Babis Tsertos

Charalambos (Babis) Tsertos (Greek: Χαράλαμπος (Μπάμπης) Τσέρτος; born October 27, 1956) is a Greek musician. His sister is the singer Nadia Karagianni and his father was also a musician who played the mandolin. At the age of 17, he settled permanently in Athens and in 1974, he entered the Faculty of Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

Early years

As a student, he studied playing the bouzouki and participated in the University music band singing entexno, rebetiko and folk songs. In 1980, he started to work as a professional, singing at the tavern "Oi filoi" ("The Friends") at Kypseli, Athens.

Collaborations

Since then, he has worked with great Greek artists, such as Sotiria Bellou, Takis Binis, Anna Chrysafi, Keti Gray, Kostas Kaplanis, Theodoros Polykandriotis, Koulis Skarpelis, Hondronakos, as well as with recent years singers such as Babis Goles, Giorgos Xindaris, Stelios Vamvakaris, Mario, Agathonas Iakovidis, Glykeria, Manolis Mitsias, Vicky Moscholiou, Lakis Halkias, Petros Vagiopoulos, Eleni Vitali, George Dalaras, Pantelis Thalassinos, Nadia Karagianni, Chronis Aidonidis, Theodosia Stiga, Sotiria Leonardou, and others.

In the recent years he is also cooperating with the Mandolin Orchestra of Exarchia "Dionisios Lavragas", which has given a series of concerts in many theaters and at the National Opera of Greece, with great lyrical artists. The culmination of this cooperation was his participation at the album "Diadromes" (music by Christos Nikolopoulos, lyrics by Fontas Ladis), that refers at the neighborhoods of Athens and is a live recording from the concert of the Mandolin Orchestra in the National Opera.

Awards

In 2002, he won the award for the best singer of rebetiko at the "Corfu Awards" and in 2003, the award for the best folk album for "Anaglifa mias tehnis tapinis" at the "Arion Awards". He has also cooperated with the orchestra "Estudiantina" of Nea Ionia (Volos, Greece), presenting the great musical richness of the folk songs from Smyrne. He also participated in the album "Smyrne" of Estudiantina, that was released in 2003 as a production of George Dalaras with the participation of many great singers, that won the award for the best traditional album at the "Arion Awards".

Discography Babis Tsertos has 9 personal albums as well as several participations in other albums.

Personal albums 1993 - Atimi tihi 1996 - Erotopoulion 1998 - Ta niata ta berbandika 1999 - To meraklidiko pouli 2000 - Tis ligeris apenanti 2002 - Anaglifa mias tehnis tapinis 2006 - To monopati 2008 - O Babis Tsertos tragouda Mihali Souyioul (Babis Tsertos sings Mihalis Souyioul) 2010 - I girologi (Book + CD) 2010 - Stou paradisou to vitho

Participations 1988 - Babis Goles 6 1992 - Ellada stin iyia sou 1993 - I veterani tou rempetikou (The veterans of Rebetiko) 1995 - Tragoudopiion i orea Ellas 1995 - Me mia ombrela tripia 1996 - I rimes tis agapis 1996 - Me ti fora tou anemou 1997 - Gia sou kir-isagelea 1999 - I topi tis kardias mou 1999 - Drosostalida 2001 - Ta fantaristika 2001 - Saranta hronia tragoudia ke moussikes(Forty years of songs and music) 2002 - Ta Arkadika 2002 - Diadromes 2003 - Paravasis 2003 - Egeo 2003 - Smyrne 2003 - Xigimena ke parexigimena 2005 - Isovia 2006 - I Estudiadina parousiazi tin orhistra laikon organon "Odissos" 2006 - Spai to rodi 2007 - Laika fegaria 2007 - To telefteo mou tsigaro 2008 - Tragoudia me ousies 2008 - Attik - Tribute 2008 - Handra-Handra tragoudo 2009 - Panigiri sto Pertouli 2009 - Sta monopatia tis paradosis 2009 - Me ton Obama adama 2009 - Na ta poume? 2011 - Gerapetros - Traditional Songs & Carols from Crete 2011 - Carmina Graeca 2011 - Stou hronou tis katapaktes 2011 - Dose mou mia spitha ap' to fili sou 2011 - Osa hronia ki an perasoun

Collections Personal Collections 2005 - Deka hronia tragoudia (10 years songs) 2007 - Glenti me ton Tserto

Collections of the "Rebetiki Tetras" (Glykeria, Agathonas Iakovidis, Babis Tsertos, Babis Goles) 1997 - Pino ke metho 1998 - Me paresire to rema 2003 - Tis gerakinas gios 2004 - Arhisan ta organa