John Erlich - 5-3-2012 at 10:39 AM
Greetings fellow oud maniacs,
After 3 trips to Turkey and much goading from me, the kanun player I work with is finally visiting another country in that region: Greece.
I want to share with him info on music venues, instrument stores and CD shops, museums, etc. I am afraid, having visited last in 2002 (Athens) and
2003 (Thessaloniki), that my info is out-of-date.
Does anyone care to share leads for Athens and Thessaloniki that I could pass to him?
Ευχαριστώ πολύ,
"Udi" John
mavrothis - 5-3-2012 at 11:36 AM
The obvious but safest bet is to contact the main oud makers in each city: Dimitris Rapakousios in Athens http://www.dimitrisouds.com
And Tasos Theodorakis in Thessaloniki http://www.theodorakis.name
Aside from making excellent instruments, they are both great guys and can help any musician with recommendations on where to go and what/who to
see.
I am secretly jealous of your mysterious kanun-playing friend...
Mavrothi
spartan - 5-3-2012 at 09:49 PM
to add some more info about athens and salonika
1. this is an arabic oud player but he also makes ous right now
he 's a great player in arabic style
He lives in Salonika
http://www.ziad.gr/
2. In Athens the instruments museum has some old intruments, a cdshop, and sometimes there are some concerts there
http://www.instruments-museum.gr/products1.php?lang=1&wh=8
3. some info in general about Athens (but I'm afraid only in Greek. You can fine many infos about concerts etc.
http://www.athinorama.gr/music/
http://www.athensvoice.gr/
If I remember some more links I will add later....
===========================================
In any case the qanun player can contact me via mail and I 'll try my best .
spyrosc - 5-4-2012 at 01:07 AM
I'm on a Greek island right now and I will be in Athens in 10 days. Do you want me to look into something specific for you ?
Spyros C.
John Erlich - 5-4-2012 at 08:40 AM
Ευχαριστώ πολύ Spyros, Mav, and Spartan! I will pass this info to my friend. As far
as the Greek language being a barrier, not a problem, since my friend will be travelling with a native Greek. (It took a Greek girlfriend to get him
to visit an Eastern Mediterranean country other than Turkey, though I've been trying to browbeat him about it for years!)
I posted this in the Forums 4 years ago, but don't know how current this info is:
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- Pandora Music Shop: Instruments and some good CDs - Mavromihali 51, Exarchia - 210 361 9924
- Monastiraki Flea Market: http://www.athensguide.com/monastiraki.html (A fun flea market with a few good CD shops. If memory serves, the pretty good musical instrument
store [no good ouds/outi though] run by the friendly Armenian guy was there too -- he also gave us a great restaurant recommendation)
- To Baraki tou Vassili: World music club in Athens:
To Baraki Tou Vassili (Vassilis' Bar)
Athens
Address: 3 Didotou St., Athens (Kolonaki)
Telephone: +30-210-3623625
Web Page: http://www.tobaraki.gr/
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I also found some great CDs at the Metropolis shop, including one really nice one at the Athens Airport Metropolis shop in 2002.
I also am thinking of the En Chordais shop in Thessaloniki.
Any further thoughts?
Thanks and all the best,
John
Multi Kulti - 5-4-2012 at 09:04 AM
There is no En chordais shop any more.. On the same street from the other side of the road has Tasos Theodorakis his shop with a lot of nice antique
ouds, his instruments and a lot of nice discussions and turkish coffee!
For nice live music there is "Eis sthn Polin" too. A nice location in "Ladadika" quarter with fine cuisine and live music from Smyrna and Istanbul and
rembetika etc.
http://www.eistinpolin.gr/
Ν.