Since I can remember, I have loved music and the bouzouki.
I remember going out to restaurants in the Greek community in Cheltenham, England with my parents and listening to bouzouki music and watching my parents dance to classic Greek songs.
I was born in 1973 in Famagusta, Cyprus. Famagusta was a tourist hub back then before the Turkish invasion that deprived over 180, 000 people of their homes in the Northern part of the Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus.
My parents often tell me stories of the great times they had in Famagusta before the war in 1974. My father was a goal keeper for a successful first division football team and was accustomed to popularity and good times. He also had a business in the city and just before the war he and my mother had purchased their first beach side apartment together: They enjoyed life and were surrounded by friends and good times.
All this came to an abrupt end in 1974 when my parents and I found ourselves in cold England with nothing but the clothes we were wearing. My motherand I and my grandmother, aunty and cousins were transported to England with the outbreak of the war and my father, who had stayed to fight, joined us a couple of months later. From what I have been told, these were difficult years. My father worked cleaning cars in the morning and serving fish and chips in the evening and my mother worked at an office until they finally bought a house and opened a business in 1979. My grandmother from my mother's side took good care of me.
It didn't take long for my parents to connect with other refugees from Cyprus and other Cypriots who had moved to England before the war. From my recollection, these times were filled with bouzouki and Greek music, dancing, joking and lots of Greek food. I have very fond memories of the Greek community in Cheltenham, England.
This was when I first became exposed to live bouzouki music.
My mother was born and raised in England. Her father and mother moved to England in 1937 and 1938 respectively. She had a childhood friend called Bambos who pretty much introduced me to the bouzouki.
Bambos performed in Greek restaurants and Greek nights all over the U.K. When he was in Cheltenham it was almost guaranteed that we would go and watch him perform. I have great memories from a Greek restaurant in Cheltenham called The Dionysos at which Bambos performed regularly.
There was something magical about Bambos' performances. It wasn't so much in his bouzouki playing, which he himself admits he doesn't really pay much attention to, as much as it was his overall performance or his show. He was a musician, singer, comedian and super entertainer.
I was mesmerised by his performances and greatly looked up to him. He was my role model.
Bambos played a critical role in my career as a bouzouki player and singer.
Bambos introduced me to my bouzouki teacher, followed my progress and invited me to sing everytime I went to see him perform. Bambos is the reason I started singing when I did for the simple reason that he booked me at a restaurant as a singer and bouzouki player five times a week. When I arrived at the restaurant and asked to meet the singer so that we could go over the songs, the owner of the restaurant said "Bambos said that you were the singer!" I had no choice, I was the singer.
Since then I have performed on cruise ships, in Cyprus at hotels, in bouzouki clubs, and taverns and restaurants. I have enjoyed performing in the U.K. in New York city and North East U.S.A and I have had the pleasure of performing at concerts for incredibly warm and enthusiastic audiences in Israel.
I now perform with a band around Cyprus at weddings and private parties. We perform as a duo, a trio or as a full five piece band.
For information please visit our website at http://www.dionysosgroup.com/ send me an E-Mail at dion@dionysosgroup.com or call me on 357-99290403
Dionysis Theodorou
No comments:
Post a Comment