from Byzantine Cartagena to Visigothic Toledo in 610 and campaigned against Spania in 611, but to no effect. Sisebut more than any king before him became the scourge of the Byzantines in Spain. In 614 and 615, he carried out two massive expeditions against them and conquered Málaga before 619, when its bishop appears at the Second Council of Seville. He conquered as far as the Mediterranean coast and razed many cities to the ground, enough even to catch the attention of the Frankish chronicler Fredegar:

. . . et plures civitates ab imperio Romano Sisebodus litore maris abstulit et usque fundamentum destruxit.

. . . king Sisbodus took many cities from the Roman empire along the coast, destroying them and reducing them to rubble.^[15]

Sisebut probably also razed Cartagena, which was so completely desolated that it never reappeared in Visigothic Spain. Because the Goths were unable to undertake decent sieges, they were forced to reduce the defences of all fortified places they took in order to prevent later armies from using them against them. Because Cartagena was destroyed but Málaga was spared, it has been inferred that the former fell first while the Byzantine presence was still large enough to constitute a threat. Málaga fell some time after when the Byzantines were so reduced as to no longer form a danger to Visigothic hegemony over the whole peninsula.

In 621, the Byzantines still held a few towns, but Suinthila recovered them shortly and by 624 the entire province of Spania was in Visigothic hands save the Balearic Islands, which were an economic backwater in the seventh century. Like the Sardinian giudicati and Corsica in that period, the Balearics were only nominally Byzantine. They were finally separated from the Empire by the Saracen incursions of the eighth through tenth centuries.

Sometime during the joint reign of Egica and Wittiza, a Byzantine fleet raided the coasts of southern Spain and was driven off by a local count named Theudimer. The dating of this event is disputed: it may have occurred as part of Leontios' expedition to relieve Carthage, under assault by the Arabs, in 697; perhaps later, around 702; or perhaps late in Wittiza's reign. What is almost universally accepted is that it was an isolated incident connected with other military activities (probably against the Arabs or Berbers) and not an attempt to reestablish the lost province of Spania. As Professor Thompson states, "We know nothing whatever of the context of this strange event."^[16]

Sources[link]

• Thompson, E. A. The Goths in Spain. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1969. See Appendix "The Byzantine Province", pp 320–334.
• Collins, Roger. Visigothic Spain, 409–711. Blackwell Publishing, 2004.
• Helal Ouriachen, El Housin. 2009. "La ciudad bética durante la Antigüedad Tardía. Persistencias y mutaciones locales en relación con la realidad urbana del Mediterraneo y del Atlántico." PhD thesis, Universidad de Granada, Granada.
• Wallace-Hadrill, John Michael. The Barbarian West, 400–1000. 3rd ed. London: Hutchison, 1967.
• Bachrach, Bernard S. "A Reassessment of Visigothic Jewish Policy, 589-711." The American Historical Review, Vol. 78, No. 1. (Feb., 1973), pp 11–34.
• Wintle, Justin. The Rough Guide History of Spain. Penguin Group, 2003.
• Jordanes. The Origin and Deeds of the Goths. Translated by Charles C. Mierow.
• Fredegar. The Fourth Book of the Chronicle of Fredegar with its Continuations. Translated by John Michael Wallace-Hadrill. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1960.

Notes[link]

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since May 2010. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since May 2010.

Despina Vandi Δέσποινα Βανδή
Despina Vandi in 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Despina Malea
Born	(1969-07-22) 22 July 1969 (age 42) Stuttgart–Tübingen, West Germany  West Germany
Origin	Kavala, Greece  Greece
Genres	Laïko, pop, dance
Occupations	Singer, actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Minos EMI, Heaven Music, Escondida Music, The Spicy Effect
Website	www.DespinaVandi.gr

