Born in 1957 in Piraeus, with family roots in Ikaria and Paxoi. She is considered one of the most commercially successful Greek singers, having achieved numerous musical hits. The New York Times wrote of Eleftheria Arvanitaki: “A soprano who combines sweetness with warmth, clarity and sensitivity with a sense of sadness and melancholy”.
Her career began in 1979, when she joined “Opisthodromiki Kompania” («Οπισθοδρομική Κομπανία»), a group of students who performed rebetiko and laïko songs in various venues around Athens. In 1981 she made her first appearance in the discography, while during the same period she also appeared on stage alongside Dionysis Savvopoulos.
After the dissolution of “Opisthodromiki Kompania”, she collaborated with numerous important artists and presented her work at international jazz and world-music festivals —among them WOMAD— touring extensively in countries such as Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Australia. A significant moment in her career was her appearance on 1 February 2014 on the stage of the historic Carnegie Hall in New York, accompanied by Armenian-American composer and oud soloist Ara Dinkjian.
Her albums have also been released by international labels, contributing to her recognition beyond Greece.
Sources: arvanitaki.gr & Wikipedia (accessed 2025)
