Yanni talks about his Iranian fans

Aug 10, 2012

Entertainment

For years, Yanni has been among the most popular of international music stars among Iranians, and there is even an official campaign to invite him for a concert in Iran's Persepolis. Yanni's current worldwide tour has also attracted many Iranian fans.

Yanni

Yanni's popularity among Iranians is perhaps rooted in the inspirational theme behind his music which is infused with spirituality and sounds from Eastern cultures. Some of Yanni's events are listed in our events section. But few Iranians know about Yanni's life and his views about his Iranian fans. In what follows (after his Biography) Yanni has shared with Kodoom.com his views about his Iranian fans and answered some of their questions:

Biography

A truly international celebrity, YANNI is a world class composer and live performer who has brought hundreds of millions of fans and fellow world citizens together via his powerful compositions which have come to define a new genre of music. An estimated 500 million people in over 140 countries have seen his live performances in person or through television broadcasts. One of public television’s all-time top fundraisers, YANNI recently played two sold-out concerts at the historic 16th-century Castillo San Felipe Del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The dates were the first-ever performances at this recognized UNESCO Heritage Site, and the shows were filmed in high-definition and recorded in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. YANNI: Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico made its nationwide public television debut on March 3, 2012, marking the composer’s tenth collaboration with PBS (Public Broadcasting Service).

Yanni’s performances at Castillo San Felipe Del Morro represent a 20-year dream come true for the artist. The shows also connect the famed Puerto Rican landmark with other iconic sites that have played host to Yanni’s spectacular concerts including the Acropolis in Greece, the Taj Mahal in India, and the Forbidden City in China (he was the first western performer to play at the latter two).

In Kalamata, on the shores of the Mediterranean, Yanni was born in 1954 to Sotiri and Felitsa Chryssomallis. The second of three children, Yanni has an older brother and a younger sister. Sharing a deep-rooted love of music, the family spent much of their time playing and singing together. Yanni's parents provided a typical Greek life for the young boy. He grew up fishing, swimming, and going to school like every other boy in his town. He began to play the piano at age six. At the age of 14, Yanni broke the Greek National swimming record for the men's 50-meter freestyle event. His childhood in Greece and his love for his native country gave Yanni his inspiration to compose such songs as "Santorini," "Nostalgia," and "Acroyali."

In 1972, YANNI came to the U.S. to study psychology at the University of Minnesota. Yanni also played keyboards for Chameleon, a local rock and roll band. After his movie to Los Angeles, he released his first album, Optimystique, in 1980.

YANNI then delved into instrumental composing, and had his first platinum album with Reflections of Passion in 1990. Two years later, Dare To Dream netted his first GRAMMY nomination; its follow up, In My Time, earned another nod. YANNI’s major breakthrough came with 1993’s Yanni Live at the 2,000-year-old Herodes Atticus Theater at the Acropolis of Athens. Acropolis was Yanni’s first live album, and used his core band with a full orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Iranian conductor Shahrdad Rohani.

Shahrdad Rohani in Yanni Live at the Acropolis concert

Without financial backing, Yanni risked $2 million of his personal fortune in the Acropolis production in a strategy to boost his artistic profile and open new markets for his music. The resulting video was broadcast on PBS and became one of its most popular programs ever, seen in 65 countries by half a billion people. It became the second best-selling music video of all time (after Michael Jackson's Thriller), selling more than 7 million copies worldwide.

To date, YANNI has sold more than 35 million albums globally, and his 2003 autobiography, Yanni In Words, made the New York Times bestseller list. His music is also a staple as a soundtrack for television, especially major sporting events, including the Olympic Games since 1988.

Yanni in Muscat, Oman

Over the past several years, YANNI’s ongoing studio explorations have resulted in more than 300 songs. He also extensively toured, performing sold-out concerts in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Even as the road beckons once again, YANNI’s heart also remains in studio with all the music he’s created of late. “I’ve been having fun,” he says. “What I've learned is when a song hits you, when something moves you to write, it’s an emotion. All of life comes together, and you have to follow it. I want to take my audiences on a journey. They don’t know what's coming next, but I promise it will be a pleasant surprise.”

