All posts by IN ThessnA

Last bow to Whitney Houston

Presence of relatives, her friends and colleagues, and to the sounds of gospel music, Whitney Houston's funeral was held in Newark on Saturday, at the church he attended as a child.

"We love you Whitney Houston" declared the mayor of the area, Cory Booker, in front of the flower-covered coffin. The famous singer breathed her last last Saturday, in age 48 years.

Her ex-husband, Bobby Brown, her daughter and her mother Kissi Houston invited approx 1.500 people at New Hope Church in Newark, New Jersey.

Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys among them, who sang in memory of Houston. Aretha Franklin was also invited, but she stated that she was very ill, to attend.

Also present was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Dionne Gorwick, cousin of Houston and actor Kevin Costner, with whom they co-starred in "The Bodyguard", an important moment for the careers of both.

Elton John was also invited, Beyoncé and her husband, famous rapper Jay-Z, as well as Oprah Winfrey. A large gospel choir was also found in the temple, dressed in white.

The funeral was widely covered by the American media, but also the BBC, who broadcast it directly.

Source : protothema.gr

The Bronzes of Goumenissa at the Mylos Club in Thessaloniki

The BRONZES OF GOUMENISSA by Alexandros Zora for a unique appearance at the Mylos club on
Monday 20 February 2012.

Brass sounds, intensity, explosive rhythm is some of the elements of a brass band. Sounds, tension and rhythms that accompany and co-exist daily with life, the feasts, the tradition of central-western Macedonia.

Clarina, trumpets, trombones and tambourines are some of the instruments that make up this unique timbre, as it was shaped and developed from the beginning of the century in Macedonia, but especially in the city of Goumenissa, birthplace of hundreds of folk organists today.

The “Bronze of Goumenissa by Alexandros Zora” is the most famous band in the region with the passion and talent of the musicians that make it up, is a genuine and important exponent of the musical tradition of central-western Macedonia.

Alexander (Aleck) Zoras, born in 1966 in Goumenissa of Kilkis. He is a descendant of a large musical family of the region.

He started from a very young age with music accompanying his father Vozikis (Manoli) at various events such as weddings and festivals, where he took his first clarinet lessons.

His father is one of the old Goumenissa organists who switched from the zourna to the clarinet. Today he mainly plays the tambourine.

Alexandros Zoras teaches traditional clarinet in various schools and clubs. In addition to the clarinet, he also plays the accordion and various percussion instruments.

The emergence of brass instruments and their inclusion in traditional folk orchestras, both in the region of Central Western Macedonia and the wider Balkan area, set in the early 20th century. It is likely that it arose from the dissolution of the Turkish musical sections during the liberation of Macedonia in 1912. With their special color and explosive sound, they slowly displaced older instruments such as the zournas, the bagpipe, the flugeres and the horses and were established in the region.

In the area of ​​Goumenissa, although they were used later than in Western Macedonia, a larger tradition was created. A tradition passed down from generation to generation.

The city is the birthplace of hundreds of musicians and folk instrumentalists, various instruments such as clarinet, trumpets, trombones, euphony, saxophones drums, drums and gran casa. All of them form the core of various musical groups in various cultural events such as weddings, festivals etc.

The name Halkina of Goumenissa was first given to the band of Alexandros Zoras in a collaboration with Dimitra Galani in the middle of the decade 1990. Since then the band has established itself taking part in concerts with many well-known artists such as Manolis Mitsias, at musical events, in international and domestic festivals with dance groups.

The Bronzes of Alexandros Zoras with the Zoras family as the main core and in collaboration with various other musicians, they have appeared in important venues such as the Herodeion and the Concert Hall.

To 2004 the band of Alexandros Zora was nominated for the Arion music awards in the category of traditional music. They have recorded many productions and appeared on many television and radio shows.

 Source : culturenow.gr

The Simpsons family has completed 500 episodes!

23 years on screens!

The 500 episodes celebrated the Simpsons family and its creator Matt Groening earned his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in a ceremony held on Monday 13 February.

The 500th episode of the popular cartoon series aired on Sunday, 12 February in America, 23 years after the series began.

As for how many more episodes there are, producer Al Jean states: "We have signed for 559 episodes, but I don't really know when the end will be. We may even reach 1,000…».

