Music and Dance

Greek Music: An Overview

From the beginning, music has been an integral part of Greek culture. The earliest written music of the ancient world and music history was found in Greece. Recently, musicologists discovered that Greek musicians notated their music on various pieces of utilitarian art, such as clay pots and bowls. As a result, we now know the beginnings of the evolution of Greek music, and modern day musicians dedicated to performance practice may attempt to replicate the sounds of the Ancient Greeks.

However, the music of the Greek people has come a long way since the beginnings of notated music. From these ancient tunes evolved folk songs that are an integral part of Greek culture. Other styles that were created out of the ancient world include Kantada (romantic serenade music), Nisiotika (popular dancing songs), and Rebetiko (“Greek urban blues”).

Today, Greek musicians have melded these styles of music with popular culture, but many have continued to use traditional instruments in their works, such as the bouzouki – a plucked string instrument. Today’s global world means that Greek musicians are popularized across the world, especially ethnic niches such as Greek Astoria. As a result, many popular Greek musicians have strong followings in the United States. The musicians highlighted on this page either live in Astoria, or have a strong following in Astoria. Many of them travel between Greece and the United States on tours, and all of these musicians are an integral part of keeping Astoria’s residents in touch with their Greek heritage.¹

 

Grigoris Maninakis of the Mikrokosmos Ensemble

Grigoris (Greg) Maninakis is the founder of the Mikrokosmos Ensemble, a popular Greek music group. Greg Maninakis was born on the island of Chios, Greece, but he was raised on the island of Limnos, where he lived until he won an athletic scholarship to come to the United States. Maninakis studied engineering at Columbia University, and eventually became a professor at the State University of New York, where he has been a professor for the last 35 years.

Greg Maninakis became involved in music because of the political turmoil that plagued Greece around the time he graduated from Columbia University in 1973. His home country was suffering because of a military dictatorship, and several politicians who opposed the regime came to America to form a choir. Political activists and musicians Mikis Theodorakis, Melina Mercuri and Julles Dessin formed a choir called “The Greek Popular Chorus of New York”, which Greg Maninakis became involved in. This involvement sparked Maninakis’ 35 year career as a solo singer and musician, as well as cantor at St. Demetrios Church in New York.

Twenty years ago, Maninakis formed the Mikrokosmos Ensemble. The style of music played by Mikrokosmos evolved out of the Greek “Boite” music, which was club music popular in the 60s and 70s. Maninakis sings vocals for the group, also with members Glafkos Kontemeniotis (piano), Kostas Psarros (bouzouki: a traditional Greek plucked string instrument), Megan Gould (violin), and Spiros Arnakis (drums). The Mikrokosmos Ensemble is widely popular among Greek-Americans, especially in the ethnic enclave of Astoria. On his music group, Maninakis says, “It is my desire to educate all people, Greek and non-Greek alike, and those philhellenes, to the Greek history and culture in a fun, entertaining way with music… You will leave with a thirst of knowledge and the desire to continue the journey.” ²

 

Mario Frangoulis

In 1966, Mario Frangoulis was born in present-day Zimbabwe. His parents are Greeks from Corfu, and when he was four, Frangoulis was sent to live in Greece with his mother’s sister because of political tensions. In Greece, he studied violin at the Athens Conservatorium, after encouragement from his aunt. Frangoulis also studied drama at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he started his acting education in 1985.

At the Guildhall School, Mario played several important roles, such as Puck in a A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Marius in Les Miserables. The winner of a Maria Callas Prize for opera, Frangoulis accepted the opportunity to study voice for six months in Busseto, and in Italy as a student of Alfredo Kraus, tenor. Frangoulis was asked to star as Raoul in Phantom of the Opera by the composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, in 1991, and a year later, Mario won an Onassis Foundation Scholarship to study at the Julliard School in New York City.

Mario is currently exploring a solo singing career in Greece. he sings songs from the great Greek repertoire, including compositions by Hatdjidakis, Theodorakis and Markopoulos. He has also acted in Greek tragedies, playing roles such as Dionysus in “Bacchae” by Euripides, and Achilles in the drama “Achilleis”. Mario Frangoulis currently tours internationally, splits his time between America and Greece, and remains popular with Greek audiences around the world, especially in the United States and ethnic niches such as Astoria. ³

 

Xristos Xolidis

Xristos Xolidis is a popular Athens-born singer. He started his career as a professional basketball player and model. Xolidis found that these professions were not for him, and he eventually pursued the music career for which he is widely known today. He had his start in the music business after working with Roula Koromila, and in 2007, Xolidis released his first album: Do I Have To Let You Go.

