Singer, lyricist and fiction writer Kristi Stassinopoulou has charted her own independent course in the Greek music scene. A course followed by a dedicated -steadily expanding- audience that packs the venues where Kristi performs.

The successful blend of rhythms and "sound-colours" from Greek -and international- traditional music, psychedelic rock and electronica, combined with the internationalist, cosmopolite, "neo - hippie" attitude of Kristi and the group, have now become a point of reference in Greece and abroad.

Kristi's previous album ECHOTRoPIA hit no 6 in the top 10 of the World Music Charts Europe in month May 2000 and no 35 in the list of 845 albumss from all over the world nominated for the WMCE for the year 2000.

Kristi's vivid scenic appearance and personality and the paganistic, dionysiac - described also as "ethnopunk", "ethnotrance"- sound of her music have taken her out of the boarders of her country. Together with her colourful band they have performed in numerous festivals, to name a few:

21st Montreal International Jazz Festival / Greece in Britain, at the London Barbican Theatre / Folk y Raices, Santa Kruz de Tenerife / Kemnade International, Germany / Festival de Gaita, Orejo, Spain / Women Singing the World, Tel Aviv / Sunfest, London Ontario, Canada / Winnipeg Folk Festival, Canada / Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, Washington D.C., US, / Central Park Summer Stage, New York, US

In May 2001 ECHOTRoPIA was released in N. America by the world music label Tinder Records. In October 2001, ECHOTROPIA was released in Brasil by the world music label MCD.

Tracks from albums ECHOTRoPIA and IFANTOKOSMOS, (music by Stathis Kalyviotis, lyrics by Kristi) are included in:
The Rough Guide to the Music of Greece, World Music Network , , England / Grecia de Oriente y de Occidente, Resistencia, Spain / Voices From the World, NMC, Israel / 2002 World Music compilation, EMI/Hemisphere, England

Kristi's latest release is: "The Secrets of the Rocks", 2002, music by Stathis Kalyviotis, lyrics by Kristi.

BIOGRAPHY :
1978 In the audition for the Greek production of the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, she was selected among 300 professional and amateur singers for the role of Mary Magdalene.
1981 She played the role of Peron's Mistress in the Greek production of "Evita".
1983 She represented Greece in the Eurovision Festival, in Munchen.
1986 Release of her first album:"KRISTI STASSINOPOULOU".
1989 Along with composer-multi instrumentalist Stathis Kalyviotis they form SELANA, a rock group that became cult for it's avant-garde sound.
1992 Release of the album: "BY THE LAKE WITH THE POPPIES".
1993 Publication of first book, "SEVEN TIMES IN AMORGOS" (Mystery stories that take place on the Cycladic island of Amorgos).
1995 Second book: "THE FIERY SWORD" (Mystery novel).
1997 Release of the album "IFANTOKOSMOS", music by Stathis Kalyviotis, lyrics by Kristi.
1998 The track "Anixandario" from the album "IFANTOKOSMOS" is included in the album "VOICES FROM THE WORLD", released by NMC, Israel, among songs of Sinead O Connor, Deep Forest, Lorena McKennit, Madredeus, etc.
Kristi and her band play support to the DEEP FOREST in Israel, and as the main act in the festival "Women singing the World".
1999 Release of the album "ECHOTRoPIA", music by Stathis
Kalyviotis, lyrics by Kristi.
2000 "Ifantokosmos" from the album IFANTOKOSMOS, is the opening track of the double album "GRECIA - DE ORIENTE Y DE OCCIDENTE" released in Spain by Resistencia and distributed all over Europe.
"ECHOTRoPIA" enters the TOP 20 of the World Music Charts Europe.
In May "ECHOTRoPIA" climbs to No 6.
On July 2, Kristi and her band perform in the 21st International Jazz Festival in Montreal.
"ECHOTRoPIA" is no35 amongst 845 records nominated for the WMCE for the year 2000.
2001 Festivals
Folky y Raices, Santa Kruz de Tenerife
Greece in Britain, London Barbican Theatre
Kemnade International, Germany
Festival de Gaita, Orejo, Spain
May 19 Interview and live performance in Charlie Gillett's
BBC London Live radio show.
The track "My Locked heart" from album IFANTOKOSMOS is included in The Rough Guide to the Music of Greece Compilation, World Music Network 2001.
2002 track "Anafi' (music & lyrics by Kristi) of Ifantokosmos album is arranged by the Schal Sick Brass Band and included in their latest album "kesh mesh".
June 2002 Track "Into the Fire" from album "ECHOTROPIA" is included in the 2002 EMI/Hemisphere world music compilation.
July 2002 N. American Tour, performed in Sunfest, London Ontario, Canada, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Canada, Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, Washington D.C., The Spectrum, Montreal Canada, Central Park Summer Stage, New York.
August 2002 Kristi performss as a special guest with the Schal Sick Brass Band (Germany) in 3 cities in Germany.
September 2002 Release of latest album "The Secrets of the Rocks".
October 2002 coming up, Kristi's showcase in Womex 2002, Essen, Germany.

THE BAND :
Kristi Stassinopoulou
singing, story telling
Stathis Kalyviotis
electric & acoustic guitasr, saz, lute, tarambouka,
groove sampler, backing vocals
Giorgi Makris
Macedonian and Thracian bagpipes, flutes, keyboards, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Vasilis Divolis
drums, congas, daouli, toumbeleki, backing vocals
Alekos Arapis
bass, bongos, backing vocals
Dimitris Chiotis
lyre, lafta)

DISCOGRAPHY :
KRISTI STASSINOPOULOU
Falireas Bros, 1986
Music by Kleon Antoniou, Takis Barberis, Stavros Papastavrou. Lyrics by Kristi Stassinopoulou.
BY THE LAKE WITH THE POPPIES
Lyra, 1992
Music by Panayiotis Kalatzopoulos, Evanthia Reboutsika. Lyrics by P. Kalatzopoulos, Afroditi Rayla and Kristi Stassinopoulou.
IFANTOKOSMOS
Thesis/Lyra, 1997
Music by Stathis Kalyviotis, lyrics by Kristi Stassinopoulou
ECHOTRoPIA
Lyra, 1999
Music by Stathis Kalyviotis, lyrics by Kristi Stassinopoulou
THE SECRETS OF THE ROCKS
Hitch Hyke Music, 2002
Music by Stathis Kalyviotis, lyrics by Kristi Stassinopoulou

Contact :
Hitch Hyke Music
K Balanou 5
116 36 Athens, Greece
Tel : 0030-10 92334712
Fax: 0030-10 9241840