Throughout his childhood he was influenced by the musics that were coexisting in Egypt. The sound of Arabic music entered into his life at that time and has continued until today as one of his biggest influences. At the age of ten, he was intrigued by Jazz and learnt to play the trumpet. As a young boy he also attended the choir of the Greek Byzantine church of Alexandria and sang for five years as a soloist.
However, when Artemios reached the age of fifteen, his life changed. It was the time of the Suez Canal crisis. His family left Egypt and immigrated to their homeland Greece. Artemios then had to work to support his family. During the day he attended school and, at night, he played the trumpet in various clubs in Athens. Two years later, his first band, "The Idols" was formed. Artemios played the Bass Guitar and sang backing vocals as well. One day, as the lead singer needed to rest, he asked Artemios to replace him for a few songs. That night, when Artemios sang "The House Of The Rising Sun" and "When A Man Loves A Woman" the audience was amazed. From then on Artemios was asked to sing again and again.
Within a short period, Artemios was making a sound reputation. It was at this time that he met the man who would later become one of his most successful composer, Lakis Vlavianos. From that meeting a new band was born, the "We Five", with Artemios as the lead singer.
In 1968 Artemios’s journey crossed the road of two other top Greek musicians, Vangelis Papatanassiou and Loukas Sideras. Their associationbecame one of the biggest musical events of the seventies in the form of "Aphrodite’s Child". This ambitious band decided to travel to the United Kingdom for better commercial prospects. Artemios--who had now shortened his name to Demis--would be the singer and the bass player, Vangelis the main composer as well as the keyboard player, and Loukas would play the drums.
However, they were refused entry to the United Kingdom for lack of a work permit. Instead, Aphrodite's Child travelled to Paris, arriving just as the city was going through the May 68 revolution. After a few concerts in some trendy Parisian clubs, a major company offered to record a song of theirs, one that was inspired by Pachelbel‘s canon called "Rain And Tears". This first album of Aphrodite’s Child sold over a million copies in France alone.
Nine months later, as Demis first daughter, Emily, was born, "Rain And Tears" was the top single all over Europe and a top 20 single in the United Kingdom. The band experienced a huge success for three years.
They then released their legendary last album “666”, after which, for various reasons, Aphrodite's Child decided to split up.
Since Demis was one of the main elements of the band, the record company offered him a chance to recorded his first solo single, "We Shall Dance", which was released on the album "On the Greek Side of My Mind". This album and the single jumped into the top five of all the national hit parades of Italy, Spain, France, Holland, Germany and Scandinavia.
Some months later, Demis met with his old friend of the "We Five", Lakis Vlavianos. Lakis was then going through an inspired period and wrote many songs which Demis recorded; these turned into a string of number one hits all over the world, including: "Forever And Ever", "My Friend the Wind", and "Velvet Morning".
After his second child, Cyril, was born in 1975, Demis toured the globe for eight years with his second wife and child. In Brazil, he packed a stadium of 150 000 people--an event that was achieved in that particular stadium twice only. (The other previous artist was Frank Sinatra.) In fact, Demis sold enough records to gain a name in the Guinness Book of records among the personalities of show business in the 70’s and the eighties. He was awarded more than a hundred golden, platinum, and diamond albums and cassettes.
His unique dressing style was often considered eccentric but Demis was following his instinct which told him that the music he was performing should match with the combination of looks between the glorious Byzantine Empire and the Arabic Caftan.
In 1978 his instinct told him again that he should retire for a while, thinking of new things concerning his career and life. And so he took his family to an area of the world where he was unknown, Malibu Beach, California. There, Demis lost over 50 kilograms. He returned to Europe and lived a quieter life between England and Greece, alone with his son, Cyril.
On June 14 1985, wile he was travelling from Athens to Rome, a decisive event occurred. Demis’s TWA airplane was hijacked by terrorists. After two days in that plane praying, Demis was held three days in the prison of Beyrouth with his third wife. Like many other survivors, he went through the shock of a traumatic experience. After that, Demis said he had never understood so well the importance of the nations living in peace and how precious life is when you see death so close. He felt more than ever that his contribution for a better tomorrow could be via music and so decided to return to the recording and performance scene.
He recorded twenty songs and compiled an album called "The story of Demis Roussos". With this album, Demis started to world tour again and found a nostalgic audience who had missed his magic voice. In 1986 Demis toured the USSR for three weeks and was invited to join important scientists, writers and artists at the forum for peace and disarmament in Moscow, during February 1987.
Later that year, during a tight TV schedule in Chile, Demis insisted on fitting in a visit to the Earth summit in Rio to get a clearer picture of the environmental problems, which were a main concern for Demis.
Since then Demis had been a regular visitor of the charts with singles such as "Quand je t’aime" and "On écrit sur les murs", and albums such as "Voice and Vision" and "Immortel".
Since 2008, Demis had been living in Greece by the sea. After being one of the most talented singers of his century, Demis was still working on more magical offerings, with the blessing of music and God.
He died aged 68, on the Hygeia Hospital in Athens on January 25, 2015.
