Priest's soulful sojourn | South China Morning Post

In India, after 18 months of preparation, Yanni became the first Western artist to perform at the Taj Mahal.

In a huge joint project involving the Government of Uttar Pradesh, roads were improved, three temporary bridges were built across the River Yamuna, and the flood plains surrounding the monument were converted into a concert site.

After an 11th-hour challenge in the Supreme Court, the final hurdle was cleared and three sold-out concerts went ahead in March, part of the celebrations for India's 50th year of independence.

In China, Yanni scored another first, becoming the first Western artist to perform in Beijing's Forbidden City.

Invited by the Ministry of Culture, Yanni staged an unprecedented three-week tour of China, taking in Shanghai and Guangzhou and culminating in the concerts in the Forbidden City.

He was joined by a 45-piece orchestra whose members came from China, Russia, Peru, Puerto Rico, Armenia, Greece, Italy, Australia, Cuba, Japan, and the West Indies. They played modern, classical and even ancient instruments.

The Indian and Chinese concerts were seen by more than 100 million television viewers in both countries, relayed via local channels.

Tribute features nine new songs, including the Spanish-tinged Love Is All, sung soulfully by Vann Johnson.

Yanni's first album with Virgin Records, Tribute is compiled from live recordings made at the two historic concerts.

Yanni was raised in the Greek seaside town of Kalamata. He first made waves as a swimmer, breaking the Greek national freestyle record at the age of 14 before leaving for the United States in 1972.

There he studied psychology at the University of Minnesota and later became a US citizen.

A self-taught musician with perfect pitch, Yanni took his first steps on the path to becoming a successful solo artist when he relesead his first album, Optimistique (1980), which immediately established his own sound.

In 1990, Reflections of Passion became his breakthrough work.

In Celebration of Life was released in 1991 to similar acclaim.

Another album, Yanni Live at the Acropolis, has sold more than six million copies worldwide. It received 31 platinum and two gold record awards.

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