What you have in your hands is perhaps the most beautiful issue of NEO published so far! Not because of the cover only, but the whole package has the air of the finesse and robust sensitivity reminiscent of an aristocrat that even in times of crisis or economic downturns, or even during history’s most capricious whims, knows how “to walk out but never run,” as Sting has sung. Like Hellenism itself, this issue of NEO is oblivious to contretemps and looks to them with the contempt that only a very secure personality can display, seemingly ignoring reality in order to keep acquiring knowledge through the experience of picked or chance battlefields, at duels over beautiful women – or even a pair of hens – at fights over a soccer team’s infallibility and at rallies for a party’s political supremacy!
This brainstorm of images is not the result of heavy drinking or consuming illicit substances – other than Coke, that is. It’s a very sober string of thoughts sprung up as I’m walking down one of the Athenian streets heavily hit during the disturbances of last December that brought the city center stage at an international level, the first time after the 2004 too-perfect-to-be-true Olympics. The ashes, burnt material and broken glass have mostly been cleaned. Some holes in store windows that sell very expensive suits excepting, the streets look normal and show no other signs of the battles fought there only days ago. And the mayor’s new Christmas tree stands as lifeless as the rest of the seasonal décor in the middle of the vibrant square, very well guarded this time against the subcommandante Marco’s-styled head-covered “city guerillas” that have pledged to burn it again! In the meantime, the nearby Monument of the Unknown Soldier was once more vandalized despite the 24/7 presence of guards, the nation’s pride, those skirted soldiers who would never take their pants down - they simply don’t wear them now!
Jazz music flows in the air, merriment and smiles are everywhere, window shopping continues as before and commentaries upon commentaries are offering explanations on what happened with the same ease everybody is offering you kourambiedes this Holiday Season – my first in Greece after 21 years – God I’m old! Modern Greek society strove for decades to follow on the footsteps of the northern European countries and in the process had to kill herself in order to re-emerge as something else: Same way one is initiated in secret societies. Now it’s this something else that looks and sounds strange and it seems these outbursts are like the seizures of the fat professor in the Eddie Murphy movie, when he was competing with his artificial slim version in order to return to his older problematic yes, but more familiar self. In the case of Modern Greek society the fight will continue as long as the old self manages to remain alive even in an unconscious state. A little cigarette butt might start a wildfire to both provide comfort and to burn, as Rabbi Schneier says in this issue, talking on something else, though.
Back to the less magical reality now, as I said in the beginning, despite the economic downturn and the hardships, friends and supporters came through this time as well, making the first issue of 2009 an astounding success. Not only that, but new people and entities advertised or sent New Year’s messages in another very important, crucial, I should say, vote of confidence. That is the spirit: we never give up, tough times are for tough people. We should see this whole thing as a good opportunity to exercise, build some muscle to display on a beautiful summer beach when the climate in general will be better. Let us move on with this new …gear that will bring us to the other side of the hill.
Witnessing - from far away - the tragic events in Gaza, something that has clearly emerged from the ashes and smokes of destruction, is the sad reality that the State of Israel has turned to one of the most …anti-Semitic countries in the world! Just to mention a few instances, it supported Hamas in its initial phase in order to counterbalance Yassir Arafat's Fatah, sowing the seeds of what it’s trying to eradicate now; Chalakah “rabbis” teach young Israeli soldiers that it’s OK to kill women and children in the name of their “holy war” (jihad in Arabic); an Israeli politician a couple of weeks ago suggested that the Palestinian problem can only be resolved with "a mini Holocaust;” in the internal election of the main opposition Likud Party a declared admirer of Hitler finished number three and recently a neo-Nazi group made up by people of Jewish descent was disbanded. Jewish scholars of international standing likened Israel's actions in Gaza to those of the Nazi's. Fascism, Nazism and the rest of evil things do not pertain to just one nation or group of people. They are mentalities that, unfortunately, find their way even to people who have suffered the most from them!
On a completely different note and key now, the Queens Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Constantine Kitsopoulos will present the second feature in the Masterworks Concert Series Bernstein & Friends, entitled New Sounds, on Saturday, February 21, 2009, 7:30 pm., at QPAC (Queensborough Performing Arts Center) in Bayside. To remember Leonard Bernstein on what would have been his 90th birthday this season, QSO will present works by composers that influenced him greatly; Prelude & Fugue for Strings, Op. 29 by Benjamin Britten and Suite from “Pulcinella” by Igor Stravinsky. The second half of the evening, QSO will perform a world premiere work by my good friend Spiros Exaras featuring the Spiros Exaras World-Jazz Ensemble combined with the symphonic orchestra. Greek guitarist and composer Exaras has brought together Greek instruments, rhythms, and tunings with his jazz fusion ensemble and the entire symphonic orchestra to create a completely new sound. This is a groundbreaking event not to be missed. For further information about QSO and its programs, the website is www.queenssymphony.org Concert tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the QSO office at 718-326-4455, ext. 20.
DEMETRIOS RHOMPOTIS
dondemetrio@neomagazine.com
Happy New …Gear!
