GREECE – Page 72 – GREEK WORLD MEDIA

Επιστρέφει στις ρίζες του ο Σάκης Ρουβάς!

Επιστροφή στη φύση και στις αγροτικές δουλειές!

Όχι ως αγρότης, αλλά ως επιχειρηματίας ο Σάκης Ρουβάς ετοιμάζεται να προχωρήσει σε επενδύσεις στην ελληνική επαρχία επιλέγοντας την καλλιέργεια της ελιάς, μια δουλειά που την έκανε από μικρός μέχρι που αποφάσισε να ασχοληθεί με το τραγούδι.

Την περασμένη εβδομάδα ο Σάκης Ρουβάς αναστάτωσε το Μεσολόγγι.

Ο δημοφιλής pop star βρέθηκε στην πόλη και γευμάτισε σε τοπικό ρεστοράν με παρέα τριών ατόμων.

Η εμφάνισή του στην περιοχή δημιούργησε πολλά ερωτήματα στους ντόπιους, με δεδομένο ότι δεν βρισκόταν εκεί για κάποια live εμφάνιση ή τηλεοπτικό γύρισμα.

Σύμφωνα με δημοσίευμα της espresso ο τραγουδιστής επισκέφθηκε την περιοχή «γιατί στα σχέδιά του είναι να αγοράσει κάποιες εκτάσεις με σκοπό να καλλιεργήσει ελιές και, ακόμα, να δημιουργήσει κι ένα σύγχρονο ελαιοτριβείο».

Επίσης, οι ίδιες πηγές υποστηρίζουν ότι «στην παρέα του στο ρεστοράν βρισκόταν και ένας καθηγητής του γεωπονικού πανεπιστημίου, με σκοπό να τον ενημερώσει για διάφορα θέματα γύρω από τις καλλιέργειες στο Μεσολόγγι».

MIA: Serbia prepared to mediate in Greece-Macedonia open issues, says president

Source: FOCUS Information Agency

Home / Southeast Europe and Balkans
Thessaloniki. Serbia is prepared to mediate in the settlement of open issues between Greece and Macedonia, said President Tomislav Nikolic in Thessaloniki on Saturday, Tanjug reports, Macedonian MIA news agency reported.

Summing up the visit to Greece and talks with the country’s top officials, Nikolic told a press conference that if such initiative was launched, Belgrade could mediate between Athens and Skopje.

“You can imagine what it would look like if we all cooperated. This would be a supporting pillar of the Balkans, maybe of whole Europe”, said Nikolic.

He assessed Serbia-Greece cooperation as excellent, without any open issues, adding that Greece unconditionally supported Serbia on the EU path.

“It is obvious that Serbia could be the bridge between the east and the west, the north and south. We have reconfirmed what Serbs and Greeks have always nurtured complete understanding and cooperation, relations which have not been disrupted by anything”, stressed Nikolic.
During a recent visit to Macedonia, the Serbian President voiced readiness to mediate in settlement of problems between the Serbian and Macedonian Orthodox churches.

Kαταπληκτκή γαλλική ταινία για την Ελλάδα

Αφιερώστε αυτό το Σαββατοκύριακο, στον εαυτό σας ή μαζί με τα παιδιά σας και τα εγγόνια σας, 50 λεπτά της ώρας για να δείτε αυτη την καταπληκτκή γαλλική ταινία για την Ελλάδα.

Θα ξεχάσετε για λίγο την καταθλιπτική και ψυχοφθόρα επικαιρότητα.

Βοηθά να απαγγιστρωθούμε από το δέος, το σοκ, την ταραχή και τον φόβο που αφειδώς μας ρίχνουν επάνω μας τα MME.

Η ιστορία είναι η κληρονομιά μας.

…και πάντα διδασκόμαστε απο αυτή!

Ένα ιδιαίτερα καλογυρισμένο βίντεο με αθροιστικές πληροφορίες για την χώρα.

