Aris San (, ; January 19, 1940 – July 25, 1992) was a Greek- singer and nightclub owner who popularized Greek music and based in

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

in the late 1950s and 1960s.

Biography

Aristides Seisanas () was born in

Kalamata Kalamata ( ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece after Patras, and the largest city of the Peloponnese (region), homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regiona ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. At the age of 17, he sailed from Athens to Israel, shortening his name to "Aris San" on board. San began playing at the Arianna nightclub in Yafo, a bastion of Israelis from

Thessaloniki Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

. His unique approach to playing the electric guitar like a

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', , from Greek , from Turkish ) is a musical instrument popular in West Asia (Syria, Iraq), Europe and Balkans (Greece, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Turkey). It is a member of the long-necked lute fam ...

and creative melding of different styles of music opened Israeli society to Greek and Mizrahi music.Star crossed
/ref> The club proved popular with senior officers and members of

Mapai Mapai (, an abbreviation for , ''Mifleget Poalei Eretz Yisrael'', ) was a Labor Zionist and democratic socialist political party in Israel, and was the dominant force in Israeli politics until its merger into the Israeli Labor Party in January ...

(forerunner of Labor and, at the time, the ruling party), including

Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan (; May 20, 1915 – October 16, 1981) was an Israeli military leader and politician. As commander of the Jerusalem front in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Chief of General Staff (Israel), Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defe ...

. Lucy Maloul, a singer known professionally as Aliza Azikri, visited the club with her manager and husband Nissim Azikri. A romantic relationship developed between Aris San and Azikri that became grist for the gossip columns. They had a daughter, Sani. San wrote songs for Azikri. In Israel, San gained prominence for songs like "Sigal" and "Boom Pam".Save the Music: Aris San
His band played at the double wedding of the children of Moshe Dayan, which was attended by

David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion ( ; ; born David Grün; 16 October 1886 – 1 December 1973) was the primary List of national founders, national founder and first Prime Minister of Israel, prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency ...

. The speed with which he obtained his Israeli passport and his close relationship with army officers encouraged gossip columnists to accuse him of being a spy, a charge he denied out of hand. San left

a few months after the birth of his daughter on the eve of

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur ( ; , ) is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, corresponding to a date in late September or early October. For traditional Jewish people, it is primarily centered on atonement and ...

. He settled in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and opened a successful nightclub, Sirocco. Some of the club's most notable guests were

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...

and

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

Eventually, however, as San developed a cocaine habit and Sirocco gained the interest of the underworld, the club was raided by the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

, which discovered drugs on the premises. San did not cooperate with the investigation, was convicted, and served a two-year sentence. Upon his release he opened a poultry business in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

and another nightclub, which was unsuccessful. He later moved to Budapest. He borrowed money from local organized crime loan sharks to purchase cocaine, but did not repay it. In 1992, he was hospitalized following a heart attack and mafia hitmen strangled him with a pillow at the hospital. His remains were cremated.

Film

* The Mystery of Aris San - Documentary screened at the Jerusalem International Film Festival in 2007 and directed by Dani Dothan.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:San, Aris 1940 births 1992 deaths People from Kalamata 20th-century Greek male singers 20th-century Israeli male singers Nightclub owners Greek emigrants to Israel Greek expatriates in Hungary Israeli expatriates in Hungary Israeli expatriates in the United States ooksOperation Tav - Giorgos Korinidis, 2023,Naftilos editions - novel about life and death of Aris San (greek language) https://www.politeianet.gr/books/9786188476691-korinidis-giorgos-nautilos-epicheirisi-tab-354256

Biography

Film

See also

References