Greek Fringe was invited to Japan to play alongside fellow rebetophiles. The main performance took place at the aptly named Silk Road Café, an event which truly embodied the coming together of East and West. We had the pleasure of playing alongside ChalChal チャルチャル and a Sephardi group whose performance incorporated storytelling and choreography against a back drop of stunning visuals. The evening culminated in all three bands playing together in an explosive symphony of sound and emotion. There we were in Japan playing Greek songs that are almost 100 years old with Japanese, Greek and Australian musicians.
Ισως του Πανηγύρη Παναγή (στα χέρια του Κώστα Καλαμάρα Μελβούρνη)
Ειδα την αυτή την φώτο του Κώστα Καλαμάρα και εντυπωσιάστηκα με την όμορφη ρετρό κιθάρα του, την πενναριά της…Γνήσια προπολεμική Λαϊκή κιθάρα.το " ιστορικό 8άρι"! και οπως λέει ο λαός “ρωτώντας πας στην πόλη”, έφθασα αρκετά πίσω στην ανακάλυψη αυτου του οργάνου. βρεθηκε σε κακή κατάσταση σε παλιό σπίτι απο τον Γαβρήλο Κοκώνα και την ανέλαβε ο Γιάννης Καδόγλου.Μέσα εχει καρτελάκι
“Μουσικός οίκος Γαϊτάνου”.?Ο Γαϊτάνος δεν κατασκεύαζε όργανα, αλλα εμπορεύονταν όργανα των Παναγή,Παπαζιάν, Μουρατίδη και άλλων.
η πενναριά “πεταλούδα”, ειναι κατι που βλέπουμε σε μαντολίνα.(σε άβολη θέση βέβαια)
ο καβαλάρης ειναι προπολεμικός και εναν τέτοιο ίδιο, λέγεται οτι ειχε ο Μουντάκης (απο όργανο Παναγή).
παρακάτω ο Γιάννης Καδόγλου περιγράφει το ιστορικό της συντήρησης της.
STORY FROM REBETIKO.GR READ MORE HERE
Fotis Vergopoulos SBS Interview
Greek- Australian bouzouki player and singer-songwriter Fotis Vergopoulos is coming to Australia for a series of concerts in October. Fotis Vegopoulos, a leading rebetiko performer based in Greece, is a well-known figure in the Australian scene. He has performed in Australia on a number of occasions including solo performances, with local musicians and Greek-based bands such as Rebetien.vFotis Vergopoulos is performing again in Melbourne, where he was born and studied before he moved to Greece, and also in Canberra and Sydney from the 20th to 29th of October. He has an impressive body of work both in recordings and live performances and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the rebetiko scene.
His performances in Australia, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, are part of the Greek Fringe Festival, the brainchild of Christina Bacchiella and Con Kalamaras.
Pappas Post New Podcast Explores History, Intricacies and Rarities of Rebetika
“Lovers of Rebetika,” a new podcast series launched by longtime fan, musician and events producer Con Kalamaras, delves into the world of one of Greece’s most culturally important musical genres.
Often called the “Greek blues,” rebetiko grew out of a specific urban subculture in the early 20th century and reflected the harsh realities of an oppressed societal group’s lifestyle.
Rebetiko is storytelling including love, loss, drugs and heart-breaking refugee tales. Rebetiko has always been the music of the poor and the dispossessed, combining different musical styles and with lyrics describing the joy, sorrow and difficulties of everyday life.
“This podcast series is aimed for people who are new to this genre and a little curious,” Kalamaras tells The Pappas Post. “My approach is more conversational and informal. I didn’t want to bombard people with academic speech but instead keep it short and sweet with some examples of songs.”
Rebetiko Caravan Brunswick Ballroom October 20th
Fotis Vergopoulos returns to Melbourne for a unique rebetiko extravaganza in the heart of Brunswick! Leading this all-star local line up of musicians, Fotis represents the next generation of talent from Greece and his musicianship and feel for rebetika (Greek Blues) is inimitable.
