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.
Schon Wie Mona Lisa
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Schön wie Mona Lisa, schön wie Mona Lisa, wer dich sah, vergisst dich nie.
Wenn ich ein Maler wär', dann malte ich dein Bild,
Du bist so schön, die ganze Welt soll dich bewundern.
Doch deine Liebe will ich ganz für mich allein.
Das soll heute und immer so sein.
Schön wie Mona Lisa, schön wie Mona Lisa, wer Dich sah, vergißt Dich nie.
Dass du da bist, fass' ich kaum,
manchmal glaub' ich, es ist nur ein Traum.
Wenn ich ein Maler wär', dann malte ich dein Bild,
Du bist so schön, die ganze Welt soll dich bewundern.
Doch deine Liebe will ich ganz für mich allein.
Das soll heute und immer so sein.
Ich will niemals von Dir gehen,
wie ein Engel bist Du anzusehen.
Wenn ich ein Maler wär', dann malte ich dein Bild,
Du bist so schön, die ganze Welt soll dich bewundern.
Doch deine Liebe will ich ganz für mich allein.
Das soll heute und immer so sein.
|: Schön wie Mona Lisa, schön wie Mona Lisa, wie ein Bild der Fantasie,
Schön wie Mona Lisa, schön wie Mona Lisa, wer dich sah, vergisst dich nie :|
The song Schön Wie Mona Lisa by Demis Roussos is a beautiful tribute to a woman whose beauty is akin to that of the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. The lyrics describe her as simply mesmerizing, comparable to a work of art from the imagination. The repetition of her beauty being "schön wie Mona Lisa" reinforces the idea that her beauty is timeless and unforgettable. The song also expresses the desire to capture this woman's beauty on canvas, with the hope that the whole world can appreciate it, but at the same time, there is a sense of not wanting to share her love with anyone else.
The song's narrator expresses intense love and admiration for this woman, to the point where he feels like he doesn't deserve her presence in his life. He describes her like an angel, too good for this world, and that he would never want to let her go. The song is a perfect example of how someone's beauty can take hold of a person's emotions and leave them virtually speechless.
Overall, the song Schön Wie Mona Lisa by Demis Roussos paints a beautiful picture of an ethereal woman who leaves a lasting impression on anyone who meets her. Through its lyrics, it conveys the magnitude of her beauty and the heartfelt admiration and love that the singer feels for her.
Line by Line Meaning
Schön wie Mona Lisa, schön wie Mona Lisa, wie ein Bild der Fantasie,
You are as beautiful as the iconic Mona Lisa painting, a work of art that excites one's imagination.
Schön wie Mona Lisa, schön wie Mona Lisa, wer dich sah, vergisst dich nie.
You are so stunning that anyone who lays eyes upon you will never forget your beauty.
Wenn ich ein Maler wär', dann malte ich dein Bild,
If I were a painter, I would devote my craft to capturing your breathtaking image.
Du bist so schön, die ganze Welt soll dich bewundern.
Your beauty is so magnificent that it deserves to be admired by the entire world.
Doch deine Liebe will ich ganz für mich allein.
Despite your stunning appearance, I seek only your love as my sole possession.
Das soll heute und immer so sein.
I desire to maintain this exclusive love forever, in the present and in the future as well.
Dass du da bist, fass' ich kaum,
I can scarcely believe that such a stunning individual exists.
manchmal glaub' ich, es ist nur ein Traum.
Sometimes I wonder if this reality is simply a dream.
Ich will niemals von Dir gehen,
I vow to never leave your side.
wie ein Engel bist Du anzusehen.
Your beauty is that of an angel's.
|: Schön wie Mona Lisa, schön wie Mona Lisa, wie ein Bild der Fantasie,
You are the embodiment of beauty, like the famous Mona Lisa painting that captures the imagination. :|
Contributed by Daniel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Angela Delfino
APAIXONANTE LINDO ÚNICO ROMÂNTICO SAUDADES ETERNA DEMIS AMADO
Juan Jose Cabrerizo
Me encanta Demis Rousso. Saludos cordiales desde Barcelona
Mª Conceição silva
Querido Ossama como sempre amei sua criação maravilhosa Boas Festas Bjs Seba
lmrs2, con mi padre Naranjito de Triana
Gracias Anca ,por enviar......me encanta Demis Roussos, una de esas voces, dificiles de imitar,......ja,ja,ja...y son muchas ...personalidad, alma..... los más distintos temas y artistas....pèro sin poder ...dar exactitud, en sus voces y decir, son gemélos....., son simmplementes únicos. Besos de vuestra amiga Ana Naranjita
amarcordeon
Another fantastic video! I enjoy so much this precious tune marvelously sung by the legendary Demis Roussos I appreciate so much these beautiful romantic scenes Merry Christmas, my dear friend Osama With admiration and esteem ***** Lillo
Carlos Pais
Edição encantadora, com belas imagens e música. Anca E Osama, agradeço a vossa amizade e desejo-lhes um FELIZ NATAL e um ANO 2012, com paz e muita saúde. abraços, Carlos.
LuciaDolores1
Bello,romantico y dulce edicion my dearest brother Osama,una cancion preciosa,siempre tenes un gusto exquisito al seleccionar la cancion,y esta vez no fue distinto,te felicito sinceramente y me lo llevo!!!!,te deseo una muy Feliz Navidad y Año 2012,junto a tu familia,te quiero mucho,you sister Lucia :)
Emozioni in musica .Emozioni in musica
A charming voice, which can not be forgotten. Another beautiful masterpiece, my dear Osama, which I liked very much. Thanks to our dear Lucy and AnCa for sharing. A hug for everyone and HAPPY CHRISTMAS...!!! Irene
horyzont2011
Ślicznie dziękuję Ossama za bardzo ładny video clip. Piękne ♫♫ ♪ ♫♫ ♪ ♫♫ ♪ ♫♫ ♪ ♫♫ ♫ ♪ ♪ ♫… Duże brawa dla Ciebie!!! Serdecznie Cię pozdrawiam i życzę miłego dnia. Marysia Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Jose Ripollet
Wonderful song and a video edited with great creativity. Merry Christmas my dear friend Osama...Hugs!!!! Thumbs up!! Thank you for sharing Anca and Lucia