Museum of Greek Folk Art - External View
A video showing the external view of the Greek's Folk Art Museum - Athens - Greece
Athens Greece - 2006
a nice week in Athens, all those nice buildings, the harbour.
Around neighborhoods of the historical centre
The core of the historic centre is the Plaka neighborhood (at the eastern side of the Acropolis), which has been inhabited without interruption since antiquity. When you walk through the narrow labyrinthine streets lined with houses and mansions from the time of the Turkish occupation and the Neoclassical period (19th c.), you will have the impression of travelling with a time machine. You will encounter ancient monuments, such as the Lysikrates Monument, erected by a wealthy donor of theatrical performances, the Roman Agora with the famed Tower of the Winds (1st c. B.C.) and Hadrian's Library (132 A.D.), scores of bigger and smaller churches, true masterpieces of Byzantine art and architecture, as well as remnants of the Ottoman period (Fetihie Mosque, Tzistaraki Mosque, the Turkish Bath near the Tower of the Winds, the Muslim Seminary, et al.). There are also some interesting museums (Folk Art, Greek Children's Art, Popular Musical Instruments, Frysira Art Gallery, etc.), lots of picturesque tavernas, cafés, bars, as well as shops selling souvenirs and traditional Greek products.
Cultural Traditional Center (KE.L.E.) Larissa, GREECE
In 1985 in Thessaloniki, a group of university students meet each other to share their anxiety about preservation and spread of our folk tradition.
Ten years later, in 1995, that seed gave fruits in Larissa (Greece) when 25 people joined and started to talk about ways we have forgotten and they suggest a beautiful struggle, the struggle of trying to preserve our cultural heritage and enrich our everyday life with stored up treasures and tried practices of knowledge.
That’s how it was created the Cultural Traditional Research Center (KE.L.E.), a non – profitable company of about 800 members who aim at making their everyday life approach once more its natural size and human values, should be defined again under the rule of simple, time-lasting joys – the joys of creation, cozy meetings and elimination of loneliness through INTERVENTION.
The members of the Center themselves have created a beautiful, friendly haunt where they meet each other every day. Nearby there is a workshop for making folk costumes (there have already been made about 900 costumes) from over Greece.
Having as a motto “Dance is only the motive” 800 people, of 4 to 76 years old, are today taught various traditional dances from all region of Greece.
Seminars, convention, festivals (we already participated in festivals in Greece, abroad and the origination of School Festival was the initiative of KE.L.E.), every kind of festivity are not dealt with simply as a show, but they aim and will aim at making all believe that social problems cannot be solved by fragmentary, individual action by collective effort and everybody’s accession into a cultural process. We should make spectator ask himself / herself questions, look for the change of today’s crisis, change daily routine, change attitude towards life, create what we call CIVILIZATION.
kelexoros@gmail.com
4K Christmas in Athens, Greece! An unforgettable experience in the land of myths
Christmas in the Greek Capital: ATHENS!
Turning into a very special Christmas destination for this year’s holiday season, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center invites people of all ages to experience the holiday spirit, with
a rich and varied program inspired by the season’s magic! The ice rink at the Canal and the Christmas lighting set the stage for unforgettable holiday events for the whole family. Discover the secrets of the Park and find out how you can interact with the holiday lights!
Music abounds in SNFCC’s Christmas World! A number of
concerts are taking place, starting with the Simon Bolivar Trumpet Ensemble on 14/12, presenting exciting pieces from its repertoire, and, a few days later, on 17/12, the same orchestra, along with the young musicians of El Sistema Greece, perform music by Mozart, Verdi, Morricone, and a host of other composers. On
18 and 19/12, Greek National Opera’s Stavros Niarchos Hall is hosting a panoramic survey of music from the films of Harry Potter, our favorite sorcerer. Furthermore, cross-cultural children's choir Polyphonica, mixed adult choir Musica, and Camerata Junior string orchestra are giving a concert on 23/12 at the Lighthouse, beaming us to different parts of the world. On 29/12, just before the curtain drops for 2017, the multifarious drummer Sera Bellos and the exuberant British frontman Bradley White Dale perform select songs by great artists. Finally, shortly before the end of the holiday season, Gumbo Ya Ya and Sugahspank! enrapture us all at the Lighthouse!
