This October, Australia will host a “Rebetiko Caravan” featuring a lineup of local heavyweight rebetika musicians led by one of Greece’s most critically acclaimed artists in the genre.
The tour kicks off on October 20 with shows in Melbourne, Perth, Canberra and Sydney featuring leading artist Fotis Vergopoulos.
Belying his young age, Vergopoulos is acknowledged as an authority of rebetika in Greece and among the diaspora. The Athens native represents a new generation of talent and regularly surprises audiences with authentic and rarely heard rebetika tunes.
The Athens native was introduced to the world of music at age six by his father, Nikos, a founding member of the renowned group Apodimi Kompania.
Vergopoulos has performed in Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In his hometown, he has performed with artists including Agathonas Iakovidis, Martha Fritzila, Babis Gkoles and Manolis Pappos, among others.
Rebetika, also known as Greek blues, is the music of Greece’s underground which expresses themes of pain, exile, love, loss and hashish.
“No matter where I’ve played, even in Madagascar, people have a strong emotional response to rebetika,” Vergopoulos says. “It’s a universal experience where we come together to express pain and joy and healing.”
The musician says rebetika’s sound “transcends borders” and always finds a home in the hearts of listeners.
Following the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey, rebetika thrived among the exiled Asia Minor Greeks who were forced to re-settle in an all but foreign land. Beyond their suitcases, the dispossessed carried with them traditions, nostalgia and music.
There is a strong resurgence of this fringe genre among younger generations who, in the face of today’s harsh political realities, find solace in the very same songs that consoled countless people 100 years ago.
“Rebetiko Caravan” Tour dates
20 OCT | Brunswick Ballroom | Melbourne
21 OCT | Hellenic Club | Perth
28 OCT | Smith’s Alternative | Canberra
29 OCT | Mytilenian House | Sydney
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Greek Fringe website.
Click here to watch Fotis Vergopoulos’ performance of “Pente Xronia Dikasmenos” which aired in July 2014 on Greek TV.
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