Since then, Xolidis has released five more albums that have been largely popular among Greeks and Greek-Americans alike. This includes Yes, Yes, Yes (2010), Spoiled (2011) and Remember Me (2011). Xolidis won Best Video Clip for his song “Spoiled” at the Mad Video Music Awards in 2011. Xolidis is continually heralded for his energetic presence on stage, as well as his excellent vocals. He has done a lot of charity work, including a charity talent show with Maria Bekatorou, and he remains a popular musician among Greeks and Greek-Americans. ⁴

 

Traditional Greek Music and Its Role in Astoria

Today, traditional Greek music plays an integral role in the lives of Astoria’s residents. Music is an important part of Greek traditions, such as baptisms, marriages, and festivals. Greek-Americans often hire traditional bands and orchestras to play for these events, and the musicians play both traditional Greek music and American music, tying both cultures together during these important celebrations. Below are blurbs on some of the most prominent Greek orchestras and wedding bands in Astoria.

Alpha Orchestra

The Alpha Orchestra is made up of fourteen musicians who play both traditional Greek music and American music for weddings and other special events. The band utilizes traditional Greek instruments (Trifonas Nicolaides and Christos Papadopoulos on the Bouzouki) as well as modern ones such as synths and various other keyboards. On their website, Alpha Orchestra says, “With more and more Greek Americans marrying into other cultures, Alpha is the perfect choice for clients planning a multi-cultural event… From the Greek perspective, Alpha meets the need for traditional and regional folk dances, while also performing the latest popular tunes from Greece.” ⁵

Apollo Orchestras

Apollo Orchestras is a Greek music ensemble specializing in weddings, baptisms and festivals. They boast 20 years of experience in the music industry, and clients and venues include Lincoln Center, Symphony Space Live, and the Kaufman Music Center. The orchestra plays a mixture of Greek and Greek-American music, led by Lefteris Bournias, band leader and clarinetist.

Bournias attended the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College, where he earned a BA in Performance and a MS in Music Education. He performs internationally (especially in Greece and the United States) and he specializes in music styles of Chiros (duple Syrto and Tsifteteli). He is also the founder of another Greek band, the Kavala Brass Band, which plays traditional Greek music from Western Macedonia.

Apollo Orchestras main members also include Kostas Fotiadis (Bouzouki/Vocals), Thomas Vrettos (Singer), and Rena Tsapelas (Singer). ⁶

Europa Sounds: New York’s Elite Greek American DJ Entertainment Group

For the last 17 years, Europa Sounds has been catering to the Greek community. They provide music for weddings, christenings, engagements, Sweet 16’s, anniversaries, and social/corporate events. They work with both live musicians and DJs to provide the highest quality Greek music for their customers. Their website says, “We cater to all forms of Greek dance from all of Greece ranging from the traditional Mainland and Island dances to the most popular Modern Greek music out today.”

Europa Sounds partners with orchestras such as Apollo Orchestras, and videographers, photographers, florists, bakeries, and other specialists to make client’s events as special as possible. ⁷

 

Greek Composers

The following section spotlights some of the most prominent and widely regarded Greek composers known today.

Vasilis Tsitsanis

Vasilis Tsitsanis is know as one of most important composers of laika songs in the history of Greek music. Born in 1915 in Tikala, Tsitsanis was deeply influenced by his father’s mandolin playing and Byzantine chants he heard in church as a boy. Tsitsanis lost his father at the age of 11 and inherited his father’s mandolin, beginning his career as a composer and performer.

He began to compose songs at the age of 15, at which time had also began to perform in restaurants. He began to record his music in 1937 with the help of Dimitris Perdikopoulos. By 1939 he had recorded 25 songs in the folk music style. Tsitsanis composed 700 Greek songs total before he died in 1984. Tsitsanis’ most famous song is “Synnefiasmeni Kyriaki”.

Tsitsanis still has a strong influence on Greek culture and music today. Recording artists still perform folk songs that he composed, and he is regarded as one of the greatest Greek composers. ⁸

Mikis Theodorakis

Mikis Theodorakis is considered to be “the cornerstone of Greek music”. He is well known for his versatility within the music world. He composed music for many different venues and occasions, including but not limited to revolutionary causes, opera, and movies. He was born on the island of Chios in 1925, and studied composition at the conservatorium of music in Athens.

