Ithaka Darin Pappas is an American contemporary artist, (sculptor, painter), photographer, songwriter,vocalist, hip hop artist, writer, poet, record producer and surfer of partial Greek descent. Ithaka was born and raised in Southern California, but later established himself in Japan, Greece, Portugal, Brazil and Mexico. The artist currently resides in California.
In Lisbon he recorded his first two hip hop albums, Flowers And The Color Of Paint and Stellafly. His song, Escape From The City Of Angels appeared on the soundtrack for Columbia Pictures’ feature release, The Replacement Killers. He was also the lyricist/vocalist of the A cappella poem “So Get Up” that the dance track So Get Up by Underground Sound Of Lisbon was built upon.
During his active years in Portugal, the artist’s musical projects were nominated for a total of nine Blitz Awards (the Portuguese equivalent of The Grammy Awards) including; Best Album and Best Male Vocalist (in 1995 & 1997). In addition, the prestigious national newspaper, Publico awarded his 1997 release Stellafly as “Album Of The Year” and considered his most popular song from that record Seabra Is Mad as both the “Song Of The Year” and “Video Of The Year”. In an end of the decade retrospective article about Portuguese music, Publico also cited his debut release “Flowers And The Color Of Paint” as one of the country’s Ten Most Influential Albums Of The 1990s.
In 1998, after over six years in Portugal, Ithaka returned to California where he recorded his third album called Somewhere South Of Somalia with producer Conley Abrams III. The lyrics from this album were written on a two-month journey into East Africa. Later Ithaka relocated his base to Rio de Janeiro where he recorded two more albums, Recorded In Rio and Saltwater Nomad. In 2007, he briefly returned to Portugal to record with former Underground Sound of Lisbon member DJ Vibe, providing vocals and lyrics for the track “You”.
In 2011, Sweatlodge Records released Fishdaddy Flashbacks highlighting some of the artist’s more memorable songs from the beginning of his career in 1994 until 2011. And in early 2013, Ithaka produced his first all instrumental album, Voiceless Blue Raven. And also collaborated with the seventy-six-year-old trip hop vocalist, Cyncy. Both projects for the indy label Sweatlodge Records.
In addition to creating music, his short story series entitled, Fishdaddy Chronicles, has appeared in surfing magazines around the world including Surfer (magazine), The Surfer’s Journal, Water and Transworld Surf”. In 2009, his short story “Miracle At Malibu” was published in the book entitled Surf Story, a collective volume of stories and surf culture compiled by Robb Havassy.
His abstract photographic art and body of sculpture work known as The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard have been exhibited globally, his most recent solo showings were hosted by The Camp in Costa Mesa, California in June 2010, Gallery Alma Do Mar in São Paulo, Brazil in October 2010, WOA-Way Of Arts in Lisbon, Portugal in December 2012 ., Hurley International in Orange County, California in October 2013 and F+ Gallery in Santa Ana, California (Feb-Mar 2015).
Ithaka’s abstract photographic art and body of sculpture work known as The Reincarnation Of A Surfboard have been exhibited globally, his most recent solo showings were hosted by The Camp in Costa Mesa, California in June 2010, Gallery Alma Do Mar in São Paulo, Brazil in October 2010, WOA-Way Of Arts in Lisbon, Portugal in December 2012 ., Hurley International in Orange County, California in October 2013 and F+ Gallery in Santa Ana, California (Feb-Mar 2015).
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