At the heart of the SNFCC Christmas World, situated on the Canal in front of the Agora, is the SNFCC Ice Rink. Between 1 December 2018 and 27 February 2019, it will be welcoming visitors of all ages to ice-skate.
Christmas in Greece might not be a concept advertised by your go-to travel site, but it’s actually an excellent time to visit. Far fewer tourists crowd the streets than during the summer, yet everywhere you go (stores, restaurants, bars – in the villages and in the cities) people are on top of their game. The cities light up, metaphorically and literally.
You’ll notice ornamental boats decorated with twinkle lights – the modern incarnation of the old national tradition of women and children making small boats at this time of year in honor of St. Nicholas. From the bakeries comes the smell of clove and cinnamon-infused cookies and cakes, and everywhere you go, people greet you with a happy “Chronia Polla” (many years), “Kala Christougenna” (Merry Christmas), or “Kali Chronia” (Happy New Year).
The Greek capital might not have the natural Christmassy vibe of Europe’s many snow-covered medieval cities, but the Athenians do their best to make up for it with decorations and events all around town. So if you’re having a hard time finding the holiday spirit on a sunny December day in Athens, here’s what to do.
DRINK HOT CHOCOLATE AT THE COZY CAFES
Sometimes all you need to set the tone for Christmas is a warm cup in your hands, and a cozy environment.
At Little Tree Books and Coffee which is a combined café and book shop, for example, you feel almost like it’s decorated for Christmas all year round. Have a cocoa or a coffee, paired with a piece of cake or pie, surrounded by cute furniture and rows and rows of books. If you have Greek friends or family to shop for, you might even find some presents on the shelves. At Anafiotika the fireplace keeps you warm and the atmosphere cozy.
If these places don’t manage to put you in the spirit of the holidays, the following two cannot fail. At Fairytale, in Nea Filadelphia, they don’t just make wonderful desserts to satisfy the sugar cravings that famously come with this season, but the whole store becomes eye candy too, as they decorate their hearts out.
Even more extravagant is Little KooK, in Psyrri; the central Athenian masters of decoration. They go all out every holiday (and if it’s not a holiday, they make a theme up!). For Christmas, as you might imagine, entering the café is like stepping into what Christmas morning felt like as a child. To begin with, inside and out, the whole place is covered in lights, fir twigs, ornaments, and “snow”. The front features a huge display featuring carollers, a horse (which may seem random, but we like it), trees and all manner of holiday-themed decorations and characters. The beverages and desserts here are just as on point and aimed to satisfy your yuletide cravings.
#christmasingreece #christmasineurope #exoticgreece
Plaka, Anafiotika & Syntagma (Αθήνα/Athens)
Pláka (Greek: Πλάκα) is the picturesque old historical neighbourhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. During the early modern age and until the early 20th century Plaka was noted at the time as the Albanian quarter of Athens[1][2][3][4][5] It is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists around the year, and is under strict zoning and conservation regulations, being the only neighborhood in Athens where all utilities (water, power, cable television, telephone, internet, and sewage) lie underground in fully accessible, custom-made tunnelling. Motor vehicles are not allowed in Plaka, and most streets are too narrow, thus not being able to accommodate them anyway.
Museums in Plaka include the new Jewish Museum of Greece, the Greek Folk Art Museum and the Frissiras Museum. Excavations have proven that Adrianou Street is the oldest street in Athens still in continuous use with the exact same layout since antiquity. Of special interest is the neighborhood of Anafiotika, the part of Plaka that is built against the northern slope of the Acropolis; built by immigrants from the Aegean island of Anafi in the early 19th century, it features traditional Cycladic architecture.
The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates near the Acropolis of Athens was erected by the choregos Lysicrates, a patron of many theatrical performances in the Theater of Dionysus, to commemorate the award of first prize in 335 BC or 334 BC, to one of the performances he had sponsored. The choregos was the sponsor who paid for and supervised the training of the dramatic dance-chorus.
Syntagma Square (Greek: Πλατεία Συντάγματος, Constitution Square), is located in central Athens, Greece. The Square is named after the Constitution King Othon was forced to grant the people after a popular and military uprising, on September 3, 1843.
