Greek Music Days: Traditionals and Common Ones To Dance To

Panigiri of Panagia Myrtidiotissa & Festival Stroggyli

Athens / Kamari, Santorini, Greece 20260920-29

Coming from Austria, Greece is known from childhood on because of music. Udo Jürgens sang about the wine, Austropop pioneers STS wanted to stay there, even new singers like Yunger are inspired by the landscape of „Sarakina“. 

Of course, there are dozens of bands from the country, that keep touring with their Rock and Metal like Rotting Christ, Suicidal Angels, Planet Of Zeus, Nightstalker, Deaf Radio or Rattlesquad. Traveling to Athens and further to Santorini, the bars and restaurants play traditional artists like Filippos Pliatsik, Eleni Tsaligopoulou, Koinoi Thnitoi or Nikos Oikonomopoulos.  

With friendly and open-minded shop owners, it is easy to start conversations about festivals or Hawkwind. At the open air cinema of Kamari established in 1987, they ‚bring Santorini Jazz Radio to you‘ with names like Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong or Nina Simone and feature the musical movie „Mamma Mia“ (partly recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London). 

When going on a boat trip in the south with Barca Sailing, again local music and Bob Marley come from the speakers. But it gets really special, when hundreds of inhabitants come together at Kamari village center to celebrate Panigiri, a religious saint’s feast day for Panagia Mirtidiotissa presented by Pangrati Cultural Environmental Association. 

The place is open to everyone, and everyone is free to bring own drinks and snacks, or buy a selfmade menue with potatoes and fresh bread. There are towers of plastic seats, the kids climb on and can be placed anywhere. Only directly in front of the stage, some space is needed for the traditional dancers, that many join throughout the evening to the music of Vaggelis Sigalas and Mavroudis Antoniou. 

At the very same yard, a quartet (Manolis Fytros, Giannis Syvridis, Eleftheria Sekara, Giannis Kouelis) gets together the day right after as part of the Stroggyli music festival, taking place several weekends. Again, people – locals and tourists – grab a plastic chair and a drink, to listen to traditional songs like „Spasmeno Karavi“ (Dimitris Basis & Costas Hatzopoulos), Khruangbin-like instrumental jams and classics like „Hit The Road Jack“ or „Ain’t No Sunshine“. 

So it feels like music is in the blood and soul and simply everywhere to find in Greece. Unfortunately, Ma non Troppo on Sunday had to be rescheduled due to bad weather. But for sure the next chance for music from Greece will arrive soon again.