Iconic Greek singer-songwriter Christos Dantis will take to stages in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney this January.
The musician kicks off his visit with a performance at Bouzoukia by the Sea in Adelaide, South Australia, as part of this year’s Semaphore Greek Festival. He will be supported by violinist Georgia Rappou.
Next, he will be performing on Saturday, January 13 and Saturday, January 20 at Trak Live Lounge at Kinisi in Melbourne. On Friday, January 19 he has a concert at The Arena at the Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL in Sydney.
Visiting Australia for his fourth time, Dantis told The Greek Herald he was thrilled to be back. He described his experiences of visiting Australia unlike any other in the world.
“Australians are very different to the Americans,” he said.
“America is a lot closer to Greece, so they get the opportunity to see more singers, and in Australia, as it’s quite far away, the Australians are always so excited when singers come and perform from Greece.
“The scene in Australia is so wild in the best way… they really know how to party, and they love their Greek singers.”
The 57-year-old singer, who was born in Athens, Greece, said he has been singing since he was five years old.
“Ι have been singing professionally since 1986, and since 1990, have been releasing albums,” Dantis said.
“My first official concert after releasing an album was in Serres, Greece. It was a summer disco, in a venue that was meant to fit 2,000 people, but in the end over 3,500 people turned up.
“I was in shock when the taxi driver dropped me off at the venue. I never expected something like this to happen to me, to be able to perform in front of so many people at that time, it was such an unforgettable experience.”
The Greek Herald asked Dantis how he became a singer and why he decided to get into music.
“I have no answer as to why I chose this career,” he said. “But I didn’t choose it, it chose me.
“Music is my calling, it’s something I’ve always wanted since I was young, and I just knew I was destined to perform.”
The legendary Greek singer said his favourite type of music is laika (old traditional Greek music). For his upcoming concerts in Australia, he said people can expect to enjoy a wide variety of music.
“I’m going to be performing a lot of my older tracks, as well as some of my popular, most recent ones and some songs from a few of my favourite artists,” he said.
“I think these four shows are going to be amazing and everyone who comes along is guaranteed to have a great time. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Dantis said he can’t wait to put on a show for his Australian fans.
“I’ve never done a live show like this before, not in America or Australia,” he said. “To be by the sea, in a bouzoukia setting in Adelaide is something really unique and special.”
When asked for his thoughts on being able to perform around the world, Dantis said, “I feel so complete.”
“I am so happy and grateful for my fans all around the world who have supported me,” he added.
“This year has got so much travelling and shows to come, and I can’t wait. Being able to perform is the best feeling and it gives me the opportunity to visit new places that I’ve never seen before too.”
Performance dates:
- Bouzoukia By The Sea: Semaphore Foreshore, Friday, January 12 from 6.30pm. Buy tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/bouzoukia-by-the-sea-one-night-only-in-adelaide-christos-dantis
- Melbourne: Saturday, January 13 and Saturday, January 20 at Trak Live Lounge at Kinisi. Contact 0422 472 006 for tickets.
- Sydney: Friday, January 19 at The Arena at the Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL in Sydney. For tickets, call 0418 451 481.
