Learning Greek songs is always a popular activity during the 1- and 2 week  Omilo  courses.
There is a reason why we named our Greek Programs “Omilo Greek Language and Culture“, back in 1996!
There is no language without culture, and at Omilo the culture is as important as the language!
One of the activities usually incorporated in our intensive 1- and 2-week programs are “Learning Greek songs”.
Many students learning Greek, started their Greek Language Journey by listening to Greek music.
Greek music is very diverse, and there are many different styles. Impossible to get bored with Greek music!

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A Greek Rebetiko song by Tsitsanis, brings us some decennia back in time, but stays also very contemporary.
Greeks, whenever they were facing difficulties, which is still something happening very often, have found a way to overcome and even to celebrate!
The following Rebetiko song,  by known composer Vassilis Tsitsanis, is an example of how Greeks deal with difficulties!

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Mikis Theodorakis (1925-2021), is one of the most important Greek composers known abroad.

He has composed thousands of Greek songs, (mostly Laika and Entechno style),  symphonic music, music for operas, ballet, and chamber music, etc..

To read more about his life and career, click here.

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Since 2005 Omilo welcomes every summer many students from all over the world on the island of Syros.
Our students have three things in common: they love Greek culture, they want to learn the Greek language and they want to explore the “real Greece”.
For that reason, we chose to organize our summer courses in Syros.  

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Valentine day became the international day for romance, but in fact, any time of the year, is a good time, to listen to Greek Love Songs or a Love story! Do you agree?
In general, Greeks are romantic! And this reflects in many love songs or real love stories…
Let’s take a look…

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The most well known Greek New Year Song, is sang on December 31st!
Children will ring your doorbell early in the morning, and sing the New Year Carol – ta kalanta 

Of course, you can hear this New Year song also on the radio, and  maybe, you can also try to sing it yourself and impress your Greek friends ;-).

A song to say good bey to the “old year” and welcome the “new year”!

Although there are many variations and different songs, there is one song you will hear all over Greece.
Listen to the video, and read the text in Greek and English. Enjoy

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Did you have the chance to ever see a life concert with Machairitsas, before 2019? If so, you are lucky!

Unfortunately, in 2019 the Greek music scene mourned the loss of one of the greatest performers and songwriters, Lavrentis Machairitsas.
Now it is time to explore his life, his legacy and listen again to some of his most celebrated songs.

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Do you like Greek music?  Σας αρέσει η ελληνική μουσική;

Maybe this is not an easy question to answer, since there are so many different genres of Greek songs and music.
Ίσως να μην είναι τόσο εύκολο να απαντήσετε σε αυτή την ερώτηση, αφού υπάρχουν πολλά είδη ελληνικής μουσικής.

You might like one particular genre, like Rembetiko, Pop, Rock, but maybe not another genre like Laika, Entechna…?

So a better question might be;
Which genre of Greek Music do you like? Or, do you like Greek entechna songs ?
But  with those questions,  many non-Greeks will not be able to answer them, since they do not know the names or the difference between the various musical genres, neither the time-period that particular music was created in Greece.
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Manos Eleftheriou , is a famous Greek author and songwriter. He  wrote poems as well as short stories.
Since he was born and raised on the island of Syros (1938-2018), the Omilo students often hear his name while attending a course on the island.
Manos Eleftheriou loved Syros and edited books about his island, specifically about Markos Vamvakaris and Syros society, about theater in Ermoupolis in the 20th century, and about Ermoupolis in Greek literature.


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Greek songs which also became international hits, are more than you might think! However, few people today realize that some classic songs were actually written by Greek composers,
When you regularly visit, you definitely have understood that  music  plays a very important role in the life of Greeks. In joy and sorrow, Greeks sing. And the truth is that they have the opportunity to choose among several categories of songs, in order to express every time their feelings: there are plenty of folk songs, rebetika, laika, entexna  as well as rock and pop songs.


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