Demetrio Stratos | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Efstratíos Dimitríou Ευστράτιος Δημητρίου |
| Also known as | Demetrio Stratos |
| Born | 22 April 1945 Alexandria, Kingdom of Egypt |
| Died | 13 June 1979 (aged 34) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Progressive rock, art rock, experimental, world |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, music researcher |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, piano, organ, keyboards, accordion, steel drums |
| Years active | 1963–1979 |
| Labels | Ricordi, Numero Uno, Cramps, Ascolto |
| Website | demetriostratos |
Efstratios Dimitriou (Greek: Ευστράτιος Δημητρίου; 22 April 1945 – 13 June 1979), known professionally as Demetrio Stratos, was a Greek-Italian vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music researcher, best known as the co-founder, frontman and lead singer of the Italian progressive rock band Area – International POPular Group.
Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, of Greek parents, he studied piano and accordion at the "National Conservatoire". In 1957 he was sent to Nicosia, Cyprus, and, at the age of 17, moved to Milan, Italy, to attend the Politecnico di Milano University at the Architecture Faculty, where he formed his first musical group. In 1967, Demetrio Stratos joined the Italian beat band I Ribelli, and in 1972, founded Area.
Stratos recorded many records, and toured festivals in Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Netherlands, Cuba, and the United States with Area, as well as a solo artist and in collaboration with other artists. He worked with Mogol, Lucio Battisti, Gianni Sassi, Gianni Emilio Simonetti, Juan Hidalgo, Walter Marchetti, John Cage, Tran Quang Hai, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Grete Sultan, Paul Zukofsky, Nanni Balestrini, Claude Royet-Journoud, and Antonio Porta.
Stratos studied ethnomusicology, vocal extensions, Asian music chant, compared musicology, the problem of ethnic vocality, psychoanalysis, the relationship between spoken language and the psyche, the limits of the spoken language. He was able to reach 7,000 Hz, and to perform diplophony, triplophony, and also quadrophony. Daniel Charles has described him as the person who decimated monody by the demultiplication of the acoustic spectrum. His vocal abilities were explored and documented.
Stratos died in New York City Memorial Hospital on 13 June 1979 at the age of 34. His self-proclaimed mission was to free vocal expression from what he considered to be the slavery of language and classical lyrical melody. He considered the exploration of vocal potential as a tool of psychological and political liberation. His studies and recognition of the voice as musical instrument carried this ethos to the edge of human vocal ability. His work is considered by many critics and vocalists as important in the progression of experimental and novel vocal techniques.[1][2][3]
- ^ it:Demetrio Stratos
- ^ Daniela Ronconi; Demetriou Anastassia. "Demetrio Stratos" (in Italian). www.demetriostratos.it. Retrieved 20 December 2007.
- ^ Borella, Mike; Sjef Oellers (25 February 2001). "Area: International POPular Group". Ratings. Gnosis. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
Originally written in the Spring of 1995 and published in Expose #7, pp. 4–7; updated in February 2001