Summer Dance Experience 4
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The Newsletter for friends and members of OHFS inside Vol. 7, Issue No. 4, Fall 2001 this issue… Nikos Economidis 2 Fun in the Sun 3 My Summer Dance Experience 4 Spotlight 4-5 St. George in Crete 5 Festival of Greek Music & Dance 2002 Picture Gallery 6 Music and Dances from the Greek Isles We’ve Moved! 7 The Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society serve basis. Ticket prices are $25 for adults and Personals 7 proudly announces that the Festival of Greek $20 for children 18 and under. Call 847-729- Music & Dance will take place again in 2002! 3406 for ticket purchases or further Performances 8 The Festival includes a musical presentation information. Check the OHFS web site, from notable folk artists from Greece that will www.ohfs.org, for updated information about tour the U.S. Last year’s sold out concert this concert. We hope to see you there! r included music groups from Greece’s northern regions, Macedonia and Thrace. Featured Artists: The 2002 Festival will include music and Festival of Greek Music & Dance dances from the Greek islands. The upbeat 2002 and sweet sounds of the violin, lute, dulcimer and tsabouna (island bagpipe) will Nikos Ekonomidis 606 Greendale Rd. transport us to the sunny beaches and violin / vocal Glenview, IL 60025 traditional villages of beautiful destinations. 847.657.0958 The event will take place on Saturday, March Kostis Kalaitzakis e-mail: [email protected] 16, 2002 at the Niles West High School laouto / mantola / three-strings / vocal http://www.ohfs.org auditorium, 5701 West Oakton St., Skokie, at Louloudi Souti-Fakiri 7:00 p.m. The organization of this event is in vocal in Eastern Aegean cooperation with the World Music Institute Tax-exempt of New York and the Hellenic Club of Niles Eleni Charou-Koroneou Not-for-profit West High School. vocal in Kithira Organization Antonis Koutsokeris Next year’s musical group includes ten artists tzoura / lafta / oud Yiannis Economou lead by Nikos Economidis who is one of the 847.657.0958 most popular and recognized authorities on Nikos Karatasos Director/President island musical traditions [see biography on santouri page 2]. The program will include music and Kostas Economou dances form the islands of the Northeastern Kostas Kallipetis 847.729.3406 Aegean Sea, the Dodecanese, the Kyklades tsabouna Instructor and the island of Kythira. The Orpheus Dance Nikos Parianos Marianna Damianides Troupe is scheduled to perform dances from souravli 847.967.5103 these areas accompanied by the visiting Artistic Director/Vice President musicians. Make sure you mark your calendar Chrisoula Galathri for this unique and inspiring event. Assigned toubec Bessie Kouchoukos-Grosso seating will be available on a first-come-first- Maria Karathanasopoulou 773.286.5132 Youth Group Coordinator percussion Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society Lyra - Fall 2001 Nikos Economidis to be Featured at the Festival of Greek Music & Dance 2002 Nikos Economidis is one of the most highly acclaimed violin players in Greece. He was born on the island of Shinousa in the Kiklades to a musical family. His grandfather and father, both well-known violinists, sparked his interest in music. Economidis studied classical violin at the Athenian Odium under Ismini Carter- Chrysochoos and at the National Odium with Kosta Setta. At the same time, he never ceased to research and study the style of music that interested him the most, that is, traditional music. He began his professional career at the age of 15 with Dora Stratou and involves himself in the official cataloging of our national music, from Evros to Cyprus, in records and films for the national TV network. He is engaged in teaching traditional music and archiving traditional pieces like those included in the records “Perasma sta Kythira” and “Sea Passages” containing songs executed by himself, along with Noted violinist Nikos Economidis will be featured at the Festival of Greek Music and Dance 2002 Mariza Koh and others. which will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2002. Economidis recorded and released two Economidis completed the research and immense effort that such work required. It albums, “Arhondisa tou Limaniou” cataloging of the musical tradition of the hopes that the final product will stand for (Mistress of the Seaport) and “Choros sta North and East Aegean, which he a long time and that it will be inscribed in Kymata” (Dance in the Waves), and two presented to the public in a record entitled the musical pantheon of peoples’ others “Agapi kai Thalassa” (Love and Sea) “East of the Aegean” released by Verso. consciences and histories. t and “Otan akoun to violi” (When I Listen Recently, he completed the research and to the Violin) with Eleni Lekaki, which registering of the traditional