Anna Vissi

Greek sensation Anna Vissi, renowned for both her striking appearance and vocal prowess, has issued multiple acclaimed recordings that yielded a remarkable sequence of chart successes. Her stylistic range extends effortlessly across operatic pieces, romantic ballads, and pop-rock material, moving between her native Greek and English. In addition to achieving gold, platinum, and triple-platinum status, she has headlined countless capacity crowds and collected numerous major prizes, among them the 1997 Greek Music Awards honors for Best Female Singer and Biggest Airplay Song on the Radio, Greece’s counterpart to the Grammy Awards.

Born in Cyprus in 1957, Vissi entered the Cyprus Conservatory at the age of six. During her teenage years her family relocated to Greece expressly to advance her emerging career. Before long the gifted vocalist drew the interest of prominent industry figures, notably producer and songwriter Nicos Karvelas, who later became her husband.

Vissi issued her debut album, Klima Tropiko, in 1996. The release earned enthusiastic critical notices and attained platinum certification in short order. In 1997 she performed at the Miss Universe Pageant, gaining her initial global exposure. The following year brought further awards and successful singles as her sophomore album, Travma, appeared. Within two weeks of its street date the project reached gold status; six months later it was certified triple platinum. One of Travma’s standout tracks, “Forgive Me This,” was produced by Ric Wake, whose credits also include international star Celine Dion.

Any early speculation that Vissi might prove a fleeting talent was dispelled in 1998 when she collected seven trophies at the Popcorn Music Awards, including Best Album, Best Song, Best Female Singer, and Best Live Appearance. Building on that momentum, she targeted American audiences with the English-language album Everything I Am, which features the tracks “On a Night Like This,” “Still in Love With You,” “Kick the Habit,” “Supernatural Love,” and “No More the Fool.” She supported the project with concerts in key U.S. cities such as New York and Los Angeles. After the turn of the millennium, her partnership with management and Sony Music positioned the determined artist for worldwide reach.