Truth of Touch, released in 2011, returned YANNI to the contemporary instrumental form that made him an international superstar. The album—his 19th overall and 16th studio release—is YANNI’s first collection of primarily instrumental music since 2003. It was recorded with producer-songwriter Ric Wake, YANNI’s key collaborator on his last two albums, Yanni Voices and the Spanish-language Yanni Voces. The project grew organically out of a six-month break from touring and recording.

On April 17th, 2012, YANNI: Live at El Morro, Puerto Rico CD and DVD was released by Sony Music. This release also launched YANNI’s current world tour, which began in North America and will include concerts in South America and China. The new title spotlights YANNI and his orchestra performing audience favorites including “Truth of Touch,” “Voyage” and “Vertigo” from Yanni’s latest studio album, Truth of Touch (2011). Also featured is a new version of Yanni’s signature song “Nightingale,” and other classics that have not been recorded in decades, including “The End of August,” “The Rain Must Fall,” “Felitsa,” “Ode To Humanity,” plus two encores: “Niki Nana” and “One Man's Dream.”

Yanni's collaboration with World Wildlife Fund in giant panda conservation

Also in April, 2012, Yanni entered into a collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund aimed at raising awareness of giant panda conservation. Yanni was inspired to help protect giant pandas after he “adopted” a two-month old panda cub at the Chinese Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in October 2011. Yanni was the first western artist to be given the honor of symbolically adopting one of Chengdu’s pandas (a privilege reserved almost exclusively for nations, rather than personalities). He named the panda “Santorini” after one of the most beautiful islands in his native Greece. “Santorini” is also one of Yanni’s most well known compositions and contains the word “Irini,” which means “peace” in Greek. He views his adopted panda as “the beautiful panda of peace.”

Yanni and his Iranian Fans:

Kodoom.com (relaying a question by Setareh): Some of your songs are very popular among Iranians. We love your personality as well as your songs. You and your band have been traveling a lot among different countries. I would really appreciate it if you tell us one of the most precious memories or lessons you have learned during those visits.

YANNI: I don't think in terms of absolutes, therefore, I can't think of a favorite memory that stands out above all the rest. I enjoy every place we travel to and perform in for it's own unique experience. Every concert and every country we visit, there are new memories and lessons learned. I try and connect with every culture and audience I am with and be open to new lessons and experiences.

Kodoom.com (Nazanin): How much do you now about Iran, Iranian culture and your fans in Iran?

YANNI: I grew up in Greece and was fortunate enough to travel throughout the world and have developed my own understanding and relationship with the Iranian people. It has been humbling to see the support that I have been given from this culture. It amazes me that the support from the Iranians has come up through Iranians living throughout the world.

During our concert in Armenia last year, the audience was chanting and we didn't understand what the chant was and asked our Armenian translator what they were saying and he replied saying, "I don't know, they are from Iran." The people are lovely and very welcoming and I have met them throughout the world and I'd like to continue this relationship.

Our International Affiliate in Iran has been incredibly helpful and I have met with them personally and know that our relationship will continue to grow. It doesn't really matter where you are from, we are all the same.

Kodoom.com: What drives you and your endless energy and passion?

YANNI: The music I compose is a reflection of my personal experiences and lessons learned throughout life. By living life and interacting with different people, situations and cultures it keeps me inspired on a daily basis and it is always a reaction of my soul. I can't imagine anything more personal to me than my music.

For our future interviews, you can always send us questions for your favorite performers (such as Yanni).

Other Features related to Yanni:
The Storm: Violin duet in Yanni concert (Live in Acapulco)
Inspirational Video: Nathan Pacheco "Omaggio" from Yanni Voices

Other "INFORMAL" series:

Informal

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