Kyrila
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
fern auf der Insel Kyrila
und dort hat mich ein Engel angesehn.
Ich war dem Himmel nie so nah.
Kyrila - Kyrila
Kyrila - Kyrila
für zwei
die heut einsam sind
Sie trug ein Kleid aus weiáen Orchideen
und (sie) sagte: "Fremder bleib bei mir".
Doch der Sommer ging - ich muáte mit ihm gehn
aber im Traum blieb lch bei ihr.
Kyrila - Kyrila
. . .
Wo ich heut leb
bin ich nicht mehr zu Haus.
Ich muá die Insel wiedersehn.
Ein weiáes Schiff trägt mich heut nacht hinaus
zum Strand der tausend Orchideen
Kyrila - Kyrila
. . .
Kyrila - Kyrila
ich ruf den Namen hinaus
Kyrila - Kyrila
und weiá dort bin ich zu Haus
Kyrila - Kyrila
. . .
The song "Kyrila" by Demis Roussos describes the singer's journey to the island of Kyrila, where he discovers a beach covered in thousand orchids. There, he encounters an angelic woman who wears a dress made of white orchids, and he feels closer to heaven than ever before. The wind on the island sings of love for two people who are now alone, and the singer is unable to forget the woman he met on Kyrila.
As the summer ends, the singer has to leave the island, but he dreams of staying with the woman forever. He now feels like a stranger in the place where he lives and can only think of returning to the island. He boards a white ship that will take him back to the beach covered in thousand orchids, where he feels at home.
The lyrics are full of imagery and metaphors that describe the singer's journey to a mystical place, where he experiences love and finds his true home. The song also has a nostalgic and melancholic tone, as the singer longs for a place that he may never be able to return to.
Line by Line Meaning
Ich fand den Strand der tausend Orchideen
I found the beach of a thousand orchids
fern auf der Insel Kyrila
far away on the island of Kyrila
und dort hat mich ein Engel angesehn.
and there an angel looked at me.
Ich war dem Himmel nie so nah.
I was never so close to heaven.
Kyrila - Kyrila
Kyrila - Kyrila
von Liebe singt dort der Wind
the wind there sings of love
Kyrila - Kyrila
Kyrila - Kyrila
für zwei
for two
die heut einsam sind
who are lonely today
Sie trug ein Kleid aus weiáen Orchideen
She wore a dress made of white orchids
und (sie) sagte: "Fremder bleib bei mir".
and said: "Stranger, stay with me."
Doch der Sommer ging - ich muáte mit ihm gehn
But the summer passed and I had to go with it
aber im Traum blieb lch bei ihr.
but in my dreams I stayed with her.
Wo ich heut leb
Where I live today
bin ich nicht mehr zu Haus.
I am no longer at home.
Ich muá die Insel wiedersehn.
I must see the island again.
Ein weiáes Schiff trägt mich heut nacht hinaus
A white ship takes me out tonight
zum Strand der tausend Orchideen
to the beach of a thousand orchids
ich ruf den Namen hinaus
I call out the name
und weiá dort bin ich zu Haus
and I know I am home there.
Contributed by Brayden B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@paulebai3192
Greeks have always plagiarize African
Science and art since antiquity.
Patagoras learnt trigonometry in Africa. Taught by Africans in Egypt.
The soo call pythagoras theorem.but
He never mentioned that his masters
In Africa thaught him that.Demis rousos also took Cameroons master
Singer elongui and sang as kyrilla
And never gave him credit I thing Ekambi should have sued him.see all
The ancient pantheone.architecture
In arthens. And Rome all came from
Egypt.Afri a. But thefe never gave that credit.
@marie-bw7qh
Milují tvůj magický andělský hlas Demisi ROUSSOSI ❤ Jsi dokonalé DÍLO BOŽÍ ❤ 🇨🇿❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ zpívá andělům v nebi❤❤❤❤❤
@anelladambrosio2513
Una canzone molto bella,per una voce unica...immortale...😊😊😍😍😇😇🎶🎸🎹🎶💘💔💔🙏🙏
@billyweir714
I first heard this in 1977 when I was 14, I loved it then, and I still love it now, and it’s nearly 2023
@sabineotto3617
Hörst du wahrscheinlich jeden Tag. Jedes Lied bedeutet für mich Tränen.
@marinaconsalter8136
❤❤Buon giorno con Demis e' bello iniziare la giornata 😊
@marialuizatenher186
For ever, for ever .Saudades! Demis Russos. 💖💖💞💞🙏🙏🙏🙏😘
@margosipman2799
Een van mijn favoriete nummers!!💑💏💑💏💑👥👥👫👫👫
@brunhildegleich2662
Diese Stimme bleibt unvergessen. Ich verehre ihn bis in alle Ewigkeit.
@liaqopiashvilil9109
❤WONDERFUL DEMIS🎉🎉🎉I LOVE ALL SONGS FROM DEMIS🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
@MuntuValdo
Beautifull. The Original from Cameroon Ekambi Brillant is Beautiful as well and deserve a good listening.