Do you think you know everything there is to know about Anna Vissi?
2012
It was late at night, early morning of the 27th October when Anna went on stage to sing Everything, continuing her set list at “LAV” in the centre of Athens.
Everything was so perfect, a first night with lots of passion and full of appetite from our beloved singer when suddenly she disappeared beneath our eyes. A trapped door accidently opened and Anna fell from a height of more than 2 metres sending a deep shock through the audience and the fan club that was present there. Not wanting to relive those anxious moments that followed, we can thankfully say that Anna was very lucky on the way she fell and did not injur herself very seriously. The fact that she was not badly injured and thanks to her sheer stubbornness meant she was given her discharge note on the 2nd November to start her premiere show once again (even with a few bruised body parts) surrounded by the love and adoration of her fans on the 17th November!
The fannatics collected a “LAVbook” of wishes to wish the singer a speedy recovery and better luck in the future!!
“I would not like to recount what happened because the whole thing was very shocking for me and I do not want to remember it again. The only good thing from it was the show of support and love from all my already beloved people surrounding me”
Interview in “EGO” magazine Weekly 15th November
Everything was so perfect, a first night with lots of passion and full of appetite from our beloved singer when suddenly she disappeared beneath our eyes. A trapped door accidently opened and Anna fell from a height of more than 2 metres sending a deep shock through the audience and the fan club that was present there. Not wanting to relive those anxious moments that followed, we can thankfully say that Anna was very lucky on the way she fell and did not injur herself very seriously. The fact that she was not badly injured and thanks to her sheer stubbornness meant she was given her discharge note on the 2nd November to start her premiere show once again (even with a few bruised body parts) surrounded by the love and adoration of her fans on the 17th November!
The fannatics collected a “LAVbook” of wishes to wish the singer a speedy recovery and better luck in the future!!
“I would not like to recount what happened because the whole thing was very shocking for me and I do not want to remember it again. The only good thing from it was the show of support and love from all my already beloved people surrounding me”
Interview in “EGO” magazine Weekly 15th November
On the 11th May and following a long battle, Anna’s father, Nestoras, passed away. Throughout his illness he had all the love, care and support of his family who were by his side every step of the way. His funeral took place on the 15th May in Larnaca, Cyprus.
Thankfully, this year also had some good news!
In the June, it was announced that Nikos Karvelas and Anna Vissi came to an agreement with Elliniki Theamaton to open in 2014 so that they could put on the legendary “Demons” show once again after 22 years since the first show.
Giannis Kakleas would direct the show for a second time in Anna’s theatre run with the auditions taking place in October 2012.
The Fannatics waited patiently until the big premiere to arrive….
In the June, it was announced that Nikos Karvelas and Anna Vissi came to an agreement with Elliniki Theamaton to open in 2014 so that they could put on the legendary “Demons” show once again after 22 years since the first show.
Giannis Kakleas would direct the show for a second time in Anna’s theatre run with the auditions taking place in October 2012.
The Fannatics waited patiently until the big premiere to arrive….
Tiranieme (Maxi single with the magazine Teletheait -20th July)
Access All Areas (Collection – Best of): In December Sony Music released the limited edition “Access All Areas – Anna Vissi” with only 500 copies available. Even if it was not advertised as this, the collection “celebrated” 40 years of Anna’s career and contained a small book with famous and never before seen pictures of Anna taken by Christine Crokos between 2009 and 2010 and 5 CDS with a total of 84 songs spanning her music career!
The collection becomes a success in 2013 with the release of another 750 new numbered copies.
Den ine psema (Digital Single)
Kala Xristougenna (Digital Single)
Protimo (Digital Single)
Access All Areas (Collection – Best of): In December Sony Music released the limited edition “Access All Areas – Anna Vissi” with only 500 copies available. Even if it was not advertised as this, the collection “celebrated” 40 years of Anna’s career and contained a small book with famous and never before seen pictures of Anna taken by Christine Crokos between 2009 and 2010 and 5 CDS with a total of 84 songs spanning her music career!
The collection becomes a success in 2013 with the release of another 750 new numbered copies.
Den ine psema (Digital Single)
Kala Xristougenna (Digital Single)
Protimo (Digital Single)
The notable collaboration of 2012 was Anna Vissi and Nikos Karvelas teaming up with Playmen with the song “Den ine psema” which had considerable commercial success. The song was released as a digital single by Anna ahead of her string of appearances at LAV. In this, we also see Nikos Zoidakis contribution who went on to appear in Anna’s shows at Kentro Athinon.
