Musicians:
Haroula Tsalpara, voice/accordion
Gavrilos Kokonas, voice/guitar
George Angelopouos, baglama/bouzouki
Pavlos Carvalho, voice/bouzouki
Rebetika songs that coloured the musical landscape of Greece between the 1930s and early 50s. Including music by Skarvelis, Vamvakaris, Rovertakis, Papaioannou, Mitsakis, Tsitsanis and more. Coming from Greece especially for this performance are two of the foremost musicians in rebetika currently performing, Haroula Tsalpara and Gavrilos kokonas. They are joined by Pavlos Carvalho and George Angelopoulos, who are known to audiences throughout the UK through their dedicated and regular performances of Greek music.
Haroula Tsalpara was born in Athens. She began to attend the piano at the age of 7 at the “Odeion Athinon” Conservatory, as well as music theory and dictation. In 2008, she obtained her diploma in Harmony, from the Hellenic Conservatory, class of E. Tzerahi and continued her studies in advanced theory.
Two years later, in 2010, she obtained her diploma in Counterpoint. In the same year she graduated from the Department of Musical Studies and a year later (2011) she received her diploma in Piano Performance from the Orfeio Conservatory of Athens. During her undergraduate studies, she took courses at the Community Music Seminar, among other things, and worked for a year as a volunteer at the “Iliotropio” daycare service, for adults with pervasive developmental disorders (autism), schizophrenia and other mental disorders.
She got involved in popular and traditional Greek music for the first time in 2005. Since 2011 she has participated as a musician and singer in several parties, festivals, theater performances and concerts with many different groups, representatives of Greek music and generally traditional and folk music from the Eastern Mediterranean.
She has also conducted several seminars and workshops on rebetiko and traditional Greek music.
Today, she is a member of 5 groups and musical projects. She is also CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and founder of Aptaliko NPO. She is also experimenting with new music, while continuing to perform in several places with many great musicians who consider the traditional music of the Eastern Mediterranean as their common touchstone.
Plastikes Karekles
“Plastikes Karekles represent a culture of reinvention as defiant and hopeful as the music itself.” Song Lines magazine
“Powerfully emotional, moving and involving” Song Lines magazine
An eclectic fusion of international and Greek musicians with roots from traditional Greek folk to classical and jazz. The group is known for its own arrangements of music by Theodorakis, Hadjidakis and Xarhakos featuring a fusion of classical string instruments with Greek traditional ones. They are also involved in the vibrant rebetiko scene and have since 2011 set up the very popular Rebet Asker, Greek Roots series at the Green Note, London, dedicated to the music of Rebetiko and now in its 11th year.
The musicians of group have appeared at venues including the Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Albert Hall, St David’s Hall as part of the Proms, King’s Place, as well as more intimate venues such as the Green Note and the Vortex.
The musicians of Plastikes Karekles are also the founding members of the Rebetiko Carnival, a festival with rebetiko music at its heart, since 2014, that runs throughout the UK. They are dedicated to exposing this treasured music to as many people as possible. A very important part of Plastikes Karekles’ work is also education and outreach work. This has taken them to not only mainstream schools, but also special needs homes, hospitals and prisons throughout the UK.
Doors open 7pm, Music starts 8pm. The venue is mixed seated and standing. Tables are limited, and available on a first come first served basis, so if you’d like a seat, we recommend arriving early!