Fotis was initiated into the world of music at the age of 6 by his father, Nikos, an inaugural member of the Apodimi Kompania. He has toured Europe extensively as well as Africa, Australia and New Zealand. He currently lives in Athens where he has performed with many notable artists including Agathonas Iakovidis, Martha Fritzila, Babis Gkoles and Manolis Pappos to name a few.
Joining Fotis on stage are special guests and stalwarts of the Melbourne rebetika scene:
Kostas Papapanagiotou - Bouzouki and vocals
Stavrina Dimitriou – Vocals
Wayne Simmons - Double bass
Con Kalamaras - Guitar
Niko Papadimitriou - Baglama
This performance is proudly presented by Greek Fringe.
Lovers of Rebetika Podcast starts Friday 24th!
Welcome to the teaser preview for the new podcast series Lovers of Rebetika
Every Friday a new episode will be available for download, join me Con Kalamaras as we explore the music and the induviduals
who’s legacy still lives on
Lovers of Rebetika will be available for download on all podcast platforms.
Kompania, breathing new life into rebetika
NEOS KOSMOS PIECE
Trying to summarise the sound of Kompania is no easy feat.
In many ways, Kompania to me represents the modern face of Rebetika in Athens today.
This ensemble, consisting of seven exceptional musicians, have long established themselves as a formidable act in Greece but also abroad. But to nail down their sound you almost have to look back at where they came from to where they are today.
Originally formed in 2011 , founding members were Katerína Tsirídou, Sotiris Papatragiannis, Dimítris Kranídas, Níkos Protópapas , Giánnis Kalafatélis and Melbourne native Hector Comas, who tragically passed away two months before the band’s first tour to Holland and Belgium.
Through hard work and perseverance , Kompania have since established themselves both in Greece and Europe at large thanks to their modern interpretation of Rebetika. They’ve toured and performed in many festivals around Europe and have appeared in various TV and radio shows, as well as a German documentary film about Athens and Rebetiko. After the departure of original vocalist Katerina Tsiridou, two of the most promising artists of the new generation in Greece joined the band: Ioulía Karapatáki on vocals, and Thodorís Petropoulos on bouzouki, oud, guitar, and vocals. In 2020 the line up once again saw some changes with the introduction of Giorgos Papadopoulos (guitar), Michalis Dármas (double bass), and Kostas Spiratos (percussion) came in to replace Níkos Protopapas.
Interview in New Yorks Pappas Post about the Lokridos Project
Melbourne Musician Releases Rebetiko Album Paying Homage to Genre Pioneers
written by Darden Livesay September 22, 2021
Inspired by early 20th century composers from Greece, a Melbourne-based musician has released an album which pays tribute to rebetiko pioneers of yesteryear while incorporating modern Australian influences.Amidst more than a year of COVID-19 lockdowns and a devastating family loss, Con Kalamaras could only cope in the best way he knows how — creating music.
The result is a work called “The Lokridos Project,” which he describes as a “collection of rare obscurities” that stemmed from being mostly isolated in a rural area during the dead of winter.
“This album features a pallet of songs which aren’t usual for Greeks in the diaspora,” Kalamaras tells The Pappas Post. “The warmth of Greek songs kept me going on dark misty winter nights.”
“Lokridos” includes a few of Kalamaras’ original works in addition to cover songs. But the album is still a clear nod to rebetiko’s golden era with inspiration from artists such as Kostas Skarvelis, Kostas Bezos and Giorgos Katsaros — widely considered the “patriarch” of the genre.
“By default there is an Australian influence which is unavoidable,” Kalamaras says. “But overall the style of the album and song choices are intentionally simple and reminiscent of true gramophone recordings.”
Interview with Greek Herald Sydney about Lokridos Project
Con Kalamaras has many titles – he is a Melbourne-based Rebetiko musician, events producer and the co-founder and director of Greek Fringe. This would keep anyone on their toes but not Kalamaras. During the recent Melbourne lockdown, he made time to record a new album as well titled Lokridos Project.
To celebrate the release of this new Rebetiko album, we spoke with Kalamaras about the inspiration between his music and what his future plans are.
