Costa Cordalis

Costa Cordalis was a successful German-Greek pop singer. pop singer. He was born on May 1, 1944 in Etalia, Greece and died on July 2, 2019 in Santa Ponça, Mallorca. His warm voice and likeable demeanor made him a popular singer whose hit “Anita” still resonates in the ears of listeners today.

But Costa Cordalis was more than just a musician. He was also a passionate sportsman who took part in the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1985 and was a multiple Greek cross-country skiing champion. This versatility and his commitment to social projects, in particular to children’s cancer charities, made him a special personality.

His victory in the first season of “Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus!” in 2004 underlined his likeable image and cemented his status as a popular TV star. Costa Cordalis leaves behind an extensive musical oeuvre and the memory of a warm-hearted person who lived his life passionately.

Costa Cordalis: His music and his life

At the age of seven, Costa Cordalis discovered his passion for music and began playing the guitar. guitar to play the guitar. At the age of 16, he moved to Frankfurt am Main, where he learned German at the Goethe-Institut. After graduating from high school, he began studying philosophy and German language and literature, but did not complete his studies.

He released his first record in 1965 with “Du hast ja Tränen in den Augen”, a German version of the Elvis song “Crying in the Chapel”. He enjoyed greater success from 1971 onwards with self-composed and produced songs such as “Und die Sonne ist heiß”, which he presented three times in the ZDF hit parade, as well as “Carolina, komm” and “Steig in das Boot heute Nacht, Anna Lena”. The biggest hit of his career was “Anita”, which was released at the end of 1976 and remained in the top 10 of the German charts for three months, climbing to number 3.

Cordalis was also ambitious in sport: At the Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld in 1985, he competed in cross-country skiing for his native Greece and had already won the Greek championship twice in this discipline. He taught himself to ski in the Black Forest to prepare for his role as a ski instructor in the ZDF series “Engadiner Bilderbogen”. He originally wanted to take part in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, but was not nominated by the Greek NOC.

In spring 2004, Cordalis took part in the RTL show “Ich bin ein Star – Holt mich hier raus” and became the first jungle king. He donated the 28,000 euro prize money to the children’s cancer charity. Inspired by the show, he released the song “Jungle Beat”. He was also involved in the “Tour of Hope” and collected donations for children with cancer with his sporting efforts on his bike and with his song “Das Feuer”.

Costa Cordalis was married and had three children with his wife Ingrid, including Lucas Cordalis and Angeliki Cordalis, who are also active in show business. From the 1980s until 2016, Cordalis lived in the winter sports resort of Freudenstadt-Kniebis in the Black Forest, before settling in Santa Ponça on Mallorca. In March 2019, he suffered a fainting spell and required medical treatment. On July 2, 2019, he died of organ failure at the age of 75 surrounded by his family in Santa Ponça.

Studio albums by Costa Cordalis

• 1967 Folklore from all over the world
• 1970 I sometimes dream of Athens
• 1972 You are love
• 1973 Where my dreams are
• 1975 Summer dreams
• 1976 I walk through your street
• 1977 I’ll show you paradise
• 1979 Come into my world
• 1981 On the road of my songs
• 1983 Touch you
• 1995 Only with you
• 1995 The curtain rises
• 1996 I want to give you heaven
• 1997 Viva la noche
• 1998 Party Tropical
• 1999 Hot night
• 2000 Hasta la Vista Baby
• 2003 Athens 2004
• 2004 I say hello to you
• 2006 Life is beautiful
• 2013 Give me your love
• 2014 Back in Mexico