Theodorakis is significant because of his revolutionary work in the Greek music genre. In the 1960s, Theodorakis started to break the boundaries of the popular song, making it more sophisticated by setting Greek poetry to music. In the face of military divisions in Greece, Theodorakis did political work while touring the world as a concert performer. He worked to restore the Greek democracy, eventually landing himself in house arrest because of his political opinions. He still was able to smuggle his compositions out to the world while being oppressed in his own home. One of these works was a song cycle, based on the work of the Greek poets. One of his most famous works is “Zorba the Greek”.

He continues to compose today, working with some of the greatest musicians of our time, both Greek and non-Greek alike. Some of the musicians he has worked with include Edith Piah, Zulfu Livanelli and Leonard Bernstein. ⁹

Yannis (Yanni) Chryssomallis

Yannis (Yanni) Chryssomallis is a keyboard player and Greek composer. He was born in 1954 in Kalamata. He is one of the most well-known and widespread Greek composers worldwide, and is not able to read or write with traditional music notation.

Yanni originally wanted to be an Olympic swimmer, however, he developed an interest in music during college when he joined a rock band as a keyboard player. This group toured the Midwest United States, and Yanni became very popular in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

He began his solo career as a “contemporary instrumentalist”, and released his first album in 1992: Dare to Dream. With this album, he received his first Grammy nomination. His music is well known, and has been used repeatedly in television, including including the Super Bowl, Wide World of Sports, U.S. Open, Tour de France, World Figure Skating Championships, The Olympics, and ABC News. One of his most important albums, Live at the Acropolis, released a music video filmed under the Parthenon in Athens. The concert was filmed by PBS, and became one of the station’s most popular televised programs ever.

Yanni continues to record albums and tour worldwide. He is heralded as one of the most talented Greek composers and musicians and remains popular among Greeks and Greek-Americans. ¹⁰

Greek Dance: An Overview

Since the ancient times, dancing has been an important part of Greek culture. The tradition of Ancient Greek theater places an emphasis on dance as being equal to music. The English prefix “chor” such as in “chorus” or “choreography”  originates from the Greek word “Horos,” which refers to both dance and song. Today, many of the traditional dances remain intact from these ancient traditions, and are therefore a very powerful part of the Greek community.

Dancing is both important as a ritualistic gesture, such as dancing the “Isaia Horeve.”at weddings, as well as a spontaneous gesture. Often times, Greeks use dance as a way of self-expression, and even if there is no music, one just needs the mood to be right and someone to start singing for a dance to happen. Additionally, most Greek dances follow a series of traditional steps that have been passed down from generation to generation. These include the wedding dance, and also most line dances. Alternatively, improvisation is also an important part of tradition, where the dancer may add steps or make up their own in order to express themselves through the dance. ¹¹

In Astoria, the tradition and importance of dance is still  ever-present. The Greek-American community still places an emphasis on the education of future generations in dance. Ritualistic dances, line dances, and even the ability to improvise is taught to the younger members of the community. Two organizations that teach dance are The Greek American Folklore Society and the Saint Demetrios Greek Afternoon School.

The Greek American  Folklore Society is comprised of Greek Americans from age 12 and up. Anastasia Tsantes, the president of the society, dedicates herself to dancing and teaching about folklore of all the regions in Greece. The members of the organization have danced at many venues including Lincoln Center and Athens Square Park, as well as the Greek Independence Day Parade! ¹²Additionally, the society stores many traditional costumes that the dancers perform in. Although the building is small at Crescent Street on Ditmars, it is packed to the brim with people, costumes, and tradition. ¹³

The Saint Demetrios Greek Afternoon School also offers education in Greek dance. As culture and language are the emphasis of any ethnic school, it makes sense that dance classes would be offered at a Greek school. In addition to classes for school-aged children, the after school program also offers classes for adults, so that education is available to Greek Americans of all ages. ¹⁴ The school performs many plays each year that serves as a wonderful demonstration of Greek culture. The video below is the full version of one of their plays; posted to YouTube by the school. Skip around a bit and notice how many different types of dances, ritualistic and spontaneous, are performed!

Of course, there are professional traditional dance groups based in Astoria. These groups are usually associated with the church such as St. Demetrios,  or the region, such as the Pancyprian Association Inc. Dance Division formed in 1976. ¹⁵