Greek Music Express

Today’s GME is the last part of a week-long tribute to Greek folk instruments, which included the violin, the lute, the saz and the santoor. The oud is an equally popular and expressive instruments – a testament to the rich musical heritage of the Middle East. Όργανα της παράδοσης: Ούτι Το σημερινό GME είναι το τελευταίο μέρος ενός παλαιότερου αφιερώματος στα ελληνικά λαϊκά όργανα, που περιελάμβανε το βιολί, το λαούτο, το σάζι και το σαντούρι. Το ούτι είναι ένα εξίσου δημοφιλές και εκφραστικό όργανο – μια απόδειξη της πλούσιας μουσικής κληρονομιάς της Μέσης Ανατολής. Επιμέλεια – Παρουσίαση: Ηρακλής Οικονόμου

Today’s GME is the last part of a week-long tribute to Greek folk instruments, which included the violin, the lute, the saz and the santoor. The oud is an equally popular and expressive instruments – a testament to the rich musical heritage of the Middle East. Όργανα της παράδοσης: Ούτι Το σημερινό G...

Ypogeia Revmata, Endelehia, Lefki Symfonia, Diafana Krina, Magic De Spell, Giannis Aggelakas, Pavlos Pavlidis – there can be no panorama of the Greek rock scene of the last two and a half decades without reference to the rock powerhouses of the 1990s that continued to create and record. Our destination: R...

Ypogeia Revmata, Endelehia, Lefki Symfonia, Diafana Krina, Magic De Spell, Giannis Aggelakas, Pavlos Pavlidis – there can be no panorama of the Greek rock scene of the last two and a half decades without reference to the rock powerhouses of the 1990s that continued to create and record. Our destination: R...

Heavy grooves, psychedelic references, strong presence of guitar solos, “big” arrangements: this is what the soundtrack of dreams probably includes. Major space and psych rock bands such as Naxatras, Echo Tatoo, Baby Guru and Ciccada are to be found in today’s menu, which is in dialogue with imagination and t...

Our week-long tribute to Greek rock discography of the 21st century continues with a generous dose of hard rock vibes: Planet of Zeus, Nightstalker, 1000mods, Jane Doe, Godsleep, Mavri Magioneza… These are some of the bands that have transformed the Greek hard rock scene into an artistic phenomenon w...

Throughout this week, we are celebrating some of the best Greek rock artists and bands that excelled during the first quarter of the 21st century. Today’s track list features the dance-inducing disco of Notowns, the alternative feel of pioneering Close, the sophisticated arrangements of Playground N...

Dream pop, dark romance, warm melodies, catatonic vocals, atmospheric gloominess – the description of the elements that make up the Greek indy scene can go on forever. From Nalysa Green to Empty Frame and from Chickn to Playground Theory, here come some of its greatest moments in the 21st century. Η ρο...

Throughout the week that ends today, we have been celebrating some of the greatest works of music that leading composers wrote for performances of ancient drama. Today, we dive into the archive of late composer Michalis Grigoriou and discover two previously unreleased works of his, for Aristophanes’ T...

Twenty years after the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, Athens and Sparta are embroiled in a conflict that seems to have no end. The human losses and destruction continue unabated on both sides, while every effort to bring peace has met with failure. However, the head of the Athenian women, Lysistrata,...

Throughout the summer, watching ancient drama performances is a favourite activity for natives and tourists alike, in venues such as the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. And, indeed, theatre construction remains a key achievement of Ancient Greek civilisation, reflecting a high level of intellectual and...

This week, we are returning, once again, to the imposing melodies that Greece’s leading composers wrote for ancient drama – for the tragedies and comedies that are performed every summer in open-air festivals. Our destination: Music for ancient Drama by Goran Bregovic and Giannis Zouganelis. Μελωδίες για το αρχα...

Both Peace and The Clouds are Athenian Old Comedies written and produced by the Greek playwright Aristophanes. Today, we are appreciating the intelligent music that Nikos Kypourgos and Stamatis Kraounakis wrote for performances of the former and the latter play respectively. Μελωδίες για τον Αριστο...

Throughout the week that ends today, we celebrated Greek summer, its glory, contradictions, and most directly associated melodies: the “popakia” – light, refreshing Greek pop. “Summertime vacations for ever”, with “Nights at Mykonos” and with friendly encounters “at Imerovigli”, on the island of San...

This week here aboard GME is an endless tribute to the Greek summer and to the songs that accompany it in our hearts and minds: pop hits of the 1980s and the 1990s. From Alexia to Michalis Rakintzis and from Vicky Haritou to Stefanos Korkolis, this is the closest one can get to the spirit of Greek summertime,...

Today, Andreas Mikroutsikos, Eleni Dimou, Constantina, Mando and many others will give us two marble kisses, will bet that we shall return to our ex-partner, and will make a wish for us to be together next year. Καλοκαιρινή ποπ: «Κι εγώ σαν άνεμος θα φύγω» Σήμερα, ο Ανδρέας Μικρούτσικος, η Ελένη Δήμου, η ...

Throughout this week, we are turning our attention to our much beloved Greek summer and its most immediate and natural soundtrack: good Greek pop. Sofia Arvaniti, Christos Kyriazis and Zig Zag band are just some of the names that feature on today’s track list. Our destination: Greek summer pop hits, p...

Do not be fooled by the lightness of Greek summer pop – it contains the same expressive voices, fragile melodies and powerful images that have made Greek song a unique form of art. The package might be different – seemingly more superficial and designed for entertainment – but the essence remains the s...