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 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.

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Ready to learn the Greek verb “to go” and pick up some easy, everyday expressions along the way?

Greek might seem challenging at first, with its rich grammar, long words, tricky spelling, and an accent on every word with more than one syllable.
It also has a vast vocabulary and many idiomatic expressions.

But don’t worry!
There’s a bright side: Greek also has plenty of simple, practical things you can learn and start using right away.
So, let’s dive in and explore the verb “to go” and how to use it in daily conversations. Lees meer

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..
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If you are looking for a contemporary Greek movie, then Worlds Apart is a movie we can recommend.
Watching films in Greek is a fun way to spend an evening at home and improve your Greek listening skills at the same time.
At Omilo, we often organise film nights during the 1- and 2-week Greek language and culture courses – because learning does not have to stop in the classroom!

Watching a movie under the stars, while sipping a glass of wine, definitely feels like holidaying in Greece!

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Stand-up comedian Fisfis has gained in popularity, thanks to his ability to turn mundane everyday situations into an endless source of laughter through his sarcasm and expressiveness. So, let us introduce you to well-loved Greek stand-up comedian, actor and screenwriter Lambros Fisfis.
All this, while improving your Greek of course 🙂

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Omilo students attending a Greek course on the island of Syros usually take the opportunity to taste the traditional sweets of the island: loukoumi and halvadopita. In the capital of Syros island,  Hermoupolis , you can see many shops selling these delicacies; so enjoy those little sweets along with your Greek coffee, or as a small treat with a glass of water.

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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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How To Use Greek Proverbs in Everyday Conversations?
Proverbs are popular sayings that provide nuggets of wisdom.
Every culture and language has a collection of those. They illustrate how people within this culture think and are often influenced by its history.

The Greek word for ‘proverbs’ is ‘οι παροιμίες’.

Οι παροιμίες είναι σύντομες εκφράσεις που περιέχουν συμπυκνωμένη τη λαϊκή σοφία ενός λαού.
Κάθε κουλτούρα και γλώσσα έχει μερικές. Οι παροιμίες μας δείχνουν πώς σκέφτεται ένας λαός, ενώ συχνά σχετίζονται και με την ιστορία του.

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Greek etymology, is something we often use in our Greek lessons.
But this time, we will use it to explain you a bit more about why we chose the name “omilo” or ” ομιλώ”.
“Omilo Greek Language and Culture” was founded in 1996, so we are around for many years 🙂 Even longer than “google” ! 🙂

And …in case you were wondering…

“Omilo” or “ομιλώ¨,  actually is a verb and means “I speak”!

Because at Omilo, we really try to focus on “speaking Greek”!

If you already know some Greek, then you now might wonder: Why “omilo” (ομιλώ) and not “milao” (μιλάω)?
Well, both verbs mean “I speak”, but the latter is more used in the everyday Greek language, so you will hear it more.

Careful; when you pronounce “omilo”, make sure you stress the LAST O, since also there is the stress in the verb; ομιλώ

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11 Greek Proverbs in 1 Song will not help you only to memorize Greek proverbs, but also learn a lot about the Greek language and culture. The song we present you today is called “Proverbs”. It was written in 1987 by Melina Tanagri. So with this song, you will have “killed two birds with one stone” (m’ énan sbáro dyó trigónia), as Greeks say.

 

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