Concert of Contemporary Greek Music in Warsaw / “Erato” Ensemble

   On October 18, Greek Ambassador in Poland, Mr Pantelis Carcabassis organized at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, a concert of contemporary Greek music, performed by “Erato” music ensemble.
Introducing the artists to the audience, Mr Carcabassis underlined that “the title of the concert “Songs With And Without Words” is not simply an hommage to the genius of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy: the Greeks have been singing throughout their history – from times immemorial to the present day. And they have always been discovering the music in words….”
The “Erato” ensemble comprises of Theodora Baka/voice, Mariella Kessissoglou/ clarinet and Maria Papapetropoulou/ piano.
Their program included Manos Hadjidakis’s cycles of songs (“Magnus Eroticus”, The “Bloody Wedding”, “Roman Agora”) arranged for trio (voice-clarinet-piano), as well as songs of other Greek composers – Nikos Kypourgos, Christos Mentis and Georgios Sfyridis.
The ensemble has performed with great success in Greece, Germany and Italy. Critics call them “the three Muses of Greek music” and especially emphasize their sensitive interpretation, which reveals in all aspects the “euphoric melancholy” of this kind of music.

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Koncert Saviny Janatu w Warszawie

Podczas tegorocznego warszawskiego Festiwalu Skrzyżowanie Kultur odbędzie się koncert Saviny Janatu (do posłuchania: klip1,klip2) niezwykłej greckiej pieśniarki, łączącej muzykę różnych stron świata z free jazzem, poezją śpiewaną, piosenką aktorką, muzyką teatralną i sztuką wolnej improwizacji.
W jej repertuarze znajdziemy pieśni Grecji, południowej Italii, Sardynii, Hiszpanii, Tunezji, Libanu, Armenii czy Karaibów. W repertuarze greckim znana jest np. ze znakomitych wykonań utworów Manosa Chadzidakisa.
Wielokrotnie nagradzana za granicą, w Polsce do tej pory nieznana.

Savina Janatu i towarzysząca jej znana orkiestra Primavera en Salonico wystąpi 15 września o godzinie 19-ej w festiwalowym Namiocie pod Pałacem Kultury, od strony ulicy Świętokrzyskiej.

Ze względu na duże zainteresowanie i szybko rozchodzące się bilety (w cenie 10 zł), wszyscy zainteresowani powinni kontaktować się z Biurem Festiwalu w najbliższych dniach.

Szczegółowe informacje na stronie internetowej http://www.festival.warszawa.pl/

Strona internetowa Saviny Janatu  http://www.savinayannatou.com/eng/index.php 

 

Nana Mouskouri’s Farewell Concerts in Greece

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   The veteran singer Nana Mouskouri is in Athens this week for two farewell concerts today and tomorrow after of nearly half-a-century long career. The sold out concerts are taking place at the Herod Atticus Theatre as part of the Greek Festival. The concerts are also part of a tour which will take her to Australia, Asia, South America, the United States and Canada. From Manos Hatzidakis to Bob Dylan via jazz, gospels and so many more music genres, Mouskouri’ s distinctive voice has sold more than 300 million albums around the world. Besides music, Mouskouri was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1993, and the following year was elected a member of the European Parliament.

Rebetika: The Greek Blues

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   British music journalist Peter Paphides writes about the music of rebetika, “the Greek blues” in the Times (UK). Rembetika as a genre has often been compared to the American blues, due to its underground roots and its themes of exile, loss of family, substance abuse, unrequited love, imprisonment and death. Paphides makes special mention to legendary rebetika musician Markos Vamvakaris, “the Robert Johnson of rebetika, with a back story just as mythical as Johnson’s crossroads encounter with the Devil” and to famous composer Manos Hadjidakis. Hadjidakis assimilated rebetika melodies and lyrics into his own music, setting about to create a music “that Greece could call its own, using rebetika, traditional rural folk songs and Byzantine influences.  Times Online: Rebetika – I guess that’s why they call it the Greek bluesWorld Media on Greece – Culture and Education ; Secretariat General of Information: