Geske

People who do not know Dalaras

205 posts in this topic

A little story:

Tonight, a girl came to spend the evening, someone I know only slightly, just an acquaintance.

Since late April, for every visitor, I put on the first cd of 'Η άσφαλτος που τρέχει'. The first song is, of course, Τρελός για σένα, Mad about you. And the intro is similar enough to Sting's own version, that people recognize it for a familiar song. It takes them a while to realise...

Reactions vary - mostly a mixture of contempt, disgust and amusement. The most positive so far was: 'it sounds like fairy-tale music'. Sweet, isn't it? They had not identified the language, just listened to the sound, and that was their impression...

Tonight was different. Dalaras had sung about half a verse, when this girl said: 'hey, that's greek! ow, I love greek music! who is it? what a voice!'

This may means nothing to you people who live in Greece, where everyboby knows Dalaras, where he may be maligned and misunderstood, but is also famous and respected...

To me, for whom Dalaras is an almost secret passion, it was like rain after a drought. We played record after record all evening, and there was someone there with me, enjoying the music too. A unique pleasure.

It can be very lonely, being a Dalaras fan abroad. That is the second main reason why this forum means so much to me.

How about you?

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you are funny. You made me laugh for the first time today. ZBy myself. If people knock on the door now they will think I am losing it

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:shy:

???I only asked a question, and the philopher laughs???

Well, it's good for him anyway. But, Soc, you didn't answer - come on, I want to laugh too!

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Something weird happened last night.

I'll tell the story first - a long post, but can skip - there is a QUESTION  at the end, which I would REALLY like answered.

Yesterday, in a conversation about politics, somehow we started to talk of protest songs. I had the cd with Kokkino Triantafyllo with me, and brought it in as an example of a highly effective melody: people recognize it without having heard it before, and it sticks in the mind like superglue.

Now the person I was talking with - he is a close friend, and he does not like Greek music at all and finds my fascination with Dalaras partly amusing, partly annoying, and wholly overdone. So I did not say 'this is a great Dalaras song', I said 'this is a great protest song'.

After the first chorus (that's 3 line of the song):

(Him) "Hey! I know this guy! He came and gave a concert when I was a student, here in Nijmegen!"

(Me) "WHAT? Impossible"

(Him) "No, honest, it's the same voice, and he was singing political stuff then too"

(Me) "Impossible. When? Who was it?"

(Him) "1985, give or take a year. Some Greek singer, dunno."

(Me) "What did he look like?"

(Him) "Greek!"

(Me) "I don't believe it's him, but I'll enquire!!" You bet.

So, QUESTION : IS such a thing possible?

Was Dalaras performing this kind of political stuff about 1985? Was he doing tours abroad then, with it? Does anyone know whether he did, or could have done, a concert in Nijmegen, or in the Netherlands, about that time?

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My mother asks me for music of Dalaras every time I go to Greece. She hears it every time she's at my place. She likes his music too, however she doesn't understand a word of it but she enjoys it very much. You see, you can enjoy his music without really knowing him. She even calls him "jouw zanger", which means "your singer" when she sees the BEAUTIFUL photo on the wall of him and me (and my friend).

Once I took a friend to his concert in Brussels (1994) and she also was very fond of him. Every time that we meet now, she asks about Dalaras.

And IF anyone tries to tell me that his music is not his/her kind I put on another CD with different music of his and there is always a song, a CD, a piece of music that they'll like.

Micki

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Geeske,

taken from the official site:

1985:

The first big European tour. 14 concerts in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium and Holland. Three more equivalent tours followed in 1988, 1991 and 1994.

So, I guess your friend was right. In addition, I looked at the Music Box and I saw flyers form that tour but the one in Dutch (I only speculate) was too small and I couldn;t read the city name.

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And for the second part of the question the answer is that he has been performing political songs since day one. So, it is more than certain that in his first European tour he would perform political stuff.

You didn;t tell us what your friend thought about that concert.

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      Geeske

 as for the tour dates

  Soc is correct  

but  what you may have not known is that Dalaras use to tour with Theodorakis and Loizos early in the 70's singing those political songs.  

  Hence the rise in fame he would do solo later in his career.

  But like Soc, said Geeske you didn't answer the question about your friend.

   That is:

   How come he didn't like Dalaras voice or his music?

    and what does he think of Dalaras today especially now that he sings all kinds of different types of music?

   Maybe he should hear Sting's rendition

     'H Trela Mou Eisai Soi'

 But then if he doesn't like Sting, he probably won't like this song Dalaras sings much either.

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My friend.

He says he does not like Dalaras.

He says he can't listen to those quavery oriental vocals, to those nervous bouzoukis, that characterize Greek music.

He says don't bother me with that addiction of yours.

He says I exagerate and no singer is good enough to be spoken of the way I speak of Dalaras.

He says Yes I like Sting but what do I care if he has ahigh opinion of this Greek of yours?

