Manolis Chiotis

Manolis Chiotis was a Greek music legend and innovator.

He was born on March 21, 1920 in Thessaloniki, to a well-to-do family that hailed from Nafplio. At an early age he learned and mastered the guitar and the bouzouki.

In 1936, he made his first appearance in Athens, alongside rebetiko singer Stratos Payoumtzis, who took him under his wing. Success soon followed for the young singer who became the first to master the 4-chord bouzouki. He was also the first Greek to perform with an electric guitar which he purchased from a French group on tour.

During his lifetime, Chiotis married three times, all three marriages to singers:

• Zoe Nachi
• Mary Linda
• Beba Kyriakidou

His second marriage created perhaps the best duo in Greek music history. Together with Mary Linda, Manolis Chiotis creates the refined "Archontorebetiko" (posh rebetiko) style that is accepted into high-class homes where the old-style rebetiko was not, as it was deemed low-class.

Chiotis passed away on March 21, 1970, at the age of 50.

Greatest Hits

• Ο πασατέμπος
• Αφού το θες
• Πάρε με στο τηλέφωνο
• Ηλιοβασιλέματα
• Περασμένες μου αγάπες