Peter Maffay
Encyclopedia
Peter Alexander Makkay better known as Peter Maffay is a German
musician
.
, Romania
, the son of a German (Transylvanian Saxon
), he was 14 when his family relocated to his parents' (West) Germany
in 1963. In the same year, he started his first band, The Dukes. After completing his education and working for Chemigraphics, an art manufacturer, Maffay worked in clubs, where he distributed his music.
Peter Maffay's career started with the publication of his first single, "Du
" (You in German). It was the biggest German hit in 1970 and brought Maffay instant fame. With the album
Steppenwolf
in 1979, Maffay became a major music star in Germany. The album sold 1.6 million copies, making it the best selling LP at that time. In 1980, the album Revanche (Revenge) broke his previous record, selling 2.1 million copies.
Maffay holds the German record for the most number one ranked singles in the single and album sales charts, including 12 albums. In addition, most of his studio albums reached the top ten. He also holds a German record for most albums to have sold over one million copies, with 14. His latest album ,Laut und Leise (Loud and Quiet), became the fourteenth.
Altogether, Maffay has sold over 35 million records. Since 1980, each of his 13 tours (roughly every 2 years) has ranked among the three most visited attractions each season in Germany, with nine of them ranked first in that category.
Maffay also created a string of fairy tales about a little green dragon named Tabaluga
, which was spread out onto five albums. The piece was also turned into a musical
. Maffay went on tour individually with Tabaluga & Lilli in Germany; he later released a live album, DVD and live TV broadcast. The tour included Peter Maffay, Alexis
, Nino de Angelo
, Rufus Beck
, and Carl Carlton
among others.
In 1998, Maffay created an album in collaboration with artists from all corners of the world, including Aboriginal
singers and musicians from Israel
, called "Begegnungen". Julia Neigel
, another famous German artist, is one of the musicians he usually works with in lyrics and singing in duets. She wrote two of his top singles - "Freiheit Die Ich Meine" and "Siehst Du die Sonne", a cover of Michel Polnareff
's "Le Poupeé qui fait non".
He also starred in two films directed by Peter Patzak
: The Joker in 1986, and Captured in Yemen in 1999. In addition, Maffay played a supporting role in the feature "The Polar Bear
".
On 12 March 2011, Maffay received the Steiger Award
(Germany).
troops in Afghanistan
. Maffay also donates to projects for traumatised and abused children. On the Spanish
island of Majorca, he established a ranch where traumatised children from all over the world can have a free two-week holiday to help them cope with their problems. For his social commitment, he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz
in 1996, and, in 2001, he received an award called "Goldene Henne" ("The Golden Hen").
Peter Maffay has been married four times, has a son and lives with his family on a farm on Majorca. One of his hobbies is motorcycle riding. In 1972, Maffay was severely injured in an accident after crashing his Harley Davidson. Later in life, he crossed the Sahara Desert
several times on an off-road motorcycle.
has played guitar
in many projects. Likewise, for many years, Bertram Engel (drums
), Ken Taylor (bass) and Jean-Jacques Kravetz (piano) have worked with Maffay as well. Some time later, Jean-Jaques Kravetz brought his son Pascal Kravetz (guitar) with him into the fold. In 2004, Frank Dietz, Andreas Becker, some of Maffay's friends from the band left to pursue other projects. The newest addition to the band is the Hamburg
guitarist, Peter Keller.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Biography
Born in BrasovBrasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, the son of a German (Transylvanian Saxon
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
), he was 14 when his family relocated to his parents' (West) Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1963. In the same year, he started his first band, The Dukes. After completing his education and working for Chemigraphics, an art manufacturer, Maffay worked in clubs, where he distributed his music.
Peter Maffay's career started with the publication of his first single, "Du
Du (song)
Du is a song by Peter Maffay, which was the biggest German hit in 1970 and brought Maffay instant fame.The song was covered in 1986 by Dutch singer Andre Hazes as the title-track for his album Jij Bent Alles...
" (You in German). It was the biggest German hit in 1970 and brought Maffay instant fame. With the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (Peter Maffay)
Steppenwolf is an album of rock music produced and played by Peter Maffay, which was recorded in Germany and went on sale in 1979. It contains parts of his early work, and some of the music he recorded and played with peace activists / singers such as Donovan.-Track listing:# So nicht# Steppenwolf#...
in 1979, Maffay became a major music star in Germany. The album sold 1.6 million copies, making it the best selling LP at that time. In 1980, the album Revanche (Revenge) broke his previous record, selling 2.1 million copies.
