Greek Music Archives

Dionysis Savvopoulos and his songs

Who is Dionysis Savvopoulos?

Dionysis Savvopoulos is one of Greece’s most influential musicians, since he sings, writes lyrics and composes his own songs.
Born in Thessaloniki in 1944, he became known for blending Greek folk music with rock and poetic lyrics, creating a unique sound that marked the cultural awakening of the 1960s and 1970s. For many Greeks, Savvopoulos is not just a musician but a storyteller who captures the spirit of modern Greece through his words and melodies.

He began his career in 1964, appearing in nightclubs together with Maria Farantouri and Manos Loizos.
Savvopoulos was imprisoned twice during the Greek dictatorship. People fell in love with him straight away, making him and his music very popular in Greece and abroad.
In some of his songs, he combined the music of American musicians such as Bob Dylan with folk music from Macedonia, northern Greece, and lyrics about current political affairs. He has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the Department of Philology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Ο Διονύσης Σαββόπουλος θεωρείται ο πρωτεργάτης της σχολής των Ελλήνων τραγουδοποιών. Τραγουδοποιοί ονομάζονται όσοι γράφουν μουσική, στίχους και τραγουδούν οι ίδιοι τα τραγούδια
τους. Άρχισε τη σταδιοδρομία του το 1964, και έκανε εμφανίσεις σε νυχτερινά κέντρα με τη Μαρία Φαραντούρη και τον Μάνο Λοΐζο.

Κατά τη διάρκεια της δικτατορίας φυλακίστηκε δύο φορές. Γνώρισε πολύ γρήγορα τεράστια επιτυχία και σύντομα έγινε πολύ δημοφιλής στην Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό. Είχε συνδυάσει τη μουσική Αμερικανών μουσικών όπως του Μπομπ Ντίλαν με μακεδονική λαϊκή μουσική και στίχους πολιτικού περιεχομένου. Έχει ανακηρυχτεί επίτιμος διδάκτορας στο τμήμα
Φιλολογίας του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης.

21/10/2025/von Omilo

A Greek Movie About Eftihia Papagianopoulou – The Greek Female Lyricist

If you’re learning Greek and love Greek music, the film Eftihia is a must-see! This moving biopic offers a unique opportunity to discover the life and legacy of one of Greece’s most influential female lyricists, Eftihia Papagiannopoulou. Watching this film is not only a great way to enjoy Greek cinema but also to deepen your understanding of Greek culture and enrich your vocabulary.

Click here to read the article in Greek

Who Was Eftihia Papagiannopoulou?

Eftihia Papagiannopoulou (1893–1972) was one of the most important female figures in the Greek music scene. She wrote lyrics for hundreds of laika and rebetika songs, many of which remain popular today and are still performed in tavernas, concerts, and festivals all over Greece.

She was born in Aydin, near Smyrna (modern-day Izmir) in Asia Minor, and fled to Greece after the destruction of Smyrna in 1922. Arriving in Athens with her two daughters, she would eventually become a beloved, though often underrecognized, figure in Greek music history.

12/06/2025/von Omilo

Greek Culture, Greek Music

Ζωναράδικος; Ένας παραδοσιακός χορός από την Θράκη

Ώρα για χορό και Ζωναράδικο! Ανυπομονούμε να ξαναδούμε από κοντά τους μαθητές μας και να χορέψουμε όλοι μαζί ελληνικούς παραδοσιακούς χορούς! Παρακάτω θα διαβάσετε για έναν αγαπημένο μας χορό από την Θράκη (βόρειο-ανατολική Ελλάδα).

Click here to read the article in ENGLISH

Είναι γνωστό ότι στους Έλληνες αρέσει πολύ να χορεύουν και έχουν μεγάλη ποικιλία παραδοσιακών χορών, ανάλογα με την περιοχή. Οι νησιώτικοι χοροί είναι συνήθως ρυθμικοί και χαρούμενοι σαν να ακολουθούν την κίνηση της θάλασσας. Οι χοροί από την Κρήτη είναι γρήγοροι και δύσκολοι. Οι χοροί από τα βουνά της Ελλάδας είναι αργοί με βαρύ ρυθμό. Μία ιδιαίτερη ποικιλία χορών είναι οι χοροί από τη Θράκη. Ένα καλό παράδειγμα είναι ο ζωναράδικος. Weiterlesen

10/06/2025/von Omilo

Greek Music

Greek Vocabulary With A Song By Rena Morfi

Learning Greek vocabulary through music is not only useful, it’s also a lot of fun!
Below, you can enjoy a beautiful and popular Greek song by Rena Morfi, while reading along with the lyrics.

