Marina Deligianni, voice
Pavlos Carvalho, bouzouki
Manolis Taouxis, bouzouki, voice
Spiros Bolovinis, baglama, bouzouki, voice
Maria Tsirodimitri, guitar, voice
Sarah Carvalho-Dubost, guitar
Vassilis Tsitsanis (1915-1984) is probably the greatest icon of Greek music. Born out of the Rebetiko tradition, his music evolved into the more popular music form laiko. He is attributed with revolutionising the sound of Greek music with his special blending of modal and byzantine melodies from which an intricate rich sound emerges. For every one song that other composers wrote, Tsitsanis wrote ten. His imagination and creativity new no bounds and his songs, such as “Cloudy Sunday” have become anthems of Greece culture. Even today they are played daily over the radio and people of all ages listen and sing them as a part of daily life.
Plastikes Karekles
“Plastikes Karekles represent a culture of reinvention as defiant and hopeful as the music itself.”
–Songlines magazine
Plastikes Karekles are one of the foremost bands in the performance and cultivation of Greek music
in the UK and abroad. Internationally they have performed at festivals in Greece, France, Italy, Scotland, Wales and Qatar. In the UK they have performed at Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, St David’s Hall as part of the Proms, as well as more intimate venues such as the Green Note, Vortex Jazz Club and the Forge. Most recently Plastikes Karekleswere invited to open the Petersfield Festival and performed for Equator: Women of the World festival at Kings Place, London.
The musicians of Plastikes Karekles are also the founding members of the Rebetiko Carnival, a charity and festival with Rebetiko music at its heart and dedicated to performance, outreach and education. They take music to schools, hospitals, prisons and care homes throughout the UK.