ATHENS – You’ve all heard the name, you know all the songs, but how well do you really know the popular Greek singer? TNH has the scoop on Thanos Petrelis and how his career in the music industry was born.
The talented laiko-style Greek artist, Athanasios Petrelis, who’s known more widely by the name Thanos Petrelis, was born and raised in Athens, Greece.
From as young as he can remember, he had a love for singing, however, like most artists, didn’t know it would later become his full-time career.
Explaining his love for music, the Greek singer described singing as a form of “love.”
“It’s something you love, and you do it without thinking about the future,” Petrelis told TNH.
Thanos Petrelis shared that he has visited New York City many times. (Photo: @thanospetrelis, Instagram)
The start of a successful career in music
When asked about how his music journey all began, the Greek singer shared “I’ve been singing since I was very young.”
“I grew up in a house where my father listened to a lot of Greek music and a lot of Greek folk songs. I would hear music by all these major artists at the time including Stelios Kazantzidis, Tolis Voskopoulos, Giannis Parios, and Giannis Poulopoulos. These artists were the geo-sculptors, the very big, successful socialites of that time, so I grew up on their music.”
“Even though I was always singing, I never thought I would make it my profession, however sometimes life has a way of leading you in that direction.”
Petrelis then noted how in 1998, when he was 23 years old, that was the moment he took his love for singing to a professional level and began performing at a venue.
Petrelis’ love for music and performing
As someone who has been taking the stage all over Greece and has been performing across the globe for over 25 years, Petrelis shared what he loved most about being a Greek singer who is adored by fans all over the world and working in the music industry.
“What I love the most, above everything else, is singing. I really enjoy singing. It is something that brings me happiness,” he expressed.
“But if I had to choose one thing, at this stage in my career, which is the most beautiful thing for a singer, is the connection you have with the audience.”
“Being able to make people enjoy themselves during live performances, have a good time and become one with them, so to speak – I think that is the greatest satisfaction someone can have, because you feel that you are truly making people happy and offering something to those who come to see you.”
Thanos Petrelis performing on stage in Melbourne three years ago. (Photo: @thanospetrelis, Instagram)
Proudest moments throughout Petrelis’ career
Having released between 50-60 singles in his career, on top of performing many classic Greek hits, the singer shared how there have been many proud moments throughout his career.
“Certainly, something that is important is always the beginning – the moments when you start doing this job and when your first success comes,” Petrelis shared.
“It’s the gold records, the platinum records, the big hits that play on the radio. They definitely make you feel proud of yourself at that point because you have managed to start from nothing and achieve certain things.”
The Greek singer shared how the continued success of his music and his ability to continue “creating songs that people love,” was also something he’s proud of. “The audience is definitely the judge of our work. When songs become successful, that makes us happy because it means that we truly did our job well,” he said. “That back-and-forth exchange is the ideal part of being a performer.”
A picture of Thanos Petrelis when he performed in Atlantic City back in 2013. (Photo: @thanospetrelis, Instagram)
Goals for the future
Petrelis noted how he was very grateful to have achieved everything he has today.
“If you had asked me when I was starting what interested me most and what my overall goal was, it was definitely having longevity, because achieving one success, having a hit and then disappearing, can happen to many people.”
“What shows that you have truly achieved success is longevity over time, which I think I have achieved… the years prove it. To have songs that came out 22, 20, or 18 years ago and for people to still listen to them today, I believe that is the greatest achievement and the biggest success a singer can have. I have 20-year-olds to 60-year-olds listening to my music and I believe that through the songs I have created and through this entire journey, I have achieved a very large range both musically and in terms of the ages of my audience.”
The Greek singer has been singing professionally since he was just 23 years old. (Photo: thanospetrelis,Instagram)
A rewarding career
Petrelis shared how he has traveled all over the globe including to Panama, South Africa, Australia, the U.S., and all over Europe to perform for his fans who love his music.
When asked how it felt to have such a strong fanbase around the globe, Petrelis shared: “there is great satisfaction… because for there to be this acceptance from people around the world – not only in Greece but also among Greeks who live all over the world — it means that you have truly achieved something meaningful throughout your journey.”
“I feel that I did everything I could from the beginning and there has been great longevity and great acceptance because of that, because I did the job I needed to do well.”
Support from the Greek diaspora
Being a Greek artist who has taken his career on a global scale, Petrelis shared how he’s noticed how Greeks abroad are ‘φανατικοί’. “They are the passionate supporters; they are truly devoted Greeks,” he said.
“Whenever Greek music is close to them, they show an incredible amount of love, and this is a characteristic I’ve noticed across all Greeks abroad. I have received so much love all these years from all these tours around the world and these fans.”
The Greek singer additionally noted how he loves that his music brings people together no matter where they are and helps “bring Greece closer to Greeks.”