So turn up the volume, sing along (even if it’s just the chorus!), and let your Greek improve.
One song at a time!

Click here to read the article in Greek

10/06/2025/von Terpsi Gavala

Greek Language, Greek Music

Greek Song by Machairitsas, and Greek Vocabulary

A Greek song by Machairitsas is also ideal to learn Greek vocabulary.
Let’s enjoy beautiful Greek music, while improving your Greek.
The song “What do I ask for?” “Τι ζητάω;”, is a very known song, every Greek can sing along..
Weiterlesen

12/12/2024/von Omilo

Greek Culture, Greek Music

A Greek Christmas Carol, to sing along

What about listening to a Greek Christmas carol, and/or sing along?
On December 24th, if you are in Greece, do not be surprised when children ring your doorbell early in the morning!

Τhe children go from house to house, singing about the birth of Jesus Christ, while holding their small metal triangles.
Open them the door; it is believed to bring good luck into your home. And do not forget to give them some coins!

Θα θέλατε να ακούσετε τα ελληνικά χριστουγεννιάτικα κάλαντα ή να τα τραγουδήσετε κι εσείς μαζί;
Στις 24 Δεκεμβρίου, αν είστε στην Ελλάδα, μην ξαφνιαστείτε όταν νωρίς το πρωί τα παιδιά χτυπήσουν το κουδούνι της πόρτας σας!
Τα παιδιά πηγαίνουν από σπίτι σε σπίτι και τραγουδάνε για τη γέννηση του Ιησού Χριστού, κρατώντας τα μικρά μεταλλικά τους τρίγωνα.
Ανοίξτε τους την πόρτα. Θεωρείται πως φέρνουν τύχη στο σπίτι. Και μην ξεχάσετε να τους δώσετε μερικά κέρματα!

If you are not in Greece, but you would like to hear it, then watch the video below.
That way, you can listen to it as many times as you want 🙂
But before you sing along, let’s do a small Greek listening exercise first!
Listen to the song on the video, and fill out the missing words in the exercise, which you can find under the video!

H δασκάλα η Εύα, θα τραγουδήσει για εσάς ώστε να μπορέσετε να ακούσετε τα κάλαντα όσες φορές θέλετε!

Μπορείτε να τραγουδήσετε μαζί με την Εύα αλλά ας κάνουμε μία μικρή ακουστική άσκηση πρώτα!
Ακούστε το τραγούδι στο βίντεο και συμπληρώστε τις λέξεις που λείπουν στην άσκηση που βρίσκεται κάτω από το βίντεο!

09/12/2024/von Omilo

Greek Culture, Greek Music

Greek Rebetiko Song – Vassilis Tsitsanis

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!

Weiterlesen

27/05/2024/von Omilo

Greek Culture, Greek Music

Syros Island : Greek Culture, Greek music and learning Greek!

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.

Read this article in Greek

09/05/2024/von Omilo

Greek Culture, Greek Music

The Most Well Known Greek New Year Song – Carol

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

31/12/2023/von Omilo

Greek Language, Greek Music

Learn Greek With An Entechno Song – George Dalaras

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.
Weiterlesen

18/11/2023/von Omilo

Dionysis Savvopoulos and his songs

Who is Dionysis Savvopoulos?

A Greek Movie About Eftihia Papagianopoulou – The Greek Female Lyricist

Who Was Eftihia Papagiannopoulou?

Ζωναράδικος; Ένας παραδοσιακός χορός από την Θράκη

Greek Vocabulary With A Song By Rena Morfi

Greek Song by Machairitsas, and Greek Vocabulary

A Greek Christmas Carol, to sing along

Greek Rebetiko Song – Vassilis Tsitsanis

Syros Island : Greek Culture, Greek music and learning Greek!

The Most Well Known Greek New Year Song – Carol

Learn Greek With An Entechno Song – George Dalaras

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

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