Anna Vissi (Greek: Άννα Βίσση, pronounced [ˈana ˈvisi], locally [ˈanːa ˈviʃːi]; born 20 December 1957), also known as Anna Vishy, is a Greek Cypriot singer, songwriter, actress, television presenter, radio personality, and businesswoman. She studied music at conservatories and performed locally before moving to the professional scene in Athens, in 1973, where she signed with Minos and simultaneously collaborated with other musical artists and released promotional singles of her own while studying at the University of Athens.

Vissi established herself in the recording industry by winning the Thessaloniki Song Festival in 1977 with the song „As Kanoume Apopse Mian Arhi“ and releasing her debut album of the same name. Since the 1980s, Vissi began a nearly exclusive collaboration with songwriter Nikos Karvelas, to whom she was married to from 1983–1992 and had one child with, resulting in one of the most successful music partnerships in the nation’s history. Together they created the label CarVi, which resulted in legal issues with EMI Greece, and they then moved to CBS Records Greece, which later became Sony Music Greece.

Over the course of her career she has released over two dozen albums, most of which have been certified at least gold in the two countries and has also starred in three theatrical productions and briefly ventured into television and radio. Vissi experimented with different styles of music; after becoming one of the first Greek artists to introduce Western pop and dance elements into Greek laïko and entehno, she became one of the most prominent portrayers of the laïko-pop hybrid genre and culture that was thriving from the mid-1990s into the mid-2000s. She landed her biggest commercial success with Fotia (1989), followed by the double Kravgi (2000), which became the eighth best-selling album of all time in terms of units,[1] while five others – Kitrino Galazio (1979), I Epomeni Kinisi (1985), Klima Tropiko (1996), Travma (1997), and Antidoto (1998) – have also achieved six figure sales.

She has a large number of successful singles most of which have become classics, including her signature song „Dodeka“, „Methismeni Politia“, „Oso Exo Foni“ , „Pragmata“, „Agapi Ipervoliki“, „Psihedelia“, „Ta Mathitika Hronia“, „Treno“, „Stin Pira“, „Atmosfaira Ilektrismeni“ , „Gkazi“ and many many more. Through the years she kept a strong fan base, sold-out tours and shows (as was her latest shows in Rex in winter 2011–12 and Hotel Ermou 2015-2016 which was the most successful of the year).

Since the late 1990s, Vissi has also made attempts at establishing a career abroad, most of which fell through and have had some negative repercussions on her domestic career. However, she struck some success with her 2005 single „Call Me“, which made her the first Greek or Cypriot artist to top the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Chart and has also represented Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980 and 2006, and Cyprus in 1982.

Vissi has won six Arion Music Awards, 15 Pop Corn Music Awards, and nine MAD Video Music Awards. Vissi has received 37 Platinum and 16 Gold certifications from IFPI Greece and has become one of the country’s best-selling artists of all time, having sold over 10 million records worldwide and is one of the country’s top earning artists.

In 2010, Alpha TV ranked Vissi as the second top-certified female artist in Greece in the phonographic era (since 1960), behind Haris Alexiou, while Forbes listed her as the 15th most powerful and influential celebrity in Greece and fourth highest ranked singer.

1980–1982: Eurovision Song Contest and album releases

In 1980, Vissi participated in the 25th Eurovision Song Contest representing Greece with the song Autostop („Hitch-Hike“), finishing 13th with 30 points. In the same year she released her third album Nai („Yes“) reaching gold status with 50,000 units sold. The album produced the hits Oso Eho Foni („As long as I have my voice“) and Methysmeni Politeia („Drunken state“). One year later her fourth, self-titled album Anna Vissi was released, reaching gold status. In 1982, she represented her native Cyprus at the 27th Eurovision Song Contest with the song she composed herself, Mono I Agapi („Only love“), which ended fifth with 85 points scoring Cyprus its second highest position to date. The songs were not released on any album or CD single until 2006, when both were released on CD single in time for Vissi’s third Eurovision appearance. The English version of „Mono I Agapi“, however, was released as a 7-inch single in 1982, titled „Love Is A Lonely Weekend“. Its b-side I’m Gonna Be A Fool for You remains unreleased on CD.