Maffay holds the German record for the most number one ranked singles in the single and album sales charts, including 12 albums. In addition, most of his studio albums reached the top ten. He also holds a German record for most albums to have sold over one million copies, with 14. His latest album ,Laut und Leise (Loud and Quiet), became the fourteenth.
Altogether, Maffay has sold over 35 million records. Since 1980, each of his 13 tours (roughly every 2 years) has ranked among the three most visited attractions each season in Germany, with nine of them ranked first in that category.
Maffay also created a string of fairy tales about a little green dragon named Tabaluga
Tabaluga
The little green Dragon Tabaluga is a cartoon character, who lives in the fictional place of Greenland. He is around 7 dragon-years old . He is the creation of the German Rock musician Peter Maffay, children's song writer Rolf Zuckowski and the author Gregor Rottschalk...
, which was spread out onto five albums. The piece was also turned into a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
. Maffay went on tour individually with Tabaluga & Lilli in Germany; he later released a live album, DVD and live TV broadcast. The tour included Peter Maffay, Alexis
Alexis (singer)
Alexis is a German pop and gala singer. She is mainly known for participating in the German "Rudi Carrell Show" in 1989, singing Whitney Houston's song "One Moment In Time"...
, Nino de Angelo
Nino de Angelo
Nino de Angelo is a German singer who participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 1989 with the song, "Flieger", written by Dieter Bohlen and Joachim Horn-Bernges....
, Rufus Beck
Rufus Beck
Rufus Beck is a German theater, film, and voice actor.Besides his work on stage, on film, and on television, Beck is also a well known reader of audiobooks, having worked as the narrator of the German translations of the Harry Potter series...
, and Carl Carlton
Carl Carlton (German musician)
Carl Carlton is a German rock musician, guitarist, composer and producer who has played in top international bands and with many well-known musicians...
among others.
In 1998, Maffay created an album in collaboration with artists from all corners of the world, including Aboriginal
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
singers and musicians from Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, called "Begegnungen". Julia Neigel
Julia Neigel
Julia Neigel is a German singer/songwriter, author and producer. Her family moved back to Germany in 1971. She lives in Ludwigshafen am Rhein in Rhineland-Palatinate....
, another famous German artist, is one of the musicians he usually works with in lyrics and singing in duets. She wrote two of his top singles - "Freiheit Die Ich Meine" and "Siehst Du die Sonne", a cover of Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff
Michel Polnareff, born in Nérac on 3 July 1944, is a French singer-songwriter who was very popular from the mid-1960s until the early 1980s...
's "Le Poupeé qui fait non".
He also starred in two films directed by Peter Patzak
Peter Patzak
Peter Patzak is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 60 films since 1973. His film Kassbach – Ein Porträt was entered into the 29th Berlin International Film Festival and his film Wahnfried was screened out of competition at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival.-Selected...
: The Joker in 1986, and Captured in Yemen in 1999. In addition, Maffay played a supporting role in the feature "The Polar Bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
".
On 12 March 2011, Maffay received the Steiger Award
Steiger Award
The Steiger Award or Der Steiger is an international award established in 2005 and presented annually by the award organization based in Bochum, Germany. The title translates as The Miner, and reflects the qualities of responsibility, honesty, openness and hard work valued in the North Rhine...
(Germany).
Personal life
Peter Maffay is active in politics and sometimes inserts his own political stances into his music. He is a peace activist, and in 2005 he performed a concert for German ISAFInternational Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
troops in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Maffay also donates to projects for traumatised and abused children. On the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
island of Majorca, he established a ranch where traumatised children from all over the world can have a free two-week holiday to help them cope with their problems. For his social commitment, he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz
Bundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
in 1996, and, in 2001, he received an award called "Goldene Henne" ("The Golden Hen").
Peter Maffay has been married four times, has a son and lives with his family on a farm on Majorca. One of his hobbies is motorcycle riding. In 1972, Maffay was severely injured in an accident after crashing his Harley Davidson. Later in life, he crossed the Sahara Desert
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
several times on an off-road motorcycle.
