Twitter

Share on Tumblr

    He is one of the biggest musical minds of Greece, he counts dozens of gold and platinum albums, his creations become hits played by all radios and Clubs of the entire country. His songs remains unchanged over time and certainly some of them belong to the category of your favorites.
    At the age of 19 he discovers and creates as a composer, producer and arranger the absolute Greek Pop Star Sakis Rouvas. With his first single wins the first prize in composition in the unique song contest “Festival Thessalonikis”. In 2001, the advertising campaign of Opel Italia carries the signature of his music and the contract lasts for 2 years.
    Three, till now, of his compositions excelled in the Eurovision Song Contest, starting in 1995 with the song “Pia Prosefchi”, lyrics by Antonis Pappas, performed by Elina Konstantopoulou. In 2001 again with the lyrics of Antonis Pappas and the song “Die for You” gained the 3rd place with the band “Antique”, the song become triple platinum in Greece and Scandinavia, cult in ESC, and beloved throughout Europe. In 2004 gained again the 3rd place for Greece with Sakis Rouvas performs the song "Shake it", lyrics by Nektarios Tyrakis, the song become the best-selling single in the career of Sakis Rouvas and no1 Dance Hit of the summer.
    The song “Ti zitas?” (Nour El Chams) is one of the songs used to accompany the soundtrack of the film "Spy Game", starring Robert Redford, Brad Pitt and Todd Boyce. His creations also found in soundtracks of many Greek television series.
    He started as exponent of Modern Greek Music to become today a multidimensional creator and musician whose musical horizons do not know limits.

     Ladies and Gentlemen, we are honored to host in 12points.gr the innovative musician and composer Mr. Nicos Terzis.

    Our long friendship allows me to address you in the singular form. Well Nicos, thank you very much for having responded to my call for this interview. I must tell you from the bottom of my heart a huge thank you because I know that you rarely gives interviews. Well let's start:

Can you remember one of your first impulses to music from your childhood?
    I'll tell you my first, I was at the age of three, three and a half years old and I remember my godfather taking my hand and lead me to watch, for the first time, the performance of “Vaptistikos” in Opera house. I can still remember it, because, being three years old and found suddenly in a room with a huge live  orchestra, and living that feeling where the sound comes live by a full symphony orchestra and not just from two speakers, it stigmatized you!

Which artists influenced you as a child and who affecting you even today?
    The artists that influenced me as a child ... First I want to say that when you get older the artists are changing, new artists appear to join the earlier and also changes the type of music. The first artists who influenced me was not from a certain kind of music but of different kinds, and perhaps this is why my thinking and my creative horizons are multidimensional and became very creative in various genres.
    My favorite were the bands Pink Floyd and Queen, because I considered that they give the dimension of rock differently, Pink Floyd are more psychedelic and atmospheric and Queen more traditional, they blend classic and new music together. Generally I like music that has difficult harmonies and clever orchestration, that’s what I always looking for. I liked and the simple Hits, but since my childhood I had the innate tendency wanting to explore the music that was not something simple, the complicated things was stimulus for me!
    Pink Floyd and Queen are two examples of the artists who influenced me and of course still affect me till our days, that’s why they were so good, because they continue to affect not only me but lot of people. Even someone that he have never heard none of them will actually discover that they give new dimension to the music. This means that many years to go, and taking examples from classic artists such as Mozart or Beethoven who wrote music long before those I mentioned, even today their work remains unchanged as first-written and loved by the next generations.

They say that music is the expression of the soul, but it is practically one of the starting materials in shaping human existence, what is music for you, how do you perceive it?
    You ask me perhaps one of the most serious questions that I have ever been asked, this question is my own life, and to be more precise, I divide my day into two parts, the first part of creating music for six or twelve hours, for example, and the second part again creating music for six or twelve hours respectively.
    In the first part I create music to cover the needs of some people or required. What I mean, people want to be entertained, so you must create on a type of music to entertain people, and you do it.
    The second part is very different, it's the time when the music comes as divine gift from the universe. The music for me, without reject any kind, is the magic moment when you close the door and you are alone, and I say this because I feel it and anyone who writes music can understand me, suddenly you feel around you an incredible atmosphere, feel a huge cosmic beam automatically leads your mind and hands to create melodies that come from nowhere, this is for me the most magical moment that I would not change ever, and I feel really blessed that I can write music, I could not think of my life without music creation.
    Music is comparable with the universe, comparable to our very existence. Math = music, music = harmony, harmony = universe, because without harmony the universe would collapse. Music is waveform, frequency, frequencies are everywhere, inside and outside the Earth borders.
    You give me also the opportunity this your question to separate something important. We often get confused and we identify music with the song, and the song is music, but music is not the songs. And to be more understood, the songs are part of the music, but not music. Music is something free, something much more creative than we imagine, it is a mental nurse, is a source for all its listeners, it is magic, is therapy, is everything!

