Savina Yannatou & Primavera en Salonico
Imagine
the Mediterranean before late capitalism, before mass tourism. Imagine a bird
flying low over its shores, from the streets of Gibraltar to the Bosphorus,
imagine all the smells, colours, shadows, gesticulations, the richness of
languages, accents, tunes and rhythms…The Athens-born vocalist Savina Yannatou
invites us on her wings on such an idyllic voyage.
Like a
tightrope walker she elegantly dances on the rope connecting the modal music of
the Orient with equivalent music from the West, Medieval song, and
Mediterranean polyphonies.
Yannatou
performs pieces from her three latest projects. For Songs of the
Mediterranean she selected traditional songs that in their particularity
and specificity also illustrate – once
presented one after another – the centuries old cultural unity of the
Mediterranean. An Albanian song sounds as if it originated on the Black Sea, a
Spanish lullaby is reminiscent of those of Asia Minor. Songs of the
Mediterranean is "an endless game of semblance and difference, the
strange and familiar". In Sephardic Folk Songs she combines
Anatolia and the Balkans with the Iberian and Jewish traditions. And for Virgin
Maries of the World she chose popular songs about divine pathos. Though
sacred in intention, their marriage with the ancient and pre-Christian
traditions and rituals make these lamentations gush with life.
Enthusiastically
received wherever she has performed, critics praised her outstanding technique
(with its "crystal clear voice", "virtuosity",
"perfect voice control"), as well as her exquisite
interpretative qualities ("deeply moving", "magic",
"charismatic", "subtle").
Savinna
Yannatou is accompanied by a group founded in 1993, Primavera en Salonico. The
members’ repertory ranges from European classical, old and Byzantine music, up
to traditional Greek and Near Eastern music.
Vocals: Savina Yannatou; quanun, orchestration: Kostas
Vomvolos; oud, guitar: Yannis Alexandris; double
bass: Michalis Siganidis; violin: Kyriakos Gouventas; percussion: Leftheris Angouridakis; nay, recorders: Haris Lambrakis.
Organised and financed by Cankarjev dom
In cooperation with City of Women
Supported by The Embassy of Greece
(Ljubljana) & The Greek Tourist Organisation
