PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the traditional Greek song "S' Agapo Giati Ise Orea" (Σ' Αγαπώ Γιατί Είσαι Ωραία), which has been sung by many different artists. Also included is a pronunciation guide for the Greek lyrics so you can sing along if you like.

Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source.

About this Song

Belly dancers may find it interesting to know that we Greeks actually don't really belly dance to this song! Interestingly though, in the style of belly dance that arose in the U.S. in the 1970's and beyond, this became one of the signature songs for veil work.

This is one of those songs that everyone sings both in live shows and studio record albums. It's a favorite classic that never goes out of style. Some versions are performed with lyrics, whereas others are instrumental. It's popular at weddings.

This has also recorded in the Turkish language, but I don't know which artists did so. The Turkish title is "Seni Seviyorum Çünkü Güzlsin".

This is a very difficult song to sing, and many people butcher it! My favorite artist for performing it is Maria Soultatou.

An alternate spelling for the song title is "S'Agapo Yiati Eisa Oraia" or "Sagapo Yat Eesa Oraia".

The original instrument used to accompany this song was the santouri, which has its roots in Byzantine music. Aristidis Moshos made the santouri popular again with his performance of this song. The santour is a stringed instrument that some musicologists believe is an ancestor to the qanoun. The drawing to the right, by Ibrahim Jabbar-Beik, shows a santour on the floor, being played with small hammers.

This song originated as a traditional song from Asia Minor, but Aristidis Moshos (Αριστείδης Μόσχος) made his own arrangement of the music and lyrics.

This song is considered Paradosiako (Παραδοσιακό), which means "traditional". It actually comes from Asia Minor, where modern-day Turkey is. Greeks have traveled back and forth between Asia Minor and mainland Greece for many centuries, not just after the genocide.

About Aristidis Moschos

Born in 1930 in Agrinio, Greece, Aristidis Moschos (sometimes spelled Moshos), was a Greek musician who played the santour, as shown in the photo. His father was an excellent clarinet player who performed both Greek and European music, and his brother played violin.

Moschos fell in love with the santouri when he heard a touring Romanian band use it in a show, and his first teacher was a musician from that band, Nestoras Baci. He gained popularity, and eventually began touring worldwide. He released 15 albums, three of which went gold and two platinum.

In 1985, Moschos opened the "Folk School of Traditional Music" where he taught a variety of musical instruments, directed a choir, and taught Byzantine music. He received many honors in his lifetime, including an award from the Greek Parliament.

About Giorgos Dalaras

Giorgos Dalaras was one of the artists who recorded this song.

His first true big break arose in 1972, when an album he recorded with Haris Alexiou went gold.

In 1975, he decided to release an album titled 50 Years of Rebetiko Songs. It proved to be an immediate success, and created a revival of interest in rebetiko music.

Dalaras is a versatile musician who not only sings, but also can play the the guitar, bouzouki, baglamas, tzouras and oud.

About Alkistis Protopsaltis

Alkistis Protopsalti, one of the artists to perform this song, is the stage name for Alkistis Sevasti Attikiouzel. She was born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt as an Egyptian Greek.  Due to political turmoil, her family eventually moved to Greece. She performed along with other singers at the closing ceremony for the Olympic Games when Greece hosted it in 2004. In 2015, she was the Deputy Minister of Tourism for Greece.

Song: S' Agapo Giati Ise Oraia (I Love You Because You Are Beautiful)

Lyrics: Traditional

Music: Traditional

Some Artists Who Have Recorded This:

• Giorgos Bagiokis
• Giorgos Dalaras
• Petros Gaitanos
• Aristidis Moshos
• Giannis Parios
• Glykeria
• Alkistis Protopsaltis
• Maria Soultatou
• Eleni Tsaligopoulou

Dance Style: Belly Dance Veil

Τραγούδι: Σ' Αγαπώ Γιατί Είσαι Ωραία

Στίχοι: Παραδοσιακό

Μουσική: Παραδοσιακό

Χορός: Οριεντάλ Με Πέπλο