Do you remember your first attempt at composing a music track?
    I remember ... but this memory is best remembered by the teacher of my piano lessons. First I remember myself eight to nine years old when I pulled my mother by her hand asking her to send me to the Conservatory to learn the piano, and I remember her telling me “you are still kid.” Finally I found a way to persuade her when I was ten to eleven years old. Through the first tunes I learned, Chopin and others who had to play, I found my first attempt to start rearranging.
    So I remember one day, because I didn’t had a piano at home, I went early in the downstairs of my teacher to study, and while I was studied suddenly she walks into the room and said, “Very nice the music that you play, but this version is not like Mozart composed it”, and I replied “I’m not interested in performing music of other artists, I would rather make my own projects.”
    That time I discovered that I was not born to reproduce work of other artists, but to create my own, that was my first indirect synthesis. My first normal composition came at the age of twelve, it was a classic piece that I had the joy and creation to carry this out many years after with great orchestra situated on my first solo album entitled “Through my own world.”

What is the driving force that urges you write music even today?
    There is not only one but different, many ... A driving force is that I can use the music as expressive means, what I have to say I'll say it through music, I can create feelings to others, writing something I can do others think, fall in love, enjoy, dance, rebel, even rebound. This is the driving force in what concerns me towards others.
    There is another driving force that has to do with my personal health, is my therapy, I create music that I understand it, do good to me the time to write, and it is not necessary to be published.
    So, two are the main driving forces, the first heals the one who writes it and the second with its turn help the composer heal others.

Your name is interwoven with many and great successes in the Greek music scene, what was your first album and how your subsequent successes influenced Nicos as a person and as an artist?
    My first official work as a composer was the song “Pes to me ena fili” performed by Keti Garbi, and my first full album was the album of Sakis Rouvas “Par’ ta”. The song “Pes to me ena fili” was my first success, it was a song that nobody thought that it can be a success, that came spontaneously without waiting it.
    The success did not affecting me at all, not the style nor the type of success. For me it is not true that by making success with a particular style of music remain there and continue nor that I pause to rejoice in my success, and proof of this is that at some point I stopped receiving my gold and platinum records, I made them gift to my mother.
    Generally I do not think a composer standing to admire his success, go below and creates, and continues to create because he thinks what his success is too small and go below, always go below.
    I must admit that I do not have influenced by success, always I wrote what I dare to say that was innovative even I found difficulties, and I will continue to write what I consider innovative. I never said that because I did a Hit with “Pes to me ena fili” I will make a similar song because the music companies wanted and considered it as a sure success, I explained very simply that the success was because it was something new and had not copy the style of something else, so we have to do again something new.
    So you understand that the successes I've done so far is just a stone in the career that everyone makes and nothing more, I have never invoked my successes for my advantage.

Your artistic path led you to the Eurovision Song Contest, do you remember what your first contact with the competition was?
    My first contact with the contest was as a performer in the Greek participation in 1993 by Keti Garbi and the song "Ellada Hora tou fotos." I watched the Eurovision from very small, it was something that I saw in two dimensions on TV but in my experience as a performer, I lived it in all its dimensions and especially on stage because the day of live broadcast I felt the energy of millions of people that follow the show that day.
    Actually I spent too nicely around the time that we were there, I felt like I was something between valid excursions with the school but professionally, had a seriousness and a carefree, I found myself for the first time with people from all over Europe that had the same common, music. I have been with musicians, and everybody knows that musicians are a "different" case, we like other things, we are happier, we prefer the light from the darkness and generally outside of musicians was fan from various countries who had come because they love the music.
    So you know that I was then in a place that I could talk, to revel, to exchange views and to have a common love of the music, I rocked. I swore then within me that in this contest I will give my best songs and I want to see my country win the first prize. This was the stimulus for my next attendances.

When did you decide to deal with the Eurovision as a composer for the first time and why?
    As I mentioned before, after my first experience as a performer, the contest "touched" me, so I wanted to make a beautiful song. My first impulse was that I would write a song to represent a whole country, but representing your country, this is the most meaningful for me because Eurovision Song Contest is not just a simple competition.  So I decided to work to see if I and my own music can go outside the borders of Greece and loved by most folks and most cultures. Furthermore, music has not losers, only winners!
    My first contribution as a composer was in 1995 with Elina Konstantopoulou and the song “pia prosefchi” lyrics by Antonis Papas.

