Kostas Hatzis (
Greek: Κώστας Χατζής) (born 13 August 1936) is a
Greek singer-songwriter and musician of Romani origin.
Kostas Hatzis was born in
Livadeia, a city in central
Greece to a Romani family. Considered a leading composer and a pioneer in the Greek social song, he has popularised the "voice-guitar" style, voicing ballads with social messages.[1]
His grandfather was a popular clarinetist and dulcimer player. Hatzis quickly followed in his grandfather's footsteps. When he was sixteen years old, his father took him to play at weddings, christenings and other events where folk music was requested. After a five-year musical tour of the Greek countryside, he moved to
Athens in 1957, began recording in 1961, and became popular in the mid-1960s with the
Greek New Wave movement in music.[1]
At the end of the 1960s, Hatzis toured the United States to perform concerts for
expatriate Greeks. His fame as a singer for peace reached the
White House when then-US President
Jimmy Carter invited him to meet and be congratulated for his peace work.[2]
Hatzis has sung about love as well as about social issues in duets with singers like
Marinella. Hatzis married a
German woman. He has a daughter, Daniella Hatzi and a son, Alexandros Hatzis. Both are also singers.[1]
Discography
1964: Yannis Markopoulos – To Koritsi Me To Kordelaki (Collaboration)
1966: O Kostas Hatzis Tragouda Miki Theodoraki
1966: O Kostas Hatzis Pezi Ke Tragouda Mazi Sas
1966: O Kostas Hatzis Tragouda Theodoraki, Hadjidaki, Markopoulo