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.
What Child Is This?
Demis Roussos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
What lies in such mean estate
Good Christian fear for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading
This, this is Christ the King
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
The Babe, the Son of Mary
What bring Him incense, gold and myrrh
Come peasant, king to own Him
The King of kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him
Nails, spear shall pierce him through
The Cross be borne for me, for you
Hail, hail the Word made flesh
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
Raise, raise, the song on high
The Virgin sings her lullaby
Joy, joy, for Christ is born
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
The lyrics of Demis Roussos's song "What Child Is This?" are rich with meaning and allusions to the story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The first stanza sets the scene, as the singer wonders who the child laid to rest on Mary's lap is. The lyrics suggest that this child is of great importance, as even angels greet him with sweet anthems while shepherds watch over him.
In the second stanza, the singer describes the humble circumstances in which the Christ child was born, with ox and ass nearby. Despite this, the child's birth is cause for fear for sinners, as the silent word pleads for their redemption.
The chorus reveals the identity of the child as Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing about. The listener is urged to bring him laud, or praise, as he is the Son of Mary. The third stanza speaks of the gifts brought to the Christ child by the wise men, suggesting his royal status. The King of Kings brings salvation, and loving hearts are called to enthrone him.
The final stanza is a reminder that the road ahead for the Christ child is not an easy one, as nails and spear will pierce him and he will bear the cross for all. However, the word made flesh is lifted up in praise in a joyous song of celebration for the birth of the Babe, the Son of Mary.
Overall, the lyrics of "What Child Is This?" are a reminder of the importance of the birth of Jesus Christ and the significance of his life and sacrifice.
Line by Line Meaning
What Child is this
Who is this baby?
Who laid to rest
Who is sleeping peacefully?
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Who is sleeping on Mary's lap?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet
Who is welcomed by angels singing beautiful songs for Him?
While shepherds watch are keeping?
While the shepherds are keeping watch?
What lies in such mean estate
What is this young child doing living in such modest conditions?
Where ox and ass are feeding
Where the ox and donkey are grazing
Good Christian fear for sinners here
Christians should be wary of their own sins while here on earth
The silent Word is pleading
God's message is being silently communicated
This, this is Christ the King
This is the Savior, the King of Kings
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing
The shepherds watch over Him while the angels sing His praises
Haste, haste to bring Him laud
Let us hurry to praise Him
The Babe, the Son of Mary
The baby who is the Son of Mary
What bring Him incense, gold and myrrh
What gifts will He receive: incense, gold, and myrrh?
Come peasant, king to own Him
All are welcome to recognize Him, whether they are peasants or kings
The King of kings salvation brings
The Savior, who is the king of kings, brings salvation
Let loving hearts enthrone Him
May we devoutly honor Him
Nails, spear shall pierce him through
He will suffer through pain and death
The Cross be borne for me, for you
He will carry the burden of our sins and our salvation
Hail, hail the Word made flesh
Praise the coming of Jesus, God in human form
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
The baby who is the Son of Mary
Raise, raise, the song on high
Sing out, sing out the song with joy
The Virgin sings her lullaby
Mary sings a gentle song for her child
Joy, joy, for Christ is born
Let us be joyful, for Christ has been born
The Babe, the Son of Mary!
The baby who is the Son of Mary
Writer(s): Richard Lloyd
Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maria Georgina Silva
Só saudades e gratidão por tantas emoções.
Maria Lins
Igual a demis , jamais haverá....💋🇧🇷voz maravilhosa encantadora esplendorosa 💋🇧🇷 gênio extraordinário impagável patrimônio da humanidade 💓🥀🇧🇷
Maria Lins
Lindo demais maravilhoso encantador 😍 saudades 😞🇧🇷🌹💋
Maria Georgina Silva
Simplesmente um belo deus. Um show.
AGNESE
Grande grande DEMIS!!!!!!