Kostas Martakis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kostas Martakis
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Konstantinos Politis |
| Born | 25 May 1984 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 Greek singer and model. He was born on May 25, 1984. He became well-known after being 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. He also appeared on the show Your Face Sounds Familiar in 2013.
Contents
About Kostas Martakis
Early Life and Background
Kostas Martakis was born in Athens, Greece, on May 25, 1984. His father, Nikolaos Politis, is from Mytilene. His mother, Labrini Lymberopoulou, is Greek-Australian. Kostas has an older sister named Tina and a younger brother named Nikos.
Start of His Music Career
Kostas Martakis first became famous on the TV talent show Dream Show. Before the show, he worked as a model. He also played basketball in professional Greek leagues and won medals. He studied computer technologies at the American College of Greece.
Soon after Dream Show, he signed a contract with Sony BMG Greece. In the summer of 2006, he released his first CD-single, "Panda Mazi" (Always together). In late 2006, Martakis performed with famous singers Despina Vandi and Giorgos Mazonakis at REX night club. In summer 2007, he sang with Kelly Kelekidou and Dionisis Makris at "Romeo" summer club.
In June 2007, Martakis released his first studio album, Anatropi (Reversal). People liked the album, and he won "Best New Artist" at the MAD Video Music Awards 2007.
In summer 2007, he also took part in an international music competition called New Wave Festival 2007 in Latvia. He came in second place overall but won first place in the public vote.
Eurovision Song Contest Attempts
Because he was becoming very popular, the Greek TV channel ERT asked him to compete in the Greek national final for the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. Kostas Martakis sang a song called "Always and Forever". The song was written by Dimitris Kontopoulos.
He chose to perform the dance version of the song. Another singer, Kalomoira, won the competition with her song "Secret Combination". Martakis's song "Always and Forever" came in second place. After this, a Russian version of "Always and Forever" was released in some countries. In December 2008, the song was even played in Abercrombie & Fitch stores in the US.
In 2008, Kostas Martakis and Danish-Greek singer Shaya recorded a Greek version of "Right Here, Right Now" from the soundtrack of the Disney movie High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Their version was called "Mikroi Theoi" (Little Gods). A music video was made for it, combining scenes from the movie with Martakis and Shaya. This music video was a bonus feature on the Greek DVD of the film.
Martakis also released another single called "Fila Me" with a music video. After this, he took a break from music to serve in the Hellenic Navy. In fall 2008, Kostas Martakis was the opening act for Jennifer Lopez's concert in Athens.
New Music and TV Shows
In March 2009, Kostas Martakis signed with Universal Music Greece. He had a good relationship with his previous label, Sony BMG.
In June 2009, Martakis released a new song called "Pio Konta" (Come closer). On November 12, 2009, he released his second studio album, also called Pio Konta. This album became platinum, meaning it sold a lot of copies.
In early 2011, Martakis joined the second season of Dancing with the Stars in Greece. He danced with Maria Antimisari and finished in second place. In March 2011, he went to Moscow to record a duet with Russian pop star Diana Diez. The song was called "... Indigo". A music video was filmed in Ukraine. The song was released in three versions: English, Greek ("Vres Ton Tropo"), and Spanish.
Martakis released his third studio album, Entasi (Intensity), on December 5, 2011. Before the album came out, he had a special online concert with MAD TV to preview his new songs.
In February 2012, Martakis co-hosted an event called MadWalk By Vodafone. He also performed his song "Entasi" there. On February 16, Kostas Martakis made his acting debut in the musical Rent at the Veaki theater. He played the character Roger Davis. The musical was about a group of young people living in New York in the 1990s, dealing with poverty, love, and loss.
Later Career and Awards
Kostas Martakis has continued to release music and perform. He has been nominated for and won several awards at the MAD Video Music Awards in Greece. These awards celebrate the best music videos and artists in Greece.
He won "Best Video Clip New Artist" in 2007 for his song "Nai". In 2014, he won "Artist Of Cyprus".
Studio Albums
- Anatropi (2007) - Platinum
- Pio Konta (2009) - Platinum
- Entasi (2011) - Gold
- An Kapou Kapote (2013) - Platinum
- Sinora (2016) - Platinum
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