The square proper is bordered by Vassileos Georgiou A' Street to the north, Othonos Street to the south, Filellinon Street to the west and Amalias Avenue to the east. The eastern side of the square is higher than the western, and dominated by a set of marble steps leading to Amalias Avenue; beneath these lies the Syntagma metro station. The stairs emerge below between a pair of outdoor cafes, and are a popular city-centre gathering place. Syntagma also includes two green areas to the north and south, planted with shade trees, while in the center of the square a large water fountain traditionally hosts the occasionally sighted Syntagma pigeons, along with heat-tormented Athenians during the summer.
Syntagma Square is also the frequent site of political demonstrations. The Greek Parliament is immediately across Amalias Avenue to the east, and surrounded by the extensive National Gardens, which are open to the public. Every hour, the changing of the guard ceremony, performed by the Presidential Guard, is conducted in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the area between the square and parliament. On Sundays and official holidays, the ceremonial changing of the guard takes place with an army band and the majority of the 120 Evzones present at 11am.
Syntagma Square is also a hub for many forms of public transportation in Athens; Syntagma station of the Athens Metro is here, the tram stops here, and buses or trolley-buses are available to many points in the city. Travel between Syntagma Square and the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport is available via special airport bus and metro lines. Free wireless Internet access at high speeds (4 Mbit/s) is offered by the Municipality of Athens at the Square.
The Square is also located near many of Athens' oldest and most famous neighbourhoods and tourist attractions. The neighborhoods of Plaka (Πλάκα), Monastiraki (Μοναστηράκι), Psiri (Ψυρρή) and Kolonaki (Κολωνάκι) are all within walking distance, and most of the famous sites of ancient Athens are nearby, including the Acropolis (Ακρόπολις), the Theater of Dionysus, the Areopagus, the Ancient Agora of Athens (Αρχαία Αγορά των Αθηνών) with Hadrian's Library, the Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora, the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, the Arch of Hadrian (Αψίς του Ανδριανού), the Temple of Olympian Zeus (Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός), the Pnyx (Πνύκα), the Philopappos Monument (Μνημείο του Φιλοπάππου) on the Hill of the Nymphs, the Kerameikos Cemetery (Νεκροταφείο Κεραμικού), the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Μνημείο του Αγνώστου Στρατιώτη) and Lycabettus Hill. Historic churches also dot the area, some dating from the Middle Ages. (wikipedia)
VALPARD FILMS
Greek Laouto: Composing in the Mediterranean Tradition
The Vasilis Kostas trio performs at Crossing Customs: Immigrant Masters of Music & Dance Sept 8, 2018 concert at Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, MA 9/2/18 produced by Mass Cultural Council. Film production by Blake Road Productions. Visit Folk Arts & Heritage Program (massfolkarts.org) to discover other traditional artists in Massachusetts.
K.Sfetsas - Διπλοχρωμία/ Colours in Double (1988)
Ι. Largο – Moderato (00:20)
ΙΙ. Allegro (08:51)
Kyriakos Sfetsas (1945) is one of the most important Greek composers of contemporary music. He learned music in the place he was raised, Leukada, and National Conservatory in Athens with Krinio Kalomiris. In 1967, he moves in Paris on a scholarship, where he continued his studies on music with Max Deutsch. From 1975 where he returned to Greece, he he served as head of the music departments of the 2nd and 1st Programmes, head of the 3rd Programme of Hellenic Radio and Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Lefkada. His body of work consists of a large number of compositions drawing influence from a lot of different musical genres like western art, greek folk, electronic and jazz music. More information about the composer here:
The work presented on this video is Colours in Double for folk clarinet and chamber orchestra. This piece, commissioned by composer Theodore Antoniou and the Heraklion Festival, was written from May to July 1988 as a tribute to virtuoso traditional music performer Vassilis Soukas (whom performs the folk clarinet in the recording). The work is a rare and compelling combination of western art music and greek traditional music with the traditional musician (with no western music education whatsoever) performing side by side with the chamber orchestra. Extended analysis of the piece from the musicologist George Leotsakos in English and Greek here:
Director: Theodore Antoniou
Folk clarinet: Vassilis Soukas
The Boston University ALEA III Orchestra
Live recording (first performance) at “N.Kazantzakis” open theatre, August 27, 1988, Heraklion Summer Festival.
