Eleni Dimou (real name Eleni Gkikodimou / Ελένη Γκικοδήμου) was born in Ath… Read Full Bio ↴Eleni Dimou (real name Eleni Gkikodimou / Ελένη Γκικοδήμου) was born in Athens. She graduated from the National Conservatory and started her singing career at the age of 16. In 1980 she performed during a radio session to promote the work of new composers, where she sang songs from Dimitris Lekkas. That same year, she participated in the Thessaloniki Music Festival, ending third. The following year she returned with the song ’Mia Agapi stan ki anti’ (‘A love like this’), written by Sasha Manetas and won the first price. In 1981 she also appeared participated in Manos Loizou’s international concert tour.

Her first album ‘Mila mou apla’ (‘ Just speak to me’) was a collaboration with new singers Manolis Lidakis and Melina Tanagri, based on songs composed by Taki Bougas with lyrics from Antonis Andrikaki. With every following album, Dimou’s popularity increased, thanks to her modern, natural and flexible interpretations, combining the more traditional Greek roots with western pop style.

In 1986 she collaborated with Lakis Papadopoulos on her album ‘Kata bathos alepou’ (‘Basically fox’). With her by that time already highly acclaimed husky, sultry voice she sang both ballads and pop-rock songs. In this periode of time, she collaborated with famous artists like Georgios Dalaras and Mikis Theodorakis.

Her 1988 album ‘Prosopika’ (‘Personal’), recorded with G. Spanos, was both artistically as commercially a great success. In the next decade Dimou keeps releasing new albums regularly, always combining Greek folk music with western arrangements and world music influences. In 1990 she released the album ‘Pathis’ (‘Passions’), on which she chanted byzantine hymns on a requiem by D. Papostolou.

In the second half of the nineties, popularity and album sales decreased. A new generation of Greek pop singers seemed to have taken her place. Dimou seemed to be stuck between Greek folk and modern pop, unable to rejuvenate herself. Around the start of the new millennium, inspiration and creativity seemed to have returned, resulting in more frequent album releases and collaborations with international artists like Alpha Blondy, Salif Keita, The Christians, Gipsy Kings and Linton Kwesi Johnson.

In her almost thirty year spanning career, Eleni Dimou recorded more than 20 albums, nine went gold and three platinum in Greece. She is married to producer and engineer Akis Golfidis and the couple have a son named Anthony.

Ki Ego Ime I Eleni
Eleni Dimou Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Μην ψάχνεισ μην ανησυχείσ
Στο τέλοσ κάθε κυριακήσ
Μετράσ την απουσία
Στα γέλια και στ' αστεία

Μην ψάχνεισ μην ανησυχείσ
Στο τέλοσ κάθε αντοχήσ
Ένα κουρέλι σώμα

Κι όλα μπογιά και χρώμα

Μην ψάχνεισ τ' όνειρο καπνόσ
Κανείσ δεν είναι κανενόσ
Κι εγώ είμαι η ελένη
Σ' ένα ρεφρέν χαμένη

Μην ψάχνεισ μην αναζητάσ
Αυτά που θέλεισ κι αγαπάσ
Καιρό έχουν παλιώσει
Με σύριγγα και δόση

Μην ψάχνεισ μη μ' αναζητάσ
Δεν ήταν τ' όνειρο για μασ

Μη βάζεισ φαντασία
Σε τόση απελπισία

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Eleni Dimou's song "Ki Ego Ime I Eleni" are a message to the listener, advising them to not worry, not overthink, and to not go searching for something that may not exist. The repetition of the phrase "μην ψάχνεις (don't search)" highlights the message of the song.

The first verse tells the listener to not worry about their absence, but rather to focus on the laughter and the jokes that are present. The second verse says that at the end of endurance, all that will remain is a worn-out body, covered in makeup and color. The third verse says that the dream is only smoke and that no one belongs to anyone, including the singer who is lost in the refrain. The fourth verse advises the listener not to go searching for what they want and love because those desires may have grown old with time. The final verse warns the listener not to go searching for the singer in their dreams because it was not a dream for them, and to not let their imagination bring them to desperation.

Overall, the song is about letting go of expectations and not seeking something that may not exist, but rather focusing on what is present and finding happiness in that.

Line by Line Meaning

Μην ψάχνεισ μην ανησυχείσ
Don't search, don't worry

Στο τέλοσ κάθε κυριακήσ
At the end of every Sunday

Μετράσ την απουσία
Count the absence

Στα γέλια και στ' αστεία
In the laughter and the jokes

Στο τέλοσ κάθε αντοχήσ
At the end of every endurance

Ένα κουρέλι σώμα
A worn-out body

Κι όλα μπογιά και χρώμα
And everything is paint and color

Μην ψάχνεισ τ' όνειρο καπνόσ
Don't search for smoke dreams

Κανείσ δεν είναι κανενόσ
No one is anybody

Κι εγώ είμαι η ελένη
And I am Eleni

Σ' ένα ρεφρέν χαμένη
Lost in a refrain