Ηρακλής Οικονόμου

Zeibekiko, part 1 This week is dedicated to Greece’s best known folk dance, zeibekiko. Also called the “dance of the eagle” due to the movements of the dancer, this circular dance has no set steps and is largely improvised. This first leg of our journey takes us to zeibekiko anthems performed by, a...

Kastellorizo The album that we are listening to today, titled “A drop of light in the Aegean Sea”, is a collection of music and songs from the beautiful island of Kastelorizo. Embedded in the wider Dodecanese tradition, Kastellorizo presents a wealth of songs structured on the manners of Ancient and...

Samothrace Today, we will be exploring a very special instrumental album titled “Traditional Dances of Samothraki”. Renowned soloist Dimitris Tiganourias plays the violin while Giannis Sevastopoulos plays the lute. As for the dances, we come across Stavrotos, Syrtos, Karsilamas, Kalamatianos, Zei...

Naxos Apeiranthos of Naxos has a rich musical and poetic tradition. The album Songs and tunes from the village of Aperathou brings to the audience this peculiar colour through the amazing performances of Koula Kleronomou-Sideri and the violin of the Naxian Yannis Zeugolis. Νάξος Η Απείρανθος της Νάξου έχει ...

Songs about Virgin Mary On August 15, the Greek Orthodox church celebrates the Dormition of Virgin Mary. But that is just the religious “excuse” for villages to be decorated, folklore festivals to be held, shows of traditional dances to be staged, and a festive atmosphere to be imp...

Sifnos Musicologist Markos Dragoumis explains: Siphnian musicians customarily accompany their singing with the violin and the lute in a really striking way. Violins cover with admirable ease a much wider range than do the voices, emphasizing the general features of the scale used. Effectively...

Apostolos Kaldaras’ “Ballads of the Fringe” The “Ballads of the Fringe” are the last album of renowned composer Apostolos Kaldaras. They depict the heroes and villains of the folk neighborhoods, taking us back to the years of rebetiko music. Even though the album is not solely about Athens, it is a s...

“At the Foot of the Acropolis” Today, we continue our tribute to Athens with its most important monument as our point of departure. From Acropolis our tour takes us to Stadiou Street and from there to the neighborhoods of Kolonaki, Pagrati and Kesariani - always with Greek art song as our guide. «Στην Ακρόπολη...

Art songs about Athens From Manos Hadjidakis to Arleta and Stamatis Kraounakis, the country’s most talented creators were inspired by Athens, its streets and its stories. Alexandras Street, Zinonos Street, Patission Street – art song might be your own personal map of Athens. Έντεχνα τραγούδια ...

Rock songs about Athens Modern songs about Athens reveal an urban reality of loneliness, violence and meaningless erotic encounters, but also one of dreams, humour and resilience. In other words, rock Athens is a city of contrasts and contradictions, a character masterfully revealed by the likes...

Folk songs about Athens This week is dedicated to Greece’s capital city, Athens, and to songs that narrate the adventures, the passions and the concerns of its residents. Today, we are exploring a repertoire of a more popular sound, performed by some of Greece’s most impressive folk voices, from Ger...

Nana Mouskouri & friends Greece’s global music ambassador, the singer with over 200 albums in at least a dozen of languages, the one and only Nana Mouskouri visited Nisiotika in a 2011 album. “I sought for new inspiration by turning to roots and the music tradition of our country. Our traditional mus...

The Aegean of Mariza Koch Singer-songwriter Mariza Koch was born in Athens but spent most of her childhood on the island of Santorini. As a result, she was influenced profoundly by the musician tradition of the Aegean. Naturally, a big part of her repertoire has unfolded around ‘Nisiotika’ songs and...

Eirini Konitopoulou-Legaki Eirini Konitopoulou-Legaki, one of the greatest voices of the ‘Nisiotika’, was born on the island of Naxos, in a family of musicians. Both her father and her grandfather played the violin and were very familiar with the island music tradition. Together with her brother, Gio...

‘Aegean’ – The soundtrack All aspects of the album "Aegean" by Vassilis Drogkaris and Manolis Pappos - the melodies, the lyrics, the arrangements, the performances - constitute a reference point for those who seek a return to the real Aegean music tradition, away from distortions and imitations. This ...

Anna Karampesini & Efi Sarri Sisters Anna Karampesini and Efi Sarri were born in a family of musicians on the island of Kos. From a young age, they started studying and performing the traditional songs of the Dodecanese and, today, this duo is considered unsurpassed as far as this particular...

Omar Faruk Tekbilek Omer Faruk Tekbilek is a Turkish musician and composer, who plays a wide range of wind, string, percussion and electronic instruments. He has developed a style that builds on traditional Sufi music, but includes inspiration from ambient electronic musicians. Since...

Sokratis Sinopoulos & Derya Turkan Socratis and Derya, friends and companions in their musical crossroads for years, carrying on the musical legacy of the kemence masters of Istanbul. Two prominent musicians and virtuosos of our time, inviting us to experience the evolution of kemence and its...