We ended 2021 and began 2022 with a negative. No session on 9th January. There is a small chance it might happen on 16th as the restrictions are due to end on that date. I am assuming that they end at 6am on that morning.
As a band we sing the song Salonika and segue into a Tsitsanis song called Όμορφη Θεσσαλονίκη (Beautiful Thessaloniki). Although it works very well, I tend to be cautious about drawing parallels between Irish and Greek music. Having said that, I recently heard this song sung by Miltos Paschalidis and I thought it had a real Irish or Celtic folk flavour to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRzTtes-j4k It is called Masks though it has nothing to do with Covid.
The strings in this version (by Vangelis Germanos) also have the same feel for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-960ceYb-g
Both men’s voices reminded me of an Irish singer called Don Stiffe. Here he is singing a song called The Promise of Spring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvqX6LtLCG8 It would be nice to know what people think. Am I on the right track or talking out of my arse?
The good news is that a few of us should be getting together in the bijou theatre, Nemesis, for our first practice of 2022.
Finally, returning to Salonika/ Όμορφη Θεσσαλονίκη, our singer and some our friends from Tir Fada plus some of their friends from a band called Romvos put this video together during lockdown. It was done in honour of St. Patrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0765kj57Mc I hope you enjoy it.