Kostis Maraveyas, whose full name is Konstantinos Maraveyas, was born on May 13, 1974, in Agrinio, Greece. He is a Greek singer, songwriter, composer, musician, and television presenter who performs under the name Maraveyas Ilegal. His music incorporates Mediterranean and Balkan musical traditions, jazz, and bossa nova. He plays several instruments, including the accordion, piano, and guitar, and performs songs in Greek, English, Spanish, and Italian. From 2016 to 2018, he served as a coach on the television singing competition The Voice of Greece.

Early Life and Education

Kostis Maraveyas was born on May 13, 1974, in Agrinio, Greece. His family originates from the island of Kefalonia. He developed an interest in music during his childhood and studied piano, classical guitar, harmony, counterpoint, and other musical subjects.

He attended the National Conservatory of Athens, the Hellenic Conservatory in Patras, and the Dimitris Mitropoulos Conservatory. He subsequently moved to Italy to study statistics and mathematics at the University of Bari.

While living in Bari, he continued his musical education at the Niccolò Piccinni Conservatory, studying piano, harmony, counterpoint, and fugue.

In 1995, he attended a film music workshop conducted by composer Ennio Morricone at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy.

Beginning of His Music Career in Italy

Kostis Maraveyas began performing professionally while studying in Italy during the 1990s. In 1996, he formed the multicultural group X-Darawish in Bari with Greek, Italian, and Algerian musicians.

The group combined different languages and musical styles, incorporating Mediterranean and Balkan influences. Maraveyas performed with X-Darawish during the late 1990s and contributed to recordings including Bootleg (1997) and Una Ratsa Mia Fatsa (1998).

He also collaborated with other musicians and groups, including Yamas, before returning to Greece in 2001 to pursue a solo career.

Solo Career and First Albums

In 2003, Kostis Maraveyas released his debut solo album, Radiopiratis (Radiopirate), through FM Records. The album incorporated his experiences of living in Greece and Italy, combining Greek music with Italian and Mediterranean influences.

His second album, Maraveyas Ilegal, was released in 2007 through Cantini. The name also became associated with his live performances and accompanying band.

In 2009, he released Welcome to Greece, followed by Lola in 2012. The latter was accompanied by a novel of the same name written by Maraveyas, telling the story of a young female musician.

In 2013, he released Live ston Kipo tou Megarou, a live recording of a concert at the garden of the Athens Concert Hall.

He performed concerts throughout Greece and in several European countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Belgium.

Theatre, Television and Film Music

Alongside his recording career, Kostis Maraveyas composed music for theatrical productions. His works included Aneraida (2005), The Miser by Molière (2014), and Ecclesiazusae by Aristophanes (2015), staged by the National Theatre of Greece.

In 2015, he also worked on Fotino Domatio, presented at the Gyalino Music Theatre in Athens.

In 2016, he composed music for Monaksxa: A Lonely Planet, presented as part of the Athens and Epidaurus Festival.

Maraveyas also presented the music documentary series Mesogeios (Mediterranean) in 2011–2012. The program followed musicians and musical traditions in different Mediterranean cities.

In May 2016, he participated as a singer and songwriter in the French film Voir du pays (The Stopover), directed by Delphine Coulin and Muriel Coulin. His song Lola was featured in the film, which screened at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.

The Voice of Greece

On November 16, 2016, Kostis Maraveyas joined the coaching panel of The Voice of Greece, which began its third season on Skai TV. The program was part of the international The Voice television franchise.

The other coaches were Helena Paparizou, Sakis Rouvas, and Panos Mouzourakis. The program was hosted by Giorgos Kapoutzidis, with Elena Tsagrinou working as the backstage correspondent.

Maraveyas coached the winning contestant, Giannis Margaris, in the 2016–2017 season. He remained a coach for the following two seasons, with contestants from his team winning all three editions in which he participated.

Later Music and Television Projects

Kostis Maraveyas released Katastroma in 2016. The album continued his work as a singer, composer, and instrumentalist.

Between 2021 and 2022, he presented Dynata, a music television program broadcast by Greece's public broadcaster, ERT. He also wrote, directed, and presented episodes of the music documentary series Mousiki Pantou.

In 2023, he released Portofino, followed by further music projects and live performances. That year, he also composed music for the television series Milky Way.

His subsequent releases included the song Protomagia stis 3 in 2025 and Kokkino Glitter in 2026.

Personal Life

Kostis Maraveyas married Greek actress Tonia Sotiropoulou on October 11, 2021. The couple held a civil wedding ceremony on the island of Hydra, attended by close friends and family members.

Awards

2011 - MAD Video Music Awards, Recognition for Fila Me Akoma (Duet and Alternative Video Categories)
2014 - Athinorama Audience Theatre Awards, Second Prize for Music Composition, The Miser by Molière

Albums

2003 - Radiopiratis
2007 - Maraveyas Ilegal
2009 - Welcome to Greece
2012 - Lola
2013 - Live ston Kipo tou Megarou
2016 - Katastroma
2023 - Portofino

Theatre Music

2005 - Aneraida (DI.PE.THE. Agrinio)
2014 - The Miser (L'Avare), Molière, National Theatre of Greece
2015 - Ecclesiazusae, Aristophanes, National Theatre of Greece
2015 - Fotino Domatio, Gyalino Music Theatre, Athens
2016 - Monaksxa: A Lonely Planet, Athens and Epidaurus Festival

Television and Film

2011–2012 - Mesogeios (Television Presenter)
2016 - Voir du pays (Singer, Songwriter)
2016–2018 - The Voice of Greece (Coach)
2021–2022 - Dynata (Television Presenter)
2023 - Milky Way (Music Composer)

Source: Biyografiler.com