O Kυριάκος Σφέτσας (1945) είναι από τους σημαντικότερους Έλληνες συνθέτες σύγχρονης μουσικής. Διδάχτηκε μουσική στον τόπου που μεγάλωσε, τη Λευκάδα, και στο Εθνικό Ωδείο στην Αθήνα με την Κρινιώ Καλομοίρη. Το 1967, εγκαθίσταται στο Παρίσι με υποτροφία, όπου και συνεχίζει τις σπουδές του στη μουσική με τον Μax Deutsch. Από το 1975 που γύρισε στην Ελλάδα, έχει διατελέσει ως μουσικός διευθυντής του 1ου και 2ου Προγράμματος της Ε.Ρ.Α., διευθυντής του 3ου και καλλιτεχνικός διευθυντής του Πνευματικού Κέντρου του Δήμου Λευκάδας. Στο έργο του περιλαμβάνεται σημαντικός αριθμός μουσικών συνθέσεων με ποικίλες επιρροές από την λόγια δυτική, ελληνική παραδοσιακή, ηλεκτρονική και τζαζ μουσική. Περισσότερες πληροφορίες για το συνθέτη εδώ:
Το έργο που παρουσιάζεται σε αυτό το βίντεο είναι η Διπλοχρωμία για σόλο λαϊκό κλαρίνο και ορχήστρα δωματίου. Το έργο αυτό, παραγγελία από τον συνθέτη Θόδωρο Αντωνίου και το Φεστιβάλ Δήμου Ηρακλείου, γράφτηκε από τον Μάιο έως τον Ιούλιο του 1988 αφιερωμένο στον δεξιοτέχνη λαϊκό οργανοπαίχτη Βασίλη Σούκα (ο οποίος ερμηνεύει το κλαρινό). Το έργο αποτελεί ένα ιδιαίτερο κι ενδιαφέρον πάντρεμα δυτικής λόγιας και παραδοσιακής ελληνικής μουσικής με έναν σπουδαίο λαϊκό ερμηνευτή να σολάρει με το κλαρίνο του πλάι σε μια ορχήστρα δωματίου. Ανάλυση του έργου από το μουσικολόγο Γιώργο Λεωτσάκο στα ελληνικά και στα αγγλικά εδώ:
Διεύθυνση: Θόδωρος Αντωνίου
Λαϊκό κλαρίνο: Βασίλης Σούκας
Ορχήστρα ALEA III του Πανεπιστημίου της Βοστώνης
Ζωντανή ηχογράφηση (1η εκτέλεση του έργου) στο κηποθέατρο «Ν.Καζαντζάκης», 27 Αυγούστου 1988, Θερινό Φεστιβάλ Ηρακλείου.
Greek folk dances Athens Kolonaki with Rigas Konstantinos8.1.16 - 163135
Greek folk dances Athens Kolonaki with Rigas Konstantinos8.1.16 - 163135
Athens | National Historical Museum
The Permanent Exhibition of the National Historical Museum covers the history of Modern Greece since the fall of Constantinople (1453) to the War of 1940. It is in the Center of Athens on Stadiou Street, a short stroll from the Syndagma Metro Station.Through relics, artifacts, weapons, personal items, clothing, and maps, visitors can follow the progress of the Greek nation during the Turkish and Venetian rule of Greece, the Greek revolution of 1821, the independence and the formation of the new Greek state, the expansion of the frontiers during the Balkan Wars, the adventure of the Asia Minor campaign, up through the Second World War. These are complemented by aspects of daily life and Greek society in the Museum's rich folklore collection.The Old Parliament Building was founded in 1858 by Queen Amalia and designed by Francois Boulanger. It was the first permanent home of the Greek Parliament. It was modified by the Greek architect Panagiotis Kalkos and completed in 1875. It was used by Parliament until 1935 and has since been the Museum of Modern History.
more info:
Ελληνική Λαίκή Τέχνη-Greek Folk Art
Produced with CyberLink PowerDirector 9
Athen Greece - Hasapiko (Greek Traditional Dance) Under Acropolis
Greek Folk Dance Hasapiko, in an outdoor theater right under the Acropolis. Performers wore traditional costumes, and danced to a full traditional Greek band. Opa!
Sourountina (Origin: Cappadocia) - Traditional Greek Folk Dance
1st of six dances performed by our group at the 2013 Calgary Greek Festival.
