Floriniotis Giannis

Giannis Floriniotis was born in the village of Kato Kline in Florina, Greece. His real surname is Apostolidis, and his background is Hellenic Pontian. He began singing at the age of fourteen, in Florina (at the Milies Club), and at the age of sixteen with a band composed of five members. He toured practically all of the districts and smaller cities of Greece. By the time he was eighteen, he had a huge repertoire of songs, including international, light, modern, laika, traditional demotic, and Pontian, and until then was performing as "little Johnny" (mikros Giannakis).
In 1982, he records his first Pontian album, "Dedicated to Pontos" (Afieroma ston Ponto), with traditional Pontian songs as well as newer songs, finding great success. He continues with the recordings "Pontian Songs of Yesterday and Today",  and the next album is double, "Pontian Ball" (Pontiako Xefantoma) immediately becomes gold (a first for Pontian recordings). In 1985, he shoots a videotape with traditonal songs and others, with various Pontian dance groups, with the history of Pontos and Panagia Soumela, with the title "From Pontos with Love"; these were the first Pontian video clips that were introduced.