Yanni is a self-taught pianist who began his musical interest by giving recitals for family members, though he had no formal training and could not read a note. At the age of 18, he attended the University of Minnesota, having moved out of his native Greek to immerse himself into American culture. While a student there, Yanni joined an up-and-coming local group called Chameleon where he met drummer Charlie Adams. Chameleon earned some modest commercial success touring throughout the Midwest. After receiving a B.A. in psychology, Yanni determined that sought a life in music, making it his life's work.
He moved to California in pursuit of opportunities to work on movie soundtrack works. His first solo album, titled 'Optimystique', was recorded in 1980, and it showed his debt to instrumental electronic music of the past as well as other styles such as jazz, smooth pop, and the like. The album saw a general release in 1984. In 1987, he put together a small band which included John Tesh and Charlie Adams, and began touring to promote his earliest works. Other examples of his albums in his early days include 1986's 'Keys to Imagination' and 1987's 'Out of Silence', both of which have recieved retrospective critical acclaim.
The tail end of the 80s saw Yanni's career start to kick into high gear, a result of his determination in promoting his iconic sound. In 1992, Dare to Dream was released. It was Yanni’s first Grammy-nominated album and featured "Aria", a song based on The Flower Duet and popularized by an award-winning British Airways commercial. A second Grammy-nominated album, In My Time, was released in 1993. His music has been used extensively in television and televised sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Wide World of Sports, Tour de France, World Figure Skating Championships, The Olympics, and ABC News.
Yanni's breakthrough commercial success came with the release of his album and video, Yanni Live at the Acropolis, filmed on September 23, 1993 at the 2,000-year-old Herod Atticus Theater in Athens and released in 1994. This was Yanni’s first live album and utilized a full orchestra under the supervision of the Iranian conductor, Shahrdad Rohani, in addition to his core band. Subsequently, the concert was broadcast in 65 countries and seen by half a billion people. It has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release and is the second best-selling music video of all time, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide. A composition from this album, "Acroyali/Standing in Motion", was determined to have the "Mozart Effect," by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine because it is similar to Mozart's K 448 in tempo, structure, melodic and harmonic consonance and predictability.
In March 1997, Yanni became one of the few Western artists permitted to perform and record at the Taj Mahal in India. Later that year he performed at the Forbidden City in China. From these two events he created his next live album and video, Tribute, which was released in 1997. Armen Anassian, Conductor, concedes that he had some doubts about the artist's plans to perform at India's Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City for Tribute: "To be honest, a few years ago when he was talking about it, the idea was so amazing. I myself was very skeptical, understandably so. But the truth is, it happened. We did it." Anassian describes Yanni as "very optimistic" and has observed that "nothing really fazes him." That outlook carries over naturally to his music. "I don't think it's a goal, per se. He's very honest with his own feelings. His music really comes from the heart. He writes music with ease, the music comes out with relative ease. The feel-good portion of the music is a by-product. It coincides with what the people love to hear." Lighting Designers Lee Rose and David "Gurn" Kaniski received an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special" for both Live at the Acropolis and Tribute .
In 2000, after a two-year sabbatical, Yanni released his first studio album in seven years: If I Could Tell You.
Yanni also toured in 2003–2004 with the debut of the Ethnicity album extending his "One World, One People" philosophy. This album sparked what would become the 4th largest concert tour of the year ranked by Billboard Magazine.
He kicked off his 2004–2005 "Yanni Live!" tour at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, and his next live album and video, Yanni Live! The Concert Event was released in 2006.
In 2008, in collaboration with producer Ric Wake, Yanni showcased vocal artists singing his songs on Yanni Voices. On March 24, 2009, Disney Pearl Imprint released Yanni Voices, the artist's first studio album in six years, and its Buena Vista Concerts division produces the tour that began in April 2009.
Website: http://www.yanni.com/
Nostalgia
Yanni Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Within your soul on sacred ground
Creation's song alive with sound
Let your light come shining
Fly on.
Within your heart on sacred ground
Upon surrender all is found
Let your light come shining
Fly on.
The lyrics of Yanni's song "Nostalgia" invite listeners to step onto the sacred ground within them. The opening lines suggest that within the soul exists creation's song, which is alive with sound. The line "let your light come shining" is an encouragement to bring one's own unique light and expression to this sacred space.
The second verse builds on this idea, urging the listener to surrender to the heart's sacred space. The idea is that by surrendering, one can find everything they need or seek within themself. The final line of the verse repeats the earlier encouragement to let one's light shine.
Throughout the song, Yanni uses sweeping, grandiose instrumentation to complement the deep, spiritual nature of the lyrics. The song has a sense of both reverence and majesty, drawing listeners in and encouraging them to explore their own inner landscapes.
Line by Line Meaning
Within your soul on sacred ground
Deep within your being, there exists a sacred space that is holy and integral to your very essence.
Creation's song alive with sound
The world around us is filled with music, rhythm, and harmony, and it sings with the beauty of creation.
Let your light come shining
Allow the radiance of your inner light to shine forth, illuminating all that is around you and within you.
Fly on.
Continue on your path, soaring towards new heights and horizons, guided by the light within.
Within your heart on sacred ground
There is a holy place within your heart where the divine resides, and it is the essence of your true self.
Upon surrender all is found
When you release your attachment to the material world and surrender to the divine, you discover the truth and purpose of your existence.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID SYLVIAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@efidiavatioti13
Proud for my country!!🇬🇷
Greece is everywhere!!🇬🇷
Yanni we are very proud of you!!🇬🇷
@hipolitoesteban35
En México también se escucha yanny
@eliasliakopoulos6771
Indeed my dear..indeed. In LOVE with Yanni..❤❤
@kavehramzanzad
God bless your lovely country
@YolandaRobi
❤❤ Still listening 2024❤❤❤❤❤
@robertgold9010
Absolutely masterpiece 😊
@MrAndree1990
Same
@afroditikonstant732
Μόνο συγκίνηση... Ελλάς!!!! 👏👏👏🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷 Μπράβο σου, πατρίδα!!!
@anthivizou6311
Θλίψη, νοσταλγία, παιδικές αναμνήσεις, αισιοδοξία και γαλήνη. Κ όλα αυτά να εναλλάσσονται μέσα σε 5’. Σ ευχαριστούμε Yianni. 🙏🏼
@valiyapurakkalNarayanankutty
That violin part was beyond this world.