Sotiris, Arnis

Born July 23, 1939 in Athens, Greece. From September 1956 to June 1961 he studied architecture at the ин ΜΕΤΣΟΒΙΟ ΠΟΛΥΤΕΧΝΕΙΟ Athens National Technical University , majoring in Architect - Engineer . From September 1957 to June 1962, he simultaneously studied at the школеΣΠΑ Experimental School - Πειραματικό Σχολείο Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών ”at the University of Athens.

From June 1965 he began working at ΓΕΑ / ΥΠΕΠΑ as an engineer-architect, researching and designing office buildings , where he worked until October 1997 .

Since 1959, he was actively involved in music . The most significant success was achieved with the band “ The Forminx ” (1962-1966), where he played bass guitar and xylophone .

Since the second half of the 1980s, he drew a lot and participated in various competitions and festivals as an artist . These were mainly drawings for newspapers and magazines , but sometimes Arnis illustrated books . The most famous in this regard is the series of books “Mazoo in Zoo” ^{[4] [5]} ( children's books on animals from the zoo ).

In 1959, together with a group of like-minded people, Arnis collects a jazz orchestra with which he plays at local dance floors . The composition of the team was unstable, sometimes reaching 8 people ^[6] . In 1962, they were joined by Vangelis Papatanisiu , who was looking for a group with whom he could play the increasingly popular rock and beat, and a little later, pop singer Thasos Papastamatis . The group takes on a permanent line-up and the name “ The Forminx ” in honor of the ancient Greek string instrument , becoming essentially the pioneer of Greek rock music and one of the most successful rock bands in Greece in the first half of the 1960s. The main composer of the group was Vangelis, and the main author of the texts is Nikos Mastorakis , ^[7] , however, among the authors of some compositions Arnis Sotiris  .

After the collapse of “The Forminx,” Arnis, unlike Vangelis, did not begin to assemble his own groups and, unlike Thassos Papastamatis, did not leave his homeland for “easy money”, but remained in Greece actively participating as a session musician with different groups and artists either as a guitarist , or as a vocalist , or as a composer . ^[8]

The most successful was the recording with Zoe (Zoitsa) Kouroukli in which not only Arnis participated, but also Vangelis.

As a composer, the most successful work is considered to be a contemporary Greek theater called “Hepta Epi Thebas”, which was even translated into English as “Seven against Thebes ” based on the works of the ancient Greek poet Aeschylus . ^[9]

In addition to joint projects, three different genres of solo albums were posted on the personal page of Arnis, the design and covers for which were developed and drawn by the author himself ^[10]

The albums “Nights” (hits “Nights” and “Complain”) and “Moments to Remember” (hits “Aria”, “Meditation” and “Rigattoni”) are electronic instrumental compositions with elements of folk music of the peoples of the Mediterranean (mainly Italy and Greece ) live instruments were not used in the recording.

The album “30 Years After” consists of instrumental melodies “Just the way you are” - 5.20; “As time goes by” - 4.36; “Lullaby in birdland” - 4.30; “What a wonderfull world” - 4.48; “Que reste t'il de nos amours” - 4.44; “Samba de uma nota” - 3.02; "Misty" - 3.03; "Fever" - 4.52; “Moonlight in vermond” - 3.36; “Song of the dog” - 4.48; "Old devil moon" - 5.03; "The look of love; - 4.01 From the point of genre and style, this record is a mixture of hard rock with jazz and fusion with an emphasis on electric guitar .

From the second half of the 1980s, Arnis began his activity as an artist . At the same time he tries himself in a variety of genres, from invitation cards and posters to comics and animation . Arnis’s success as an artist was so significant that in Buenos Aires alone in 2015, his two personal exhibitions were held at MUSEUM DIOGENES TABORDA on February 19-28 as part of the 1st COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION 2015 and March 8-21 as part of the 2nd COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION 2015 ” ^[11] .

In 1987, Arnis collaborated with TV3 magazine for which he provided drawings on social topics. An earthquake occurred in Athens in 1981 and 1999, which resonates with a series of drawings of the consequences.

In the period 1995-1998, Arnis collaborated with the magazine ΘΗΤΕΙΑ , for which he creates drawings on anti-war topics , including anti-fascist ones . (In one of the drawings there is an officer who looks like Hitler , who is greeted by a zigzag soldier dressed in a Third Reich military uniform).

In 2002-2003 he collaborated with ΟΔΟΔΕΙΚΤΗΣ , for which he created drawings in the genre of political satire , including ridiculing Greece’s relations with NATO , as well as negotiations between Russia and the United States .

In 2003, a series of pacifist drawings appeared against the Iraq war . Longer than others (1994–2010) Arnis collaborates with the newspaper ΗΧΩ ΓΑΛΑΤΣΙΟΥ . For the newspaper ΧΑΡΟΥΜΕΝΑ ΓΗΡΑΤΕΙΑ ( ☎ ) Arnis creates drawings with religious themes with the main character as a certain Christian priest .

Since 2011, Arnis begins to master animation. For example, it takes part in the 23rd competition of animation projects “Olen 2011” in Belgium . In the same year he took part in the 11th festival “Baracaldo 2011” in Spain, ridiculing in his drawings the dependence of modern users on gadgets and social networks .

In 2012, within the framework of the festival “Golden Hat - 2012” (Belgium), he offers drawings that depict the crisis of the euro and the European Union . In the same year, Arnis takes part in the 3rd Limes IA Berlin 2012, dedicated to nutrition, and also shows a number of works under the title Jury trial as part of the Laughing Cat project ( Azerbaijan ). In addition, she takes part in the environmental event “Dubacartoon 2012” (Spain) and, finally, participates in the “Press without Press” campaign organized by the Novye Izvestia newspaper (Russia). In the direction of animation, Arnis participates in the First Animation Competition “Sinaloa - 2012” ( Mexico ).

