III
Eleni Dimou (Ελένη Δήμου)

About:

27 December 1954

Eleni Dimou (real name Eleni Gkikodimou / Ελένη Γκικοδήμου) was born in Athens. She graduated from the National Conservatory and started her singing career at the age of 16. In 1980 she performed during a radio session to promote the work of new composers, where she sang songs from Dimitris Lekkas. That same year, she participated in the Thessaloniki Music Festival, ending third. The following year she returned with the song ’Mia Agapi stan ki anti’ (‘A love like this’), written by Sasha Manetas and won the first price. In 1981 she also appeared participated in Manos Loizou’s international concert tour.

Her first album ‘Mila mou apla’ (‘ Just speak to me’) was a collaboration with new singers Manolis Lidakis and Melina Tanagri, based on songs composed by Taki Bougas with lyrics from Antonis Andrikaki. With every following album, Dimou’s popularity increased, thanks to her modern, natural and flexible interpretations, combining the more traditional Greek roots with western pop style.

In 1986 she collaborated with Lakis Papadopoulos on her album ‘Kata bathos alepou’ (‘Basically fox’). With her by that time already highly acclaimed husky, sultry voice she sang both ballads and pop-rock songs. In this periode of time, she collaborated with famous artists like Georgios Dalaras and Mikis Theodorakis.

Her 1988 album ‘Prosopika’ (‘Personal’), recorded with G. Spanos, was both artistically as commercially a great success. In the next decade Dimou keeps releasing new albums regularly, always combining Greek folk music with western arrangements and world music influences. In 1990 she released the album ‘Pathis’ (‘Passions’), on which she chanted byzantine hymns on a requiem by D. Papostolou.

In the second half of the nineties, popularity and album sales decreased. A new generation of Greek pop singers seemed to have taken her place. Dimou seemed to be stuck between Greek folk and modern pop, unable to rejuvenate herself. Around the start of the new millennium, inspiration and creativity seemed to have returned, resulting in more frequent album releases and collaborations with international artists like Alpha Blondy, Salif Keita, The Christians, Gipsy Kings and Linton Kwesi Johnson.

In her almost thirty year spanning career, Eleni Dimou recorded more than 20 albums, nine went gold and three platinum in Greece. She is married to producer and engineer Akis Golfidis and the couple have a son named Anthony.

On the web:

- Eleni's official website: http://www.elenidimou.gr
- Eleni on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/dimoueleni
and http://www.myspace.com/elenidimou
- You can listen to Eleni on Mygreek.fm: http://www.mygreek.fm/

What do we think:

PR: Eleni Dimou is one of the Greek artists we discovered on our last trip to Athens. She is a great singer with a very husky, smokey voice. Her albums are definitely rooted in the Greek music tradition, but without the intrusive bouzouki's. She has great taste for selecting song material; unfortunately she has lesser taste when it comes to the art work of her recent cd's. Do not get put off by the trashy pictures, they do not match with the musical quality!

DB: Her 'A ke B proboli' album has been sitting my LP-collection for years after digging it up from the Amsterdam Concerto-basementbin. At the time it didn't sound so special but for our trip to Greece i recorded three tracks for a compilation cd in the car. And suddenly Eleni's magic fell into place. She made some great music over the years but maybe a bit to diverse for the average greek music lover. She probably has a personal fondness for reggae working with some of the Jamaican greats over the years. We suspect the Greek public has lost interest in her since her cd's are nowadays not very easy to find. And her good-looks also withered a bit, which hints towards a history of drug abuse. If anyone can lighten up this suspision feel free to e-mail us.

If you like this, you probably like.. / european counterparts:

Milva (Italy)

Abums:

♪♪♪ - Ego filous (I have friends) – 1982

Mila mou apla (Speak to me only), with Manoli Lidakis - 1982

♪♪♪ - A ke B proboli (A and B view) – 1984

Kata bathos alepou (Basically fox) – 1986

Den pistevo - 1988

♪♪♪♪ - Prosopika (Personal) - 1988

Antitheseis (Anti thesis) – 1989

♪♪♪ - Kanis den inai kanenos (There is not any) – 1990

Mia zoi den ftani (One life is not enough) - 1991

Pathis (Passions), with Papapostolou – 1991

I zoi inai ginaika (Life is a woman) - 1993

Athoes enoches (Innocent obligations) - 1994

♪♪♪ - I Eleni ton fenggarion (Helen of the moon) – 1994

Ipothesi kardias (Matter of the heart) – 1995

♪♪♪- Akou lipon (Listen so) – 1996

♪♪♪♪♪ - Porto risko - 1999

♪♪♪ - Sta diskola se thelo - 2001

♪♪♪ - Live apo to Mylo - 2002

♪♪♪♪ - Ta cho vri me eafto mou - 2003

♪♪♪ - O erotas se arges strofes - 2004

♪♪♪ - Oti kairo ki an kani - 2006

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♪♪♪♪♪ = outstanding album, an absolute must-have
♪♪♪♪ = great album, highly recomended
♪♪♪ = nice album
♪♪ = be careful, requires listening before buying
♪ = best to be avoided