Search - Nikos Papazoglou :: Anthologia

Soul stirring Greek Music

Miranda Zannos | Greece, but living in Los Angeles. | 05/18/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection of modern Greek songs is by an extremely popular artist in Greece who mixes old and traditional sounds, with a bit of rock thrown in here and there.This music will appeal to Greeks and others who enjoy very Middle Eastern sounds, as there are influences from Asia Minor in his music, and he sings with a rather nasal tone. I'm a Greek and lived in Athens from 1987 until 1999 , and in those years Papazoglou peaked in popularity , having fantastically moving concerts in which the audience was electrified by the melodies and lyrics. I've been to 5 of his concerts , all at an open air theatre on Lycavitos Hill , and all were magical. On the CD you can hear the crowd at this theatre, which conveys at least part of the feeling the musician puts across to the people . I now live in Los Angeles , and listening to this CD takes me back to the wonderful feeling of living in Athens - a mixture of ancient atmosphere and modern energy- a feeling of intense soulfulness , which is found mainly in the Mediterranean , as well travelled people will know . People in Greece are still immersed in their traditional sounds of mellifluous and mysterious instruments, and at the same time enjoy the edginess that Papazoglou brings to his songs. This CD will take you to quality listening which modern Greeks get into fully and completely,since it is poetic as well as powerful . Also , most of the songs are great for practicing some Eastern bellydancing !"