Cypriot-born singer Trifonas Nikolaidis knows exactly what to do to bring life into the stage and make his audience sing and dance along to his Greek laika songs. Greek laika culture has become popular over the years in Israel and the 68-year-old Trifonas is a well-known bouzouki player and singer for all age groups.
Trifonas has been performing for some 55 years and moved to Israel in the 1960’s to earn a better living, then off to the USA and back again to Israel some years ago.
He was first offered a job as a performer in Cafe Athens in Tel Aviv and then in Ariana Club in Jaffa, where he spent five years entertaining the audience that simply did not seem to ever get enough of his talent.
His recording of Dirladada set his career going and showed Trifonas that a Greek could become a star in Israel. In the 1980’s Trifonas moved to the U.S. and began working in a club in New York at first, then in Toronto, and then in Los Angeles. He soon began performing in hotels and events, he even started his own band before a friend of his owning a tavern in Israel convinced him to return to Israel in 2008. On Nov. 30 Trifonas will be performing at the Port Said bar in Tel Aviv at the Ballantine’s Grooves music festival.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