Despina Vandi (Greek: Βανδή, pronounced [ˈðespina vanˈði]), born as Despina Malea (Greek: Δέσποινα Μάλεα; born 22 July 1969), is a Greek singer. Born in Tübingen near Stuttgart, West Germany, Vandi's family returned to Kavala, Greece when she was six years old. She enrolled at the University of Thessaloniki, but eventually dropped out to begin a career in music. After moving to Athens in the early 1990s, Vandi signed with Minos EMI and released two albums Gela Mou (1994) and Esena Perimeno (1996). She then began an exclusive collaboration with songwriter/producer Phoebus and struck commercial success with her third album, Deka Endoles (1997), followed by the multi-platinum Profities (1999), where she incorporated pop elements into her music, in addition to laïko, as well as a more pop stage performance style and image, becoming one of the most prominent portrayers of the laiko/pop genre that was thriving into the mid-2000s.^[1]

Her single "Ipofero" (2000) became the best selling single of all-time in Greece. Following Phoebus' departure from Minos EMI, Vandi followed him to the newly formed independent label Heaven Music and released Gia (2001), which became and remains her biggest commercial success, as well as one of the best-selling albums of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Vandi also released the album abroad and the selftitled single "Gia" witnessed some success, topping the US Billboard Hot Dance Airplay and making her the first Greek artist to top a Billboard chart. She released her first live album in 2003 and later that year she gave birth to her first child, from her marriage with football player Demis Nikolaidis. She returned with Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou (2004), which was certified multi-platinum and became her fourth album to achieve six-figure sales.^[2] In 2007 Vandi gave birth to her second child, after a hiatus that ended with 10 Hronia Mazi (2007), a ten year celebration of her collaboration with Pheobus. Vandi once again followed Phoebus' departure in favour of his new label The Spicy Effect. Her eighth studio album C'est La Vie was the label's first release.

Vandi has won three Arion Music Awards, ten MAD Video Music Awards, seven Pop Corn Music Awards, and a World Music Award, becoming the first Greek artist recording in Greece to ever win the award. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked Vandi the fourth top-certified Greek female artist in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960), with 11 records having been certified platinum or multi-platinum and three gold by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Greece.^[2] According to Heaven Music, as of 2007, Vandi has sold one million records in Greece.^[3]

Life and career[link]

Personal life[link]

Although born in Germany, Vandi's family was from Kavala, Greece, where she and her family moved when she was six years old. As a result, she did not learn German, unlike the rest of her family. She has one older brother and an older sister. Living in a lower middle-class family, her dream was to become either an actress or a singer but she always knew that she should have something more solid as a background so she went on to study psychology, philosophy, and education at the University of Thessaloniki.^[4] When she first began singing, she used the stage name of "Elli Mara"^[2] before adopting the "Vandi" moniker, to hide that she was singing from her parents.

Despina Vandi is married to Demis Nikolaidis, ex-international soccer player and former president of AEK soccer club. She has a daughter named Melina and a son named Giorgos, born in August 2007.

A Discovery Channel documentary entitled Europe's Richest People estimated Vandi and Demis Nikolaidis's combined fortune to be in excess of 30 million euros in 2009.

On 18 August 2008,^[5] Vandi was in a car accident on Kifissias Avenue in Kifissia, Greece. The car she was in, driven by her chauffeur, slipped on an oil slick that leaked from a tanker truck causing the car to crash into the truck ahead of her. After drivers helped pull her out of the vehicle, she was transported by ambulance to the general hospital in Athens.^[6] Vandi only suffered a cut to her head and got stitches.^[7][8]

Early years (1994–96)[link]

Vandi's first album was released in 1994 under the Minos EMI label, titled Gela Mou (Smile at Me).^[9] This album was distinguished by the self-titled song "Gela Mou", as long as by Vandi's duet To Adieksodo (No Way Out) with the popular and acclaimed singer Giannis Parios. Both songs were written by Vassilis Karras.^[10]

In 1996, Vandi released her next album, Esena Perimeno (You're The One I'm Waiting For). Singles on this album include Esena Perimeno, Den Pethainei I Agapi, and Efiges. Most of the songs were written by her friend and now musical director Tony Kontaxakis.^[9] Although a few of her first songs received some airplay, the first two albums themselves had low sales and did not manage to establish her career.^[2] Together the albums have sold under 30 thousand copies. A statement made by Vandi implied the combined album sales to be in the range of 10–27 thousand copies.^[2]

Beginning of Phoebus era and breakthrough (1997–99)[link]

1997 would be the year Vandi would make her breakthrough in mainstream Greek music as she teamed up with popular songwriter Phoebus. Phoebus wrote the songs of Vandi's next album, Deka Entoles (Ten Commandments), which was certified double platinum and sold 100,000 thousand copies in Greece.^[2][11] Vandi's partnership with Phoebus would turn out to be one of the most notable in the Greek recording industry and they would continue to have commercial success for a decade and more (they celebrated their 10-year partnership with the release of 10 Hronia Mazi (10 Years Together)). With the success of Deka Entoles Vandi quickly became popular in the Greek music industry with a string of hits and popular appearances.