Source : protothema.gr

Haris Alexiou and Dimitra Galani together on the Pallas stage

The Pallas Theater presents a great collaboration! Haris Alexiou and Dimitra Galani or Dimitra Galani and Haris Alexiou continue to give us performances... in blue velvet and will do so until 18 March since the 15 their shows that were initially announced were a great success and are being extended!

In blue velvet, the two hours of the program will flow through songs, stations of their long and colorful journey. Like we keep jewels we love in velvet cases, as we describe soft ones, warm voices same velvet, as the blue lights the sky at night. Something expensive, frugal, strong and beautiful, as it deserves in two such routes.

From the beginning of the 70's until today, on a microphone in front and around the world a hug, through the grace of their voice, to be enchanted, to travel, to sing with them.

       
Four decades on stage.

"I don't know how most people imagine this route. I feel like I was on a horse galloping and running and going through different places, I met various people, I was glad to meet them, that I was singing different things, that I was accepted" says Haris Alexiou.

And as Dimitra Galani observes: " Because the dizzying speeds of the record market make the 40 years seem too many. Because it can be like that for an artist's career and certainly like that for a person's life. Because a singer's face is the songs he chooses to sing. Because success means that an artist can manage his past as if it were present and because from the past the future is planned" their meeting on the Pallas stage will be the most faithful projection of what endures in our hearts as truth, the most ours, finally, postcolonialism.

On the occasion of the appearances of Haris Alexiou and Dimitra Galani at “Pallas” the disk is recirculated “Yesterday's songs” who first released it 1981.

Source : culturenow.gr

The Olympia Museum was robbed at gunpoint – Resignation of Geroulanos

The Minister of Culture submitted it to the Prime Minister – There is still no response from Maximos

From the closed circuit surveillance images of the old archaeological museum in the center of the city of Olympia, the Security officers hope that they will derive useful information, which will lead them to the tracks of the two hooded men, who early on Friday morning grabbed approx 68 ancient objects.

According to the first information, the two men wearing camouflage uniforms broke into the museum on 7.30 in the morning they immobilized the security guard at gunpoint, who is an employee of the Ministry of Culture, they tied her up – according to the information of the prosecuting authorities – to one of the statues and gagged her. In broken Greek they started asking her to show them where there is a "wreath of gold" and coins. The employee insisted that there are no such objects in the Museum, and then the robbers began to break the display cases around them and grab everything,what were they finding.

According to the police, most of the items were copper and clay, while it seems that between f’ but the perpetrators also took a gold ring – although an accurate picture of the antiquities that have been removed is expected after the autopsy that is currently being carried out by the curators of the Museum is completed.

As the same information states, the police do not know how and in which direction the perpetrators escaped and for this reason they are looking for information throughout the city from people who may have seen them.

He submitted his resignation to the Prime Minister Mr. L. Papademos, the Minister of Culture, Mr. P. Gerulanos. Megaro Maximos has not yet responded.  Meanwhile, a police force left Athens to assist the local department in the search for the perpetrators. The Prosecutor of First Instances of Ilia, Mr. P. Maidanis.

History of the Museum

The thematic Museum of Ancient Olympia is located at the edge of the city (that is, it is not located inside the archaeological site) and is the first Museum to be restored on the occasion of the Athens Olympics 2004 to house the finds from the ancient Olympic Games.

In the showcases and in its premises they are found 463 works from the Sanctuary of Zeus of Ancient Olympia but also objects related to the Olympic Games from other Museums of Greece. The exhibits start from the second millennium BC. and reach up to the 5th century AD. It has clay and bronze figurines of warriors and chariots, various items used by athletes such as discs, dumbbells, sycophants, strands ( copper scrapers for cleaning the body), inscriptions, bronze figurines…

Source : tovima.gr

Movie Premiere Thursday 16 February 2012

In theaters today..

AND THE LOT FELL ON SMILEY
(TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY)

Case : George Smiley, a recently retired MI6 agent, he makes honorable efforts to adapt to his new life, outside the secret services. When a corrupt agent will make his appearance again, informing that there is one “nail” in their circles, Smiley will be forced to re-enter the grim world of espionage. His mission… to investigate which of his former trusted associates, betrayed both himself and his country. His investigation will focus on four suspects – all of whom are experienced and successful agents – but past enmities and friendships, they will make it difficult to identify what is eroding the integrity of the British service from within.

