Afroditi Laoutari
Afroditi Laoutari (Greek: Αφροδίτη Λαουτάρη, 1893–1975)[1] was a famous Greek singer and actress in musical theatre.[2]
Afroditi Laoutari Αφροδίτη Λαουτάρη | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1893 |
| Died | 1975 Athens, Greece |
| Occupation(s) | singer, actress |
She was born in Patras in 1893. At an early age, she became involved with the musical theatre of Ioannis Papaioannou (singer), a leading operatic producer, where it didn't take long for her voice and stage talents to be appreciated, though she was self-taught. By 1915, she was already performing lead roles with the company. From that date through the 1920s, she performed roles in many works of musical theatre, both foreign and especially, Greek operettas. She was a muse to composer and conductor Theophrastos Sakellaridis.[3] By the early 1930s, she had retired from the theatre. She then became one of, if not the, first Greek radio announcers on Athens Radio Station (RCA) in 1938, where she was a dominating force.[4] She continued to broadcast after the end of World War II for another decade. Sofia Vembo has been said to resemble Afroditi Laoutari at the height of her fame. She died in 1975.
Stage performances
| Year | Title of work (English) | Title of work (Greek) | Composer | Lyricist | Theatre | Best-known songs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1918 | The Godson or The Baptismal | Ο Βαφτιστικός | Theophrastos Sakellaridis | Papaioannou Theatre | ||
| 1921 | Sweet Nana | Γλυκειά Νανά | Th. Sakellaridis | Th. Sakellaridis | Sweet Nana; Nana - George [5] | |
| 1922 | Piff-Paff | Πιφ-Παφ | Th. Sakellaridis | Th. Sakellaridis | Pan-Hellenic Theatre | I'm happy; That was all[5] |
| 1922 | For her husband's sake | Γιά ν'αρέση στον άντρα της | Th. Sakellaridis | Charalambos Anninos Nikos Laskaris | Pan-Hellenic Theatre | Marquis & Duke; You, the married people; Edith - Kings [5] |
| 1923 | Diabolical child | Διαβολόπαιδο | Th. Sakellaridis | Aurelia; I want it first [5] | ||
| 1923 | Miss Sorolop | Δεσποινίς Σορολόπ | Th. Sakellaridis | Alhambra Theatre | ||
| 1930 | Jim ... my dear | Τζίμ... Χρυσό μου | Athenian Theatre | |||
| 1931 | Karambola 1931 | Καραμπόλα του 1931 | Panos Glykofrydis | Kostas Kioussis | Eden Theatre | Venetian Tango [5] |
Filmography
- Shattered Dreams (Γκρεμισμένα όνειρα) (1949)[6]
Legacy
Laoutari has been portrayed on stage in the operetta Remember Those Years (Θυμήσου εκείνα τα χρόνια) (2008), composed by musicologist Lambros Liavas as a tribute to Theophrastos Sakellaridis.[3]
References
- Seiragakis, Manolis. "Η ελληνική οπερέττα, ένα αχαρτογράφητο είδος: Greek Operetta, an unknown genre". Academia (in Greek). University of Crete. p. 7.
- Xepapadakou, Avra (2019). "Operetta in Greece". In Belina, Anastasia; Scott, Derek B. (eds.). The Cambridge Companion to Operetta. Cambridge University Press. p. 182. ISBN 9781107182165. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- Rigopoulos, Dimitris (4 March 2008). "Operetta journey to heart of Athenian Belle Epoque". Kathimerini. Athens, Greece. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- "Η έμπνευση της ημέρας (Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Ραδιοφώνου) (The inspiration of the day: World Radio Day)". Empneusi 107 FM (in Greek). Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- Mavraganis, Panos (2007). "Λαουτάρη Αφροδίτη (Laoudari Aphrodite)". Παλιά Ελληνικά Τραγούδια Οπερέτες (Old Greek Operetta Songs) (in Greek). Retrieved 10 October 2019.
- Tzavalas, Trifon (2012). Greek Cinema Volume 2. Feature Films Index 1900-2000 (PDF). Hellenic University Club of Southern California. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-938385-12-4. Retrieved 10 October 2019.