Anastasios "Sakis" Rouvas II ( born 5 January 1972), often referred to mononymously as
Sakis, is a Greek musician, television and film artist, businessman, and former pole vaulter who is one of the most commercially successful entertainers of all time in Greece and Cyprus. Beginning a career as a member of the national athletics team, Rouvas commenced a musical career in 1991 and became one of Greece's first pop performers; widely recognized as the genre's main performers to this day, he is credited with breaking cultural and generational barriers and aiding in the popularization of Western music genres in Greece and Cyprus.
In the early 1990s after winning the Thessaloniki Song Festival, Rouvas became a dominant figure in Greek entertainment, gaining a mass fanbase and being cited as a phenomenon. His sexualized image and live performances utilizing complex choreography and costumes have earned him notoriety. He and manager Elias Psinakis formed a famous partnership in Greek show business. Rouvas' increasing popularity was coupled with criticism of both professional choices and personal struggles, which damaged his public image and lead to a brief, relatively unsuccessful period in the mid 90s. After five commercially successful albums with PolyGram Greece, Rouvas signed with Minos EMI in 1998. Having been a notable artist in the Balkans for years, Rouvas embarked on multiple projects abroad and represented his country in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2004 and 2009 and co-presented the 2006 contest, while also venturing into film and television.
Amongst Rouvas' achievements include multiple recognized awards –including six Arion Music Awards, 12 MAD Video Music Awards, and a World Music Award– number-one albums and singles that have all achieved certifications of gold or higher, and sales of an estimated two million records as of 2008, making him one of Greece's best-selling music artists in history. Rouvas' distinct musical and performance style has influenced other artists, while his contributions to music have made him a prominent part of popular culture for nearly two decades.