The band
Since the beginning of Maffay's musical career, Carl CarltonCarl Carlton (German musician)
Carl Carlton is a German rock musician, guitarist, composer and producer who has played in top international bands and with many well-known musicians...
has played guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
in many projects. Likewise, for many years, Bertram Engel (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Ken Taylor (bass) and Jean-Jacques Kravetz (piano) have worked with Maffay as well. Some time later, Jean-Jaques Kravetz brought his son Pascal Kravetz (guitar) with him into the fold. In 2004, Frank Dietz, Andreas Becker, some of Maffay's friends from the band left to pursue other projects. The newest addition to the band is the Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
guitarist, Peter Keller.
Discography
- 1970: Für das Mädchen, das ich liebe (CD / LP) (For the Girl that I Love)
- 1971: Du bist wie ein Lied (CD / LP) (You are like a song)
- 1972: Omen (CD / 2LP)
- 1974: Samstagabend in unserer Straße (CD / LP) (Saturday Evening in our Street)
- 1975: Meine Freiheit (CD / LP) (My Freedom)
- 1976: Und es war Sommer (CD / LP) (And it was Summer)
- 1977: Tame & Maffay (CD / LP)
- 1977: Dein Gesicht (CD / LP) (Your face)
- 1978: Live (CD / LP)
- 1979: Steppenwolf (CD / LP)
- 1979: Tame & Maffay 2 (CD / LP)
- 1980: Revanche (CD /LP) (Revenge)
- 1982: Ich will Leben (CD / LP) (I want to live)
- 1982: Live '82 (CD / LP / VHS)
- 1983: Tabaluga oder die Reise zur Vernunft (CD / LP) (Tabaluga or the Journey to Reason)
- 1984: Carambolage (CD / LP)
- 1984: Deutschland '84 (DVD / VHS)
- 1985: Sonne in der Nacht (CD / LP / DVD / VHS) (Sun in the Night)
- 1986: Tabaluga und das leuchtende Schweigen (CD / LP) (Tabaluga and the Luminous Silence)
- 1987: Live '87 (DVD / VHS)
- 1988: Lange Schatten (2CD / 2LP) (Long Shadows)
- 1988: Lange Schatten Tour '88 (CD / LP / VHS) (Long Shadow Tour 1988)
- 1989: Kein Weg zu Weit (CD / LP / DVD / VHS) (No Way to Far)
- 1989: Die Story 2 (CD)
- 1990: Leipzig (CD / LP / VHS)
- 1991: 38317 (CD / LP)
- 1991: 38317 — Das Clubconcert (DVD / VHS)
- 1992: Freunde und Propheten (CD) (Friends and Prophets)
- 1993: Der Weg 1979–93 (CD / VHS) (The Way 1979 to 1993)
- 1993: Tabaluga und Lilli (CD) (Tabaluga and Lilli)
- 1994: Tabaluga und Lilli Live (2CD / VHS) (Tabaluga and Lilli Live)
- 1996: Sechsundneunzig (CD) (Ninety-Six)
- 1996: Sechsundneunzig — Das Clubconcert (DVD / VHS) (Ninety Six — Club Concert)
- 1997: 96 Live (2CD / DVD / VHS)
- 1998: Begegnungen (CD / DVD / VHS)
- 1999: Begegnungen Live (2CD)
- 2000: X (CD)
- 2001: Heute vor dreissig Jahren (CD) (Thirty Years ago)
- 2001: Heute vor dreissig Jahren — Live (DVD) (Thirty Years ago — Live)
- 2002: Tabaluga und das verschenkte Glück (CD) (Gift of Luck)
- 2004: Tabaluga und das verschenkte Glück — Live (DVD) (Gift of Luck)
- 2005: Laut und Leise (2CD / 2DualDisc) (Loud and Quiet)
- 2006: Begegnungen, eine Allianz fuer Kinder (CD / DVD) (Encounters, an Alliance for Children)PR:M.Y
- 2007: Frohe Weihnachten mit Tabaluga (CD) (Merry Christmas with Tabaluga)
- 2008: Ewig (CD / DVD) (Forever)
- 2010: Tattoos (40 Jahre Maffay-Alle Hits-Neu Produziert) (CD) (DE: #1, 1x Platinum)
- 2011: Tabaluga und die Zeichen der Zeit (CD) (Tabaluga and the signs of the times)
External links
- http://www.maffay.de
- http://www.maffayfan.de