In 1998 Vandi released the platinum cd-single "Spania", while later that year, she experimented with acting. She was asked to play a guest star role in the hit television show "Dio Xeni" (Two Strangers). Vandi accepted the role and made her first appearance on television. She played a singer of a local small city, who was able to change the sexuality of the main gay character. She managed to gain good reviews for her acting talent.^[4]

Vandi's next album Profities (Prophecies) was released in 1999 and was certified gold the day of its release and platinum in 2 days.^[12] It eventually became triple platinum, selling 150 thousand copies.^[13] Big hits from the album were the songs: "Apapa", "To Giatriko", "To Koritsaki sou" and "Sta Dosa Ola". Later that year Vandi gave her first sold-out solo concert at the concert hall of Lycabettus with 7,000 people in attendance.^[14]

Move to Heaven and commercial peak (2000–01)[link]

In 2000, Despina Vandi released the single Ipofero (I Suffer). The single was certified six times platinum and was awarded as being the most successful single of all time in Greece, based on sales at the Virgin Megastores, which reached 150 thousand copies.^{[15][16][17][18]} An honourary award was given to her by Richard Branson of Virgin in London, England.^[19][20]

In 2001 Despina Vandi and Phoebus signed in with Heaven Music, a new break-out record label, owned by the Athena Group. Despina's following album Gia (2001), meaning "Hi" was a double album including 21 new songs. The album was certified 4x platinum in only 11 days and became one of the best-selling albums of all time in Greece. .^[21][22] Many of the songs on the album became hits not only Greece, but also in neighboring countries such as Cyprus, Turkey and Lebanon. Shortly after, Vandi gave an open free concert in Thessaloniki singing in front of a crowd of more than 60,000 people.

At the 2002 World Music Awards, Vandi was awarded as the World's "Best Selling Greek Artist".^[23] It was the first time that this award was given to a Greek artist who actually lived and worked in Greece. For her acceptance speech, Vandi said "Above all though, I would like to thank my Greek fans around the world. I dedicate this award to all the Greeks who have supported me with their love all these years and it is because of them that I find myself here at this moment."^[24]

Following the success of Gia, Despina released a CD single titled "Ante Gia" (Goodbye) in 2002, with the title track being a remix of "Gia". The single achieved double platinum status. Gia and "Ante Gia" were then compiled and re-released as "Gia & Ante Gia: Collector's Edition", along with four previously unreleased remixes.^[25]

Live, International exposure and motherhood (2003–04)[link]

In 2003 the double album "Despina Vandi Live" was released, containing performances from the singers' concerts around Greece. The album included the greatest personal hits of her 9-year career in the Greek music industry (1994–2003), as long as many songs by other artists, covering a wide variety of genres (from rock-entehno to laiko and traditional Greek music). The album featured also two new songs: "Fevgoume Kardia mou" and "O,ti Oneirevomoun". It was certified platinum, selling more than 60,000 copies.

On the meantime, with Gia having been certified multi-platinum in Greece and Cyprus, some of the songs broke out into the international market in neighboring countries. Seeing potential in an international career, she embarked on one in 2003.^[26]

