Justin O’Neill from National Geographic has made a fascinating interview with Yanni. Here the New Age music superstar talks about his music, life in general – and, of course, his pet panda!
It goes like this:
“The globetrotting New Age musician has played eight UNESCO world heritage sites and earned unique honors from the government of China.
In the United States, New Age composer and performer Yanni doesn’t have the mainstream stature that his 20-million-plus record sales might impart. He’s a pop culture oddity, ironically celebrated on t-shirts and covered with questionable sincerity.
But in other countries, Yanni (born Yiannis Chryssomallis) is more beloved. China appreciates him so much that the government gave him a panda, a first for a western artist. He’s also been allowed to play at some of the world’s most respected and protected places. He’s held concerts at eight UNESCO world heritage sights, beginning with the Acropolis in his native country Greece in 1993. That performance launched his international career, and the video of it remains the second highest-selling music video of all time.”
Read the rest on the National Geographic homepage.