Streets of Plaka and bus to airport (Αθήνα/Athens)
Pláka (Greek: Πλάκα) is the picturesque old historical neighbourhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. During the early modern age and until the early 20th century Plaka was noted at the time as the Albanian quarter of Athens It is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists around the year, and is under strict zoning and conservation regulations, being the only neighborhood in Athens where all utilities (water, power, cable television, telephone, internet, and sewage) lie underground in fully accessible, custom-made tunnelling. Motor vehicles are not allowed in Plaka, and most streets are too narrow, thus not being able to accommodate them anyway.
Museums in Plaka include the new Jewish Museum of Greece, the Greek Folk Art Museum and the Frissiras Museum. Excavations have proven that Adrianou Street is the oldest street in Athens still in continuous use with the exact same layout since antiquity. Of special interest is the neighborhood of Anafiotika, the part of Plaka that is built against the northern slope of the Acropolis; built by immigrants from the Aegean island of Anafi in the early 19th century, it features traditional Cycladic architecture.
(wikipedia)
VALPARD FILMS
Athens: Face The History, Culture, Beauties And Art Of Hellenic Capital Athens
Athens: Face The History, Culture, Beauties And Art Of Hellenic Capital Athens
Faces of Athens is a lively introduction to this ancient and awesome city.
The thriving capital of Greece sprawls out from the foot of its magnificent Acropolis. Famous Agoras, Hadrians monuments and the temple of Zeus are one of the most beautiful attractions of this ancient and at the same time urban city.
Head into the Plaka Disrtict, Syntagma Square or Monastiraki for a more old world/new world mix of the city, and don't forget to visit the museums, endless restaurants & cafes, Central Market or best shopping spots. One of the world's most traditional yet progressive cities, Athens should be on every travel enthusiast's itinerary.
Historically Athens was once a powerful city state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus. A center for the artist, philosophers and academics this city is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy.
Today a cosmopolitan metropolis, modern Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece.
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MSCS PMB Trip -- Athens, Greece 2007 Part 4/5
#4 A Memorable Night of Greek Folk Dance
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At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Greece was once the center of the civilized world. The legacy of ancient Greece endures in our language and our ideas. Yet we know surprisingly little about this country's rich culinary traditions. Travel to Greece where leading chefs and food authorities will explain and demonstrate their culinary techniques in step-by-step detail. The Culinary Institute of America, in association with Unilever Foodsolutions, presents Savoring the Best of World Flavors.
MYGDONIA FOLK DANCE GROUP - THESSALONIKI GREECE
INTER. FOLK FESTIVAL OF SARVAR-HUNGARY 2016
[Wikipedia] Folk Art Museum of Patras
Patras (Greek: Πάτρα, Greek pronunciation: [ˈpatra], Classical Greek and Katharevousa: Πάτραι (pl.), Greek pronunciation: [pátrai̯], Latin: Patrae (pl.)) is Greece's third-largest city and the regional capital of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, 215 km (134 mi) west of Athens. The city is built at the foothills of Mount Panachaikon, overlooking the Gulf of Patras.
Patras has a population of 213,984 (in 2011). The core settlement has a history spanning four millennia; in the Roman period it had become a cosmopolitan center of the eastern Mediterranean whilst, according to Christian tradition, it was also the place of Saint Andrew's martyrdom. According to the results of 2011 census, the metropolitan area has a population of 260,308 and extends over an area of 738.87 km2 (285.28 sq mi).
Dubbed as Greece's Gate to the West, Patras is a commercial hub, while its busy port is a nodal point for trade and communication with Italy and the rest of Western Europe. The city has two public universities and one Technological Institute, hosting a large student population and rendering Patras a major scientific centre with a field of excellence in technological education. The Rio-Antirio bridge connects Patras' easternmost suburb of Rio to the town of Antirrio, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with mainland Greece.
Every year, in February, the city hosts one of Europe's largest carnivals: notable features of the Patras Carnival include its mammoth satirical floats and balls and parades, enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors in a Mediterranean climate. Patras is also famous for supporting an indigenous cultural scene active mainly in the performing arts and modern urban literature. It was European Capital of Culture in 2006.
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Greek folk dance
Greek folk dance on tourists' boat.
Danse folklorique grecque
Dances of Western Thrace, Greece (3)
Traditional dancing by men and women, accompanied by singing and a small orchestra in Xanthi, Western Thrace, in the northeast of Greece.The tempo of the dance speeds up towards the end.