Her first three international singles, "Gia" (2003), "Opa Opa" (2004) and "Come Along Now" (2005) entered the charts around the world. Her first internationally distributed albums are named after the songs "Gia" and "Come Along Now". "Gia" and "Opa Opa" have both charted on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay charts, with Gia reaching number 1 for 2 weeks on the latter and "Opa Opa" reaching number 3 on the Hot Dance Radio Airplay of Billboard.^[12][27] Except for the Billboard Charts, Gia reaching number 1 at the biggest radio stations of USA, as WKTU, KKDL and WPYM.^[28] Also, Gia reached number 1 at the Club Charts of Music Week in Great Britain and became the number 1 dance song of the year in USA, Germany, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Cyprus and Sweden.^[28][29] All three singles reached No. 1 on the Australian charts. The song Gia gave to her the award for the best dance artist for the year 2004 in Portugal and she makes a big concert for her European public.^[28] Except from "Gia", and the song "Opa Opa" reaching number 1 in Russia, Turkey and Australia.^[28] In the first days of October 2004 Despina Vandi makes four big concerts in New York, Atlantic City, Chicago and Toronto. All these concerts was sold out^[28]

The song "Come Along Now" became the second best selling single in Russia and the biggest to audience radio station of Russia, Hit FM, awarded to her an honorary award in a special concert for her.^[28] Vandi also made an appearance on the hit international show Top of the Pops where she performed her song "Gia" as she was included in some of that week's best-selling popular music artists.

Vandi's work has been remixed by celebrated global DJs and producers, such as Armand Van Helden, Milk & Sugar, Nick Skitz, Roger Sanchez, Junior Vasquez, Pete Tong, Bass Bumpers, DJ Gregory, Level K, XTM, Minimal Chic and Highpass amongst others. The albums Gia and Opa Opa have also been Records of The Week on BBC Radio 1's dance shows. At the end of August (2004) Despina performed live at the Beatstock Festival in New York.

Return to Greece (2004–06)[link]

Despina's next studio album was released at the end of 2004, titled Stin Avli Tou Paradisou (In The Garden of Paradise). Although it sold significantly less than Gia, it reached double platinum status in 2005, becoming her fourth album to reach six figure sales^[2] The album was repackaged as a special edition and included 5 new songs, including the song "Amane", a duet with Giorgos Mazonakis.^[30] The actress Katiana Balanika guest stars in the song's music video along with Vandi and Mazonakis. The special edition of the album was released in Greece, Cyprus, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. In Turkey the album reached number 2 of the Turkish charts and the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet Daily News named Despina Vandi as the Queen of Greek Pop.^[31] For the winter season 2005–06 Vandi performed at Rex with Giorgos Mazonakis.^[25]

In July 2006, Despina gave a concert in the theater of Lycabettus in Athens singing many of her popular songs.

Despina Vandi released the CD single "Kalanta" (Carols) in Greece on 22 November 2006, which reached double platinum status after two weeks from the release of the CD single.^[32] The videoclip of "Kalanta" was released on 19 December, soon followed by the video of her next hit single, "Mehri Mai Mina" (Till The Month Of May).

Vandi and Mazonakis once again collaborated for the winter season 2006–07. She performed her last show at the Rex Music Theater on 18 February 2007 and it marked an end to her performances there for seven consecutive years. Due to her pregnancy, Vandi did not plan any summer concerts for 2007, and on 21 August 2007, she gave birth to her son, Giorgos.

[edit] 10 Hronia Mazi and Iparhi Zoi (2007–09)

Vandi performing at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut as part of her 2009 five venue North American tour.

On 10 October 2007 (10/10) Vandi released her new single "Thelo" (I Want) simultaneously on all radio and TV stations across Greece at 10 am.^[33][34] It marked her 10-year anniversary of collaborating with Phoebus. The song reached the top of the Nielsen's Radio Airplay chart for Greece for six consecutive weeks.^[35] The second radio single from the album and the title track "10 Hronia Mazi" (10 Years Together) was released on 16 November 2007.^[36] The song is a rock ballad about the 10-year collaboration with Phoebus and charted on the airplay charts.

The album 10 Hronia Mazi was released 6 December 2007 on three discs featuring fifteen new songs.^[37] The first disc features eight new pop and rock songs and two remixes, while the second disc features seven new laika songs and three remixes. The third disc was a "bonus" featuring some of the greatest hits of Vandi and Phoebus with new mixes. The album achieved platinum certification on the first week. It sold 30 thousand copies, becoming Vandi's lowest selling album since the beginning of her collaboration with Phoebus.^[25] For the winter season 2007–08 she performed with Vasilis Karras at Diogenis Studio.^[38]

On 6 March 2008, Vandi released the third single from 10 Hronia Mazi, titled "Agapi" (Love), along with a video to promote it.^[39] The single was on the MAD TV Charts for six weeks with one week at number one. On 24 April 2008, Vandi released the fourth single from 10 Hronia Mazi titled "Fantasou Apla" (Simply imagine).

