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.
WHEN I'M A KID
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I’ll go and play
With misty wind
Singing along,
tapping along
Clapping away.
When I a boy
Singing along,
Clapping along
Day after day.
La, la, la, laa
The lyrics to Demis Roussos's song When I Am A Kid are evocative and nostalgic, conjuring up the purity and joy of childhood. The opening line, "when I'm a kid I'll go and play," serves as a promise of innocence and freedom. Roussos then speaks of the misty wind, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the unknown, the wild, and the devoid of conformity. He emphasizes the importance of singing and tapping along to the rhythm, symbolizing the power of music and the creative force that sets children apart from adults. The act of clapping away highlights the physical expression and the effortless spontaneity that comes with being a child.
As the song transitions to the next verse, Roussos takes the listener on a journey through time, imagining himself as a boy once again. He longs for the simpler times of youth, reminiscing over his good old toys. Here, he emphasizes the importance of simplicity and the importance of cherishing the small things, as they can bring immense amounts of joy. The repetitive nature of the song indicates the desire to stay in this utopian state forever: singing, clapping, and tapping away. Ultimately, the simplicity and naivete of the lyrics come together to create a beautiful and contemplative piece that speaks to the child in all of us.
Line by Line Meaning
When I’m a kid
As a child, I will have the freedom to go and enjoy myself.
I’ll go and play
I will engage in different activities and have fun with others.
With misty wind
I will not be bothered by the weather as I will be lost in play.
Singing along, tapping along
I will create a rhythm with my body, showing my joyful spirit.
Clapping away
I will express my happiness through the sound of my hands.
When I a boy
As a young man, I will still have a childlike spirit.
I’ll go back to my good old toys
I will revisit my favorite childhood games and appreciate my memories.
Singing along, Clapping along
I will create a rhythm with my body, showing my joyful spirit.
Day after day
I will consistently bring joy into my life through the simple things.
La, la, la, laa
This joyful melody and rhythm will accompany me throughout my life.
Contributed by Mason V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Élisabeth Morales Hernandez
Como maestra de inglés hice que mis alumnos de 10 años aprendieran está canción y les encantó. Y fue hermoso escucharla en sus voces.
nino 1 milenio
Élisabeth Morales Hernandez debió de ser hermoso como lo cantaban esos niños y mas del gran demis rousos.
Hector Valdes
Que maestra tan aplicada... felicitaciones..
OSCAR BAUER
QUE PADRE QUE LES ENSEÑE A SUS ALUMNOS EL GUSTO POR LA BUENA MUSICA, YO CRECI ESCUCHANDO ESTA MUSICA PORQUE MI PAPA ERA FAN Y HASTA LA FECHA DE DEMIS ROUSSOS, CREEDENCE, SHOCKING BLUE, BARRY WHITE, BEE GEES ETC CONTINUE FOMENTANDO ESO EN SUS ALUMNOS RECIBA ABRAZOS TEACHER⚘⚘⚘
Juan Jose .Carhuacachin
Excelente artista, tremenda voz.....tengo una duda: su estilo se inspiro en la cultura hindu???? En la India dio un centernar de presentaciones y siempre fue muy querdio
Elias Hernadez
Bueno yo soy una niña de 12 años y mi maestra de inglés nos hizo cantarla y me encantó
Germán Royo
Era de las primeras canciones que escuche de Demis Roussos y al día de hoy me sigue gustando, viendo el video y escuchando su voz y musica se remonta uno a los años 70's. En esa época cualquier tema que salia de él era todo un hit. TODO UN MAESTRO DE LA MUSICA.
Salvador Cristerna
Cuando escucho su musica, siento una nostalgia, como si yo hubiera vivido en esa época, y me dan ganas de llorar, pero no de tristeza. Inigualable Roussos.
Leda Neri
Grande Demis Russos! A voz mais linda do mundo
Areli Yaz. Flores
Su música y su voz producen muchas emociones, por eso esa era buena música