Listen back to interview on Global Village with Roger Holdsworth PBS FM 29/08/2
Listen back to interview with Roger Holdsworth on PBS FM Listen back to interview
Read MoreNew music available online
Hello Everyone, it’s been a while, some fairly big life changes , lockdowns and personal loss… anyway Ive been recording .. thought you might like to hear some recordings…
HOPE YOU LIKE IT
Interview on The Alternative Kind
Interview on The Alternative Kind
Listen to the full interview here
Con Kalamaras is a man who has worn many hats over the years. He has done radio, events management, tour management to name just a few things and on top of all of this he's a none too shabby musician and champion of all things Rebetika. Hear him talk about what he's currently working on how the Greek Fringe project came about and many other things besides.
https://www.facebook.com/thealternativekind
Rebetiko Jam interview ERT TV Greece
The Rebetiko Jam musicians were invited to be interviewed and perform a couple of songs on nation TV in Greece. Here is the link to watch the performance.
Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ2QE0w_y6E
Musicians included
Stav Thomopoulos -Vocals Con Kalamaras -Baglama/Vocals Dave Carr -Bouzouki George Xinos -Guitar/Vocals Wayne Simmons -Guitar/Vocals Miltos Photopoulos - Bouzouki/Vocals Spiro V - Bouzouki/Vocals Effie Chaniotis - Vocals Filmed in Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne Rebetiko Jam turns two!
The Melbourne Rebetiko Jam was the brainchild of local Rebetiko Musicians Wayne Simmons and Con Kalamaras.
The two wanted to create a safe, and inclusive space for musicians, regardless of musical ability to come together, learn and share their passion of Rebetiko – commonly known as the Greek Blues.
The Jam will celebrate its second anniversary this coming March, bringing together people from all walks of life to play, study and perform at Triakosia, located in Clifton Hill.
Co-founder Con Kalamaras said him and Simmons were “so happy” to celebrate their second year and look to continue this musical cultural investment.The Rebetiko Jam has become, it has become a weekly hub for people to come together, play this music in a fun and inclusive way, we welcome people from all walks of life and also from all levels of musical ability, we just ask them to bring their passion for this music – and the rest is magic,” Con Kalamaras said.
“As the saying goes, ‘from little things big things grow.'” The popularity of the Jam has grown exponentially and the City of Yarra supports the Jam through it’s annual Grant program.
The Jam brings together over 20 musicians every week, some traveling over an hour to participate and has subsequently encouraged musicians to jam individually outside of the Jam. The participants’ ages vary from 10 years old to 60 – bringing together Greeks and non-Greeks to share their passion for Rebetiko .
The organisers have created a shared Dropbox to share the sheet music and recourses for participants to study and grow as musicians.
Βασίλης Τσιτσάνης, ο άνθρωπος που έφτιαχνε τραγούδια σαν ζωγραφιές
Ηταν βράδυ της 18ης Ιανουαρίου του 1984, όταν η κρατική τηλεόραση μετέδωσε την άσχημη είδηση από το Λονδίνο: «Πέθανε ο Βασίλης Τσιτσάνης, ένας από τους μεγαλύτερους Έλληνες λαϊκούς συνθέτες, στιχουργούς και ερμηνευτές...». Ήταν η πρώτη φορά, στα δέκα μου χρόνια, που θα έβλεπα τον πατέρα μου να κλαίει. Λίγα 24ωρα μετά, συνόδευα τους δικούς μου στην κηδεία του Τσιτσάνη στο Α' Νεκροταφείο της Αθήνας. Εκεί συνειδητοποίησα τι πάει να πει συλλογικό πένθος. Ο κόσμος πατούσε πάνω στα μνήματα για να πλησιάσει με κάθε τρόπο τη σορό και να ενώσει τη φωνή του μ' αυτή όλων των μεγάλων τραγουδιστών στη «Συννεφιασμένη Κυριακή». Ο Νταλάρας, η Αλεξίου, η Γαλάνη, έως και η Βουγιουκλάκη ήταν εκεί, μέσα σ' ένα κλίμα ατόφιας οδύνης. Με λίγα λόγια, ένα διάχυτο συναίσθημα πατρικής απώλειας τόσο έντονο, που δεν έχει σβήσει από τη μνήμη μου παρόλα τα χρόνια που πέρασαν. Πηγή: www.lifo.gr
Melbourne Group Returns for Second Online Rebetiko Concert
The Melbourne Rebetiko Ensemble will once again host a digital concert on Friday, June 26 at 7:00pm Melbourne Time (5:00am EST) for music lovers worldwide
Performing some of its favorite rebetiko songs from yesteryear, the ensemble will showcase music from its upcoming CD “To Monopati” which is available for digital purchase and download.
