Asked what motivates her to write, “every day life,” she replies.” From a young girl she was preoccupied with the inner search of the self. After reading and studying Jean Paul Sartre's “L'Etre et le neant” (Being and Nothingness), she felt it was the liberation for her juxtaposition of everyday images (French Surrealism) stripped to an ontological existence. This is evident in the poem, “The Sojourn Ends”: "One night she escapes/The cloaked world of decorum/Until she meets indigo sky./The self is torn by loving thorns./The bleeding nakedness is truth."

Contrary to the word end the journey is far from over. The journey takes her into a place of inner self, peeled and exposed time and time again. The journey enters into a dialectical exploration that is ancestrally hers: Greek mythology, its folktales, history and literature. She delves into the nostalgic past perhaps to shape or illuminate an image or a moment of the present.

Constantaras does not want to be seen as a Greek-American poet, but, as a poet in a country of no boundaries and as an entity constantly becoming and evolving. When needed, she doesn’t hesitate to enter into the frightening abyss of our self, aware that the key element is not to stay there. This resonating idea is eloquently expressed in the poem “Reaching Fear”: "The constellations hanging from the/Evening sky almost seem transparent now./At times we lifelessly roll in tide-washed shores."

She believes that her relating with others is essential to further the development of self. She does this every day when she teaches, goes to the supermarket, talking to a friend or "driving through Manhattan against SUV bullies."

Kalliope Constantaras received her Masters In Fine Arts from Brooklyn College. Her mentor continues to be Louis Asekoff who is Chairman of the English Department.

As an instructor, she designed, developed and departmentalized Science As Inquiry into the elementary level.

Asked again about her inspiration, she pauses for a moment. "If it was some prescribed formula, I would not be a poet,” she answers thoughtfully. “Just read my poems and discover yourself."

Known as the “Greek Gershwin,” Mimis Plessas’ music has been celebrated throughout his illustrious career in film, theatre, opera, concerto suites, radio, and television. The CD “ήχώ/echo” reintroduces Plessas’ arrangements originally interpreted in the ‘60's by eminent female performers Tzeni Vanou and Marinella.

Reintroducing Mimis Plessas' music was both a challenge and an inspiration for Rafalides. He collaborated with some of Greece’s top musicians to create a “mixture of sounds” –mindful of the distinct Greek sound yet encompassing a bold approach in transcending musical boundaries in order to create a contemporary sound for a new generation. "As an arranger, working on “ήχώ/echo”, I tried to reflect my own musical personality into these songs and mix them with the sounds and rhythms of the New World. Inspired melodies, intelligent harmonies and romantic lyrics –from my Greek heritage– was what I had to work with,” Rafalides, founder of the New York-based contemporary jazz quartet Manhattan Vibes, said.

Evi Siamanda has performed with Mimis Plessas, Mario Frangoulis, Goran Bregovic, Stefanos Korkolis, and Antonis Remos. She has appeared with Christos Rafalides along with Grammy-nominated Donny McCaslin and several Grammy winners such as Mark Ledford. Siamanda was featured on the soundtrack of the documentary "Secrets of the Past" with the music of Grammy-winning composer Steve Woods.

“ήχώ/echo” the music of Mimis Plessas is a production of Emarel Music recorded and produced in Greece, now available in the U.S. and other markets. Sample listening of four tracks is available at: http://www.travelersroadmusic.com/rafalides/. More information at: www.emarelmusic.com and http://cdbaby.com/cd/christosevi.