 “Ke gar evoylonto myanai tin gin taftin. Mi gignoskontes tin ybrin, in epioun ...”is the introduction of “Pia Prosefchi” in ancient Greek, in 1995. A song ahead of its time, when you listening it today, 20 years later, what do you think about this participation?
    I'll tell the truth about this participation to know exactly what I mean "the truth", I remember that when we decided to send our participation in the Greek National Broadcaster ERT, with Elina Konstantopoulou I'd sit with Anthony Pappa, who would write the lyrics, and there I asked him various questions, and I urge lyrically that I didn't want the song talks about love man to woman, it'd be something that would have implied but essentially talking about Greece. We knew that this is a bit dangerous, you know how I say, is dangerous believe me, but it was the smaller debt that I could do for my country to something that I knew It will be heard everywhere.
    So you understand that because the influence on my thematic verse finds accomplice with Anthony Pappa, I enjoyed it very much, is one -of the entries I've enjoyed immensely. And of course it is one of the entries I had luck and "bad luck", you can understand. I was fortunate because the Eurovision contest is music and not that I want to win or I want to do well myself, but I want to have a very good song that says and do what I want. But I also had the good fortune to participate in the year of my favorite song, was the Secret Garden with "Nocturne."
    Actually when I heard the rehearsal went nuts and say how lucky I am to be in this group participate at that date. There, you can really understand how a musician thinks and how he loves music. Music is not championship, music is a feast!

2001 and “Die for You”, the biggest hit of Antique is classic for the institution of Eurovision. You wrote history with Antonis Pappas then, how do you see today, 14 years after this particular song?
    This particular song I continue to love it, and I imagine and those who loved it ever since continue to love it, was also composed with my heart and soul, and has strange story this song. I had seen Elena accidentally in a music station, if I remember well in Germany, and if I'm not mistaken Antique have done then the song “Dinata, Dinata.” Coming to Greece I was looking for the band that made this arrangement that I had seen on TV. During those days I received a letter from a manager who was looking to meet me to get permission to make remakes of two songs of mine, and he was the manager of Antique.
    Look now a situation, where I gave permission for two songs, one of them was “Mou lipis”, we talked and I told to the manager that I have a very good song that I think we could send it at the Final for Eurovision in Greece, “You want to try it?”, I said. Once the producers heard it were thrilled, they wanted to release it immediately, I explained that I wanted to participate in the final for Eurovision in Greece. So all it happened with a coincidence, because it was not only a successful song but Greece met Elena, and this is very important!

Three years after "Die for you" troubled the waters with Nektarios Tyrakis and the double platinum "Shake it." The best-selling cd single in the career of Sakis Rouvas boosted across Europe and also became one of the most classic songs of Eurovision, perhaps, Nicos Terzis is Mr. Eurovision Greece?
    This question now that you do ... (embarrassed) no .... If I was Mr. Eurovision though I still would not feel Mr. Eurovision (laughs), nor would I know that I am Mr. Eurovision (laughs). So I want to tell you in short, now if I mention it because I have a particular concept when I do something, because from that you know and "Die for you" and "Shake it" are two of the Greek holdings Voted from all countries, we didn’t receive "zero" from a country. Which means that it is a proof that break and the supposed ghetto if needed.
    No, the song just wants recipe is not so simple, the song for Eurovision for me, and I continue to insist on what I say, it wants "cooking." The cook knows how to do the Chef, when I do a food to like and sit down to eat and I have to table an American, an African, a Moroccan, a Swede, and a Greek to like the taste, because they are accustomed to different, I should have a food that has something of their flavors, smart media, you might not know no one, subconsciously, and make them like it.
    It is this competition, so it makes too much time to create something. In this competition if you have in mind that we will do a song that you like throughout Greece and the radios, you lost. If you do a song that will not care whether you like in Greece and only in the radios, you won.
    In short I want to say that the # 1 radio hit in Greece is not the criterion that this song will bring us good place in Eurovision. The Eurovision wants other things and clearly I advise many other colleagues and not to other holdings, because I always like to advice for going things well.

There is finally the notorious "recipe" to be follow someone to compose a song for Eurovision;
    I said just before, huh? Of course there is, but that does not mean that the recipe will step on to another recipe, this is rejected! The recipe must be original and must catch the sounds and cultures of peoples, something different. For example, in "Die for you" if I did not use the bouzouki and I put violins, that everybody would put, would not have this curiosity. The English would not use bouzouki, so it is a strangeness for them. What you use and what not clearly plays a role, as well as terrible role plays for me, orchestrating a song, from the first second to the last the song must have build up, cleverly points, and should simultaneously in three minutes to win and one who has not heard it before. This is my recipe.

At this point I will adopt the question that Sotiris Hartzoulakis, our partner, made to your colleague Efthivoulou Theocharous, do you still believe that Eurovision creates international careers?
    Look I think that nothing creates international careers, I think that Eurovision is a contest, a fact which track a lot of people, and if you work at Eurovision with a talented way you have chances to create career. Because any producer from any country can see the contest and find something in you. Like me, many times I have seen people and interests that might not finished high or not gave no importance and I discovered things on them.
    The career is certainly anywhere expose, and at Eurovision the artists exposed to too many people, certainly have potentials to make a career. But not always mean that the one who won would make a career, do not get confused, career does almost never the one who wins, as in talent Shows, career makes the eighth, the tenth ... Career will make the talent, anyway!

