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Giorgos Zampetas
Γιώργος Ζαμπέτας
Background information
Born(1925-01-25)25 January 1925
Athens, Greece
OriginKythnos, Greece
Died10 March 1992(1992-03-10) (aged 67)
Athens, Greece
GenresRebetiko, Laiko
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, artist, composer
Instrument(s)Bouzouki
Years active1950–1992

Giorgos Zampetas (Pronounced 'Zabetas', Greek: Γιώργος Ζαμπέτας, sometimes romanized as George Zambetas / George Zabetas / Giorgos Zabetas; 25 January 1925 – 10 March 1992) was a Greek bouzouki musician. He was born in Athens, where he also died, but his origins were from the island of Kythnos.

Early years

Giorgos Zampetas, Greek music composer, singer and one of the greatest bouzouki artists was born in Metaxourgio area of Athens, on 25 January 1925. His parents were Mihalis Zampetas, a barber, and Marika Moraiti, the niece of a well-known baritone of those years.

From a very young age, Zampetas showed a great interest in music: as he was helping his father in his barber shop, he secretly played his first melodies on a bouzouki. Anything that was producing sound seemed exciting to him and helped him in his compositions, as he said in his biography not long before he died. In 1932, as a seven-year-old first grader, he won his first prize, playing his first song in a school competition. At the young age of 13, Giorgos met one of the most famous figures in Greek music, and one of his idols, Vassilis Tsitsanis which played a fundamental role in his musical career.

During the German occupation of Greece, in times of poverty and misery, Zampetas founded his first band in 1942, after having moved to the Egaleo neighborhood of Athens, 2 years prior to that.

Career

He was one of the most recognized Greek musicians of all times, working in the Greek cinema of those years with stars such as Aliki Vouyouklaki. He appeared in many Greek film productions, and his compositions used in many, one of the most famous being "Siko Horepse Sirtaki". He also worked with famous Greek composers, such as Manos Hadjidakis in 1959, and there after collaborated with various leading Greek musicians such as Theodorakis, Stavros Xarchakos and many others.

Later years

Despite the struggles of the past decade, due to changes in music fashion, the 1990s brought about new records and releases by Zampetas. However, not too long after his brief revival, by 1992, he had reached not only the twilight of his career, but his life too. In early 1992, his health deteriorated and was diagnosed with bone cancer, which had already reached advanced stages. Prior to that, he had made one final appearance, before his eventual death.

Death

Zampetas died of bone cancer at the age of 67, in the Sotiria Hospital of Athens. He was survived by family in Greece, as well as extended family members throughout the Greek diaspora.

Legacy

He is recognised as one of the most famous and most significant composers, and musicians that have contributed to the Greek Laïko music genre.

His former neighbourhood of Egaleo (where he had spent his late teen years, and early twenties) honoured Zampetas by naming the town square in his name, to commemorate him in September 1990.

Songs

Below is a brief list of some of Zampetas' most recognisable songs; in brackets are the year of creation and the name of the lyricist:

Songs of Giorgos Zampetas that other artists have sung

General references

External links

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