Giorgos Altis joined us at Voice of Greece, where we traced his journey from his first steps on the bouzouki—studying under Themis Papavasileiou and Giannis Palaiologou—to his path as a composer and his deep connection with the laiko repertoire.
We spoke about the bouzouki quartet RAST, about performances in Greece and abroad, about his personal discography — “As tin agapi na se skotosei”, “Lei i zoi”, “Ntrigi ntrigi hop” — as well as his collaborations with major voices of Greek song.
We focused in particular on his reflections on the present day: Does laiko song still exist in our times? Do young people listen to laika? Has its form changed, or has only the way we listen to it evolved? With clarity and genuine love for tradition, Giorgos Altis spoke of laiko song as a lived experience — not as nostalgia, but as a living, ongoing reality. We also explored his work as a writer.
His “Laika Portraits” and his many years of journalism constitute an important record of memory — a valuable archive of the people who shaped the history of laiko song.
A program of substance. Without exaggeration. With the quiet power the bouzouki holds when it speaks truthfully. Because laiko song is not the past.
Produced and presented by Alexis Kostas