Day: November 23, 2012

Melbourne’s own singer songwriter Anthea Sidiropoulos has been invited to present her latest music offering in the form of Anthea’s Rubies, a six-song cycle of Mediterranean Dreamtime – highlighting seeds of the diaspora – as part of the Hellenic Museum’s 60th Inaugural Diaspora Celebration. Anthea will perform with Greece’s legendary singers Maria Farantouri and Yiannis Kotsiras, composer Tassos Ioannidis and Melbourne based singer and composer Christos Ioannidis – celebrating the anniversary of the signing of the migration act between Greece and Australia 60 years ago.

This Greek Australian music offering of original works will feature a special tribute to the late Costas Tsicaderis. Greek born and Melbourne raised, Tsicaderis was a local independent music identity. Costas made a huge impact mentoring aspiring musicians in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, who were thirsty and in search of their Hellenic musical roots. Upon his passing, friends and family, colleagues, and event agency The Boite (who supported Costas’ music), gathered to produce an album of his unpublished works, aptly titled Mighty and the Humble, which was released over two concerts at BMW Edge Federation square 2006 and 2008.

Performing two of Costas’ songs within Anthea’s six-song repertoire are longtime collaborative musicians Jacob Papadopoulos on bouzouki, Spiros Papoutsis on accordion, and indigenous didgeridoo player Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie, who were part of the Costas Tsicaderis Ensemble. Joined by guitarist Nikos Kapralos, Anthea’s Rubies will perform live, to include Costas’ mesmerizing instrumental Beyond Mulamein, everyone’s favourite Η Μικροι και η Μεγαλη (Mighty and the Humble) and Anthea’s ode to all Greek migrants Μες την ξενιτια (Foreign Land) all of which were part of Arnold Zable’s compilation album The Fig Tree, which won best folk release in 2004.

Anthea’s Foreign Land continues to inspire many incarnations, like the inspirational soundtrack for student film With One Suitcase, winner of best film at Melbourne’s 2010 Greek Film Festival. It also featured as The Suitcase to Survival Song, as performed by Anthea, for the2012 Australia Day ‘what’s in your suitcase’ celebration theme, at the Myer Music Bowl.

A special performance also included is Διχως Εσε (Without You) from the recently released album Echoes, a tribute to Greek poet Nikiforis Vretakkos with music composed by Greek Australian Arthur Rorris.

As a daughter of the Greek diaspora, Anthea Sidiropoulos will delight audiences with her self-penned songs reflecting life as a first generation Greek Australian woman within Melbourne’s multicultural landscape, performed bilingually with Anthea’s Rubies on this memorable occasion: the Hellenic Museum’s 60th Inaugural Diaspora Celebration.

The performance will take place on Sunday 25 November from 2:00 pm at the Hellenic Museum Corner Williams and Latrobe Streets, Melbourne. This is a free event.