CHARA management/bookings

During the past 16 years (1993 to 2009) I played and recorded Greek music with the Dutch group Palio-Paréa. During those years, many times I was asked “You’re Dutch, why do you play Greek music?”. The answer is pretty simple: “I just like Greek music, especially rebétika. Besides, the various scales and rhythms, the influence of the East, are very inspiring. As a musician (and person) it has enriched my life.”
Many times the band also performed in Greece in clubs/festivals, on TV etc. And during these visits we saw and heard a lot of Greek artists. Some of them made a great impression, that’s why I would like to get them abroad so non- Greek people can also enjoy their performing.

KATERINA TSIRIDOU & KOMPANÍA

from l. to r. Hector, Dimitri, Katerina, Sotiri, Niko.

 

 
At the moment (2011) I am preparing a tour with Katerina Tsiridou and her ensemble which I saw performing lots of times in the past when I visited Athens-Greece. They are new generation who keep the rebetiko alive and belong to the top. Each of them play with many even more famous (older generation) rebetiko artists, but they also have a band of their own which I esteem highly. The individual class of the band members is very high, but more important in my opinion is (and that.s rather rare in Greek rebetiko groups), that they are a real "band". Lots of dedication, lots of vocals (3 very strong voices), competent in both rebetika and smyrneika (see for more info rebétika). I feel they must be heard outside Greece!

Their first tour in Holland and Belgium in the best theaters for world music is a fact and organized in 2012 May from 5th to 15th .
Tourdates so far:

Tour 2012

In case you visit Athens-Greece this winter 2011/2012, Katerina Tsiridou & ensemble plays in club TAXIMI every Friday and Saterday (from October till April). Start: 11.00 p.m. Address: Corner X. Trikoúpi & Isavron in Exárchia

The band: Katerina Tsiridou–vocals/baglama/zills; Dimitris Kranidas- bouzouki/ûd/vocals; Hector Cosmas-violin/baglama; Nikos Protopapas- guitar; Sotiris Papatragiannis-vocals/baglamas.

For more info visit: http://www.skopos.be/Bulletin?issue=201110&topic=Tsiridou

For more music/films/photographs go to You Tube, Katerina Tsiridou, Dimitri Kranidas and Hector Cosmas are plenty present.
If you prefer a demo delivered at your address, please let me know!!

GIANNIS LEBESIS & BAND

When I am in Athens- Greece, I always try to find out where Giánnis Lebésis is playing. Giánnis has a good hand of choosing his musicians, they are always top quality. He is an old style rebétika singer and bouzouki player, but more important perhaps, he is the composer of numerous songs with by now 20 or so albums to his credit. His authority in rebétika/laïka is unmistakable. His latest album (double cd) “I spítha yínete fotiá” went platinum status last June (2011). Not bad at all for a rebétika album these days! Maybe this success made him ready for touring abroad again; he hardly ever leaves Greece. The last time he visited Holland/Belgium was with MichálisYenítsaris‟band in the 1980's. Giánnis Lebésis and his band are coming to Holland/Belgium in May 2013. An event you‟d better not miss, who knows how long it will take before he plays here again?

If you happen to be in Athens this winter (2011/2012), you can see/hear Giánnis’band perform every Thursday, Friday, Saturday (night from 10.00 p.m.) and Sunday (afternoon) until May 2012 in tavern Musiko Steki KARDHIA FTEROUYISMATA. Address: Dodekanisou 37, Alimos. Tel. (+30)210 9966141.

AGATHONAS IAKOVIDIS & BAND

Agathonas is one of the most authentic performers in the rembétiko tradition which saw a huge revival in Greece during the 1970’s. This era of renewed interest in (early) rembétiko music was started off by a bunch of young musicians (Agathonas amongst them) who went back to the micro-Asian roots of the music. Whenever the tradition is remembered or discussed sooner or later Agathonas’ name comes up. His aim is to stay as faithful as possible to his musical roots because in his vision “tradition is very important for the continued existence of a nation – cut off from its roots it cannot survive. However, this does not mean the tradition is not alive; micro-Asian music is still the foundation of nearly all Greek popular music, the so-called laïka and that is why it has to be valued and cherished”. Over the years Agathonas released countless records, cooperated with numerous artists and shows no signs of slowing down. This year he plans to tour abroad. More info: http://www.skopos.be/GrMuziek/Achtergrond/Biografie/iakovidis.html


The band: Agáthonas Iakovídis-vocals/baglamas/tzouras; Héctor Cosmás-violin/baglamas; Manólis Porfirákis-guitar/vocals; Mákis Stamoúlis-bouzouki/vocals; María Díkta-vocals/percussion.

During the winter season (2011/2012) Agathonas & band can be seen/heard at club “To Charama” , every Friday and Saturday night. Address: Skopeftírio Kesarianís in Athens. Tel. (+30) 210 7664869.

I KOUBARI – V. Tsitsánis and G. Pappaioánnou

KARAGIOZIS (shadow theatre)

“I koubari”	Vasilis Tsitsanis	Giannis Pappaioánnou	Karagiózis & Ilías Karéllas

Greece is among the very few European countries that adopted shadow theatre, adding the provincial Greek culture's own uniqueness to it. Thus, shadow theatre slowly developed into an art form of its own kind, acquiring a Greek interpretation which also included music, acting and social satire incorporated with traditional folklore. The play is very popular in Greece up until today.
Karagiózis – Greek for the Turkish “Karagoz,” meaning “black-eyed” – is the central character, a hunchbacked con man who makes a living bamboozling officials. Theatre SKION, well known Greek Karagiózis producers, recently came up with a very funny and entertaining new play. The theme of the play: Karagiózis opens a night club and tries to book Vasílis Tsitsánis and Giánnis Pappaioánnou as headliners. Tsitsánis and Pappaioánnou: composer/bouzoukiplayer both, are rebétiko‟s figureheads in the 1940-‟50 period. Karagiózis tells the story (in Greek), the audience can follow the play on the screen (with English subtitles), while the band plays songs from these great composers. The band sits next to the screen, in the lights. The play takes a bit less than 2 hours.


More info see: www.karagiozis.gr

The band: Katerína Tsirídou - vocal/baglamas, Dimítris Kranídas - bouzouki, vocal, Sotíras Papatragiánnis - vocal, baglamas, Nikos Protopápas - guitar, Aleko Varanáki - accordeon, Adónis Xintáris - bouzouki.
Theatre Skion: Ilias Karéllas

For more info / bookings

Margôt Schenk
chara@palioparea.nl (or info@xapaaudio.nl will do too)
+31 481 424006 or +31 6 25412616