Watch the movie trailer





HUGO


Case : Paris, 30s : A 12-year-old orphaned boy, Hugo Cabret, resides in the inner galleries of the train station in the center of the city, taking care of the clocks of the busy station and lives by stealing from the stalls of the shops that exist in the station. His constant company, a mysterious humanoid machine that has a slot for a heart-shaped key in its center, which is the only thing left to him from his father. When his world suddenly connects - like the gears of the clocks he cares for- with an eccentric girl who loves books and adventures and a bitter old man, owner of a small toy shop at the station, Hugo's secret life and precious secret that connects him to his dead father, are at risk of being exposed.

Watch the movie trailer

Source : villagecinemas.gr

Badminton THEATRE : In the "Mantra" of Atticus

The life of the "legendary form" of the song and its era are revived in the musical theater performance directed by Sofia Spyratou

Akis Sakellariou and Alexandros Bourdoumis play Atticus in the show which premieres on 22 February

I cried to write, I wrote to sing and sang to live… was writing the handwritten note that Atticus had left with the wish to be written on his tomb. In one of the leading forms of Greek song, Cleon Triantafillou, the worldly Atticus, the musical theater performance is mentioned, "Looking for Atticus" which premieres on 22 February, in Badminton, in musicological research and texts by Lambros Liavas, directed and choreographed by Sofia Spyratou.

"The show invites today's audience to rebaptize in the beauty of the songs that marked the lives of millions of Greeks and to discover the values ​​of life and the artistic courage of an era as difficult and transitory as today" notes Lambros Liavas.
Atticus is rightly considered the father of all modern Greek troubadours. His proposal has not been surpassed even by his spiritual grandchildren, Manos Hadjidakis and Dionysis Savvopoulos. Even if they were rushed for a time, some small-minded people, to stick the label of retro" he says. It has been a "legendary form" which expresses "erotism and emotion that is eternal… Cosmopolitan and deeply cultured, great composer and pianist, singer, poet, rhymester, actor, lecturer, magician, dancer and acrobat (!), was a multifaceted and charming personality".

A throwback without a "retro" mood, but with a lot of humor, sarcasm, tenderness and emotion is the production. At the heart of it is a hearty selection of the most beloved songs of Atticus and other leading composers of the time. The show follows the "life saga" of Cleon Triantaphyllos-Atticus (1885-1944) and his generation. It starts from Alexandria and his Athens 1900, with the walks in Zappeion, the carols and musical evenings at the mansion of the Triantaphyllos family. It takes place in Belle Epoque Paris, with the famous Mistenge measuring at the Folies Berge and the young Cleon at the Conservatory, musical theaters and cabarets to begin his career as "Attic" – songwriter.

We follow him on his adventurous tours’ the whole world.
To end up in the Athens of the Interwar period, with "variety shows" and the famous "Mantra", a pioneering way of artistic communication for the Greek reality. "Mantra" was Attic's temple of art and functioned for a whole decade (1930-1940), combining elements from the Parisian boudoir, the Athenian inspection, it's boring, the tavern and the music-philology gallery. It was a nursery of great artists. A recounting of the events of that period takes place alongside the performance.
The performance will make use of the theatre's potential, as explained by S. Spyratou. For’ this stage will reach the square with steps, as it was in "Mantra". The artists will come closer to the audience and become a company with it.

TALENT COMPETITIONS
One of the characteristics of the "Madras of Attic" was the various talent competitions, something that the show, following the legend of Atticus, will make it come true. Spectators who have signed up and auditioned will compete in various talent shows with an emphasis on singing talent, just as it was done in the mantra of Atticus. More information for those interested in participating in the competitions at tel.: 211 10 10000. Registrations to attik@badmintontheater.gr.

THE ACTORS The lyrical interludes are signed by Yiannis Xanthoulis and the sets – costumes by Lili Pezanou. They star (in alphabetical order): S. Sieves, N. Lotsar, Ev. Mourning, Al. Bourdoumis, English. Papadimitriou, Ak. Sakellariou et al., 10ballet members and a 7-member orchestra, under the orchestration – musical direction by Theodoros Kotepanos.

Source : ethnos.gr