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10 Greek covers of Italian songs
It’s been 40 years since my home-country Greece became the 10th member state of the European Economic Community (EEC), the predecessor to the European Union (EU). The EEC was created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957; the six founding member-states were Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The first enlargement was in 1973, with the accession of Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom (which sadly left the EU on 31 January 2020). Greece joined on 1 January 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal five years later. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Hellenic entry into the European family, I curated a playlist, which…
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Voilà: 9 Greek covers of French songs
Earlier this week, it was announced that the 65th Eurovision Song Contest would not take place ‘as normal’ this year. The organisers are currently considering 3 alternative scenarios. Either way, the event will definitely take place on 18, 20 and 22 May. A total of 41 countries will participate in the contest, five of which have already chosen the song that will represent them this year. Among these countries is France. Last week, Barbara Pravi was (rightly) chosen out of 12 participants and will now go on to represent France with her beautiful song ‘Voilà’. Since then, I have been listening to French artists, as well as to Greek covers…
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A musical journey to the Greek islands (Part 2)
Hello! I’m currently in Skyros, my late grandfather’s home island, a great place to unwind, relax and enjoy some peace and quiet. One may argue that most Greek islands are such places. True. However, there is a very good reason why Skyros tops that list. The island is home to Skyros Center, Europe’s first course-based holiday center. Located in the middle of the Aegean, Skyros is the largest and southernmost of the Sporades islands (the other three of the group are Skiathos, Skopelos, and Alonissos). I’ve been here for a few days now, having driven all the way from Thessaloniki (a six-hour drive to the east coast of Evia, followed…
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A musical journey to the Greek islands (Part 1)
Hello! It’s been 10 days since I arrived in Greece. So far, I have stayed in my hometown, Thessaloniki, but I will soon visit Skyros, my late grandfather’s home island. Although Skyros is a short flight from Thessaloniki (25-30 minutes), I’m going to take the long way round: drive to the east coast of Evia (6 hours), then take the ferry to Skyros (an hour and a half). Once upon a time, I would have made several mixtapes for the road. Instead, I have compiled a 3-hour playlist, a musical journey to the Greek islands. Today, I’m sharing the first half of my playlist, 22 songs in total. A musical…
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Traveling to Greece through film & music
The London Greek Film Festival has been taking place every year since 2008. This year, however, the festival will move online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under normal circumstances, the screenings would have taken place at the Theatro Technis, an independent theatre in Camden, North London. The festival, due from 13 to 16 May 2020, showcases feature, short and documentary films either by Greek film-makers (no matter where they are produced) or simply related to Greece. According to the organizers, the festival showcases ‘films from Greek Origin Individuals and Production Companies from all over the world, or International Individuals and Production Companies from all over the world, with film or…