We have friends staying in Messonghi, so the other night we took them out to dinner at Alonaki (magical in the evening also) and then went to Moraitika for an ice cream. It was lovely to hear live Greek music coming from the taverna across the road (Zorbas). We sat for longer then planned just because we were enjoying listening so much. In our village (Benitses) it is difficult to find somewhere playing even recorded Greek music these days, and whilst my son might enjoy having a drink listening to Guns'n'Roses I think some music is better left to inside discos!
Only thing I didn't like was that almostevery taverna had lurid illuminated photos of the drinks and dishes on offer- I know they are catering for an international clientele and want people to know what they are offering, but they do make the places look really second rate and tatty!
Message posted by Jackie F on 10 September 2011 at 2:55pm - IP Logged
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Hiya Jan, Lovely to hear about the live Greek music in Moraitika! Would you know if it is a regular thing at Zorbas? Never actually eaten there but it would be worth a walk uo from Messonghi sometime!
I've just been looking online at the Alonaki Taverna, not much info but it looks really lovely. Good place for a special night out perhaps.
Jackie
Message posted by janmanessi on 10 September 2011 at 3:12pm - IP Logged
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No idea what the food is like at Zorbas or if the music is every night- but we went on a Thursday evening- not a traditional 'night out' evening, so hope it is every night!
Alonaki- need to go early to catch the last of the sun- and take mozzie repellent, but it is magical
Message posted by kevessex on 11 September 2011 at 2:38pm - IP Logged
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Good point Jan
We were in Benitses in July and hardly heard any Greek music in any taverna etc, they were mostly playing very old English stuff, even my mother would have thought of as naff!!
When I am on holiday I do like to hear local music, wherever I may be, so I know I am abroad!!!
Message posted by seaangler (Chat Room Administrator) on 11 September 2011 at 3:01pm - IP Logged
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seaangler
I have never failed to find live Greek music in Corfu when ever I go...
Message posted by Lavinia on 11 September 2011 at 3:53pm - IP Logged
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I am very surprised seaangler. I hardly ever hear any, but I tend to go to rather quiet places I suppose. You don't hear it on (the traditional end of) Liston much nor in many traditional tavernas. Mind you, if there is some music tinkling away in the background it is invariably "O Giorgos einai poniros..." which I first heard in 1968! I wish they would move on to Xaris Alexiou or even Ioannis Parios.
Message posted by Elliemay on 11 September 2011 at 4:56pm - IP Logged
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Same here in Peroulades Elliemay,
Giannis Taverna has had live Greek musicians every Saturday who play non stop for 5 hours or more!
As many visiting Greeks have now gone back home to various parts of the world, last night's audience was mainly older people from the village.
Giannis himself treated us to few traditional songs and then we had a visiting guest singer who has a well respected "strong" voice from Avliotis.
Giannis's son, George, usually dances, if he's feeling the mood, as do one or two of our older residents.
Giannis has been known to try dancing with a table held in his teeth - but he's not as young as he was and can be seen on Sundays holding his jaw...
We've had some wonderful Saturday nights this year - but I don't know how much longer he's going to have the musicians for as tourist numbers have dropped virtually overnight.
If anybody is interested - I'll post again if he plans on doing this again next week. Its best to book a table if you want to come so he knows numbers for food and extra help in the kitchen!
C. xxx
Message posted by Elliemay on 11 September 2011 at 5:27pm - IP Logged
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Hi Cheryl,
Have been to Giannis about three times now. Absolutely love it!!! Never been on a Saturday night though, so must make this a must do. I'll be the one sitting crying in the corner. Don't know what it is but Greek dancing moves me to tears every time.
Message posted by janmanessi on 11 September 2011 at 6:22pm - IP Logged
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seaangler- I am sure many of us know where we can go find Greek music but it is unusual to hear it being played live in the middle of a lively resort. In many places if one taverna is playing it it has to compete with pop music from surrounding bars. I don't know if we were just lucky or if the surrounding tavernas and bars agree that Zorbas live music will be the only music played within earshot.
Message posted by Sid Ari on 11 September 2011 at 6:30pm - IP Logged
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When I watch something on YouTube to do with Greece I love to listen to Greek Music while I am looking at the pictures.
I tend to turn the sound down when people put some Rock Music on while looking at the beauty of the Islands.
Just nice sedate Greek music and sometimes singing in the background is lovely and nine times out of ten my feet start tapping to the music and I feel nice and relaxed.
Viv
Message posted by seaangler (Chat Room Administrator) on 11 September 2011 at 11:30pm - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by Sid Ari on 11 September 2011
Give me Guns 'n, Roses everytime instead of Greek music that ALL sounds the same unless you speak fluent Greek.
I feel the same about Guns 'n' Roses..I cant understand them nither... and I am English...
Message posted by janmanessi on 12 September 2011 at 2:46pm - IP Logged
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Well I didn't even know what the 'noise' was, let alone understand what they were...I hesitate to call it singing...until my son told me it was Guns'n'Roses!
Afraid my mantra is- in Greece let it be Greek!
Message posted by seaangler (Chat Room Administrator) on 12 September 2011 at 4:06pm - IP Logged
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seaangler
Quote: Originally posted by janmanessi on 12 September 2011
Well I didn't even know what the 'noise' was, let alone understand what they were...I hesitate to call it singing...until my son told me it was Guns'n'Roses!
Afraid my mantra is- in Greece let it be Greek!
yep... I think the whole group needs shooting..
When I come to Greece I love to listen to Greek music.
Message posted by Bazz on 01 October 2011 at 12:13am - IP Logged
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Quote: Originally posted by janmanessi on 11 September 2011
That is like saying that Mozart and The Beatles sound the same!
