Sixteen-year-old Tabitha Bourakis has been singing for as long as she can remember and this past weekend she was given the opportunity to sing in Greek for the first time at a very special event.
On Sunday, the team behind the Little Anna series of children’s stories launched a new book marking the 50th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
Together with the Cyprus Community of Melbourne & Victoria and SEKA Victoria, the event served as not only a launch for the children’s book but an educational event with music and all.
“It was a very amazing opportunity for me to participate in and I was really honoured to be asked to be part of this day,” Tabitha told Neos Kosmos.
“The song I was asked to sing, Chrysoprasino Fyllo (gold and green leaf), it’s like a national anthem to the Cypriot community.
“I was very blessed to have this opportunity and I really enjoyed it when people joined in with me.”
Once she saw the audience join in singing the Mikis Theodorakis song, she had realised how special it was to the community.

“I wanted to be a part of that, I want to learn a lot more about what the Cypriots went through 50 years ago.”
Her mother Ria said the opportunity for Tabitha to sing was amazing for all of them and an educational one at that.
“It was a wonderful for Tabitha mainly to be educated in a part of history that many young people don’t know about, especially if you’re not part of a Cypriot background, and don’t have those stories and insight that yiayiathes and papouthes, mums and dads pass on,” she said.
“It was great for her to hear the stories, to hear presentations, read the story and book, and to be educated in a part of history – a tragic part of history.”
Tabitha is a part of a few different singing groups and choirs at school.
The Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar student is part of the Victorian Opera Youth Chorus Ensemble (VOYCE) and has participated in competitions.
She also sings in different languages as part of her classical training – German, French, Italian and has now added Greek to the list.
“I like singing because it not only brings me a lot of joy but I love seeing other people enjoy it,” the young Greek Aussie said.
“It brings other people happiness and that makes me happy.”