Sakis Gouzonis gave an interview to My Play Tag

Sakis Gouzonis

Interview by Tom Beckett
Founder of My Play Tag
United Kingdom
Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Sakis Gouzonis is a multi-award-winning Greek composer, orchestrator, arranger, producer and performer of instrumental electronic music. Sakis Gouzonis, without any help from record labels or marketing companies, has released 8 studio albums (80 original music tracks in total), has won a total of 10 international music awards / distinctions, and has gained more than half a million fans / friends in 220 countries / territories. On 15 June 2015, Sakis Gouzonis released his 8th instrumental electronic music album titled A World At Peace, which has been achieving major penetration across the globe through the internet.

So, Sakis Gouzonis. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from originally?

Thank you very much for having me today. It's a pleasure to speak with you. My name is Sakis Gouzonis. I am a Greek composer, orchestrator, arranger, producer and performer of instrumental electronic and cinematic music. I have been playing and composing music since I was a kid. Even though I didn't have any knowledge of musical notation when I was a kid, I had the innate ability to play by ear and create original music compositions. After finishing Senior High School, I released two remix compilations of Christian hymns. The first one was released in 1996, and the second one in 1998. In 2000, I was asked to play the keyboard in a band that was backing up Greek singer Costas Fragoraptis. We released two albums, both of which were aired by Greek radio stations. In 2007, I created my MySpace page, which soon became the most popular Greek music page in the history of MySpace. Since 2008, I have released eight studio albums: First Contact (2008), New Earth (2009), The Tree Of Life (2010), Ultimate Love (2011), Vast Victory (2012), Spiritual Unity (2013), Golden Heart (2014) and A World At Peace (2015), which received a lot of radio airplay and press coverage from media outlets around the world. My music is influenced by great music composers, such as James Horner, John Williams, Yanni, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Alan Silvestri and Danny Elfman. I am also an English teacher in Greece. As a teacher, I have always loved the power of words, as well as the way they impact people.

What inspired you to write music?

I always wanted to make music. I was obsessed with it from a very young age. It is probably genetics. When I discovered songwriting, I was instantly drawn to it and became obsessed with it very quickly. The combination of expressing my emotions / ideas and creating this beautiful art form was irresistible to me. When I was about twelve years old, I asked my parents to buy me an electronic keyboard. When I touched my own electronic keyboard for the very first time, I felt a very strange power all over my body. I instantly realized that I was going to write music for all of my life. I can still remember myself sitting at my parents' home spending countless hours every single day playing and composing music.

Tell us a bit about your latest album A World At Peace. What inspired you to write this album?

The main theme of my 8th studio album, which contains ten instrumental electronic and cinematic music tracks, is world peace. I strongly believe that world peace is not only possible, but inevitable. It is the next stage in the human evolution. It is time to work together and walk together in order to achieve world peace. We need to teach one another that all tribes and all nations can live together peacefully. If we all made small but important changes in the way we think and the way we act, we could all live in a better and more peaceful world.

How has touring been for you over the past year?

I wish I could tour all year. I love touring. The enthusiasm that my fans are showing for every new album I release has been a constant inspiration for me. At the end of a live show there is an abundance of positive emotions and thoughts racing around inside of me. The applause from my audience fills me with unbelievable energy and excitement. Although since 1995 I have performed more than 1,000 concerts in many Greek cities and towns, I still love and enjoy every minute.

Finally, where are we able to find your music?

It's been a pleasure being able to speak with you. You can always visit my official website, which is https://www.sakisgouzonis.com. It includes detailed biography, complete discography, a frequently updated electronic press kit, press releases, questions and answers, album reviews, articles, interviews, news, contact details and links. People from over 100 countries / territories visit my official website each month. https://www.sakisgouzonis.com is full of free instrumental, electronic and cinematic music.