The popular singer Demy and My Excuse were other acts supporting Anna at LAV.
The popular singer Demy and My Excuse were other acts supporting Anna at LAV.
“12” Show at Rex music hall until 7th April.
“12”Show at Odeon (Thessaloniki, starting 25th May for one month)
4/8 Argostili Municipal Stadium, Kefalonia
6/7 Lesbos
9/8 Chios
18/8 Santo Wines winery, Santorini (together with Manolis Kontaro) – Volcanic Festival 2012
20/8 Chania (Crete)
22/8 Rethimnon (Crete)
25/8 Blue Dream Summer Gala, NYC
1/9 Asteria, Patras
5/10 Blinkers, Nicosia (Cyprus)
26/10 LAV @ Kentro Athinon (First Premiere)
17/11 Premiere
28/11 Athens Opera House (at a Qatar Airways Event)
“12”Show at Odeon (Thessaloniki, starting 25th May for one month)
4/8 Argostili Municipal Stadium, Kefalonia
6/7 Lesbos
9/8 Chios
18/8 Santo Wines winery, Santorini (together with Manolis Kontaro) – Volcanic Festival 2012
20/8 Chania (Crete)
22/8 Rethimnon (Crete)
25/8 Blue Dream Summer Gala, NYC
1/9 Asteria, Patras
5/10 Blinkers, Nicosia (Cyprus)
26/10 LAV @ Kentro Athinon (First Premiere)
17/11 Premiere
28/11 Athens Opera House (at a Qatar Airways Event)
Many surprises were in store for the fans this season as Anna’s relationship with the fan club became closer than ever! Firstly, on the 9th March, the Fannatics Party was officially established, this time at the REX music hall, to celebrate the 4 years of the singer’s Fan Club. The special priced entry tickets, the good atmosphere and the recording of the evening by the Mega channel made the night! This special evening was broadcast on New Year’s Eve 2013!!
In January, the Fannatics is given a further boost! The avfans youtube channel which was created in April 2007 reached a total of 20,000,000 views with more than 945 videos and overtaking Anna’s total video views!
On the 5th July, the biggest online channel “FOCUS WEB TV” paid tribute to the first and biggest official fan club for a Greek singer, fannatics.gr! The video dedication was shown on the programme “Follow Us” and showed the fan club’s rise from the beginning to the present day.
In honour of her new show starting at LAV, Anna kept many surprises ready for her fans. Apart from the special prices for her Fannatics wherever she is appearing, this year she created the Fannatics Backstage PASS. This gave 5 people each evening the chance to go and meet Anna in her dressing room backstage at Kentro Athinon! The backstage pass started on the 12th December!
Following the release of her digital single “Kala Xristougenna”, Anna announced a competition for the best fan-made video clip for the song and chose her winner!
This is Anna’s most watched youtube video and it is the only song, to this date, which was used for a commercial abroad. And yet, the story of “poli poli” has a continuation!
Two years after the first TV advert was shown on Japanese television, the song “to poli poli” was used for the same ad campaign of the same product, sake, which is manufactured by Tateyama Brewing Company. The artist Naoki Mitsuse was once again the creator of the TV ad and this time used Anna Vissi and her beloved dog Vanilla!
Read an exclusive extract from an interview with Naoki on Fannatics.gr:
“The reason we decided to do a second version of “To Poli Poli” by Anna was simply because of the big success that the first advert saw. I believe that Anna’s music sounds fresh and exotic but also somehow familiar to the Japanese ear”.
“I knew that Anna had a dog called Vanilla. My inspiration for the dog in the cartoon came from a stray dog that I had seen in Napoli which reminded me of Vanilla.”
Two years after the first TV advert was shown on Japanese television, the song “to poli poli” was used for the same ad campaign of the same product, sake, which is manufactured by Tateyama Brewing Company. The artist Naoki Mitsuse was once again the creator of the TV ad and this time used Anna Vissi and her beloved dog Vanilla!
Read an exclusive extract from an interview with Naoki on Fannatics.gr:
“The reason we decided to do a second version of “To Poli Poli” by Anna was simply because of the big success that the first advert saw. I believe that Anna’s music sounds fresh and exotic but also somehow familiar to the Japanese ear”.
“I knew that Anna had a dog called Vanilla. My inspiration for the dog in the cartoon came from a stray dog that I had seen in Napoli which reminded me of Vanilla.”
8/7- Mes stin kali chara (Alpha – Natalia Germanou)
25/12 – Proino mou (MEGA Channel – Fei Skorda, Giorgos Liagkas)
19/03 – “Presa Diretta” on Italy’s RAI 3 showed some clips from Anna Vissi’s shows at the Rex music hall!
