Greek Music Express

Massive gates, cobbled streets, medieval warriors, relentless sieges. And endless music, too! Between past and present, between the legacy of the Knights and the reality of tourism-fuelled growth, Rhodes remains a site of exceptional music creativity and tradition. Ρόδος Τεράστιες πύλες, πλακόσ...

Naxos is the biggest and most fertile island of the Cyclades, located right in the centre of this group of islands. It offers a host of choices to visitors about activities they can try, as well as other entertainment options. Plus, it offers a huge musical past and present, which continues to form...

Today, we continue to shed light on the global interconnections of Greek song, celebrating the poems of a renowned Spanish poet set to music by leading Greek composers. Our destination: Federico Garcia Lorca, made in Greece. Ο Λόρκα στην Ελλάδα Σήμερα, φωτίζουμε λίγο παραπάνω τις διεθνείς αλλ...

Today, we take our tribute to the cosmopolitanism of Greek song a step further, highlighting the international part of the discography of Greece’s most popular female singer. Our destination: Global Haris Alexiou. Παγκόσμια Χάρις Αλεξίου Σήμερα, συνεχίζουμε το αφιέρωμα μας στον κοσμοπολιτισμό του...

Today, we are taking a break from our tribute to the cosmopolitan dimension of Greek song, in order to remember Greece’s most impactful composer / intellectual / leader / citizen, born on July 29, 1925. In particular, we shall be returning to some of his classics through recent covers recorded by a...

“After the sea, comes the harbor. Harbors are, for music, what pollen is for flowers. This is a record that contains ‘harbor music’ for individual ‘indiscipline’. It’s a record played in Greek, because of the debt we all have with Greece, that gave to the world not only civilisation, but also one of...

Today, we are starting a long tribute to the cosmopolitan dimension of Greek song -the multiple ways in which it has been interacting with world trends and artists- and today we turn to the presence and the collaborations of an amazing Portuguese vocalist. Our destination: Dulce Pontes. Dulce Pontes Σήμερα, ξεκιν...

TToday, we return to the songs of a renowned creator, who passed away exactly thirteen years ago, on July 24, 2013. A globally recognised avant-garde composer who also excelled in the art of songwriting, he collaborated with some top-class female vocalists such as Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Melina Kana,...

Today, we celebrate the massive legacy of a unique folk vocalist who passed away on Wednesday, at the age of 91. A long career with a rich discography, top live performances that shaped live music entertainment, notable collaborations with composers such as Mikis Theodorakis and Manolis Hiotis, an endless...

Today, we are taking a break from our week-long tribute to composer Nikos Mamagakis in order to remember another beloved creator of ours – one of Greece’s greatest poets and lyricists, who sadly passed away eight years ago, on July 22, 2018. Our destination: Eight years without poet Manos Eleftheriou – h...

“What attracts me to literature is language. I have written a lot of autonomous, stand-alone music. But what fascinates and troubles me is the Greek language, both modern and ancient”. Nikos Mamagakis Μνήμη Νίκου Μαμαγκάκη: Μελοποιημένη ποίηση «Αυτό που με ελκύει στη λογοτεχνία είναι η γλώσσα. ...

Today, and throughout the week that starts today, we shall be honouring the memory of a huge avant-garde and folk composer, who passed away thirteen years ago, on July 24, 2013. Our destination: Remembering Nikos Mamagakis, part 1: His music for classical guitar. Μνήμη Νίκου Μαμαγκάκη: Η μουσική του για ...

A graduate of Berklee College of Music’s Advanced Blues Guitar Program, where she earned a 4.0 GPA under Professor Michael Williams, Kaliopi has built a reputation as an artist of rare depth and command. Her voice moves effortlessly between tenderness and raw intensity, while her guitar work balances r...

Today, in the context of our week-long tribute to Greek blues bands, we are shedding light on the best of the best: Blues Wire. The band is widely regarded as one of the best blues bands in Europe and their gigs have been described by observers as one of Europe’s best kept blues secrets. Our destination: G...

Throughout the week that ends today, we celebrated four folk instruments that have coloured the complex and beautiful landscape of Greek music tradition. Today, a key instrument of the islands of the Aegean lands aboard Greek Music Express. Our destination: Greek folk instruments part 4: Santur, or...

The saz is a long-necked fretted lute used in the folk music of Turkey and neighbouring regions of the Balkans, including Greece, as well as the Middle East and Central Asia. It belongs to the wider family of long-necked lutes known as tanburs, a group of instruments historically distributed from Iran...

Giorgos Koros, Kyriakos Gouventas, Nicos Hatzopoulos, Nikos Kalaintzis, Nikos Moraitis – welcome to the very exclusive club of the soloists who cemented violin’s position in the Greek folk and traditional orchestra. Βιολί Γιώργος Κόρος, Κυριάκος Γκουβέντας, Νίκος Χατζόπουλος, Νίκος Καλαϊτζής, Νί...

Today, and throughout the week that starts today, we shall be turning our attention to four distinct folk instruments that have fuelled some of the brightest moments of Greek music tradition. Our destination: Greek folk instruments part 1: Laouto - Lute. Λαούτο Σήμερα, και όλη την εβδομάδα που ...