Collaboration with Schiller[link]

Vandi was featured on the gold-certified album Sehnsucht by German electronica act Schiller, which was released in early 2008, providing vocals for the song "Destiny", composed by Phoebus. She performed the track with Schiller on 17 June 2008 at the MAD Video Music Awards 2008, where she won the category of "Best Female Artist" and also performed "I Gi Ki I Selini" (Earth and Moon).^[40] Her live appearance in the MAD Video Music Awards 2008 was included in the live edition of Sehnsucht (Desire).

Album repackage[link]

On 24 June 2008, the album was repackaged with the title 10 Hronia Mazi: It's Destiny as one disc. The repackaged version includes the song "Destiny" by Schiller featuring Despina Vandi. The one-disc repackaged version features the songs from the original first and second discs, excluding all the remixes (with the exception of "Ta Lefta (Remix)"). Two more songs were released as singles, "I Gi Ki I Selini" and "Tha Thela"; the music video for "I Gi Ki Selini" was her performance at the MAD Awards, while the video for "Tha Thela" was the live performance of the song at the Love Radio party which took place on 12 May 2008.

Vandi has become involved in the Global One music project. She attended a recording session in Beijing with Chinese pop start Wei-Wei and Brazilian samba singer Daniela Mercury, while also attending the project's first official press conference.^[41] The project's ambitious goal, driven by successful international record producer Rob Hoffman, is to have one artist representing their country record common Global One songs in their native language, as well as in the English language, in efforts to pool together as many languages and cultures as possible to promote their artistry on a global level.^[42]

In the end of 2008, Vandi began touring out of Greece. On 10, 11 October and 12 she performed three sold-out concerts in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide and then from 15–24 May 2009, she sang a five venue tour of the United States and Canada.^[43]

In 2009, Despina Vandi did not appear in any nightclub in Athens or Thessaloniki, but preferred to rest after a long period of appearance in nightclubs. Instead, she performed in charity concerts in Cyprus, where she was given the platinum award for her album 10 Hronia Mazi in Cyprus, after she had already received the platinum certification for the sales of the album in Greece. Following these concerts, Vandi went on with concerts in the USA and Canada.^[44] Following her tour in America, she collaborated with Goin' Through for a lengthy tour throughout Greece.^[45]

Iparhi Zoi[link]

On 16 June, Vandi made a comeback, after a year of abstinence, with the song Iparhi Zoi (There's still life), a pop-rock song with a charity character.^[46] The song was written by Phoebus and it was presented on 24 June in the Mad Video Music Awards 2009. On 29 June, Despina gave the opening concert in Thessaloniki for the Long Hot Summer Tour. After 32 sold-out concerts the tour sold 150,000 tickets.^[47] With this tour Vandi broke the record for pre-sale tickets to the concert in the Olympia pre-selling 3,000 tickets.^[48] The tour was, also, the most successful tour of 2009.^[49][50]

Following the departure of her songwriter and collaborator Phoebus from Heaven Music, Vandi officially announced on 2 November 2009, that she also has chosen to leave Heaven Music. She signed in with the record label founded by Phoebus, called The Spicy Effect.^[51]

On 11 December, Vandi returned to the Greek nightlife, singing at club Politia in Thessaloniki alongside Goin' Through. On 12 December, Heaven Music, released the compilation "Despina Vandi – Greatest Hits 2001–2009", which included major hits of hers. The album was released in two versions: the standard version (1 CD) with 16 tracks and a deluxe edition (2 CDs and 1 DVD) with 32 tracks and 27 music videos.^[52]

[edit] Move to The Spicy Effect and C'est La Vie (2010–present)

After her appearances in Thessaloniki, Vandi appeared at Thalassa People's Stage with the group 48 Ores, which had participated in the Greece's The X Factor. The show began on 15 April and lasted until July.^[53] Vandi later appeared on 14 March on Chart Show, a show broadcast by Alpha TV where her certifications and sales figures were chronicled.