…των Ελλήνων…

Μήπως και εμείς οι τωρινοί…”ξαναθυμηθούμε”

….τις άλλοτε εμπνευσμένες- δημιουργικές και ένδοξες ημέρες που όμως τις έκαναν να είναι έτσι,

… οι άνθρωποι που κατοικούσαν και τότε…

στον Ίδιο ευλογημένο τόπο, την Ελλάδα!

Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης: «Θέλω ένα παιδί από τη Ζέτα»

Την πιο όμορφη περίοδο της προσωπικής του ζωής δείχνει να βιώνει ο Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης ο οποίος σε συνέντευξή του, για ακόμα μία φορά, όπως συνηθίζει τον τελευταίο καιρό, μιλά ανοιχτά για τη γυναίκα της ζωής του, τη Ζέτα Μακρυπούλια με την οποία όπως φαίνεται, έχει ήδη κάνει πολλά όνειρα για να είναι μαζί για πάντα.

«Είμαι σε μία ηλικία που το να έχω οικογένεια είναι κάτι που έχω ζωντανά μπροστά μου» δηλώνει ο τραγουδοποιός ενώ παραδέχεται ότι θέλει να αποκτήσει παιδί από εκείνη. Επίσης, ο Μιχάλης Χατζηγιάννης λέει στη Real:

«Θέλω πολύ να ζήσω το… για πάντα» το οποίο προφανώς απευθύνεται στη Ζέτα Μακρυπούλια μιας και όλο πιο συχνά τελευταία δηλώνει πως θέλει να την παντρευτεί.

Galina Chumak, director of the Donetsk Regional Arts Museum, stands before a reproduction of an ancient bust of a Greek charioteer

Source: Washingtonpost

Greeks of the steppe

Will Englund/The Washington Post – Galina Chumak, director of the Donetsk Regional Arts Museum, says it’s foolish to be proud of her Greek heritage but she can’t help it.

Here she stands before a 1952 painting in the museum called “Moving In,” which features a proud Soviet family and a portrait of Josef Stalin, who died the next year.

He killed 20,000 Soviet Greeks.

Galina Chumak is proud to be Greek, however foolish she knows that pride may be.

It wasn’t anything she did, she points out, just the circumstance of birth into what may be Ukraine’s oldest existing ethnic group.

The Greeks arrived in present-day Ukraine before the Tatars, before the Russians, before the Jews, possibly even before the Ukrainians themselves.

They were settlers from the civilization that we think of today as ancient Greece.

They came to the Crimea — a dramatically mountainous peninsula that juts into the Black Sea — in the 5th century B.C., or maybe even the 7th, or just possibly, says Chumak, who once worked on archaeological digs there, the 9th. That would be before Homer got around to composing “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey.”

(Will Englund/The Washington Post) – Galina Chumak, director of the Donetsk Regional Arts Museum, stands before a reproduction of an ancient bust of a Greek charioteer.

There are about 91,000 Greeks in Ukraine, according to the last census, but they don’t live in the Crimea anymore, and that fact lies at the heart of one of those arguments that Ukrainian Greeks love to bat around, and have been doing so ever since they left there in 1778.

What’s indisputable, though, is that when they got to the region around today’s Donetsk, in easternmost Ukraine, after a harrowing two-year trek, they were most definitely the first settlers, clearing virgin land at the behest of its new ruler, an empress far away on the shores of the Baltic Sea.

Irony is a Greek word, so that’s Irony No. 1. The Crimean Greeks lived for about 300 years under the rule of the Muslim Khanate, and when imperial Russia made a move to conquer the Crimea they asked Catherine the Great, fellow Orthodox Christian, to offer them her protection.

Sure, she said (or words to that effect). You’ll be best off if you leave your homes of the past two millenniums and set up shop in this other land I’ve just acquired, far to the east. Oh, and that means all of you. Now.