The concert will also feature songs from the pre-and post-war rebetika era, including works by Vassilis Tsitsanis, Sotiria Bellou and Giorgos Mitsakis, among other artists.
Melbourne is no stranger to the ongoing preservation of Rebetika. In recent years Melburnians have enjoyed a thriving live Greek scene in which the Melbourne Rebetiko Ensemble regularly features in Festivals and concerts.
During recent months this scene went quiet due to social distancing. But after three months of lockdown Melbourne native Con Kalamaras rallied his friends from the ensemble and re-ignited the act out of isolation to perform their first digital concert.
The performance received more than 20,000 views and now due to popular demand the ensemble returns to perform online via the Facebook page Rebetika in Melbourne.
Read Full Article here https://www.pappaspost.com/melbourne-group-returns-for-second-online-rebetiko-concert/
Bouzouki player, Dean Georgalas, set to amaze in The Melbourne Rebetiko Ensemble
Dean Georgalas has been playing the bouzouki since the tender age of 9 but more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to adapt his musical talent for the online world.
Cue the second digital installment of The Melbourne Rebetiko Ensemble which is set to take place this Friday, June 26 at 7pm. The Ensemble will be streamed live on the Facebook pages of The Greek Herald and Rebetika in Melbourne, and Dean says he’s proud he gets to perform Rebetiko music from his favourite artists.
“I’ve been playing the bouzouki for 38 years. I was inspired by some of the great artists such as Georgios Zampetas and Manolis Hiotis. It’s that unique sound which resonates and draws you in,” Dean tells The Greek Herald.
Read Full Article https://greekherald.com.au/post/bouzouki-player-dean-georgalas-set-to-amaze-in-the-melbourne-rebetiko-ensemble/
It’s all Greek at this jam night - City of Yarra Magazine
It’s all Greek at this jam night
The Rebetika jam night is quickly becoming the place to be on a Wednesday night.It brings together musicians and music-lovers from all across Melbourne to learn more about, play and simply enjoy this unique style of Greek music.“Some people call it Greek urban folk music, others call it the Greek blues” says Wayne Simmons, co-founder of the jam night. But Wayne admits these descriptions don’t paint the full picture: Almost operatic in style, Rebetika is passionate, heartfelt and full of emotion. Created by Greek Refugees from Asia Minor (the modern-day Turkish region) around a century ago, Rebetika is often played with a wooden (and very beautiful) mandolin-style instrument called the bouzouki.
Greek Music Thriving in Sydney, Melbourne With Home Grown “Jam” Sessions - Pappas Post NY
Article from New Yorks Pappas Post 18.2.20
It all starts with an idea…
Australian singer songwriter Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody once penned the iconic line “From little things big things grow” a line which is synonymous with the current live cultural movement that is occurring in Melbourne in Sydney within the Greek Community, this being the weekly Melbourne Rebetiko Jam and the Sydney Greek Jam…..
Tsakirian – Generation's of master craftsmanship
The legendary tradition begun in 1924 when his grand father, Agop, emigrated from Turkey and opened the first shop in Piraeus (the Mother City of the rebetiko music). In 196O his son Onnik (Karolos’s father) moved to his own store in downtown Athens, building instruments for the great bouzouki players like Manolis Chiotis, Lemonopoulos, Giannis Tatassopoulos, Lakis Karnezis, Giannis Stamatiou (Sporos), Bebis Staergiou, Giannis Angelou and others. He was also the recipient of the gold medal of master craftsmanship in the International Expo in Thessaloniki in 1965.