I tried to play one more song after Kokkino Trantafilo but he said 'it's that Greek of yours isn't it? I'd prefer if you stopped trying to make me like him'

The fact is, I would not let anyone else say such things in front of me, but this man is half my life and has been for the past ten years and what am I to do?

And now this.

He recognizes the voice and/or the singing, from a single concert (which he says he did not like), after 16 years.

Or perhaps he does not not, since (he says) all Greeks are alike to him. And he thought he remembered this one had a beard.

I wish I could hope. Hope that it really was Dalaras in that concert. Hope to show my friend how remarquable... But no. He doesn't want to be convinced. My efforts only annoy him. I tried too hard. Said the wrong things. Blew it.

End of story. Thanks for your help, all.

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Geeska, it is very important for us to have those we love like Dalaras.It doesnt always work out that way and im sure you are a bit dissapointed that your freind does not like Dalaras much ,but try and get over it.Maybe some day he will change his mind..I feel very lucky about this because both my wife and Sons love Dalaras..I dont know how many times i have come home from work and my sons are listening to Dalaras on there CD player in there rooms and then go see my wife and she will be watching a Dalaras video..This always makes me feel good since they already like Dalaras as i do and i dont have to force Dalaras upon them..Even my closest freind who is not greek(American) likes Dalaras and is even going to put a poster of Dalaras up in his new "Vintage Guitar store" that he is opening soon.He has asked me for an extra  poster that i have of Dalaras playing a guitar.He wants to put it up in his store alng with other famous american artists......So,i know how important it is to have those around you like Dalaras....It doesnt always work out that way...

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Chris you are my closest Dalaras freind..This guy here i went to school with since i was in second grade..He tought me to speak english when i first came here from Greece....I was fresh off the boat!!!

                    Thirty five years later he and i are still best freinds and live only three miles from each other..He might as well be Greek,he knows all the greek customs,foods,holidays,even speaks some greek.he knows the important words like the "M" word.....he,he,he

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I'm also lucky as my husband likes Dalaras a lot, and never minds listening to him, although he is nowhere near as fanatical as me.  I saw my first concert with him but I had heard him already before in UK from Greek restaurants, but didn't really know who he was until I came here in 1977 and then listened a lot more and put a name to the voice.

So Geeske I really feel for you, it must be very difficult, but at least you have all of us to talk to about Dalaras any time you want!!!!!  

That's right isn't it guys - all agreed!!!!

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Everybody who knows me, knows Dalaras. They just have to. They don't have to like him as I do.

If a friend of mine is interested in something that I don't like at all, I still will ask about it, because he/she is my friend.

Micki

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Chris, dont you know that the first three questions you ask a woman before you ask her to marry you are.. Do you love me? How do you feel about Dalaras? and how do you feel about Anna Vissi ?

       You must know the answer to all three before you can ask her to Marry you.......If she answers any of the three wrong,you run like #### !!!!

   

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Guys, really, if you'd ask a woman and she says, no I don't like Dalaras, you would never have to share her. Believe me, once a woman knows Dalaras and loves his music, his personality, no man could ever compete with him, hahahaha....

Only if he also knows Kazantsaki and Kavafi and the funny writer Maοra Papathanasopoulou.

Don't you just pity people who don't feel passion at all?

Micki

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Micki, very good point.My wife said she would never wash her cheak again after Dalaras gave her a hug and kiss as he was leaving and again when we met up a week later in another city..She also would not take his plate and glass away from the table where Dalaras sat in our home.She left it there for a week to remind her that Dalaras had visited our home and ate with us ....So, you are correct,no man can compete with Dalaras......My sons got to play in the backyard with Dalaras and feed our fish in the garden.I dont think they fully realize yet how special that was..Maybe when they grow up they will understand.....

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Another little story. To cheer myself up a bit and mayhap get this topic back on topic somewhat.

My father came to spend a few days with me not long ago. (My folk live 1000 km away so I don't see them as often as I'd like.) I'd had no chance to try Dalaras on him yet... So when I poured the tea, dished up the cake and put on a record, that record was the Misa Criolla.

And here is what that dear, great old man of mine said:

"Hey, I remember this! Way back when it was new and first recorded, somebody gave us the record... but we didn't like it, we gave it away to someone who did. This is much better though. I rather like it... This is good... This is GREAT!"

So I hugged him.

Later I thought I'd push my luck a bit further and played Υμνοι αγγέλων σε ρυθμούς ανθρώπων. And he liked that too. He said it would take some getting used to and he'd have to hear it again. But he liked it.

Bless his ears!!!

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Saranti,

Dalaras was in your home ??? your kids play in his backyard?? Can I come and babysit? I'm really the best babysit ever. I'm an aunt (too young to be called aunt though) of 18 children, so I really know my way with kids. And I promise I'll behave when I meet Dalaras.

Geeske, nice story about your father. I cannot get my father that far. My mother though, she likes his music. For her, he is 'my singer'.

Micki

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