Elli Kokkinou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elli Kokkinou
Background information
Native name	Έλλη Κοκκίνου
Birth name	Ellie Papathanasopoulou
Born	(1970-07-24) 24 July 1970 (age 54) Athens, Greece
Genres	Contemporary laïka, folk, dance-pop
Labels	Heaven Sony Greece The Spicy Effect Cobalt Panik Records

Elli Kokkinou, born on July 24, 1970, is a famous Greek singer. She is one of the most popular singers in Greece today. Elli has performed with many well-known Greek artists. Some of these include Anna Vissi, Sakis Rouvas, and Despina Vandi. Her albums have sold over 135,000 copies in Greece. In 2010, she was ranked among the top female artists in Greece's music history.

Her Music Journey

Early Life and First Steps

Elli Kokkinou grew up in a family that loved music. From a young age, she was very interested in music. She was also part of her school's dance group. Her father encouraged her to listen to jazz music. Her mother preferred more popular music like disco.

When she was five, Elli started ballet lessons. At home, she loved to sing and dance for her parents. She also took classic guitar lessons. Later, she learned acoustic and electric guitar for three more years. Elli was also good at sports. For six years, she was on a water ski team. She even won third place in a national championship!

After finishing school, Elli formed her first band called "Anonimi," which means "Anonymous." At the same time, she studied graphic design and art history.

Elli started her professional music career in 1990. She worked with famous artists like Antonis Vardis and Anna Vissi. She also sang backup vocals for many albums.

In 1992, Elli moved to Los Angeles, California. She studied singing and piano for two years. She learned from great music teachers there. She graduated in 1994 and returned to Greece.

First Albums: Kapia Mera and Epikindyna Paihnidia

In 1996, Elli Kokkinou signed a contract with Sony Music Greece. In 1998, she released her first CD single. It was called Kapia Mera (Someday).

In 1999, Elli released her first full album. It was named Epikindyna Paihnidia (Dangerous Games). In 2000, her second album came out. It was called Andriki Kolonia (Male Cologne). The song "Pao Pao" from this album became a big hit.

Big Success with Sto Kokkino

In 2002, Elli joined Heaven Music. The next year, she started working with the popular songwriter Phoebus. In May 2003, she released the album Sto Kokkino (In Red). This album was a huge success in Greece. It sold so well that it became double platinum! It was also very popular in Turkey.

Elli sang a duet with Giorgos Mazonakis called "To Gucci Ton Masai." This song became one of the top ten hits in Greece. Because Sto Kokkino was so popular, her old label, Sony Music, released a greatest hits album. It was called Paradinomai (I'm Surrendering).

In 2004, Sto Kokkino was re-released as Sto Kokkino Platinum Edition. This new version had four extra songs and a DVD. The new songs quickly became hits. This helped the album reach double platinum status.

In 2005, Elli Kokkinou won an international award in Turkey. She was named "Best New International Artist." This was because her songs from Sto Kokkino were so popular there.

Nikos Kourkoulis, Elli Kokkinou, and Natassa Theodoridou performing in 2006

More Music: Ki Allo and Eilikrina

After touring in the United States and Australia, Elli started recording new songs in 2005. Her fourth album was released on November 10, 2005. It was certified gold on the very first day! Soon after, it reached platinum status.

On November 13, 2006, the album was re-released. It was called Ki' Allo Platinum Edition (More). This version had four new songs and a bonus DVD. One new song was a duet with Thanos Petrelis.

In April 2007, Elli announced she was leaving Heaven Music. She wanted more creative control over her music. In July 2007, she signed with her first label, Sony BMG Greece.

In November 2007, she released her fifth album, Eilikrina (Honestly). This album reached number 2 on the Greek music charts. The main song, "Lypamai Eilikrina," also became a top hit on the radio. The album quickly went gold.

In November 2008, Elli released "Mi Ta Paratas." This song was the title track for the Greek movie "O Ilias Tou 16ou." She also recorded "Demenes" for a Barbie movie.

In March 2009, she released a digital song called "Pame Ksana" (Let's Go Again). In June 2009, Elli started performing live again. She went on a successful tour in North America in October 2009.

Recent Years: Greek Idol and Ta Genethlia Mou

In December 2009, Elli signed a five-year contract with Phoebus's new record label, The Spicy Effect. This meant she would work with Phoebus again on her new music.

In January 2010, she released a digital song called "Ontos" (Indeed). It featured the rapper Ypochthonios. Another digital song, "Apohoro" (I'm Departing), followed in March 2010.

In July 2010, Elli started a summer tour with Despina Vandi. They toured across Greece and Cyprus. For the winter season, Elli performed with Vasilis Karras. They even had a duet together called "Den Tin Palevo."

In October 2010, Elli Kokkinou became a judge for season 2 of the TV singing competition Greek Idol. She also went on another North American tour with Despina Vandi.

On December 9, 2011, she released her album Ta Genethlia Mou (My Birthday). This was her first album since 2007. It was certified platinum in March 2012. To promote the album, Elli performed with Despina Vandi and Nikos Oikonomopoulos.

In May 2012, Elli opened an English language nursery school in Athens. It's called Happy Faces. She said she wanted to create a happy and colorful place for children.

In September 2012, Elli won an award at the Balkan Music Awards. Her song "Eroteftika" was named "Best Song in the Balkans from Republic of Greece for 2011." In October 2012, she released a new song called "Kardia Apo Giali" (Heart of Glass). It quickly became number one on many radio stations.

Personal Life

In 2000, Elli Kokkinou started dating her business manager, Panayiotis Vassiliadis. They got married in September 2007. Elli became a stepmother to his three children. In May 2008, Elli gave birth to her son. In March 2010, Elli and Panayiotis announced their divorce. From 2010 to 2017, Elli dated Greek basketball player Georgios Bogris.

Elli Kokkinou comes from the village of Epitalio.

Discography

Studio albums

All these albums were released and charted in Greece and Cyprus.

CD singles

Compilations

Digital singles

TV Shows and Music Videos

Television appearances

Music videos

See also

In Spanish: Elli Kokkinu para niños