Nikos Oikonomopoulos talks to tralala.gr (Part 3)

Nikos Oikonomopoulos recently gave his interview to the journalist Sofia Bekiari (Tralala.gr) in his dressing room at the nightclub FEVER.

You're one of these rare artists to record nowadays the full length albums. How easy it is and how much work is needed for that?

It’s not only me involved.  There is a company behind me to produce it.  I work well with businessman Thanasis Papageorgiou, with whom we are together for 6 years. There are many factors for making the songs, including the people to deliver the songs. When you have good songs and good equipment you will put them on your CD, to give it to the people to listen to. What can you do? One song to give? I  think it is very poor and it is not nice. So if things go like that , then I do not know where we will end up. It is something which none of us has experienced earlier.

As for the authors, do you like to work with people who you know, so success to come a little easier?

I love working with people who so far have given me songs to all my CDs and I still have them on my new disk, because when they bring a good song, it goes well. But if you do not like it does not make a  sense to put it on. Out of the five songs by every lyricist or a composer not all five will do. We will choose the best in our opinion. Success is never guaranteed. The audience will decide that. Not me.

Are you open to collaborations with younger people in this sphere?


I'm very open! I put  people who have never given songs to other artists to my all three last CDs. I f they brought some song to me and it was nice, why not to add it?  Should they have the other's surname?  Namely: “I'm so and so and so, I write well” - so what?  It doesn’t matter.  There are other people who should emerge, because they have talent. And I'll be one of  those who support them.




What about the radio stations and there playlists, how big is their role in the success of a certain track?

I think that to play many times is brainwashing. When a song is played ten times a day on radio, whether you like it or not, you unconsciously learn it. And surely we like not all the songs, neither my songs are loved by everybody. There are many songs that I don’t like, but listening to them every day and I have learned them.
In the regions they  play all the songs and this I know personally, because I have sung in many cities and I see that the audience knows all my songs, while in Athens it is more difficult. Large radio stations - certainly thanks them for for playing my songs - are playing many songs that I don’t like. Normally, however, people should decide what they want to hear.


Pantelis Pantelides has made a huge success, which started from uploading songs in internet, do you see a talent in him?

All I can say is that the guy has made the effort,  and well done, and congratulations! I wish him to continue to exist and write songs that touch people. Because by the time this guy, no matter what others say, has an influence on people, it means something.They found in him something,
without dispute. So why to criticize him? Is it bad if the new guy achieved success?



Till when we can see you at Fever?

I never have the grounds to go to such and such a date. We're going to go as long as necessary. When we feel tired or that we have nothing else to give, we will stop, freshen up to go to our next stage.
Regarding the prices, what do you do about it?
Prices have not increased at all. Probably they are more reduced than other years. There has been no increase as far as I know, since the company is not mine. But I can participate too in this process and I can say my opinion. Thank God, my opinion is respected and everything goes well.



What collaboration you would like to have and you never had just yet?

Personally, I do not like to show myself only,  because there is not only Oikonomopoulos there. People  love not only Oikonomopoulos. People love many singers and many songs. I will never become selfish. I love collaborations and I love to share the stage with other people who have something to give. I hope in the near future to sing with Giannis Poulopoulos, who has countless songs and I would love to see him, and I have never seen him performing live. And I’d like people to see him, the one, who sang for so many years.

What makes you so attracted to Giannis Poulopoulos?

I am attached to his songs because they remind me of my father, who sang a lot of Poulopoulos and liked him very much. So I am left with this.  When I met him two or three years ago with his friend Georgos, who introduced us, I realized that he is a remarkable man and on the top of all he has got great repertoire. He has awesome songs and why should he not he be listened by youth? Why should he not be re-heard by the public? I realized that this is my job!

Do you think that the artist has an expiration date?

This  is people to judge, not the singer. The singer naturally has an instinct when to stop, but finally this is left for people to decide.
You never can not compete a great singer who has left behind a great story of songs. Nobody can debate not his work, neither his personality. The personalities can be whatever they wants. This is nobody’s business.  I might not like the personality of a man or what he is doing, but his work ,  the essence of him his singing, this is what wins over me.  I do not envy anyone and I am glad when younger or older people have success. This means that people love them and will not stop them ever.

You are an an artist with many women admirers. Was it anything  unusual ever has happened to you and you would like to share with us before closing this interview?

There is nothing special coming into my mind. A number of women have come to my dressing room to know me. They love me and I accept it. Always welcome. It's nice. They flirt with me and I flirt too. Nothing bad. If people love you, all you can do is to to reciprocate their love. There is nothing wrong in loving a person, it is the most normal thing, especially when she is a woman. It's very nice. But to add something else here, now that we conclude this interview, I heartly wish a good year to Tralala.gr and all your readers. I love you and I am glad that one more year we are here and do good things.