Earlier this year I went to Paleros, a quaint town on the Greek coast, for a yoga retreat.
I must admit I’m not really a yoga person (more a Pilates girl myself), but I recently found myself in need of some spiritual healing. The trip also presented itself as an excellent opportunity to carry out some on-the-ground research of the Greek music scene. In other words, asking perplexed taxi drivers what song is playing on the radio and surreptitiously sticking on Shazam during dinner at the taverna while fellow yogis ask me, “So what brings you here?” (Everyone is here for a reason: it’s like we’re all in self-help jail together).
This initially started out as a Picks of the Month, but I found myself drawn to the real treasure trove of older music, so, without further ado, here’s a selection of my favourite Greek artists. Enjoy.
Kostas Tournas
The year is 1970, the state-controlled radio and loudspeakers broadcast traditional demotiki mousiki (traditional Greek folk music) and propaganda from the military junta dictatorship. In the late-night clubs and bars, young Athenians move to a different beat. Groups such as Poll, led by a young Kostas Tournas, form the soundtrack to the resistance movement. Tournas is widely regarded as a pioneer of Greek rock, and his landmark solo album Aperanta Horafia (Infinite Fields) was considered a bold act of defiance against the military junta. Inspired by the likes of Queen and The Who, it blended prog-rock and psychedelic influences and was recorded with a full symphony orchestra – a privilege typically reserved for military anthems.
George Dalaras
Dalaras is the master of rebetiko, also known as the Greek Blues. He’s considered a legendary figure in Greek music, bridging the gap between modern music and the cherished urban blues genre. Rebetiko emerged as the song of the disenfranchised in the 20th century. It was banned during the Metaxas dictatorship (1936-1941) and heavily censored again during the Greek military junta (1967-1974). Today, it’s part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Miltos Paschalidis
Crete, the birthplace of Zeus, and the mythological home to King Minos and the minotaur in the labyrinth. It is the island that has inspired countless poets, writers, and musicians over the centuries. Miltos Paschalidis is one of them. Born in Kalamata and moving to Crete in 1987 for university, he fell in love with the island and ended up staying for the next 16 years. His debut solo album Paramythi me lypimeno telos (1995) is inspired by Crete’s Lake Kournas. Often only accompanied by an acoustic guitar or bouzouki, Paschalidis sometimes brings in a full band, such as in Vithismenes Agires (Sunken Anchors), where the swell of an accordion add a powerful emotive depth.
Katy Garbi
Garbi started her singing career aged just 16 and represented her country in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest, coming ninth place. Since then a string of best-selling albums has cemented her legacy as a major influence on Greek popular music. Her songs are full of catchy pop melodies and rooted in Greek folk music, laïka (side note: for those wondering about the difference between rebetiko and laïka, this article provides a helpful explanation). Take her biggest hit Pes To M’Ena Fili, which opens with a bouzouki flourish and folk motifs, building into a hooky chorus.
Despina Vandi
Despina Vandi is a household name in Greece. Her breakout single Ipofero (I Suffer) (2000), is one of the country’s best-selling singles of all time. It’s a euphoric Eurodance hit and the perfect song for a main character moment on the dancefloor. Her follow-up track, Gia (2001) was ahead of its time with cross-over Euro trance beats and laïka (folk) rhythms. The album of the same name was certified multi-platinum and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time in Greece and Cyprus.
Rita Sakellariou
Rita Sakellariou’s life story is a tale of rags to riches. She grew up in poverty after her father, a shoemaker, was shot dead by police during the Civil War. She was married at just 14 and had two children shortly afterwards. As a young woman, she sang in local tavernas to make ends meet, until she was discovered by Stelios Chrysinis, the famous blind bouzouki player and composer who helped make her a star. Her enchanting ballads captured the heart of the nation with songs like Istoria mou, amartia mou (My story, my sin). By her death in 1999, she had become a beloved national figure, bridging political and social divides. Her fans included Greece’s first socialist prime minister, Andreas Papandreou, who credited her emotive music as one of the main reasons he could win three elections.