Apart from 1995, 2001 and 2004, how many other times you took part in Greek Final? You represent a country other than Greece with your music?
    Yes, in 2002 with the song "2 be together" with MLV, in lyrics of Pappas Antonis also adored, one of my favorite song. In 2007 with Tamta and the song "With Love" in the lyrics of Posidonas Giannopoulos which was a mid-tempo song, Balkan ballad as characterized, and many ask me then, as it involved all the times with up tempo and with other things , that I chose mid-tempo, made the impression. If you remember well I had said then that this year at Eurovision win Balkan ballad and so it happened than you remember, was the year of "Molitva" by Marija Šerifović.
    It's a part of my recipe will tell me now? It is a place that I see things, that the Eurovision, because some call Eurovision a carnival, for not being a carnival within a decade will have to do three or four light songs but it should at times more specific to expose things more seriously.
    So the year 2007 had to show something more mature like "Nocturne" of Secret Garden. I guess that year would won Balkan ballad and I'd said it, this was my reason. I certainly think and circumstances brought the thing so not happened.
    And in 2005 I represent Belarus with my music and the song "Love me Tonight" with Angelica Agurbash in lyrics of Nektarios Tyrakis.

The past of every man is his story, and yours has several chapters. Leaving the past coming to today, where is Nicos Terzis today, what are your interests?
    My music interests these days are turned into a large "library" of compositions on a little more different things, orchestral primarily. I do an openings right now in music subjects that have to do with cinema, music games, series etc. Overall I love this “places”, especially the orchestral, I prepared an orchestral album in more Lounge - Chill Out form, first, and brew and other things. With my colleagues we are preparing at this time performances, from small to very large. And while preparing I write songs for artists.

Being creative artist, you plan your future or do you prefer the spontaneous and unconventional?
     I prefer the one that go ... what I mean, I do not like anymore, whereas previously I could do it, be forced to construct songs that do not have a good time when I create them. With few words, and economic profit to have from something I do with difficulty if I do not like it, I do not feel well, I prefer to do things that I like a lot and my future to determine my needs. My needs define my future!

The next question is on behalf of our partner Spiros Kitsos, the winning song of 2014 "Rise Like a Phoenix" is one of my very favorite, not only because of the performer but mainly for the music and lyrics, what you thought of as creator and what songs you stand out from the 60 years "life" of Eurovision.
    Firstly this song I liked it very much because it is singing with music rather than special effects and impressive sound constructs, and as a musician is natural to me to like a song that has more music. He was very nice interpretation, because a song is not the music or the lyric itself, are three components as pricey as coffee, coffee water and sugar. Must be correct dosage to make a good coffee, so is the song. A good song without proper interpretation or good lyrics or good music, if lacking something it is not good song, something's missing. I thought it was very nice, serious, was also a year that should have won something musician and generally I stand too many songs in Eurovision, not one or two, is a lot that may have passed unnoticed.
    This year, let's say, I liked the song of Latvia, went nuts with this piece was one of my favorites, very atmospheric with smart instrumentation and great audio production for me. As pricey and "Nocturne" is one of my favorites, the participation of ABBA, I cannot pick and limit myself to one - two.
    I think the Eurovision every year has very nice songs and tragic, those I don’t like does not mean that they don’t deserve to be there, all the songs have soul and beautiful and ugly like people, and the beautiful and the ugly have soul!

And finally, you will compose music again for the Eurovision Song Contest or this chapter belongs to the past?
    Look, you cannot say that it belongs to the past, because I'm not a footballer to say that I cannot run at the stadium. I think that a man as time passes matures more and can do more amazing things than when you are at an earlier age.
    The chapters that has to do with the music never closes, they will close when I close my eyes, all my chapters will be closed then. Of course I would do it but I'm just a man who is consistent, what I mean, when I passed from the competition and have seen things, I will want to have the control in what it is and how it will be. I would not go to serve something or to spend my time.
    If I go back I will go to offer something very important to Greece and to the people who love this competition, so it will be a song which will let its own history.

Ladies and Gentlemen that was the astonishing Mr. Nicos Terzis, we like to thank him once again because he gave us a bit of his valuable creative time to make this wonderful interview, this wonderful journey in the universe of Nicos Terzis.

Thank you!

In closing I would like to thank Nicos and two of my colleagues, Spiros Kitsos for the valuable assistance from the creation of 12points.gr and Sotiris Hartzoulakis for its unique 'look' that always knows how to deepen the substance of the song contest of Eurovision.

Follow Nicos Terzis:
Facebook
Soundcloud
Official YouTube Channel
Twitter
Official Nicos Terzis Site