THE GABBY AWARDS - Glykeria

Melina Kanakaredes
(Los Angeles, CA)
Hands down the biggest night in the Greek American community's history-- or at least in my lifetime.
Jim Gianopulos
(Los Angeles, CA)
A historic moment for Greek Americans that will be remembered for a long time.
Dr. George Carayannopoulos
(Smithtown, NY)
Exactly what our community has been yearning for.
Nia Vardalos
(Los Angeles, CA)
Fabulous event, very elegant and touching.
George Bliss
(Chicago, IL)
The Gabby Awards shook this world on Friday Night!!!
Georgia Logothetis (Chicago, IL)
It was an unforgettable night.
Daskalopoulos Kostas
(Chicago, IL)
The best event ever organized from a Greek American organization! Things are finally getting upgraded.
Eve Geroulis
(Chicago, IL)
Superlative. Glamorous. Elegant. Touching. Proud. Noble. It was a remarkable event. I am honored to have been there and brimming with pride. Bravo. Bravo. Bravo.
Demae De Rocher
(Minneapolis, MN)
Greek America's pride shined on June 19, 2009, and it was a privilege to be there. Well done!
Judge Peggy Chiampas
(Chicago, IL)
It was a life-altering event. I have never been more moved or proud of who I am and where I have come from.
Andreas Akaras
(Baltimore, MD)
To commend you, to congratulate you, to say job well done are words too little to satisfy the accolades you deserve for putting on the Gabby Awards.
Alexis Fasseas
(Chicago, IL) 
It was emotional and made us all feel so proud and connected to our heritage.
Fotios Piniros
(New York, NY)
Outstanding! Beyond my wildest expectations.
Alex Costakis
(Los Angeles, CA)
The pride in our Greek American heritage as expressed by each and every award presenter and recipient was heartfelt and meaningful.

For over twenty-five years, Glykeria has been a force on the Greek music scene. With over 30 Gold and Platinum albums to her credit and her participation in hundreds of compilations, she is—by far—one of Greece’s most prolific and popular female voices of all time. The New York Times called her “legendary,” and The Boston Globe called her “the wonder of Greece,” following a sold out tour of North America in 2001. In 2004 she earned the distinction by The Chicago Tribune of being called “the Barbra Streisand of Greece” following a concert in the Windy City.

Glykeria has performed at over 1,500 concerts on every continent of the world and has earned the distinction of being called “The Voice of Greece” by the international media and millions of adoring fans.

Her repertoire successfully navigates the fine line between commercialism and artistic credibility. She credits much of her success to Stelios Fotiadis, her husband and musical partner of three decades who has also written most of her music. She manages to sing irresistible, melodic songs while simultaneously remaining faithful to Greece’s rich—and diverse—musical traditions.

Her memorable albums “Smyrneika” (Songs of Smyrna) and “Apo Tin Smyrni Ston Pirea” (From Smyrna to Pireaus) led in the 1980s to a revival and greater awareness of traditional music from the lost Greek homelands of Asia Minor, which led also to the revival of the Rebetika genre of music, a type of Greek blues that was long-forgotten prior to her remakes. In 2002, she released a double CD of Rebetika songs, entitled “Glykeria’s Rebetika Songs”. The CD was also released in Turkey by Sony Music.

Her international career began with her first world tour in 1986 throughout North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and over a dozen European cities. Since then, Glykeria has become a household name in many countries, with several albums released by major international labels in the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey, France, Germany and elsewhere.

In Israel, Glykeria enjoys superstar status. She has released nine personal albums—all of which broke sales records and reached double and triple platinum status. She has also teamed up with Israel’s top performers for concerts and guest appearances, including Ofra Haza and Hava Alberstein. Her latest Israeli release (Matana, or ‘Gift’) includes a song written by Shimon Peres, the President of Israel.

Her work in Israel isn’t limited to making music. She has spent countless hours visiting orphanages and hospitals filled with children from both sides of the conflict. Israel’s top government leaders repeatedly noted her efforts. In 1998, then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin honored Glykeria with Israel’s highest honor for her philanthropic work.

Following Rabin’s assassination, she was invited to sing at a memorial concert given in his memory. At the concert, where over 300,000 Israelis attended, Glykeria performed a special song that she had wrote for the occasion called “Mother’s Prayer” which speaks of the pain a mother feels when losing a child—a pain that has no religion or ethnic boundary. In a surprise to all in attendance, she brought on stage that night an Israeli and a Palestinian singer to join her and sing the song in their respective languages.

The pinnacle of Glykeria’s career in Israel was in 1999, when she performed two sold out concerts with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Tel Aviv. The concerts were recorded and released internationally by Sony Classical and sold millions of copies worldwide.

Other special concerts of distinction include an invitation by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to perform at the annual Sunday of Orthodoxy Concert in Istanbul and recent appearances at international music festivals in Bursa, Turkey and the Antipodes Festival in Melbourne, which attracted over a quarter of a million Australians.

Glykeria has crossed musical borders with noted performers like Arab superstar Natacha Atlas and Turk-Egyptian vocalist/musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek, to name a few. Glykeria’s artistic creativity and talent led to her quick rise to the top in Greek and ethnic music circles over two decades ago, a position she still holds today. Using her stardom, she has been an important force in writing the modern history of Greek music both domestically and throughout the world—always taking bold steps forward, but always honoring the past and preserving Greek musical traditions.

Her recent success—repeated wins at the Arion Greek Music Awards, collaborations with contemporary popular singers like Michalis Hatzigiannis and Kostas Karafotis, as well as her most recent double CD featuring remakes of Mikis Theodorakis’ favorite songs—is a testament to the lady Greeks and non-Greeks alike have grown to love over the years as one of that country’s most respectable vocalists.