At 158 stanzas, the Greek national anthem, the Hymn to Liberty (Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian), written in 1823 by Zakynthos-born poet Dionysios Solomos and set to music in 1828 by Nikolaos Mantzaros, is the world’s longest. It became the official anthem of Greece in 1865 replacing the Bavarian National Anthem used by King Othon. In 1966, it Discover…
The Diver’s Dance or ‘Kalymniotikos’ is a choreography of inner strength but also of professed vulnerability. The lame diver cannot get up alone, he needs the help of his companions and at the same time, they too know very well deep down that they could be in his shoes one day.
For many, his true talent was never recognized, for others he was one of the most gifted composers of the 20th century, for the Greeks he is just one more Greek who managed to take Greek culture beyond its borders. Despite leaving behind an impressive body of some 170 works (in handwritten manuscripts), very few Discover…
Greece’s rebetiko, a music genre once associated with the outcasts and laymen of Greek society only to become a major part of upper class entertainment and later an important part of Greek music culture was included last week on UNESCO’s 2017 list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as an expression of cultural and Discover…
“We are a group of musicians passionate about Greek music, its history and the emotions that it can evoke.” That’s how a group of Londoners describe themselves and their ambitious project: the Rebetiko Carnival, which kicked off last week in and around London (Bristol, Brighton, Shrewsbury) and runs through July 2. Besides a wide variety Discover…