“She awarded lands to the Greeks,” exclaimed Yelena Prodan, head of the Donetsk Greek Society, at a board meeting one night recently. “Orthodox Greeks were rescued from the Muslims.”

“We were deported,” Chumak replied. “People died from the cold, the lack of shelter.”

“They made themselves at home,” said Ivan Makmak, gesticulating. “And only the best, the most cunning, the strongest survived,” he added, looking on the bright side.

‘Just because he was Greek’

Starting on the shores of the Sea of Azov, the Greeks settled in villages on the steppe. They were exempt from conscription, which was a plus, and they prospered. When the city of Donetsk was founded in 1869 by the Welshman John Hughes, as a coal center, they began migrating into town.

They kept their native language — or, actually, languages. Those whose families came from the coastal towns of the Crimea spoke a Greek that was heavily influenced by the Turkic language of the Khans. Those whose roots were in the remote mountains spoke a language that’s descended directly from ancient Greek — closer to it, probably, than you’d hear in Athens today.

And that gets at Irony No. 2, but first, a word about the Soviets.

In the 1920s, in the first blush of the proletarian revolution, the early Soviet Union strongly encouraged the development of ethnic cultures, a sort of de-Russification after czarist rule. Here, a Greek theater opened, as did Greek schools and Greek newspapers. Greek poets flourished.

Time is up for Qatari sheikh forced to sell $11 million watch

Source: Bloomberg

A MEMBER of the Qatari royal family and one of the largest art buyers has pledged the world’s most expensive watch and about 240 other collectabels to Sotheby’s to cover debts owed to the auction house, according to court documents.

Sheikh Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali al-Thani, a cousin of the Emir of Qatar, provided items from diamond jewellery to tribal art and four vintage watches made by Patek Philippe, of Geneva, Switzerland, the auction house said.

The timepieces include a pocket watch known as the Henry Graves Supercomplication, which an anonymous bidder bought for a record $US11 million in a Sotheby’s auction in 1999. In total, Sotheby’s holds items valued at almost $US83 million ($77 million) from Sheikh Saud, a court document says.

Sheikh Saud has been hit with two lawsuits since the end of September, one alleging he failed to pay for $US19.8 million of ancient Greek coins that he bid on in January. A British court, in a judgment on Friday extending a freeze on $US15 million of the sheikh’s assets at the request of the coin dealers, said Sheikh Saud appeared to have left at least 11 auction houses and dealers unpaid in the past 18 months, including $US42 million owed to Sotheby’s.

Sheikh Saud could not be reached for comment. A man who identified himself as a ”private employee” at an office the sheikh maintains in London said Sheikh Saud was out of the country for a month. Andrew Gully, a spokesman for New York-based Sotheby’s, said the firm did not comment on private business arrangements.

”It’s not unheard of in the auction business, when clients run into cash problems, for auction houses to take property in lieu of payment,” said Michael Plummer, the co-founder of Artvest, a New York firm that provides investment advice for the art market and a former chief operating officer of the financial-services unit at auction house Christie’s.

Mr Plummer said he had no knowledge of Sheikh Saud’s specific situation.

Sheikh Saud formerly ran Qatar’s National Council for Culture, Arts and Heritage, where he spearheaded a national effort to furnish a new museum by spending as much as $US1.5 billion on artwork and collectables during the decade ending in 2005, according to ARTnews.

In early 2005, Sheikh Saud was arrested in Doha on suspicion of misusing public funds, according to ARTnews and The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Britain. No official record could be located on whether Sheikh Saud was charged. A spokesman for the Qatari embassy in Washington did not return a telephone call seeking comment.

The sheikh resurfaced in the art market several years later, and ARTnews named him as one of the world’s top 10 collectors in August 2011, estimating he had spent several hundred million dollars on art during the preceding two years.

In January Sheikh Saud successfully bid on coins including a $US3.25 million single gold piece from the ancient Greek city of Pantikapaion that bears the head of a bearded satyr, according to a lawsuit filed in Washington by AH Baldwin & Sons of London, M&M Numismatics of Washington and Dmitry Markov Coins and Medals of New York.

