MEDIA RELEASE

A Tribute to the Women of Rebetika (The Greek blues) - is an all female cast featuring, an ensemble of local and international artists who perform songs of love, desire, displacement, sorrow and survival... A multimedia, musical concert, paying homage to some of the best female artists of that era, including Roza Eskenazi, Rita Abatzi, Marika Ninou and Sotiria Bellou. This emotionally charged show reflects the struggle of displacement and songs that were written during that time. The expulsion of Greeks from Istanbul (Constantinople), Asia Minor (Smyrna) and the Black sea (Pontos) from 1915-1922, saw millions, many on foot, pouring onto European mainland and into the heart of Athens where the music of Rebetika began to flourish. This passion and spirit of survival, likens itself to the plight of African-Americans in the 1900's and dare we say, similar to our emerging communities in Melbourne, who fled their homeland for a better life elsewhere.. This concert brings music of nostalgic nights with female voices in songs that are embellished with traditional instruments of bouzouki, laouto (lute), guitar, baklama, violin, & accordion.

Sunday July 5th 2009
7.00pm
Melbourne Town Hall


SYNOPSIS: A Tribute to the Women of Rebetika (the Greek blues) - is an all female cast, featuring an ensemble of local and international artists, performing songs of love, desire, displacement, sorrow and survival...

MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Georgia Prattis georgia@shivanamusic.org