The unforgettable Nikos Dimitratos in concert in 2006

Watch the concert of Nikos Dimitratos that took place in Kapsali on 07 August 2006. TTV Kythera was at the «Zidoros» multi-purpose hall where the concert was held and recorded it.

Biography of Nikos Dimitratos

Greek singer and actor, with great vocal and acting skills. In singing he became known for his long collaboration with Stavros Xarchakos.

Nikos Dimitratos was born on March 6, 1942 in Athens and from a young age he entered into the spirit of Byzantine music, when he was humming as an altar boy in the Metropolis of Athens. He then studied Byzantine music and at the age of twenty he began singing at the Katakombi bouquet in Plaka. There the director Tasos Petris saw him and urged him to study acting as well. After finishing the army he took an exam at the Art Theatre. Out of 58 candidates, Karolos Koun chose two, one of whom was Nikos Dimitratos. He studied for two years at the School of Art Theatre, but when the administrators learned that he was singing in the evenings in a boudoir for a living, they forced him to leave. Dimitratos continued and completed his acting studies at the school of Gregory Vafias.

He first appeared in the theatre in two stage performances during the dictatorship. Initially in 1971 in Iakovos Campanellis's Fairy Tale Without a Name with the troupe of Nea Poria and in 1973 in the historic performance The Great Circus by Iakovos Campanellis with the troupe of Jenny Karezi and Kostas Kazakos, a performance that marked the beginning of his long collaboration with Stavros Xarchakos.

He collaborated with the company of Giorgos Michalakopoulos and Minos Volanakis, while he played and wrote the music for the performance of Lorca's Bloody Wedding at the Stoa Theatre by Thanasis Papageorgiou and Lida Protopsaltis. He also collaborated with the D.P.E.T.E. Kozani in the comedy of Pretenderis-Gialamas Myas Pentara Niata, directed by Nana Nikolaou, and with the Children's Corner of the National Theatre in the performance The Country of the Birds, an adaptation of Aristophanes' comedy Ornithes by Yannis Kalantzopoulos.

He took part as a singer and actor in the award-winning film by Kostas Ferris Rebetiko (1983), while as an actor he participated in several films, including the award-winning Closed Turn and The Age of Assassins by Nikos Grammatikos, The Wall by Stelios Pavlidis, Script by Dinos Mavroidis, Dictator Calls Thanasis by Panos Glykofrydis. In 1991 he won the State Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Giorgos Tseberopoulos’ film Anteia.

He has also participated in many performances at ERT's Monday Theatre, in Nikos Pilavios' Children's Fairy Tales, as well as in serials such as Kostas Ferris' The Merchants of Nations, Vassilis Georgiadis' Strange Traveller, Angelos Pyriochos' Fire and Fury, Don't Be Afraid of Fire and The Life I Didn't Live by Mirella Papakonomou, Strass by Eleni Akrita and George Kiritsis, Yovanna's Painted Sun, Lefteris Kaponi's Tzivareri and Mark of Love and Panos Kokkinopoulos' Anatomy of a Crime.

In singing he appeared during the New Wave era in the bouquets of Plaka. Starting with the performance The Big Circus, Nikos Dimitratos collaborated artistically for many years with Stavros Xarchakos in recording, cinema and theatre, while he also collaborated with other important composers, such as Stavros Kougioumtzis, Christos Leontis, Demos Moutsis, Elias Andriopoulos, Giorgos Hadjinasios, Mimis Plessas, Notis Mavroudis, Dimitris Lagios, Dimitris Papadimitriou, Dimitris Lekas and Thodoris Xydias. At the same time, he participated in concerts and musical performances with many other important Greek singers and music composers, such as Markos and Stelios Vamvakaris, Sotiria Bellou, Nikos Xylouris, Apostolos Kaldaras, Eleni Vitali, Thanasis Gaifillias and Sotiria Leonardou.

In 1997, in the context of the events «Thessaloniki: European Capital of Culture», he participated as an actor and soloist in the oratorio The Fall of the City by George Hadjinasiou, with the Sofia Symphony Orchestra and the 70-member choir of Halkidiki.

Nikos Dimitratos died on 26 December 2013, at the age of 71.

Selected discography

«Our Great Circus» (music by Stavros Xarchakos, lyrics by Iakovos Campanelli)
«Nyn And Ai» (music by Stavros Xarchakos, lyrics by Nikos Gatsos)
«Enmimion ’76» (music by Stavros Xarchakos)
«Rebetiko» (music by Stavros Xarchakos, lyrics by Nikos Gatsos)
«Icons» (music by Ilias Andriopoulos, lyrics by Manos Eleftheriou, E. Thalassinou)
«Karagiozis and the Frogs of Aristophanes» (music by Dimitris Lekkas, lyrics by G. Pavrianos in collaboration with Eugene Spatharis)
«The Sun The Iliator» (music by Dimitris Lagios, poetry by Odysseus Elytis)
«Don't Fear The Fire» (music by Dimitris Papadimitriou, lyrics by Lina Nikolakopoulou, Nikos Dimitratos)
«Plagues of the Court» (by Mimis Plessa)
«Anotati Zambetiki» (unpublished songs by Giorgos Zambetas)
«Carte Postale» (music by Noti Mavroudi, lyrics by Ilias Katsoulis)
«Without Parea» (music by Thodoris Xydias, lyrics by Lakis Lazopoulos, Th. Xydias)
«Sea And Fire» (Nahum Heiman and Hani Livne in songs by Manos Hadjidakis)