Sheikh Saud had not paid for any of the coins, and the plaintiffs were charging him monthly interest of 2 per cent, Friday’s ruling in London said. ”This pattern of behaviour is both unexplained and inexplicable,” the London court said. ”The sheikh’s royal status is irrelevant. We are all equal in the eyes of the law.”

His lawyer declined to comment.

Interview with Greek Guitarist Xander Demos

Source: Hellenicnews

By: Markos Papadatos, Contributing Editor

On Nov. 5, rock musician and guitarist Xander Demos spoke about his musical career.

According to Demos, he remarked, “My Greek heritage is pretty cool. I am exactly 50% Greek (25% Italian and 25% Russian). I have to say that one of my favorite things is the food. I love a good Gyro. I also grew up in a place called Tarpon Springs in Florida and it’s a large Greek community. Growing up there was great and I did gain a pretty good appreciation for the Greek culture. The name of my album ‘Guitarcadia’ was rooted in Greek culture as well.”

Presently, Demos noted that he is in the process of writing a follow-up album to ‘Guitarcadia’ and he is planning some new shows. “I also joined another cover band called ‘Jukebox’ and that is helping me in getting out and doing some shows locally. I am still part of the Sabbath Judas Sabbath project. I want to do more recording projects soon,” he said.

Regarding his plans for the future, he stated, “I would like to record, write and tour. I took a small break from everything at the end of the summer but I am going full-steam again.”

He noted that he would love to someday tour in Greece. “I know that people in Greece have an appreciation for my brand of metal so it would be great to tour there. Plus, I have never been there before and it would be such a fantastic reason to finally visit there,” he revealed.

Demos’ musical influences include movie composers such as Hans Zimmer, James Horner and Steve Jablonsky. “I also love Sarah Brightman. From a guitar standpoint, Shawn Lane, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Tony MacAlpine, Michael Romeo, Neal Schon, John Sykes and Guthrie Govan are some of my main influences,” he said.

Demos listed Amy Lee and Lita Ford as his dream female collaboration choices in music.

For hopefuls who wish to go into music, Demos remarked, “I would say that they should listen to everything they can to expand their tastes and always have an open mind when it comes to music. Try to play more than just one instrument to give yourself perspective. Take advantage of the Internet, which is something that many of my peers didn’t have growing up. There’s so much out there to learn from so relish these moments.”

For more information on Xander Demos, check out his official website: http://xanderdemos.com/

Greeks protest as budget debate begins

Source: TheAustralian

A man wears a Guy Fawkes mask during a protest in central Athens.

Several hundred have staged a protest in front of the parliament in Athens as budget debate begins. Source: AAP

SEVERAL hundred Greek civil servants have staged a protest in front of parliament in Athens as MPs inside debated a draft 2013 budget ahead of a key vote.

“No to salary cuts!” read one banner held up by the protesters, civil servants from across the country.

They were protesting the reduction of some 125,000 civil servants by 2016, part of a new austerity package that squeezed through parliament on Wednesday, with just 153 MPs voting in favour of it in the 300-member chamber.

On Saturday, MPs began the debate on the 2013 budget on which they are due to vote late on Sunday in the second key test for the government in less than a week.

The 2013 budget predicts that the economy will shrink by a worse-than-previously expected 4.5 per cent next year and that the country’s debt mountain will swell to 346 billion euros ($A434.30 billion), or 189 per cent of economic output.

The government is planning 9.4 billion euros in cuts which will affect mainly state wages, pensions and benefits that have already been drastically reduced over the past two years.

But it will still need to borrow over 68 billion euros next year, the draft budget says.

Greece is currently surviving on two huge bailout packages from its troika of creditors, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank.

In return for the aid to avoid default, Athens has introduced a series of austerity measures which have sparked popular anger in a country that faces a sixth year of recession and where unemployment hit above the 25 per cent mark in July.

