Articles

,

Dionysis Savvopoulos and his songs

 Who is Dionysis Savvopoulos?

Dionysis Savvopoulos is one of Greece’s most influential muscians, 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.

Lire la suite

/par
,

Autumn in Greece

Autumn in Greece is full of surprises!
Even though summer is probably the most popular season in Greece, for Greeks and non-Greeks, also autumn and winter have much more to offer than you might think!
Since the Tourist Industry focuses on Greece as a typical country for summer holidays, not everyone knows that Greece is more than only beaches and sea.
Here an introduction to different aspects of the beautiful Greek autumn.

Read this article in Greek and listen to the Audio

Lire la suite

/par
,

The Epidaurus Amphitheatre and Little Theatre | Omilo

When visiting Greece, it is not just about eating delicious food in taverns and going to the beach, but many travelers, including Omilo students,
also love to visit ancient Greek sites, attend Greek concerts, or theatre  productions, while learning more about Greek culture and history.
Well, here is the good news, by visiting the beautiful archaeological site of Epidaurus, as well as the village « Palaia Epidaurus », you can combine it all!
 Lire la suite

/par
,

March 25th: A Greek National Celebration and Independence Day | Omilo

March 25th: A Greek National Celebration and Independence Day. Greece has lived through major historical events and the country was involved in many wars: Persian wars, the wars of Alexander the Great, etc. In modern Greek history, from 1821 till of today, two major wars Greece was involved in, were the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire and the 2nd World War. Every year, Greeks remember these historical events with the celebration of two national anniversaries on October 28th and March 25th. 

Click here to read the article in Greek and listen to the Audio

Lire la suite

/par

A Greek December Month

When we think about the Month of December in Greece, we usually think of winter and celebrations.  Let’s learn more about a typical Greek December Month.

Read this article in Greek

Lire la suite

/par

The Greek National Holiday of October 28th – OXI Day

The Greek National Holiday of October 28th – or the OXI Day, is a public holiday or a  “national anniversary” because this day reminds everybody of important historical event.

Click here to read the article in Greek and listen to the Audio

 Lire la suite

/par
,

Greek Songs Which Became International Hits | Omilo

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.

Read this article in Greek

Lire la suite

/par
,

Greek Christmas and New Year Carols

Did you ever celebrate Greek Christmas and New Year in Greece?  Apart from other Christmas traditions, you will hear typical Greek carols all over the country: the “kalanta”. Greece is rich in music and depending on the geographical regions, there are different Christmas and New Year songs, using different instruments and rhythms.
Lire la suite

/par
,

The Acropolis Museum in Athens, its past and present

A visit to Athens is never complete without a visit to the Acropolis Museum, which first opened its doors in 2009. For all those years, it has been one of the major cultural sightseeing spots of the Greek capital.

Click here to read the article in Greek

Lire la suite

/par

The Greek “Happy Fools’ Day » on April 1st

The Greek “Happy Fools’ Day » on April 1st is traditionally established as the day that we fool the others or tell jokes. On April 1st, you can also use the Greek wish   “Καλή Πρωταπριλιά !” (Kali protaprilia) = Happy Fools’ Day!
The only difference is that in Greek you actually say “Happy First of April”!

Click here to read this article in Greek

Lire la suite

/par