Words By: Jason Russo

Evangelia, the revolutionary Greek-American pop artist, has released a live performance of her single “Fotía” at the iconic Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. The video is a stripped down take on the track that centers around themes of passion and resistance.

“Fotía” is the second single from Evangelia following her first release, “Páme Páme,” an instant success that garnered millions of streams across platforms. While “Páme Páme” was a high energy, upbeat dance track, “Fotía” maintains that dance element and tension over lower octane production that will still have you nodding your head the second you hear it.

“Fotía” is a fresh sound on the pop scene. While many artists are moving towards the electronic future of pop music, Evangelia brings traditional elements of her culture into her modern sound which sets her apart from other acts in the industry. Comparisons to Rosalía and Ibeyi are well earned, but Evangelia’s sound is something totally unique. “Fotía” in particular brings distinctiveness to her aesthetic with instruments like the bouzouki and melodies that my be foreign to many listeners enmeshed with her modern pop production and sound.

The video features Evangelia, two backup dancers, and her co-writer and co-producer, Stolar — who has worked with some of the biggest names in pop music including Aloe Blacc and Selena Gomez.  Stolar expertly strums the bouzouki while Evangelia earnestly serenades viewers about losing control when falling in love. The live element allows viewers to not only hear Evangelia’s incredible vocals unfiltered but also paints a clearer image of her presence and personality. The song was clearly made to dance to, and that couldn’t be displayed better than through this live performance.

“Fotía” is Greek for “fire” which represents the passion in Evangelia’s lyrics and performance that is displayed so well in this live performance. Viewers finally received the rare opportunity to see Evangelia perform live as she launched her career following the start of the pandemic and wasn’t able to perform many times before a live audience. “Performing in a venue was not something I thought I’d have the opportunity to do in 2020, so being able to put together this live show weaving in aspects of my Greek culture was a dream come true,” shares Evangelia. “It was also my first time having dancers on stage with me, which is an aspect of my live performance I’ve been wanting to incorporate for a long time. I can’t wait to do this again with a real live audience in the theater — hopefully sooner than later!”

Evangelia’s Greek roots are omnipresent in both her music and her life. She grew up spending summers at her grandmother’s farm in Crete where she learned the style of Greek music and culture.  Later in New York, she worked as a special education teacher and spent her days racing from classrooms to recording studios. When she was ultimately laid off from her job, she took a shot at launching her music career, and it massively paid off. She was signed to Sony Music International and has released two singles that have already exceeded all expectations. Now based in Los Angeles, Evangelia continues to perfect her unique blend of American pop with classical Greek styles which has created a bold new sound all her own. Stay tuned for more releases in 2021 from Evangelia!

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Feature Image By: Timothy Nesmith