Kostas Martakis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kostas Martakis
Background information
Birth name	Konstantinos Politis
Born	(1984-05-25) 25 May 1984 (age 41) Athens, Greece
Genres	Pop, Rock, Dance
Years active	2006–present
Labels	Sony BMG Greece (2006–2009) Universal Music Greece (2009–2012) Panik Records (2013-2017) Heaven Music (2018-Present)

Kostas Martakis (Greek: Κώστας Μαρτάκης) is a famous singer and model from Greece. He was born on May 25, 1984. Kostas became well-known after he appeared on a Greek TV talent show called Dream Show in 2006.

Since then, he has released five studio albums. He also tried to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008 and 2014. In 2011, he competed in the Greek version of Dancing with the Stars and finished in second place. Later, he was a backstage host for the show. In 2013, he also took part in Your Face Sounds Familiar, a show where celebrities impersonate other singers.

Biography

Early life

Kostas Martakis was born in Athens, Greece. His parents are Nikolaos Politis and Labrini Lymberopoulou. They are from Crete, a large Greek island. Kostas has an older sister named Tina and a younger brother named Nikos.

Becoming a Star (2006–2007)

Before becoming a singer, Kostas Martakis worked as a model. He also played basketball in professional leagues in Greece. He even won medals for his basketball skills. He studied computer technology at the American College of Greece.

Kostas first became famous on the TV talent show Dream Show. After the show, he signed a music contract with Sony BMG Greece. In the summer of 2006, he released his first song, "Panda Mazi" (Always Together).

In the winter of 2006, Kostas started singing at a popular night club called REX. He performed alongside famous Greek singers like Despina Vandi. In June 2007, he released his first album, Anatropi (Reversal). People really liked the album. Because of its success, he won the "Best New Artist" award at the MAD Video Music Awards in 2007.

Kostas Martakis at the international music competition New Wave Festival 2007 held in Latvia where he placed 2nd

In the summer of 2007, Kostas also joined an international music competition. It was called New Wave Festival 2007 and was held in Latvia. He came in second place overall. However, he won first place in the public vote, showing how popular he was.

Eurovision Dreams (2008)

Because Kostas was becoming very popular, ERT (the Greek public broadcaster) asked him to compete. They wanted him to try out for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. Kostas sang a song called "Always and Forever". It was written by Dimitris Kontopoulos.

He recorded the song in two styles: pop rock and dance. He chose to perform the dance version at the competition. Another singer, Kalomoira, won that year with her song "Secret Combination." Kostas's song "Always and Forever" came in second place.

After the competition, a Russian version of "Always and Forever" was released. It was called "С тобой навеки" (With you forever). In December 2008, the song "Always & Forever" was even played in stores across the United States. This helped introduce his music to a new audience.

Kostas Martakis also teamed up with Danish-Greek singer Shaya. They recorded a Greek version of "Right Here, Right Now." This song was from the Disney movie High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Their version was called "Mikroi Theoi" (Little Gods). They even made a music video for it. This video was included as a bonus on the Greek DVD of the movie.

Later, Kostas released another song called "Fila Me" (Kiss Me). He made a music video for this song too. After this, he took a break from music to serve in the Hellenic Navy. In late 2008, Kostas Martakis was the opening act for a concert by famous singer Jennifer Lopez in Athens.

New Beginnings (2009)

In March 2009, Kostas Martakis signed a new music contract. He joined Universal Music Greece. His previous label, Sony BMG, had helped him release many songs. But he left on good terms.

In June 2009, he released a new song called "Pio Konta" (Come Closer). It was created by Swedish producers. On November 12, 2009, Kostas released his second album, also called Pio Konta. This album was very successful and sold enough copies to be certified platinum.

Dancing and Acting (2011-2012)

In early 2011, Kostas Martakis joined the second season of Dancing with the Stars in Greece. He danced with his partner Maria Antimisari. They did very well and finished in second place.

Kostas released his third album, Entasi (Intensity), on December 5, 2011. Before the album came out, he held a special online concert. He performed his new songs for fans.

In February 2012, Kostas was a guest host at an event called MadWalk By Vodafone. He also performed his song "Entasi" there.

On February 16, Kostas tried something new. He made his acting debut in a musical called Rent. He played the character Roger Davis. The musical was about young people trying to survive in New York City in the 1990s. They faced challenges like poverty, love, and loss.

Eurovision Attempts

Kostas Martakis tried to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest two times.

Awards and Nominations

Kostas Martakis has received many awards and nominations throughout his music career. Most of these are from the MAD Video Music Awards. These awards are given out every June by the Greek TV and radio station MAD TV. They are considered very important music awards in Greece.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Kostas Martakis has released several studio albums. Many of them have been certified platinum or gold, meaning they sold a lot of copies!

EPs (Extended Plays)

EPs are shorter music releases than full albums.

See also

In Spanish: Kostas Martakis para niños