In 2010 Vandi sang her new song, "Koritsi Prama", live exclusively for the listeners who wοn VIP invitations from the Dromos 89.8 FM radio. The fans who had the chance to listen to the new song participated at the video clip as well.^[54] "Koritsi Prama, Part 1", was released to radios on 22 March and was the lead single from her eighth studio album, "C' est la vie".^[55] The pop rock song was written by Phoebus and is the first released coordinated by The Spicy Effect label. The music video of the song was filmed on 22 March at "Diogenis Studio" and during filming, Vandi revealed that the song is the first part of a two-part work and that a second song will follow soon afterwards.^[56] Also at the video shoot, a release date for the album was said to be scheduled for June 2010.^[57]

In addition to the new single, the German band Schiller, which worked with Vandi in the past, released a new song featuring her as vocals. The song's name is Sunday and included on the Schiller's album Breathless, the international version of Schiller's album Atemlos.^[58] The song was also included in the forthcoming album of Vandi, C'est La Vie.^[59][60]

Vandi released "Koritsi Prama, Part 2" on 14 May 2010.^[61][62] During the spring of 2010, Greek medias and press named Vandi The Queen due to the success of her comeback and her 16-year successful career.^[63] Also, The Time magazine referred to Vandi as the "Queen of Greek Pop".^[64]

C'est La Vie[link]

The new album of Despina Vandi, called "C'est La Vie", was released on 13 June with Real News newspaper.^[65][66] It was her first album to be released along with a newspaper, following a popular tendency of the Greek musical industry, as an effort to deal with the reduction in the disc sales. The newspaper, along with the album, sold more than 100,000 copies. Furthermore, on 14 June Vandi performed live at the MAD Video Music Awards presenting her new song Kommati Ap' Tin Kardia Sou.^[67]

The song Kommati Ap' Tin Kardia Sou was also the following single of the album C'est La Vie and was released on 7 June 2010. The video clip was released on July 5, 2010 and made positive impressions revealing a "rock side" of Vandi.^[68] The third single of the album, Erota Theli I Zoi, was released to radio stations on 13 September 2010. The music video, filmed in the Greek island of Hydra, was a combination of the cd version of the song, plus a remix version with Ipohthonios and it was uploaded on October 19, 2010 on Spicy's YouTube Channel.

Vandi was also the first artist who took part in the MTV Unplugged concert series of the music channel MTV Greece. Vandi sang some of her big hits along with songs from other artists. The concert took placed in the theater Hora in Kypseli on 9 June.^[69][70]

In order to promote her new album Despina Vandi made a tour around Greece, along with the singer Elli Kokkinou.^[71] After the successul concerts all over the Greece, Despina Vandi, performed live on 31 October at HMV Forum of London.^[72] This performance was the first of Vandi in London and was a sold-out.^[73] After the concert she appeared at the music scene VOX and after five months, the show finished on 6 March.^[74][75]

Theatrical projects & Mou 'his perasi[link]

In March 2011, Vandi expressed her wish to star in a movie.^[76][77][78] She decided to take a break from her live appearances in music scenes for a while in order to appear in a play, a musical by Alexandros Rigas, which initially was to premiere on October or December in the theater Pallas.^[79][80][81] Ultimately, the musical was postponed for October 2012.^[82][83] In 14 June 2011 Despina Vandi appeared on Mad Video Music Awards 2011 and performed the song "Gi' Alli Mia Fora" (For one more time) combined with the "Slow Version remix" of the same song, receiving good reviews.^{[84][85][86][87]} Α new proposal by the director, Hari Borka, revealed by many Greek sites, which talk about the adaptation of the famous novel of Victor Hugo, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, on the theater in the form of a musical and the willingness of the director about playing a leading role the singer.^[88][89][90] However, she finally rejected the part.^[91]

