Elli Kokkinou

Elli Kokkinou (, ; born 24 July 1970) is a Greek singer. She is among the most popular singers in Greece today and has performed together with many notable Greek names of the music industry such as Anna Vissi, Glykeria, Paschalis Terzis, Sakis Rouvas, Tolis Voskopoulos, Thanos Petrelis, Natassa Theodoridou, Despina Vandi, Giorgos Tsalikis and Kalomoira. Kokkinou has been certified for the sales of 135 thousand albums by IFPI Greece. On 14 March 2010, Alpha TV ranked Kokkinou the 27th top-certified female artist in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960).

Career Early life and beginnings Elli Kokkinou grew up in a family with a love of music. From a young age, Elli showed interest in music and was also part of the dance group at her school. Her father encouraged her to listen to music, mostly jazz, while her mother encouraged her to listen to more mainstream music, such as disco. At age five she started ballet, while at home she sang and danced for her parents at night. She soon began classic guitar courses at the Attiko Conservatory, and after that, acoustic and electric guitar lessons for another three years. Kokkinou was also very interested in sports and for six years before she finished school, she was on a water ski team. On the team she won third place in a pan-Hellenic championship as well as many gold medals. Upon graduation Kokkinou wrote her first band called "Anonimi" (Anonymous). At the same time she completed examinations and was accepted to the school Vakalo where she studied graphic, free and architectural drawing and art history.

Elli Kokkinou first professionally dealt with music in 1990 with the request of the famous Kostas Tournas.

1996–2002: Kapia Mera, Epikindyna Paihnidia, and Andriki Kolonia In 1996, Elli Kokkinou signed a contract with Sony Music Greece and in 1998 she released her first CD single titled Kapia Mera (Someday). Music was by Antonis Vardis, with lyrics by Manou Tsilimidis and Gioula Gerorgiou. In May 2003, she released the album Sto Kokkino (In red) which was one of the most successful releases in Greece of the year, reaching double platinum status. The album's first platinum certification was attained within two months and was also a great success in neighboring Turkey. Kokkinou performed with Giorgos Mazonakis in the song "To Gucci Ton Masai" which made it into the Greek top ten. Following the success of Sto Kokkino, her former label Sony Music released a greatest hits album titled Paradinomai (I'm surrendering). She also stated that Heaven Music had offered her to resign, which she decided not to do. Following a couple months without a label, Elli announced in July 2007 that she had signed with her original label Sony BMG Greece.

In September 2007, she started appearances with Nikos Kourkoulis and Natassa Theodoridou at club "Votanikos". In November 2007, she released her fifth studio album titled Eilikrina (Honestly). The album peaked at number 2 on the Greek IFPI charts, while her lead single "Lypamai Eilikrina" peaked at number 2 on the Nielsen's Greece Radio Airplay Chart. The album quickly certified gold. Due to her pregnancy, she stopped singing at Votanikos club on January 5, 2008, and Sarbel replaced her.

In November 2008, Kokkinou released a song titled "Mi Ta Paratas" with music by Dimitris Kontopoulos, which was the title track to the Greek film "O Ilias Tou 16ou". She also recorded a track titled "Demenes" for the Barbie movie "I Barbie Kai To Diamantenio Kastro", releasing the video through her official Myspace page.

In late March 2009, she released a digital single titled "Pame Ksana" (Let's go again) composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos with lyrics by Alexandra Zakka. In June 2009 Elli started performing at club Romeo, marking the first time in a year that she was back on a stage. In October 2009 Kokkinou embarked on a North American tour, appearing in cities in the United States and Canada. It was the most successful tour by any female Greek singer in North America since 2004.

2010–present: Greek Idol and Ta Genethlia Mou On 11 December 2009, Kokkinou officially signed a five-year contract with Phoebus's new record label, The Spicy Effect, the very same day that Nino signed his. As a result, Kokkinou will once again collaborate with Phoebus on her new album. Speaking at the signing, Kokkinou stated that the first single from her upcoming album written by Phoebus has been recorded and will be released in January. A remix followed, while in March 2010, Kokkinou released another digital single titled "Apohoro" (I'm departing).

On 23 July 2010, Kokkinou kicked off a summer tour across Greece and Cyprus with Despina Vandi. For the winter season, Kokkinou will be appearing with Vasilis Karras at club FIX in Thessaloniki set to kick off on October 22, 2010. Songwriter Phoebus has written them a duet titled "Den Tin Palevo" which premiered on October 12, 2010. Her new album is expected to be released in November 2010. In late October 2010 she embarked on a joint North American tour with Despina Vandi and Kosta Karafotis. On 9 December 2011, she released the studio album Ta Genethlia Mou (My Birthday), her first since 2007's Eilikrina, and her first on The Spicy Effect. The album was released as a Deluxe Digipak, featuring a booklet and fifteen songs in total. For promotion of the album, Kokkinou collaborated with singers Despina Vandi and Nikos Oikonomopoulos for a concert series at club Fever for the 2011-2012 winter season. Following the concert series, Kokkinou continued performing with Oikonomopoulos in Thessaloniki at club "Thea" from 24 August until October 2012.

