Music - The Rough Guide to Greece - page 794

The most notable laïká performer was Stelios Kazantzidhis (1931-2001), whose
volcanic, mournful style was never equalled. His work, often in duets with Marinella
and Yiota Lidhia , immortalized the experiences of the Greek working class that emerged
from the 1940s faced with a choice of life under restrictive regimes or emigration.
“Stellaras” inspired fanatical devotion in his fans over a fifty-year career: truck-drivers
emblazoned their cabs with a single word, “Yparho” (the name of his biggest hit). On
the day he died nearly every CD player in the land played Kazantzidhis songs in
tribute, and his funeral in industrial Elefsína was thronged by thousands.
Singer-songwriters and folk-rock
The first significant musician to break the bouzoúki mould was Thessalonian Dhionysis
Savvopoulos , who emerged in 1966 with a maniacal, rasping voice and angst-ridden
lyrics, his persona rounded out by shoulder-length hair and outsized glasses.
Savvopoulos's work soon became impossible to pigeonhole: perhaps equal parts twisted
northern Greek folk, Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa at his jazziest. Though briefly
detained and tortured, he resumed performing, and became something of a touchstone
for late 1960s Greek youth.
Despite a modest discography, Savvopoulos had a considerable effect on younger
artists, and during his brief tenure as a record producer, Savvopoulos gave breaks to
numerous younger artists, many of them also from northern Greece. Among his
protégés were Nikos Xydhakis and Manolis Rasoulis , whose landmark 1978 album, Iy
Ekdhikisi tis Yiftias (The Revenge of Gypsydom), railed against the pretentiousness of
1960s and 1970s éntekhno and other “politically correct” music.
Contemporary music
Eleftheria Arvanitaki , who began her career on a Savvopoulos album, and continued
with rembétika revival group Opisthodhromiki Kompania, went on to dabble in
various genres, and around the millennium was Greece's hottest vocalist. Look out also
for Ross Daly who frequently appears live in Greece or tours abroad, offering fusion
interpretations of traditional pieces plus his own improvisations. He plays numerous
traditional Greek instruments and has absorbed influences not just from Crete, where
he was long resident, but from throughout the Near East. Two other exports from
Crete are mandolinist Loudhovikos ton Anoyeion , originally one of Hatzidhakis's
late-1980s Seirios artists, and the all-acoustic group Haïnidhes , last heard
accompanying acrobats and shadow-puppet players in a major Athens club.
Various other, less durable groups have attempted to explore foreign influences on
Greek music with mixed success. Often this eclecticism has gone too far, with bells,
sitar, ney and synthesizer resulting in a bland, New Age-y sound not identifiably Greek.
Individuals who have managed to avoid this trap include innovative young clarinettist
Manos Achalinotopoulos ; oud player Haig Yagdjian ; the group Notios Ihos , led by
Ahilleas Persidhis; singer Savina Yiannatou ; and the Greeks-and-Indians fusion concerts
and recordings coordinated by visionary Alexandhros Karsiotis of Saraswati Records.
Meanwhile, many of the younger generation of listeners, growing up on Hellenic
versions of shows like the X-Factor, have catapulted performers of maximum looks but
dubious talent such as Anna Vissi , Sakis Rouvas and 2005 Eurovison Song Contest
winner Elena Paparizou into the limelight.
Discography
The following CDs are among the best available for each of the genres detailed above:
Ì denotes a particularly strong recommendation. Unless otherwise specified, all are
Greek pressings. Athens has numerous good Greek CD stores (see p.113). Online,