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.
Le Grec
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
tout ce qu'il sait est une chanson muette
Il t'a laissé sa façon de voir
La vie facile en perdant la mémoire
Il t'a aimé sans t'épouser le grec
Avec ses mots avec son cœur métèque
Il t'a donné l'enfant qui lui ressemble
De ces années passées ensemble
Il reviendra comme un oiseau peut-être
Avec l'éclat de rire que tu détestes
Quand il voudra te dire je reste
Il a joué au jeu de l'amour
Comme une idée qui rend aveugle et sourd
Il t'a suivi sans se retourner
Avec l'envie de vivre emprisonné.
Il t'a aimé sans t'épouser le grec
Avec ses mots avec son cœur métèque
Il t'a donné l'enfant qui lui ressemble
De ces années passées ensemble
Il est parti comme un bateau le grec
Il reviendra comme un oiseau peut-être
Avec l'éclat de rire que tu détestes
Quand il voudra te dire je reste
Il est toujours en mal d'amour le grec
Il a cette façon d'être ou ne pas être
Dans ton sommeil et dans tes souvenirs
Comme un soleil qui va mourir
Il est parti comme un bateau le grec
Il reviendra comme un oiseau peut-être
Avec l'éclat de rire que tu détestes
Quand il voudra te dire je reste
The lyrics of Demis Roussos's song Le Grec portray a man who is a mystery to the world around him. He's as secretive as a deserted island, and all he knows is expressed through a silent song. The man loved the woman deeply but couldn't marry her due to the barriers of their cultural differences. He bestowed upon her his unique perspective on life, which made things easier even as he was slowly losing his memory. While he never spoke the woman's language, his gestures, emotions, and the language of his heart spoke volumes. He gave her their child, who is a spitting image of him, as a reminder of the years they spent together.
Despite being caught in the web of love, the man played the game of love like it was a distraction that made him deaf and blind. He followed the woman, never looking back, while wishing to be imprisoned by the urge to live more. Now a memory woven in her sleep and her memories, the man is a dying sun who holds onto his last ray of light. But soon, like a boat before it spreads its sails, he might come back like a bird with the laughter that she detests, to declare his presence by saying, "I remain."
Line by Line Meaning
Il est secret comme une île déserte
He is as secretive as a desert island
tout ce qu'il sait est une chanson muette
All he knows is a silent song
Il t'a laissé sa façon de voir
He left you his way of seeing things
La vie facile en perdant la mémoire
Easy life by losing memory
Il t'a aimé sans t'épouser le grec
He loved you without marrying you, the Greek
Avec ses mots avec son cœur métèque
With his words, with his heart, the half-breed
Il t'a donné l'enfant qui lui ressemble
He gave you the child that looks like him
De ces années passées ensemble
Of those years spent together
Il est parti comme un bateau le grec
He left like a Greek boat
Il reviendra comme un oiseau peut-être
Maybe he'll come back like a bird
Avec l'éclat de rire que tu détestes
With the sparkle of laughter that you hate
Quand il voudra te dire je reste
When he wants to say 'I'll stay'
Il a joué au jeu de l'amour
He played the game of love
Comme une idée qui rend aveugle et sourd
Like an idea that makes one blind and deaf
Il t'a suivi sans se retourner
He followed you without looking back
Avec l'envie de vivre emprisonné.
With the desire to live imprisoned.
Il est toujours en mal d'amour le grec
He is still in love with the Greek
Il a cette façon d'être ou ne pas être
He has the way of being or not being
Dans ton sommeil et dans tes souvenirs
In your sleep and in your memories
Comme un soleil qui va mourir
Like a sun that's dying
Il est parti comme un bateau le grec
He left like a Greek boat
Il reviendra comme un oiseau peut-être
Maybe he'll come back like a bird
Avec l'éclat de rire que tu détestes
With the sparkle of laughter that you hate
Quand il voudra te dire je reste
When he wants to say 'I'll stay'
Contributed by Julian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maria Georgina Silva
Ele é um fenômeno mundial. A voz é um bálsamo para alma. Descanse na paz eterna. SAUDADES.
Maria Georgina Silva
Lindo romântico carismático e talentoso. Amooooo
Josy-Anne Fèvre
Magnifique chanson avec cette voix si particulière!!!!!
Pauliita Paolantonio
DESDE ARGENTINA. EN TODOS IDIOMAS FABULOSO, GRANDIOSO!!!
Ivanira Manhas
Divina essa música só podia se Demis em frances
Encarnita Robles
c'étais chanson est super je pence que j'aime un homme comme je voudrez mais je crois que un jour sa ne va pas durais même que je le connais depuis 4 ans et demi ce un homme très personnel je voudrez qu'il m'aime comme je l'aime et c'ait chanson me fais pence a lui toujours ( dite moi votre opinion sur tous sa )
Encarnita Robles
c'été chanson me fais pence a un amour que j'ai conue en 2012 et que j'aime très fort et que l'aime encord très fort mais il a quel qu'un et je ne peux pas l'aime
Encarnita Robles
Mercie a vous et bonne journée il été tré beau c'été homme le plu beau du monde
Omar
Demis and my pre teen memories,,,,,
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"pre teen"?!? - LOL!!! Your kid's memories!!!