Psarantonis is considered a true cult figure and I absolutely love his voice, unique style and contribution to Greek music and culture.

For Sydney-born rock artist Alex Kavvadias, Greece is more than his country of
origin. Greece to him is the only place in the world where he wants to spend the
rest of his life – it’s his spiritual home.
It is also a place where this
talented Greek Australian started his career – firstly as a model, but more
recently and importantly, as a rock artist.
Once ‘the most talented high
school student’, Alex Kavvadias comes from a musical family. His cousins play a
variety of different musical instruments, while his grandfather used to sing
recreationally for the tourists in Crete. The musical gene is one that Alex
himself inherited.
His decision to go to Greece for a holiday in 1999
changed his life in many ways, and fourteen years later, he is still there.

It was there that Alex’s career took off. Starting with modelling, he
quickly found himself booked for jobs including editorial, advertising campaigns
and television commercials.
Soon after, he did what he had always wanted and
entered the music scene professionally, as lead singer of the band Matisse. The
band became famous with singles like Today, a theme song for the TV comedy
series Mila Mou Vromika. The band was twice nominated as ‘Best Greek Act’ at the
MTV Europe Music Awards.
Alex’s involvement with the band eventually came to
an end when he decided to pursue a path that didn’t match the band’s
aspirations.
“I felt that it was time for my solo artist career to take
flight and I had a desire to show what I can achieve on my own and express what
truly inspires and represents me,” he tells Neos Kosmos.
He describes his
music style as pop/rock, but having said that, Alex doesn’t necessarily want to
fit into one specific category. Being rigid in this sense for Alex would mean
not allowing yourself to develop as an artist. His experimental style with music
is what draws most of his audience.
“Categorisation would inhibit me from
carrying on discovering my potential. I want to experiment with music and push
my boundaries by learning from many different traditions and styles.”
His
unpredictable and versatile side has been reflected in choices that this now
solo artist made at the beginning of his solo career. Like, for example, a duet
with the Cretan king of lyra, Psarantonis.
“Psarantonis is considered a true
cult figure and I absolutely love his voice, unique style and contribution to
Greek music and culture. The producer of the song, Manos Sfyrakis, approached me
to be involved in the duet and I jumped on board with the idea. The style is a
mix of traditional and relaxed modern beats. It’s quite unique and eclectic
which is what makes it special. I’d like to keep creating music styles which are
unexpected and original. This is something that really excites me,” Alex
reveals.
Unlike his duet with Psarantonis, Alex’s recently released song
False Hope is a pop/rock song with an important message behind it.
He is now
back in his native city of Sydney for the launch and promotion of the MTV EXIT
project he has been working on lately. His new single False Hope was written and
recorded specifically to be part of the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and
Trafficking) global campaign, to raise awareness of human trafficking and
exploitation around the world. Following in the footsteps of famous bands such
as Radiohead, The Killers and Muse, who have previously participated in the
campaign, Kavvadias was chosen to collaborate with MTV EXIT this year.
“We
shot a music video with a message to bring the track to life for the cause. MTV
EXIT looks for artists who can express the message of human trafficking in
different and engaging ways; I’m honoured to be chosen to work on this important
cause,” he says.
The video takes viewers on the emotional journey somewhere
to Asia. A mother is saying goodbye to her young daughter, who leaves home for a
promised job and new life abroad. This hope for a better future soon fades, as
the girl will find herself trapped in a world of slavery.
Alex Kavvadias knew
that being involved in the world’s largest campaign of this kind, that reaches
millions of people, was worthwhile, once he found out the alarming fact – five
people are trafficked per minute in the world.
“Human trafficking and
exploitation is modern day slavery. It is important for us to realise that
millions of human beings around the world, and particularly in the Asia Pacific,
are being traded and forced to work in various forms of exploitation – including
sex workers, labourers, and domestic workers. I’ve always used music to
personally connect with audiences, so this was an opportunity to use music to
bring a vital message to life. Music is a universal vessel to engage with people
on this issue,” he says.
For Alex, False Hope is more than a song. It’s a
powerful communication tool for a message we can’t ignore any longer, he tells
us.
“I want more people to be aware of this problem and become a part of the
solution by getting educated on the trafficking and exploitation situation in
their communities. I’m encouraged to see the song and music video being shared
heavily through social media. I have great hope that we can make a difference
and stop the trafficking and exploitation that happens around us every day,” he
says.
The song has been well received in Greece and is highly voted on the
MTV Greece Hit List – currently in the Top 10. Most importantly for Alex, the
song and music video have created true debate and conversation around the topic
of human trafficking.
Apart from raising awareness, which is the most
important measure of success of his new song, Alex has another focus.
“My
focus now is to create music that excites me and I hope in turn excites my fans.

“I’ll always have a strong connection to both Greece and Australia. For now,
I just want to concentrate on crafting music that will lead to my first solo
album. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so I’m taking my time with it and really
want the result to be special,” concludes Alex.
To find out more about MTV
EXIT, visit www.mtvexit.org