Greek Music Express

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...

This week aboard GME is dedicated to blues in the Greek context. We started our week-long exploration with Eliana One Woman Band and Blues Revenge, among others, while yesterday we listened to Daddy’s Work Blues Band, Blues Trackers and The Blues Side Band. Today’s destination: Greek blues bands, par...

Playing blues in Greece has something unique, as it is one of the few Western musical genres that has never been in fashion in our country. Exiled from commercial circuits, the blues played by Greeks, the Greek blues, continues to exist and breathe on the margins of musical developments Our destination:...

Today, and throughout the week that starts today, we shall be turning our attention to the massive legacy of the blues and the several Greek bands and artists that have been honouring this genre in our country. Our destination: Greek blues bands, part 1: From Eliana One Woman Band to Blues Revenge. Ελληνικά μπλουζ ...

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 ...

Today, June 5, we are celebrating World Environment Day, a day that highlights the need for ecological consciousness and collective action in support of green policies. Our destination: Songs celebrating nature, for the World Environment Day. Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Περιβάλλοντος Σήμερα, 5 Ιουνίου, γιορτάζουμε την Παγκό...

Today, we remember a largely unknown singer and songwriter who, however, left behind some moments of exceptional artistry in his short-lived career. Apart from collaborating with important composers, he presented some interesting personal albums, such as “Bureaucracy” and “Songs about the army”. Our des...

Today, we are remembering a superb poet – a symbol of the struggle for freedom and also an artistic bridge of solidarity and understanding between the peoples of Greece and Turkey. Our destination: 63 years without Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet. Ναζίμ Χικμέτ Σήμερα, θυμόμαστε έναν μεγάλο ποιητή – σύμβολ...

Today, we return to a unique genre of global significance, its history, and some of its best samples that appear in Greek discography. Our track list includes blues anthems by pioneering artists such as Loukianos Kilaidonis, Pavlos Sidiropoulos and Stelios Vamvakaris. Our destination: Greek blues. Μπλουζ Σήμερα, επιστρέφουμ...

Today, we turn to the impressive lyrical melodies of an exceptional composer who has stood out for her connection with poetry and for her overall ethos. An extensive sound palette, moments of intense personal emotion and a commitment to creation are just some of the elements that characterize her career....

Throughout the week that ends today, we offered a panorama of contemporary music production in Greece by focusing on the albums and artists that defined last year’s recording landscape. Today, we explore the hybrid encounter between the folk muse and a modern spirit of experimentation. Our destination: T...

From Apostolos Rizos to Rena Morfi, from Pavlina Voulgaraki to Vangelis Germanos, from Nefeli Fasouli to Violeta Ikari, the art song reveals its continuous relevance. Even though its peak, artistically and commercially, seems long gone, there are gems to be discovered that combine smooth melodies with...

Today’s return to 2025 reminds us of some of the most imposing instrumentals that were released last year, drawing on jazz, music for theatre and space rock, among others. Our destination: The yield of 2025, part 3 – The instrumentals. Η σοδειά του 2025: Ορχηστρικά Η σημερινή επιστροφή στο 2025 μας θυμίζει μ...

Throughout this week, we keep returning to 2025 and to the artists and albums that defined last year’s recording landscape. Today, we pick up the tempo with the likes of Orestis Ntantos, The Noodles, Theodore, and The Steams. Our destination: The yield of 2025, part 2 – Rock, and beyond. Η σοδειά του 2025: ...