| The Festival presents international musicians from Greece, USA and Japan as well as some of the finest Rebetiko musicians from Australia. Artist List: Rebetien, (Athens, Greece) Atsushi Tookaya, (Osaka, Japan) PolyXeni(San Diego, USA and Melbourne, Australia) Meyhané(Melbourne, Australia) George Doukas and the D Strings(Sydney, Australia) Mandolins of Smyrna, (Melbourne, Australia) The Bouzouki Orchestra, (Melbourne, Australia) Melbourne Rebetiko Ensemble(Melbourne, Australia) Rebetiko Trio(Melbourne, Australia) Alphington Grammar(Melbourne, Australia) Rebetienfrom Athens headlines this year’s Melbourne Rebetiko Festival. Rebetien are musicians that pay homage to old-school gramophone sounds through a meld of Middle Eastern, Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan music. Rebetien emphasises acoustic timbres with accordion, bass guitar, bouzouki, double bass and violin reflecting the interwar Rebetika of Smyrna (Izmir). The group’s experiments with arrangements also create a unique style. This year as part of the Festival, Rebetien will also perform in WOMADelaide, WOMAD New Zealand, Port Fairy Folk Festival and the Sydney Greek Festival. Atsushi Tookayafrom Tokyo Japan is the embodiment of ‘Adopt, Adapt, Adept’ the dictum of Japanese civilisation. The pathos and verve displayed by Atsushi make him an incredible bouzouki player and multi-instrumentalist. He plays the oud, saz and bouzouki and spent twenty years researching Rebetiko. Joining him will be our Rebetiko masters, Irene Vela (Habibis), Mairead Hannan (Xylouris Ensemble) and Paddy Montgomery. The Festival presents a host of Australian artists talent:Meyhané(may-ha-neh (Melb. Aus.) a Melbourne ensemble that breathes life into obscure, and extinct songs;PolyXeni, Jenny Theologidis (US), and Wayne Simmons (Aus.) focus on Old Laika (Popular songs);George Doukas and the D Strings, a ten-piece ensemble and string quartet belting out Rebetiko with a classical twist;Mandolins of Smyrna, (Melb. Aus.), are multi-instrumentalist Paddy Montgomery, Thomas Kendall and Daniel Watkins who together breathe new life into the century old songs of Smyrna (Izmir);The Bouzouki Orchestraled by Dean Georgalas delves into the repertoire of Giorgos Zambetas considered by many to be the most adroit bouzouki player of all time; and the well-lovedMelbourne Rebetiko Ensemblemade of Melbourne’sAchilles Yiangoulli,Con Kalamaras,Dean Georgalas, and vocalistAgapi Gioftsidis. Date: Sat 23 Mar 2019 Times: 3pm – 10pm Location: Melbourne Recital Centre Address: 31 Sturt Street, Southbank Tickets: $55 – $69 (plus booking fees) Groups 10+ Standard $58.65 We thank our partners and friends: Melbourne Recital Centre, Greek Centre for Contemporary Culture, Greek Festival of Sydney, the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Neos KosmosMedia, Antenna Pacific, PBS FM, SBS Radio, WOMADelaide, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Tsindos Greek Restaurant, Ellikon Fine Printers and Kape Communications, support the Melbourne Rebetiko Festival. For bookings go to: Book Now |
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