Exile: Special Limited Issue: Producers Cuts

Born in Los Angeles, Effi is the first generation of her family born in the U.S. Growing up with her grandfather, a Greek opera singer, and her mother who inherited his voice, Effi was surrounded by rich melodic voices and a wide range of music. She grew up with opera, the powerful 5/4 and 9/4 rhythms of Greek music, the heavy guitars of American rock 'n roll and the soulful sound of blues. Effi was a student of classical piano since childhood, but in her teenage years she turned away from the discipline of playing the music of classical composers, and became fascinated with the creation of her own music. Raised by grandparents who knew very little English, and her mother who supported them all, she grew up with a strong cultural identity. It was this identity that would shape Effi's musical style. She listened to Greek 'rembetises' (the Greek version of women blues singers), from the 20's and 30's, a style of music brought to Greece from Asia Minor. From these singers Effi learned 'character singing', where the vocalists sang in different, expressive styles to suit different song styles and content. At the same time Effi loved and listened to bands such as Led Zeppelin constantly, while her friends were listening to current music. She replaced piano with guitar as her writing tool, and her style took shape. The result is a mixture of varied time signatures supported by rhythmic rock guitar and melodic, expressive vocals.