In 2013, Arnis mainly increases his activity in those contests and festivals where he already participated in 2011-2012, for example, “4th Limes IA 2013 Berlin”, “13th Barakaldo 2013” ​​(Spain), but new projects appear from which can be noted the “27th Biennial of Humor 2013 Tolentino” (Italy), the 10th anniversary of the D. Tabord Museum of Graphics “10th Anniversary Museo Grafico D. Taborda”, “30th Salao de Humor 2013 Piaui” ( Brazil ), as part of “Engelsismir 2013 Ismir “( Turkey ) and“ Illustramaxima 2013 “(Spain) raise the topic of people with disabilities and people with any restrictions. Separately, it is worth noting the participation in the contest “Faster, Higher, Funnier”, which was held by the Novye Izvestia newspapers as part of the Sochi Olympics , in which Arnis took second place with the work “Synchronized Ice Swimming”. ^[12] In the direction of animation, 2013 was marked by participation in the Second Animation Competition “Sinaloa - 2013” ​​(Mexico) with work addressing migration issues.

Arnis continues to develop the migration theme in 2014, for example, as part of the next Golden Hat 2014 festival Knokke Heist (Belgium). In addition, Arnis continues to collaborate with Novye Izvestia, for whom he draws several works on the Sochi Winter Olympics, continues to collaborate with traditional partners and projects, such as “5th Limes IA 2014 Berlin”, the seventh “Laughing Cat” (Azerbaijan) , seventh “Golden Hat” - „7th Golden Hat 2015 Knokke Heist“ (Belgium). You can also note the participation in the project “Silk Road 2014 Beijing” ( China ), “Humorest 2014 Kralove” ( Czech Republic ), the seventh international exhibition in Lima ( Peru ) “7th International Exhibition 2014 Lima”, the eighth competition of graphic cartoons “8th Grafikatur 2014 Loebben “( Germany ), forty-first exhibition“ 41th Exhibition 2014 Piracicabba “( Brazil ),“ 12th Contest Karpic 2014 Niemodlin “( Poland ),“ 9th Golden Smile 2014 Belgrade “( Serbia ) with anti-alcohol theme. In the direction of animation, 2014 was marked by participation in the Fifth Animation Festival “5th Cartoon Contest 2014 Virton” (Belgium) with anti-war works and “7th Cartoon Contest 2014 Virden” ( Luxembourg ) with works united by the theme “ Armchair ” in the same year Arnis took part in “ 8th Cartoon Contest 2014 Bucovina “( Romania ), Seventh animation competition“ 7th Cartoon Competition 2014 Baja “(Hungary) and in the second cartoon competition“ 2nd Cartoon Competition 2014 Tallinn “(Estonia).

2015 was marked by participation in Pannonpower 2015 (Hungary), 2nd Cartoon Gathering 2015 Cairo ( Egypt ), 20th Zagreb 2015 Zagreb ( Croatia ), Redwan Alferekh 2015 Alabasia ( Lebanon ) and 7th Rath Memorial 2015 Bolangir ( India ).

As a vocalist and backing vocalist

• Γιοβάννα (Giovanna) - Απόψε / Το Τραίνο (7 ", Single ) - label " Pan-Vox "PAN catalog number 6156 year 1969
• Μάρω Δημητρίου (Maro Dimitriou) - Της Καρδιάς Μου Τ 'Αγόρι / Κι Όμως Μπορώ (7 ", Single) - label" Pan-Vox "catalog number PAN 6185 year 1969
• Zoitsa Kouroukli - Πάντα Στη Ζωή Μου / Η Τραμοντάνα (7 ", Single) - label" Pan-Vox "PAN catalog number 6106 year 1969
• Έμμυ (Emmy) - Νοσταλγία / Ένα Κορίτσι Κι Ένα Αγόρι (7 ", Single, Mono) - label" Pan-Vox "PAN catalog number 6204 year 1969

As a music co-author and / or arranger

• The Forminx - Somebody Sent Me Love / Say You Love Me! - Decca label, year 1965
• The Forminx - Hello, My Love Salonica / Mandjourana's Shake (7 ", Single) - label" Pan-Vox "PAN catalog number 6053 year 1965
• The Forminx - The Forminx (LP) - “Pan-Vox” label, year 1976
• The Forminx - The Forminx (10 ", Comp, Ltd) - label Music-Box catalog number 11073 year 2005
• The Forminx - Jenka Beat (CD, Single) - Music-Box label Music-Box catalog number 0508 year 2007
• Collection “Sixties Garage Bands (Τα Πρώτα Ελληνικά Συγκροτήματα)” (2xCD, Comp) - Music-Box label numbers in the MUSIC BOX catalog 3301173115 and MUSIC BOX 3301173116 year 2008
• Collection "Νοσταλγοί Του Rock'N'Roll / 1960-1970 - 1980 (3xCD, Comp, Promo)" - Lyra and Το Βήμα labels year 2009
• Collection “The Charms (4), The Idols (2), The Forminx, We Five (2), The Sounds (4) - Τα Ελληνικά Συγκροτήματα Των 60s (100 Μεγάλες Επιτυχίες Των 60s), 5xCD + Mono , Sli) "- label Not On label catalog number 9001055 year 2010
• In addition, Arnis participated as a presenter in a collection of popular folk music
• Ελπίδα - Δεν Τον Είδα (LP, Album) - label CBS, catalog number X 33 SGRC 55503 year 1972

• Vangelis
• Thassos Papastamatis
• Costas Skokos
• The forminx
• Nikos Mastorakis