Presented by Adelaide musician and ethnomusicologist Demeter Tsounis, this multicultural, multi-instrumental, multi-masterclass of music, dance and song will be something extra special for all!  

Demeter learnt to play two traditional instruments, the baglama and toumberleki at the Moschos Popular School of Traditional Music in Athens, Greece.

WHAT IS REBETIKA??

Rebetika music is a traditional urban music of Greek-speaking people that peaked in the first half of the 20th century.  It is the music of everyday life, translocation, hardship, love and celebration.   Together with the bouzouki family of instruments it has become iconic with Greek identity‑with deep historical roots, with soulful expression, and with world consciousness.

There will be a multimedia presentation with archival photographs and recordings to explore the history of the music and its transformations from the earliest forms of the rebetika urban folksong and café-aman to the smyrneïka, piraiötika, laïka, and contemporary neo- rebetika. 

This will be complimented with the live performance of rebetika by Demeter Tsounis in collaboration with Takis Dimitriu , Achilles Yiangoulli and  Anthea Sidiropoulos, three outstanding local Melbourne musicians. We will also delve into dance with Melbourne's Greek community dance leader Nick Papaefthimiou and well-respected bellydancer "Zabelle".