Κέλλυ Κελεκίδου: «Μου λείπει πολύ η μητέρα μου. Κάθε στιγμή… κάθε λεπτό…»

Στο θάνατο της μητέρας της, αναφέρθηκε σε πρόσφατη συνέντευξη της η Κέλλυ Κελεκίδου αποκαλύπτοντας πόσο την έχει επηρεάσει η απώλεια ενώ τόνισε ότι η σκέψη της είναι συνεχώς κοντά της.

«Μου λείπει κάθε στιγμή, κάθε λεπτό.

Όταν έμεινα έγκυος, ήταν το πρώτο άτομο που ήθελα να τρέξω και να το πω.

Όταν γέννησα, ήθελα να είναι κοντά μου και να μου σφίγγει το χέρι.

Όταν παντρεύτηκα, επίσης την ήθελα κοντά μου.

Στην ανατροφή του μικρού, τη χρειαζόμουν όσο τίποτε άλλο…

Αφού όμως η ζωή τα έφερε έτσι, βαδίζουμε με αυτά που έχουμε.

Πάντως, την κουβαλάω μέσα μου και κάθε μου σκέψη είναι κοντά της», ανέφερε στο περιοδικό Λοιπόν.

Μιλώντας για το ποια ήταν η θέση του συζύγου της, Νίκου Κουρκούλη σε αυτό το τραγικό γεγονός είπε:

«Με στήριξε και έκανε ό,τι δυνατό για να νιώσω καλύτερα.

Αλλά πίστεψε με, η απώλεια της μάνας είναι απώλεια που δεν τη γιατρεύει ούτε ο χρόνος.

Η μητέρα μου για μένα ήταν και είναι ο ήρωας μου».

«Ανάλογα με τη διάθεση μου και τη στιγμή επιλέγω το ανάλογα ρεπερτόριο», απαντά η Κέλλυ Κελεκίδου, αν στο σπίτι τραγούδα δικά της τραγούδια ή του Νίκου Κουρκούλη.

Η τραγουδίστρια λέει στο Λοιπόν: «Είμαι ικανή να ξεκινήσω με Κραουνάκη, να συνεχίσω με Καρρά και να φτάσω μέχρι τα Ζουζούνια που αρέσουν και στον μικρό. Μάλιστα, πολλές καταλήγουμε να κάνουμε ντουέτο, αυτός κιθάρα κι εγώ φωνή», λέει ενώ εξομολογείται πως της αρέσει πολύ που ο γιος της ασχολείται με τη μουσική. «Σαφώς και μου αρέσει που ασχολείται με τη μουσική. Σε ένα σπίτι όπως το δικό μας, με πολλή μουσική και διάφορα μουσικά όργανα, μπορούμε να επικοινωνήσουμε και να διασκεδάσουμε ταυτόχρονα».

Γιώργος Λεμπέσης: «Χωρίς ρίσκο η ζωή είναι προβλέψιμη και βαρετή»

Για το μεγαλύτερο ρίσκο που πήρε στη ζωή του, μίλησε σε πρόσφατη συνέντευξη του ο Γιώργος Λεμπέσης.

Ο τραγουδιστής υποστηρίζει πως χωρίς το ρίσκο η ζωή είναι προβλέψιμη και βαρετή και αυτό ακολούθησε και στην καριέρα του.

«Το μεγαλύτερο ρίσκο που πήρα ήταν το να φύγω από μια τεράστια δισκογραφική εταιρεία όπως ήταν η Μinos – EMI, σε μια στιγμή που η καριέρα μου ήταν στο ζενίθ, για να μεταπηδήσω, ακολουθώντας τον Φοίβο, στη νεοσύστατη τότε heaven».

Όσο για το αν πιστεύει στην τύχη λέει στο Λοιπόν:

«Είμαι άνθρωπος που δεν πιστεύει στην τύχη, αλλά κυρίως στη δουλειά».