Greek Music Journey 2009 with Melina Aslanidou

On Friday, May 1, 2009 at 9pm, the historic Town Hall Theatre in Manhattan, New York will turn Greek again to host AKTINA’s annual concert from the series GREEK MUSIC JOURNEY. This one of a kind concert presented for the first time in New York, will feature the popular singer from Greece Melina Aslanidou in a tribute to “The Songs of Greek Cinema”.

Against a backdrop of videos, Melina Aslanidou accompanied by singer Vangelis Douvalis and her orchestra comprised by bouzouki maestros Manolis Georgostathis and Aris Koukos and 6 other representative and talented musicians, will treat lovers of Greek popular-folk and rembetika (Greek blues) to a special and unique musical tribute to the everlasting songs which evolved from great and award winning Greek movies such as “Never On Sunday”, “Zorba The Greek”, “Rembetiko”, “Stella” and many others by great composers and songwriters such as Theodorakis, Hadjidakis, Xarhakos, Plessas, Hiotis, Vamvakaris, Tsitsanis, Zambetas among many others.

Popular to this day, “The Songs Of Greek Cinema” comprise a very important and representative aspect of the Greek music repertoire while they have also contributed in introducing some of the finest composers, songwriters, musicians and singers of Greece.

With an impressive career in live performances and discography spanning over 10 years, Melina Aslanidou is one of the most representative popular-folk and rembetika singers of the new generation of “quality” singers in Greece. She rose high in the ranks of the Greek music repertoire very early on in her career and she is credited for bringing back to fame the song from the Greek Cinema “Ti Sou Kana Ke Pinis” which was released in 2001 on the cd “To Parelthon Thimithika” when she was collaborating as a lead singer for the music group “Oi Apenanti”. GREEK MUSIC JOURNEY concert series was introduced by AKTINA Productions, Inc. (a Queens-based non-profit cultural organization) in 1994 with a purpose to promote and preserve all aspects of the representative traditional, folk, popular-folk and contemporary music of Greece in America, including the rembetika. Since 2006 the series exclusively features singers and musicians from Greece.

Ticket prices start at $45 and are now on sale through AKTINA FM at 718-545-1151, Ticketmaster at 212-307-4100, and the Greek Music & Video in Astoria 718-932-8400. The Town Hall Theatre is located at 123 West 43rd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, NY and it’s easily accessible by car or by train. It is also wheelchair accessible and special seating is available for the handicapped.

For more information please call 718-545-1151 or visit www.aktina.org

Heavy Metal shakes the Greek Federation of Astoria

The first ever March Metal Mayhem festival exploded on the New York scene in Astoria, Queens, recently, as four of the top heavy weights of the New York metal scene came together for the first time in the Stathakion Center, home of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York. In order to honor the Greek Parade festivities, this event was sponsored by the Federation of Hellenic Societies with its Youth Committee and organized by Byzantine Crown Productions and members of Phoenix Reign, with help from the Ms. Greek Independence Pageant contestants.

The bands participating were female fronted hard rock/power metallers Phoenix Reign, with Theresa Gaffney on vocals, guitarists Billy Chrissochos and Kostas Psarros, bassist Chris Pollatos and drummer Wayne Noon, speed/progressive metal vets Zandelle, fronted by George Tsalikis, old school thrashers Martyrd, led by guitarists Michael Andreas and Dan Agapitos, and the ultimate metal instrumental trio the Rob Balducci band (who are currently on Steve Vai’s Favored Nations’ label). Former guitarist/front man of Tenebrae, Telmorn Altayon kept the audience enthused as master of ceremonies between sets. With a mixed crowd of all ages in attendance, the bands rocked the audience. They made new believers out of those that thought metal can’t be fun, educational and equivalent (if not better) to any other noteworthy music form on the radio.

The festival was topped by a photographic exhibition of Greek themed tattoos which was organized with the help of Dionysios Pylarinos. The president of the Federation, Mr. Jim Kalamaras, greeted the excited and anxious audience. Youth chairman, Billy Chrissochos, promised to see everyone back in June, while fellow co-organizer Peter Giakoumis, of Byzantine Crown Productions, promised the next festival will blow everyone away. For info on all the bands and to follow on their current projects please visit: www.marchmetalmayhem.com For Phoenix Reign and its current Constantinople 1453 music video project visit: www.blacktuesday1453.com and www.phoenixreign.com

©2009 NEOCORP MEDIA

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