Biography
George Dalaras is one of Greece's most influential singers and musicians, whose career has spanned more than five decades and helped shape the modern history of Greek popular music. Raised in a musical family, he is the son of singer and musician Loukas Daralas and was introduced to traditional Greek sounds from an early age. Beginning professionally in the late 1960s, he first established himself through rebetiko and laiko music before expanding into an exceptionally wide repertoire that included folk, Byzantine, contemporary art songs, Latin music, and international collaborations. His breakthrough recordings with composer Stavros Kougioumtzis, including albums such as "Mikres politeies" and "Sta psila ta parathyra", helped define a generation of Greek songwriting, while landmark releases such as "Mikra Asia", "50 hronia rebetiko" and "Ta tragoudia mou" became major commercial and artistic successes. Throughout his career he worked closely with many of Greece's most important composers and lyricists, among them Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Manos Loïzos, Stavros Xarhakos and Apostolos Kaldaras. Beyond recording, Dalaras became known for ambitious concert productions, international tours and appearances in prestigious venues around the world, often performing with leading symphony orchestras including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and the Metropole Orchestra. He also supported and promoted numerous younger artists, produced recordings for emerging performers, and established music labels and projects dedicated to new Greek songwriters and composers. As a multi-instrumentalist, he frequently contributed guitar, bouzouki and other instruments to his own recordings and those of fellow artists. His extensive discography, major concert career, humanitarian activities and long-standing support of refugee causes led to numerous honors, including his appointment as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Widely regarded as one of the defining voices of contemporary Greek music, he remains a central figure in the country's cultural life.