There is huge variety in Greek music as in western, and you do not need a word of the language to enjoy it. A lot is not vocal anyway.
LOL ... not quite ... Mozart had a lot of variation in his music as did the Beatles and they both appealed to a WORLDWIDE audience where as Greek music is very limited in its appeal. Apart from Nana Miskouri and Demis Rousoss who both sang in English ... name me ONE famous Greek artist outside of Greece.
Message posted by Elliemay on 01 October 2011 at 2:05am - IP Logged
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Does it matter whether they are outside of Greece or not?
I absolutely love Greek music and many times it reduces me to tears, don't know why and can never explain it. It just gets in my soul.
Message posted by Sid Ari on 01 October 2011 at 2:27am - IP Logged
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Absolutely agree- no-one was discussing 'world wide appeal' we were talking about what we liked hearing in a Greek resort!
If you want to look internationally though- Vangelis' music is well known (Chariots of Fire) and easily accessible, and there are some exciting Greek composers whose work is eagerly awaited in international concert halls- but is not the kind of easy listening in the tavernas.
There is though a tremendous variety of Greek popular/folk music- a bigger variety I think than in a single western country. The Ionian Islands cantades are unique to the seven islands, and just across on the mainland the local music is totally different, and a friend's musician son from Karpathos says he cannot even consider Corfu's music to be Greek- something I contest vigorously! However the variety, largely due to the different histories of each area is incredible.
Message posted by shilpa on 03 October 2011 at 10:42am - IP Logged
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Where we stay for our holidays in Moraitika "the Romantica", they often play Greek music during the day by the pool and it is lovely. Sometimes it is the normal traditional songs you hear in the tavernas and other times it is Greek pop and it makes a lovely change from hearing all that bang bang bang English stuff all the time which we hear on our radios day in and day out. It makes the holiday even more fantastic.
Message posted by Tina M on 05 November 2011 at 11:20pm - IP Logged
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The best place for Greek (mainstream) music is the local buses, green and blue. They normally have the local station pop fm 102,1 on whilst driving - I am listening to it right now on e-radio Hellas, great Greek music. Two favourite tavernas I visited this summer, To Kalami Taverna in Boukari and The White House Taverna in Kalami (although the owners now call it "restaurant") both had Greek music on.
Message posted by Lavinia on 06 November 2011 at 5:54pm - IP Logged
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I just wish that some of the boat trips round Corfu would play more up to date Greek music. If I hear "O Giorgos einai poniros" and "Play Bouzouki" one more time, I might throw myself off the boat! There was a brilliant concert in August this year in Kinopiastes which was a mixture of kantadas, Theodorakis and Parios music. It was magical.
Surely Mikis Theodorakis must be one of the great musical composers of the past century and I think we should all be singing "eimaste dio, eimaste treis, eimaste hilia deka treis" at the moment to show our solidarity for Greece. It was the very stirring song which became the anthem of the students during the Colonels Junta.
And I was lucky enough to attend a concert at the Herodus Atticus Theatre under the Acropolis in Athens which was the first time Theodorakis' music had been allowed to be played since his return from exile and he suddenly appeared on stage with Maria Farandouri and Antonis Kalogiannis to sing this very song. Music is so very important in this country.
Message posted by Lavinia on 06 November 2011 at 6:00pm - IP Logged
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Elliemay. Eimaste dio was a song written, I believe when he was in exile in Paris, by Mikis Theodorakis to encourage the resistance movement (primarily the students) against the Junta (the Colonels). His music was completely banned by the Colonels so his return after their fall was wildly celebrated by us all. He was one of a strong group of resistant warriors in Paris which also included Melina Mecouri and I think at one stage also Andreas Papandreou (the current PM's father). He says we are two, we are three, we are a thousand and thirteen inferring that if we all stick together we can get through these troubled times. A bit like Joan Baez singing "we shall overcome" but very stirring.
Ellas manamou was written in, I think, the 1980s by Xacharkos and the title means "My mother, Greece" and speaks of the number of times the Greek people have been sold out by their leaders. There is a very modern and good version of it on Youtube by Giorgios Dalaros with pictures of politicians, banks, institutions, royalty etc. all of whom the Greek people feel have betrayed them in the past. My own favourite version of it is by Glykeria which you can also find on Youtube. The first few lines are very poignant. I have no house to go to, no street to live in and no neighbours, nowhere to sleep and the the snakes are waking up again...not an exact translation, but the gist of it. xx
Message posted by Lavinia on 06 November 2011 at 7:51pm - IP Logged
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Thank you for sharing the Theodorakis memories with us Lavinia, it must have been macigal to have been at the Herodus Atticus for that occasion. I am just reading an biography by Arja Saijonmaa, the Finnish singer who was on tour with Theodorakis during the junta time. She tells of his now home close by the Herodus Atticus and the glaced room at the roof terrace, with a grand piano, overlooking Acropolis. One can just hope Theodorakis found peace there in the end.
And yes how wonderful the concert in Kinopiastes in August was, I was almost in tears listening to Sto Perighiali (Denial), with the backdrop of Agii Dheka and the moon shining, a memory for life.
Message posted by Lavinia on 06 November 2011 at 11:26pm - IP Logged
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Tina. I hope you have a good winter. Both I and my daughter (who can't wait to dance the Zirtaki with you again) send you loads of love and look forward to seeing you very soon. Hope all is well in Malmo? xx
Message posted by SusieM on 07 November 2011 at 1:58pm - IP Logged
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Vinny I absolutely love all three musicians you mentioned and yes tears do come to the peepers especially Theodorakis. What a shame I missed that concert it must have been wonderful.
Message posted by Lavinia on 07 November 2011 at 3:34pm - IP Logged
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