Onar

Greek pop duo Onar, formed by Lefteris Plja'tsjkas and Pe'ny Rananta'ni, first reached global listeners through their 1998 debut album. Plja'tsjkas handled primary songwriting duties as well as production, yielding notable singles including "You Frighten Me" and "Paper Lantern." The release earned gold certification and enabled the pair to tour extensively across their home island. Their sophomore effort included a collaboration with Teresa Salgueiro on "Ballad of Water and Sea," which set Federico García Lorca's poetry to music. Onar sustained strong Greek radio presence via tracks such as "Day of Summer." Their third album, which featured Vasilis Papakonstantinou, earned steady praise from critics while the duo rose to become one of Greece's most prominent acts. The international success of the 2003 single "Waves of the Aegean" expanded their profile further. By 2006 the group had adopted a fresh, modern, commercially attuned sonic approach. That year's album achieved greater commercial response than their earlier work, entering the national charts at number three. Celebrating seven years together, Onar's achievements that year established the duo as an international musical presence.