In May 2012, she opened an English language nursery school in the Athens suburb of Glyfada called Happy Faces. When asked why she decided to open a nursery school, she stated the idea came about a year and a half prior when she was reading the story "Bondo in Kindergarten" to her son Alexander about a little bear that attended nursery school. In a personal statement posted on the nursery school's official website, Kokkinou elaborates that she wanted to create a place that was happy, colorful, and fairytale like, that felt more like home rather than a school.

In September 2012, after over 160,000 votes from around the world, Kokkinou was awarded "Best Song in the Balkans from Republic of Greece for 2011" at the Balkan Music Awards for her song "Eroteftika". On October 15, 2012, Elli released a new single entitled "Kardia Apo Giali" (Heart of Glass). The song reached number one on over 20 radios stations in Greece within its first week of release, and generated over 75,000 views on YouTube within the first week.

Personal life In the 1990s, Elli Kokkinou was in a relationship with fellow singer Dionisis Schinas. Later, in 2000, she began dating her business manager, Panayiotis Vassiliadis, and in September 2007 the two married. She became a stepmother to his three children from a previous marriage. In December 2007, she revealed that she was pregnant with her first child after much media scrutiny. In May 2008 Kokkinou gave birth to a boy. After much speculation and no public joint appearance of the two in six months, Kokkinou and her son moved to a new house in March 2010 with the couple announcing their divorce shortly after. From September 2010 to Summer 2017, was dating Greek basketball player Georgios Bogris. Kokkinou has hails from the village Epitalio.

Discography

Studio albums

All the albums listed underneath were released and charted in Greece and Cyprus.

CD singles YearTitleNotes1998"Kapoia Mera" —

Compilations

Digital singles

Filmography

Television Year Title Role(s) Notes 2004 MAD Video Music Awards Herself (performance) TV special 2006 The Red Suite Elina Alienti Episode: "Diva" MAD Video Music Awards Herself (performance) TV special 2009 MAD Video Music Awards Herself (performance) TV special 2011 Greek Idol Herself (judge) Season 2 2017 Your Face Sounds Familiar Herself (judge) Season 4 2018 MadWalk - The Fashion Music Project Herself (performance) TV special Greece's Got Talent Herself (guest judge) Judge Cut #5; season 6 2022 Easter at Home with MEGA with Elli Kokkinou Herself (host) Episode 17; season 3 MadWalk - The Fashion Music Project Herself (performance) TV special 2024 Just the 2 Of Us Herself (guest judge) Live 13; season 8 2025-today Don't Forget the Lyrics! Herself (host) Sunday game show on ANT1; season 3

Music videos Year Music video Artist 1996 "San Me Koitas" Kostas Chrisis & Herself 1998 "Kapoia Mera" Herself 2000 "Na Ta Mas Pali" Herself 2001 "Pao Pao" Herself 2003 "Kosmotheoria" Herself 2003 "Sorry" Herself 2003 "Den Ginetai" Herself 2004 "Erota Mou / Agori Mou" Herself 2004 "Auto To Kalokairi" Herself 2004 "Bye Bye" Giorgos Tsalikis & Herself 2005 "Tha Perimeno" Herself 2005 "SEX" Herself 2006 "Ti Tis Eheis Vrei" Herself 2006 "Itan Psema" Herself 2006 "Ki Allo" Herself 2007 "Adiaforos" Thanos Petrelis & Herself 2007 "Lypamai Eilikrina" Herself 2008 "Eisai O,ti Thelo" Herself 2008 "Pes Mou Ena Psema" Herself 2008 "Min Ta Paratas" Herself 2008 "Demenes" Herself 2008 "Me Odigisi Oikologiki" Herself 2009 "Pame Xana" Herself 2010 "Ontos" Ipo & Herself 2010 "Apohoro" Herself 2010 "Hristougenna" Spicy Artists & Herself 2011 "Eroteutika" Herself 2011 "Ta Genethlia Mou" Herself 2012 "Kardia Apo Giali" Herself 2013 "Kalinihta" Herself 2014 "Matia Kleista" Herself 2015 "As Ftaio Panta Ego" Herself 2016 "Makari" Herself 2016 "O Theos Einai Ginaika" Herself 2018 "Ola Lathos" Herself 2019 "Taxe Mou" Herself 2020 "Na Tin Agapas" Herself 2021 "Ti Eho Travixei" Herself 2021 "Krataei Chronia Herself 2022 "Mou 'hei stoixisei" Herself 2024 "Misoteleiomeni" Herself 2025 "De se afora" Herself 2025 "Kapia Pou Den Agapas" Herself