The show talked about Greece’s economic crisis and shows clips from Anna’s show which continue to sell out despite the country’s economic situation.
Clips from the show “Presa Diretta” with Anna Vissi were seen exclusive on fannatics.gr
25/12 – Proino mou (MEGA Channel – Fei Skorda, Giorgos Liagkas)
19/03 – “Presa Diretta” on Italy’s RAI 3 showed some clips from Anna Vissi’s shows at the Rex music hall!
The show talked about Greece’s economic crisis and shows clips from Anna’s show which continue to sell out despite the country’s economic situation.
Clips from the show “Presa Diretta” with Anna Vissi were seen exclusive on fannatics.gr
On the 8th June, Anna attended the charity bazaar held at the Regency Thessaloniki to buy various products and to be photographed with all the children that were there for the event. The money raised went to the city’s various foundations.
On the 20th June, the Sophia Foundation for Children auctioned 128 bags made from Kiondo baskets and designed by famous people in order to raise funds for the activity taking place and helping orphaned children in Kenya. Naturally, Anna was among the 128 people to design and offer a bag for the auction!
The Kiondo baskets are made in Nyeri and it is because of this that their roads are full of women who are holding them and balancing them on their heads to carry their shopping, the clothes they want to wash in the closest stream or even their own children.
The women from the area cut the big leafs from the sisal plant, an original Kenyan plant, which looks like a cactus and separate their fibres. They then place it in the sun and when they dry out the weave around it with bright colours to create the distinctive designs of each bag.
The Kiondo baskets are made in Nyeri and it is because of this that their roads are full of women who are holding them and balancing them on their heads to carry their shopping, the clothes they want to wash in the closest stream or even their own children.
The women from the area cut the big leafs from the sisal plant, an original Kenyan plant, which looks like a cactus and separate their fibres. They then place it in the sun and when they dry out the weave around it with bright colours to create the distinctive designs of each bag.
“I got a human divorce with Karvela but never an artistic one. We have only never worked together for a total of 2 years and, strictly speaking, I have only ever released one album with Niko which was “Apagorevmeno”. I believe that the break and distancing did us good. When two people are together constantly, at some point they need their own space. They need some space to breath. Niko and I are just friends, we are siblings”
9th December, Proto Thema
9th December, Proto Thema
Comments
Once again this year, we saw the recurring topic of Anna Vissi’s tax scandal gracing the front pages of magazines. This time, an article in the “Ta Nea” (10th September) newspaper set tongues wagging, on TV, on the radio and in everyday gossip. The article showed information deriving from the taxation services which showed supposedly declared incomes by famous singers as normal people, incomes that were much lower than one would expect.
On the same day, Anna, through a press conference, cleared up the situation regarding the tax scandal as an individual through her different companies which separately deal with her record deal and her live appearances.
A good question would be to see if, one year after this article, there was a check on all the mentioned famous singers on the list or if their famous names were used by the Media outlets to generate a bit of frenzy and sell a few papers?
On the same day, Anna, through a press conference, cleared up the situation regarding the tax scandal as an individual through her different companies which separately deal with her record deal and her live appearances.
A good question would be to see if, one year after this article, there was a check on all the mentioned famous singers on the list or if their famous names were used by the Media outlets to generate a bit of frenzy and sell a few papers?
Questioned during an interview for a popular magazine about Giorgo Ntalaras and the attack he received from members of the audience during his concerts that year, Anna Vissi gave a reply that provoked varied criticism:
“There is always a cause, a reason for this but I do not know if I would chose this way. I cannot, however, condemn someone’s rage and what made him reach this point. I would like to understand why he has reached this point to throw a tub of yoghurt. As for Giorgo Ntalara,, I cannot answer your questions you know? I do not hold any good feelings towards him, on a personal rather than an artistic level. I respect him as an artist but I have a personal dislike for him and I am not scared to say it. There, I am telling you for the first time here. Sorry”.
Psychologies, 26th April
“There is always a cause, a reason for this but I do not know if I would chose this way. I cannot, however, condemn someone’s rage and what made him reach this point. I would like to understand why he has reached this point to throw a tub of yoghurt. As for Giorgo Ntalara,, I cannot answer your questions you know? I do not hold any good feelings towards him, on a personal rather than an artistic level. I respect him as an artist but I have a personal dislike for him and I am not scared to say it. There, I am telling you for the first time here. Sorry”.
Psychologies, 26th April