Greek Music Express

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 για την Αθήνα Από ...

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 of...

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 genre...

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 2010, Tekbilek ha...

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 restored...

Dilek Koc Dilek Koc was born in Antalya, Turkey but moved to Thessaloniki in 1999. Her personal discography includes the albums Karsi (2004) and Sevdalim Aman (2010), with songs equally loved on both sides of the Aegean. Today we are listening to songs from the wonderful Souvenir de Salonique (2015)...

Okay Temiz Okay Temiz is a Turkish fusion jazz percussionist and drummer. He was influenced by his mother, who was classically trained in music, and studied at the Ankara Conservatory and Tophane Art Institute before settling in Sweden. He is one of Turkey’s most famous jazz musicians, maintaining a...

Christos Tsiamoulis meets Halil Karaduman Late Turkish kanun virtuoso Halil Karaduman meets Greek oud player Christos Tsiamoulis in an outstanding recording that serves as the best introduction to this week’s theme: the love of the Greek audience for Turkish musicians. This Greek-Turkish rapprochement i...

From Koufonisi to Asia Minor Today we focus on two distinct aspects of Nikos Oikonomidis’ contribution: his collaboration with singer Giorgoula from the island of Koufonisi, and his study of the linkages between the islands of Naxos, Paros and Kythnos and the musical heritage of Asia Minor. The latter e...

Passage to Kimolos A voyage across the music tradition of the island of Kimolos, added to the long and successful “Passages” series of albums, curated by Nikos Oikonomidis. Here comes a tribute to an extremely interesting musical heritage that combines elements of Asia Minor and island tradition and...

Passage to Amorgos This 2001 album is the first attempt to record the local repertoire of the island of Amorgos – a work that reveals a rich and highly expressive material. Nikos Oikonomidis goes beyond his role as a musician, studying thoroughly the music body of the island and delving into the t...