On November 2011 a digital single was released by Vandi called "Mou 'His Perasi". The music was written by Gavrilis Mosas and the lyrics by Phoebus. The video clip, filmed in the area of the Messolonghi lagoon was also released the same month. On late 2011 Vandi's appearances began at the nightclub FEVER along with Elli Kokkinou and Nikos Ikonomopoulos.^[92]

Discography[link]

• Gela Mou (1994)
• Esena Perimeno (1996)
• Deka Endoles (1997)
• Profities (1999)
• Gia (2001)
• Despina Vandi Live (2003)
• Stin Avli Tou Paradeisou (2004)
• 10 Hronia Mazi (2007)
• C'est La Vie (2010)
• Allaksa (2012)

Tours[link]

Concert series[link]

• Kypriaki Gonia (1992–93)
• Avantage (1993) (with Vasilis Karras and Eleni Peta)
• Posidonio (1993–94) (with Vasilis Karras, Katy Garbi, Dionisis Schinas, Lambis Livieratos, Kaka Koritsia)
• Palais Royale (1994–95)
• Club In (1995) (with Thanos Kalliris, Zafeiropoulos)
• Athens Show Center (1995–96) (with Nikolopoulos, Dionisiou, Litsa Giagousi, Evridiki)
• Bio Bio (1996) (with Giorgos Mazonakis, Farmaki, Kraousakis, Panagiotou)
• On the Rocks (1996) (with Paschalis, Dakis, Sofia Vossou, Konstantopoulou)
• Posidonio (1996–97) (with Lefteris Pantazis, Stefanos Korkolis, Tzavara)
• Diogenis Pallas (1997) (with Giannis Parios)
• Teatro (1997) (with Notis Sfakianakis)
• Rex (1997–98) (with Notis Sfakianakis)
• Pili Axiou (1998) (with Notis Sfakianakis)
• Ribas (1998) (with Giannis Parios)
• Gazi (1998–99) (with Vasilis Karras)
• Teatro (1999) (with Vasilis Karras, Giorgos Lembesis)
• Gazi (1999–2000) (with Giorgos Mazonakis, Lambis Livieratos, Giorgos Lembesis)
• Pili Axiou (2000) (with Lambis Livieratos and Giorgos Lembesis)
• Rex (2000–01) (with Nikos Kourkoulis and Lambis Livieratos)
• Pili Axiou (2001) (with Lambis Livieratos and Kostas Doxas)
• Rex (2001–02) (with Sakis Rouvas and Kostas Doxas)
• Rex (2002–03) (with Tolis Voskopoulos)
• Rex (2004–05) (with Thanos Petrelis, Kalomoira, and Giorgos Christou)
• Palai de sports (2005) (with Kalomoira and Giorgos Christou)
• Pili Axiou (2005) (with Thanos Petrelis, Kalomoira, and Giorgos Christou)
• Rex (2005–06) (with Giorgos Mazonakis and Giorgos Christou)
• Boom (2006) (with Stamatis Gonidis)
• Rex (2006–07) (with Giorgos Mazonakis)
• Boom (2007) (with Sakis Rouvas)
• Diogenis Studio (2007–08) (with Vasilis Karras and Nino)
• Odeon (2008) (with Vasilis Karras)
• Politia Live Clubbing (2009–2010) (with Goin' Through and Giannis Apostolidis)
• Thalassa: People's Stage (2010) (with 48 Ores)
• VOX (2010–2011) (with Panos Kalidis and Elisavet Spanou)
• Fever (2011–2012) (with Elli Kokkinou and Nikos Economopoulos)

Concert tours[link]

• 1999 Summer Tour
• 2001 Summer Tour
• 2002 Summer Tour
• 2003 Summer Tour
• North American Tour (2004)
• 2005 Summer Tour
• 2006 Summer Tour
• 2008 Summer Tour
• World Tour (2008–09)
• Together Through Summer: Long Hot Summer Tour (2009) (with Goin' Through and Stelios Maximos)
• 2010 Summer Tour (with Elli Kokkinou)

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

See also[link]

• Number-one dance airplay hits of 2004 (U.S.)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance airplay chart
• Hot Dance Airplay
• List of artists featured on MTV Unplugged

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• The Fan Club
• Official Despina–Phoebus collaboration website