Don't Miss

East Meets West in the US with Areti Ketime

By NEO Magazine on May 19, 2015

Areti Ketime

Areti Ketime, the 14 year old singer that stole the hearts of Greece and the world at the opening ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, makes her American debut performance this May. She and her Group will be in five American cities, presenting a live concert performance entitled “East Meets West…Musical Bridges” which includes a “fragrant bouquet” of songs exuding the aroma of Hellenic traditional folk and art music. She will also touch upon the contemporary Greek repertoire of the times with the unique gentility of her style and her staple melodic voice.

Yet another unique and note-worthy production of SYN-PHONIA ENTERTAINMENT, a company that strives for the preservation of Greek culture, heritage and traditions through music, this series of concerts will re-affirm Ketime’s vast scope of talent and uncompromised charm and dignity in performance.

Areti will be accompanied by a six-piece band of exceptional musicians (lead by the outstanding classical pianist Achilleas Wastor) and also by her mentors and instructors in Byzantine Music, the brothers Grigoris and Petros Papaemmanouil, chanters and professors of Greek Traditional Music in their own right.

Ketime, with her roots from Mesologi, started playing the traditional santouri instrument at only 6 year of age. By age 9, she had enrolled in the Athens Conservatory of Music studying piano theory. Private lessons with the Russian virtuoso Aggelia Tkatsieva helped her master the technique of the santouri.

Notable moments in her “timeline” of musical experiences include:

In 2002 George Dalaras discovers her talent and invites her to participate in Plaka together with Gerasimos Andreatos and Melina Aslanidou.
In 2003 she participated in a review for Mikra Asia (Asia Minor) show with Giorgos Dalaras, Glykeria, and the orchestra “Estoudiantina”
In 2005 she participated in the theatrical performance of George Kimoulis’ “Oidipous Tyrannos” with Nonika Galinea . In addition to these, she took part in “Estoudiatina´s” record “Dakri sto giali” (Tear on Glass) with the song “Monopatia”.
In 2006 Ketime participated in Lefteris Papadopoulos recording “Spai to Rodi” (Pomegrate Breaks) with the song “Ena Fili Gia Ekeinon” (A Kiss for Him), in duet with Dimitris Basis.
In 2008 she performed at The Music Hall in Thesaloniki, “Byzantine Hymns of the Holy Week”. She also performed at the Patriarchate of Alexandria with G. Papaemanouil at the Patriarchate´s library inauguration.
In 2009 she collaborater with Helen Vitali and Haig Yazdjan in Kytarro from where the recording “Zwntano Kytarro” was released.

Grigoris and Petros Papaemmanouil

Grigoris Papaemmanouil, was born in Drama, Greece and studied Political Science before continuing his education at Bosston’s Hellenic College at Holy Cross. During those years, Grigori earned a diploma in Byzantine Music and Instruction and later Diplomas in Harmony, Counterpoint, Fuge and Composition.

He has chanted during his college years as the Protopsaltis (lead cantor) of various churches such as St. Nectarios and St. Katherine in Boston, Analipsis in Thessaloniki, St. Athanasios, Doxato, Drama, and the Cathedral Church of Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki.

Ιn 1996 he established together with his brother Petros the School of Byzantine and Traditional Music at the Μunicipal Conservatory of Drama and the Byzantine Choir “Oi Domestikoi tis Dramas”.

In 2006 he was elected alderman of the Municipality of Drama and he directed its the Cultural Organization. During this period he was the Deputy Mayor of Culture.

Areti Ketime and her Group will perform in five American cities for Greek -American audiences. The Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey, for it’s own benefit, will sponsor two performances, May 30 at Rutgers University Nicholas Music Center in New Brunswick and May 31 at the Greek Town Community Center (“Plateia”), St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. Other performances include New York at the Lefrak Concert Hall, Queens College on June 5, Boston at the Maliotis Cultural Center, June 6 and a benefit for Hellenic Society PAIDEIA at St. Barbara’s Cathedral, Orange, CT. on June 7.

For information/tickets on any of these performances, Syn-phonia’s contact number is (646) 623-0270 and their email info@syn-phonia.com.

featured