Caravan Music and Con Kalamaras are bringing together a collection of some of Melbourne’s finest musicians; Achilles Yiangoulli, Dean Georgalas, Nick Koutsaliotis and Stavrina Dimitriou, to play tribute to the iconic Vassilis Tsitsanis.

Tsitsanis (1915-1984) is considered the finest rebetika composer, having written over 2,000 songs and unearthed talents such as Sotiria Bellou, Marika Ninou and Prodromos Tsaousakis.

The outfit will focus on some of the composer’s most memorable and celebrated works from the 1940s and 1950s, offer an original bouzouki, violin and mandolin experience to the Melbourne audience.

“Tsistanis is the epitome of a gifted songwriter being able to capture the historical mood of a nation coming to grips with post-war trauma, and also the social landscape of a nation rebuilding,” Con Kalamaras tells Neos Kosmos.

“His songs are world-famous and still relevant to this day; a man from humble beginnings took to the world stage.”

Tsitsanis is regarded as a legend of rebetiko music, translating the worries and struggles of Greeks during the war into beautiful songs. For Con Kalamaras, the urban Greek blues cut through the glitz and glamour, resonating with the everyday person. Rebetika embodies the creative expression of an urban subculture whose members the Greeks commonly called rebetes, people living on the margins of society, often persecuted, addicted, struggling to maintain themselves and find love in a poor, famished country entering industrialism.

“The lyrics depict the trials and tribulations of life, the emotional roller-coaster, the pain of being an outcast, which resonates perfectly with expatriate Greeks,” he says.

“Half of the group was born in Greece and came to Australia at a young age, whereas my family relocated back to Greece when I was young but we returned here to start all over again.”

The band recently gave a sell-out performance focusing on the musical works of Soteria Bellou at the Kew Court house, receiving an overwhelming welcoming by native Greek and Australian audiences, something which was reflected in the ticket enquiries.

“The concert sold out within two weeks of being online and my phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” says Kalamaras.

“We aim to introduce even more people in Australia to this amazing repertoire.”

Achilles Yiangoulli is no stranger to rebetika either, having played with renowned and respected groups, on TV, festivals and also theatrical stages, always pushing himself to territories new and beyond.

“I feel a special connection with the music of the poor, the dispossessed … with the refugees and the migrants who came to Greece from Asia Minor before and after WWI,” he says.

Dean Georgalas, on the other hand, is a highly-respected musician, who brings an unprecedented level of professionalism and knowledge on broader genres to the outfit, comparing the appeal of these songs to the American blues.

“The conflicts expressed in the rebetika songs do not exclusively apply to Greeks, as they stem from unresolved everyday issues we all deal with everyday,” he adds.

With the expertise of Miltemis’s bouzouki virtuoso Nick Koutsaliotis and vocalist Stavrina Dimitriou, Con Kalamaras promises to bring the Greek underworld to life.

“The erudite text, the emotion in the breakdowns of the rhythms in combination with the diverse metric patterns will not only make you dance, but will deeply move you, evoking memories and traits of cultural heritage which trace all the way back to the Byzantine times and Ottoman occupation.”

* The tribute band will perform live on Saturday 18 July at the Oakleigh RSL, (95-97 Drummond Street, Oakleigh Victoria). Doors open 8.00 pm (show time 8.40 pm). Ticket price: Reserved seats $25+bf $25 at the door (if still available). Phone: (03) 9568 1432.