music of were both very successful. Songs from Amorgos, which is presented in the record those records, such as “Opa Opa” and “Passage to Amorgos”, released by Keros “Gianda na Min Theleis Gianda” became Music. In his record we find remarkable big hits throughout the country. He has artists such as Domna Samiou, Giasemi participated in International Festivals and Saragoula, Popi Kovaiou and others. has contributed to the formation of traditional music bands such as Keros and The Educational and Cultural Society of “I Akrites. He has worked with many great Vokaria” of the island of Chios was the artists of traditional music (Chronis producer of Economidis’ CD, “East of the Aidonidis, Domna Samiou, etc.) as well as Aegean”. In its introduction, the Board of Mariza Koh, Haris Alexiou, Giorgos Directors mentions that it was a great Dalaras at the Music Megaron of Athens honor and pleasure to see that Mr. and in concerts in Greece and abroad. Economidis had accepted the undertaking Economidis has taught traditional music of this album. He is considered to be one at the University of Southern Maine as the most recognized, beloved and superior part of a cultural exchange program artists whose expertise is endorsed sponsored by the ministry of Aegean and without any hesitation. The Board U.S.M. He is currently preparing to release absolutely trusts his ethos, style, musical “Nissiotiki Zigia”, a record with traditional education and respect for the true songs from the western Cyclades and meaning of folk traditions. Nikos Economidis’ virtuoso talents will feature an array other neighboring regions. During the of musical instruments such as the violin and lute. Mr. summers, he gives concerts accompanied The Board greeted Niko’s initiative from Economidis will lead a group of ten folk musicians that by the music group Keros. In 1998, Nikos the bottom of its heart, realizing the will provide an evening full of Greek island traditions. 2 Orpheus Hellenic Folklore Society Fun in the Sun by Kathy Tomaras Like many Greek-Americans, I ventured the early morning hours, off this summer for a two-month vacation we retired to the beach to my parent’s homeland, Greece. My where we waited for the vacation began in Athens, where I spent sun to rise as we engaged the majority of my stay. I arrived in Athens in lively conversations, early in June (and when I say early, I mean games and song. Then 4:00 a.m. early!). My cousin picked me up we were off to bed at 6:00 from the “new” Greek airport, “EL. a.m.—and the process Benizelos,” and so my journey began. began all over again the next day! I spent the first month of my trip in my parents’ village of Agios Petros, Kinourias. The World Camp Apart from the typical bread baking, program also consisted donkey riding, and watching of old men of various events and enjoying wine in the plateia’s (town trips. Some of the daily square) taverns, I also experienced a events included pottery traditional Greek village wedding. The classes, cooking classes, religious ceremony took place at the and of course, dance church of Agios Petros. For the reception lessons. I had originally the bride and groom had set-up tables in signed-up for a pottery the middle of the plateia for their 900 class because I wanted guests, consisting of their family, friends to experience something and people from the village. The festivities new. However, after continued into the next morning with lots making one beautiful Yannis Gevgelis playing the daouli at the Festival of Greek Music & of food, music and dancing. sculpture in pottery class, Dance 2001 that was held in April. I was asked by the After the wedding, I boarded a bus back to director of the camp to help instruct the performed with Orpheus in the Festival of Athens—only to leave a few days later for a dance classes, and so I did. Other events Greek Music and Dance 2001 in April. trip to Skotina, a village about 30 minutes included day trips to Dion, an archeo- Yannis met me at the local train station in away from Katerini. In Skotina, I took part logical site in Northern Greece, and Kifisia, and took me to his home in Nea in “World Camp 2001”, a special camp Meteora, a beautiful mountain range with Smirni, where his family welcomed me organized by SAE for young adults of numerous Greek monasteries perched on with open arms. His mother, Despina Greek descent. From Athens, I had a long the mountain peaks. The ultimate event Gevgelis, is a former member of Dora train ride to Larissa, and then a two-hour for me, however, was my birthday Stratou’s theater. That night, Yannis took bus ride to the campsite on Skotina Beach. celebration. The night before my birthday, me to a performance at the Theater of we found a club in the village of Dora Stratou, where he plays the daouli After registering with the camp Platamona, about a mile from the and toumbeleki.