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Alkinoos |
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The Cypriot Alkinoos Ioannidis is one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters in Greece. A modern troubadour with strong and rocky pieces, balanced by hauntingly beautiful ballads, he never compromised for commercial success. Nevertheless (or perhaps: because of that), all of his 6 solo albums he has released with Universal since 1993 went gold or platinum and each year his over 60 live concerts throughout Greece and Cyprus fill stadiums with thousands of fans.
Coming from the island that lies at the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Africa, Alkinoos Ioannidis, just as all Cypriots, has been formed by a culture that combines traces of Asia Minor, the Ottoman and British Empires, Venetians and Francs, Richard Lionheart, to call some of those who once shed their influence on the island. Imagine the picture of a Turk riding on a camel, while a white-powdered, wigged Franc passes in a horse carriage – at a time this was a normal sight in Cyprus.
His music henceforth resembles this background: at first sight it represents the modern day experience of his own generation that has grown up listening to western rock, jazz and classical music, but at the same time it is penetrated by the modal scales of Cypriot traditional music and it’s predecessors, as well as Greek Rembetika and the so-called “entechno” (artful) music by contemporary Greek composers. Thus to a non-Greek audience his music seems both familiar and accessible, while at the same time it has a fresh and exotic appeal.
Often being called a poet Alkinoos Ioannidis writes very personal, deep and abstract lyrics, which form a significant part of the appeal his songs have for Greek speakers. But language doesn’t form a barrier for non-Greek audiences over the world, who are touched by the way he expresses his views and feelings in his compositions, orchestrations and interpretation (see reviews below and attached).
Performances abroad include New York (Madison Square Garden in 1996, Metropolitan Museum in 1999, Lincoln Center in 2001, Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at NYU in 2004) and London (Hellenic Center in 1998, Queen Elizabeth Hall in 2002), all of which were SOLD-OUT. He furthermore gave concerts at the Summerstage Festival at Central Park in New York in 2002, in Egypt at the opening of the New Library of Alexandria, as well as multiple performances in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Romania, Georgia and France.
Always following his urge to develop musically and his strong interest in all perspectives of music, he studied composition at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory in Russia for the past 3 months.
Line –up:
Alkinoos Ioannidis, voice, guitar, eastern lute
Miltiades Papastamou, 10 and 17 string violins
Yiorgos Kaloudis, cello, percussion, guitar
Yiannis Papatriantafyllou, double bass
Sotiris Lemonidis, Piano, Keybords
REVIEWS
22.6.2004
Outside of Place and Time
The Life-feeling of Cyprus in Nuremberg: Alkinoos Ioannidis in the Katharinen-Ruine
When the separation of Cyprus between the Turkish “split-state” and the Greek south still is five years into the future, the now 35-year old singer and guitarist Alkinoos Ioannidis is born in the capital Lefkosia (formerly: Nicosia). As with all islanders does the isolated through the sea island life determine Ioannidis’ life-feeling.
In order to capture this “isolation” poetically did the today in Greece enormously popular musician name his wonderful double live album “Outside of Place and Time”. A title which also stands for the rightful claim of Ioannidis to make “timeless” Mediterranean songwriter-rock, which simply ignores fashion, something that was shown in the most beautiful way in his atmospheric and artfully lighted Südwind (South wind) concert in the Katharinenruine.
The polyglot Alkinoos Ioannidis might at times let himself be inspired to song reflections about the nature and specifically the envy of beauty and the un-exchangeable by the novel of Gabriel García Márquez “A Hundred Years of Solitude” – and finds to his relief that also here in Germany he has met native speakers, who have their trouble with Friedrich Hölderlins “Hyperion”.
Especially the songs of Ioannidis’ new CD “The Adventures of a Pilgrim”, which he presents in the first set in a neoclassical country-rock dress with Papa John Creach (violin), Chris Hillman
(Mandolin) and Jane Scarpatoni (Cello), show the small, delicately built singer as a world-open ambassador of peace. “Bospouros” written by Nikos Zoudiaris is such a
hymn – and when Ioannidis sings this key song, one can feel first-hand how much he longs for a united Cyprus – after the failed popular vote of 24 January of this year again a utopia.
Spark
Among popular artists, Roll Out Vision Services is working closely with Alkinoos Ioannidis and Miltiades Papastamou on the project entitled “Mediterranean Crossroads: Songs from Old Cyprus to Modern Greece”. The project has earned great accolades in performances in Europe and the U.S.A.
The famed singer - songwriter Alkinoos Ioannidis and distinguished violinist Miltiades Papastamou. Accompanied by eastern lute, eight and ten-string violins, guitar, cello, bass and percussion, they explore and develop the relationship between tradition and modern life, by fusing the ancient folk songs and the contemporary music of Greece and Cyprus with ethnic, jazz and classical music elements.
Miltiades Papastamou studied with distinction at the Hellenic Conservatory in Athens, Guildhall School of music in London, and the Manhattan School of music, supported by several scholarships and awards. As a soloist he has performed with symphony orchestras, classical and jazz ensembles and has toured in Greece, Cyprus, U.S.A., U.K, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Andorra, Estonia, Bolivia, and Brazil. He has been described as….an artist of enormous poise…with superbly insightful and lyrical playing… [St. Louis Post Dispatch]