Fotis Vergopoulos – Rebetika from Athens

Sydney Greek Jam in collaboration with Con Kalamaras are proud to present: Fotis Vergopoulos – Rebetika from Athens.

Fotis is part of the new generation of talent from Greece whose musicianship and feel for Rebetika (Greek Blues) is inimitable. Having toured Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar, France and Belgium in 2019 with his band Rebetien, Foti is returning down under for a series of gigs in Melbourne and a one off show in Sydney! Fotis was born in Melbourne and before turning one his family relocated to his spiritual home in Koroni Messinias, Greece. His involvement with music comes at the young age of 6 with the main trigger being his father Nikos who was an inaugural member of the Apodimi Kompania. He resides in Athens where he performs with many notable artists including Stellios Vamvakaris, Socratis Malamas, Manolis Pappos to name a few.

Our aim is to foster collaborations between musicians from Greece and local musicians in Melbourne and Sydney and to inspire emerging generations with an appreciation for Greek music!

Joining him for this very special show at the Pratto are:

Con Kalamaras (VIC) - Guitar, baglama and vocals
Con is a prominent rebetiko musician and can be found playing in many dimly lit venues in Melbourne till the wee hours of the morning, obsessing over original recordings and producing many events surrounding the music that he loves dearly.

Mihalis Platyrrahos - Laouto and lyra
With childhood memories and words of advice from masters of Cretan folkloric music such as Spiros Sifogiorgakis and Kostas Mountakis, Mihalis has since established himself as a major proponent of Cretan and Greek music and culture. He is the founder of Aegean Quartet and co-founder of Sydney Greek Jam. His dedication and musicianship make him a true beacon of tradition for current and future generations.

Angelo Gatsos - Accordion
Master accordion player and multi-instrumentalist, Angelo is classically trained and has an intuitive playing style—a rare and precious combo! His delicate improvisations take the audience on a journey to times and places afar.

Maria Mouratidou - Vocals
Her voice has a velvet quality and the pathos with which she sings in infectious. Closing her eyes, she takes the audience from pain to exaltation as she empathises with the raw and unapologetic lyrics that are characteristic of the rebetiko genre.

Christina Bacchiella - Percussion
Rebetonut and founder of Sydney Greek Jam, Christina plays with George Doukas and the D Strings as well as other collaborations on the Sydney Greek music scene. She feels the rhythm in her bones and provides subtle embellishments that give a sense of wholeness to the music.

The venue:
The Pratto is a social enterprise run by Metro Asstist which has trained refugees and migrants to operate the club kitchen and for jobs in hospitality. The Inner West Music Fest have recently decked out the Pratto with a stage and sound gear in an effort transform the beloved bowlo into a music hub—a big win for Sydney!

Doors open at 7:30pm for an 8pm start.