Notis Sfakianakis

Born on November 2, 1959, in Crete, Notis Sfakianakis relocated at age seven to the island of Kos, where he spent his formative years. Music drew him in, leading him to work as a disc jockey by his early twenties while taking on various roles such as electrician, plumber, waiter, and laborer to make ends meet. Spinning records alone failed to satisfy him, prompting Sfakianakis to form his first band in 1985 and perform covers of contemporary English hits. That effort faltered within a year, sending him back to Crete, where he shifted focus to the Greek music of his upbringing. His abilities developed rapidly, and he soon began opening for established national performers.

While based in Crete, Sfakianakis gained experience in arranging, vocal technique, songwriting, and stagecraft. This preparation positioned him well when he encountered Costas Bourmas, general manager of Sony in Greece, who offered him a recording contract and immediately sent him to the studio for his debut album, First Time. Both the release and its single, "Proti-Fora," reached the Greek Top Ten. Greater success followed in 1992 after Sfakianakis accompanied Bourmas to EMI and issued You Are a Gun. Two tracks from that album—the title song and "Opa Opa"—entered the Greek Top Ten simultaneously, an achievement without precedent at the time. The following year brought Chapter and Verse, which yielded further hits in "Ligo Ligo" and "Ese Me Kes."

Confirmation of his status as a leading Greek artist arrived in 1994 with In the South East of the World, certified double platinum after selling more than 150,000 copies within Greece. Its single, "O Aetos," emerged as one of the most enduring Greek songs ever recorded. Sfakianakis surpassed that milestone in March 1996 when 5th Step became the highest-selling album in Greek history, exceeding 200,000 units. He subsequently stepped back to release Collector of Experiences, a deeply personal selection of favored Greek and international tracks that included material by Elton John, Peter Green, and Eleni Vitali. Proceeds from this platinum-certified collection supported construction of a cultural center in Ormenio, a town near Greece’s northeastern border. Earnings from his sold-out Australian tour that same year funded renovations at an elementary school in Kastellorizo.

Alongside continued Greek performances, Sfakianakis prepared his most ambitious project yet. Notes Are Immortal appeared in March 1998 as a double CD addressing contemporary social themes. The album achieved platinum status on its release date and reached five-times platinum by 2001. He had never mounted a Greek tour until later that year. In 1999 he extended performances across Europe and, for the first time, North America. The resulting document, Memento, a double live album, attained seven-times platinum certification. Sfakianakis continued creating new work, issuing the five-track set A Herald in November 1999, which also reached five-times platinum. Multicoloured and Intense followed in 2000, a new-song collection that went double platinum shortly after release. Late in 2001, Best of Notis Sfakianakis appeared in the United States.