2006–2007: Eurovision Song Contest and World Tour
Greek national broadcaster ERT chose Vissi to represent Greece in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. There were four candidate songs, which she sang during a song selection show on 14 March 2006 at „Votanikos“ club. Greek viewers used televote and SMS messages along with a panel of judges to choose the song Vissi would sing in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.

Two of the competing songs, were composed by Nikos Karvelas, namely „Everything“ and „Who Cares about Love“, with Vissi herself penning the lyrics to „Everything“. The third song, „A Beautiful Night“, was written by composing group Pigassos, while the last song, „Welcome to the Party“, was written by Greek composer Dimitris Kontopoulos. „Everything“ was selected as the entry song of Greece, winning 47.79% of the votes. The day after the final, Vissi filmed the song’s music video. Her previous record label, Minos EMI, released a CD single of her two prior Eurovision entries „Autostop“ and „Mono I Agapi“, shortly after.

After the filming of the song’s music video was completed, Vissi embarked on a promotional tour across Europe starting on 12 April 2006 with Russia. She also visited Malta, Cyprus, Albania, Serbia & Montenegro, Romania, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belgium, and ended her tour on 10 May 2006 in Israel.

On 19 April 2006 she released a CD single for her Eurovision entry „Everything“. It featured the original version of „Everything“ and a remix of it by DJ Valentino and Christodoulos Siganos. She then also re-released Nylon as Nylon: Euro-Edition, which includes all of the songs from her album Nylon, as well as the entry song „Everything“ in original, remixed and karaoke version. Euro Edition also contains the three other Greek Eurovision Preselection songs: „Beautiful Night“, „Who Cares About Love“ and „Welcome to the Party“, which has entered the playlist of American satellite radio station „Sirius Beat“.

During the contest, Vissi performed in the 16th spot of the night and appeared alone on stage, wearing a Jean-Paul Gaultier outfit. Although she had been one of the favourites during the pre-contest period, she only managed to get 9th place with 128 points (hers was one of the two pre-qualified entries to finish in the top 10, the other being Romania). The other eight songs were all qualified from the semi-final. Finland won the contest with the rock band Lordi and their song Hard Rock Hallelujah. In interviews prior to the contest, she had stated that if there was anyone she would like to lose to, it would be the Finnish entry. Lordi had also expressed their liking of the Greek song in interviews, too.

Following the contest, „Everything“ was released in Finland on 24 May 2006, by Sony BMG Finland. It had already been released in Sweden and it peaked at 24. It featured a different cover, than the original single. The dual disc version of Nylon was also re-released with the Eurovision single. Vissi gave a concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 27 May 2006.[46] She also had a concert on 8 September 2006 at G.S.P. Stadium in Nicosia, Cyprus, which kick-started her Greek mini-tour. The tour was called The Best of Anna Vissi 2006 and was covered by Alpha TV.

In the fall of 2006, she embarked on a Greek mini-tour, performing around Greece in sold-out concerts, as well as Cyprus with Goin‘ Through.

In the beginning of 2007, Vissi moved to Los Angeles, United States to start work on an English album. In February 2007, she accompanied longtime friend Patricia Field to the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, United States.

Vissi also embarked on a world tour in January 2007. She travelled to Australia with Konstantinos Christoforou and had three concerts in Melbourne and Sydney, and from 10 April 2007 through 1 May 2007, she toured North America. Along with Takis Zacharatos, she performed in Chicago, New York City, Atlantic City, Connecticut (Foxwoods), Los Angeles, Montreal, and Toronto. Vissi continued her tour in October 2007 with a European mini-tour. The concerts included Amsterdam and Brussels with her concert in Paris being cancelled without an explanation. During the tour, she stated that she was only halfway through her world tour.

In September 2007, Sony BMG released a compilation titled The Essential Anna Vissi in select markets. The album contains seventeen tracks, including some of Vissi’s biggest hits. It also includes the previously leaked, but unofficially released English song Is it Safe?

In November 2007, she held a special charity concert in London for the „Oinoussian Benevolent Fund“. It was held at the „Royal Opera House“ in Covent Garden with the London Philharmonic Orchestra and she raised £250,000, excluding the entrance tickets costing £200.

Personal life

Vissi met Nikos Karvelas in the early 1980s, and they were married in 1983. They have a daughter, Sofia Karvela who lives in New York. They later got divorced, but remain good friends; Karvelas continues to write most of Vissi’s songs.