Greece

Giorgos Zambetas one of the greatest composers of Popular Greek Music

george zambetasGiorgos Zambetas was a composer, bard of folk songs and bouzouki master. He was born on January 25, 1925 in Athens. He took his first bouzouki lessons from his father, a barber, and from 1950 he began working professionally in popular centers. He entered the discography in 1953.

In 1959 Manos Hadjidakis made him main bouzouki player in his compositions. In the following years, George Zambetas “embroidered” with his special poems the introductions and songs of Theodorakis, Xarchakos, Plessas, Markopoulos, Markeas, Kapnisis and many other composers. He also wrote songs with Pythagoras, Pretenteris, Papadopoulos, Tzefronis, Bakogiannis and Papagiannopoulou, while he collaborated closely with the leading lyricist Charalambos Vassiliadis – Tsanta, the poet Dimitris Christodoulou and Alekos Sakelarios.

His assets include more than 250 songs, most of which became hits, such as Patera katse fronima, Syrtaki, Stalia-stalia, o Mathitis, Malista Kyrie, O penintaris, etc. With his songs, a whole generation of singers emerged: Tolis Voskopoulos, Marinella, Dimitris Mitropanos, Vicky Moscholou, Stamatis Kokotas, Doukissa and others. He took part in several theatrical performances and movies