Loustri Music Ensemble
Artist
Greece
Influences: Mediterranean , Balkan , East European
Personal Website   Buy artist music   Facebook Page   YouTube Page
IN THE CHARTS
 
4 times in the Global Top 40
November 2023 #8 - Global Top 40 NA PERPATIS PERIFANA (track)
December 2021 #28 - Global Top 40 Uskudara giderken - Apo xeno topo (video)
May 2021 #14 - Global Top 40 Wahabibi High Light from Loustri-m No2 (video)
TRACKS
BLOGS
 
Rebetiko - Anestis Delias - The pain of the junkie   I would like to share something which created strong feelings in me. It really moved me... I was trying to play something on my bouzouki and suddenly I realized I was playing a melody quite known to me. I knew this melody. I was playing it decades ago. I looked up in youtube. I found a version of the song which was performed by Payoumtzis but the lyrics was not what I could recall. “Of course”, I thought, “it is the censored version”  although rerecorded and published again during the 60’s for commercial reasons. I went on searching and in a couple of minutes I recalled the very first version. “O ponos tou prezakia” ( The pain of the junkie) by Anestis Delias ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anestis_Delias ). I recalled also his story by looking in several sites and remembered how he lived and how he died. He wrote this song about his own future death ( 31 July 1944 ) ! I was in the middle of a production and I thought by myself: “do not even  think about it!... No time for this now… go on with what you are currently buzy…” I was and remained impulsive though…  http://ethnocloud.com/Saoulis_Ensemble/?song=8019&b=6640   Lyrics:   Anestis Delias Music:   Anestis Delias First version:   Anestis Delias From the time that i started sniffing the drugs the world has rejected me I don't know what to do the world has rejected me I don't know what to do from the time that i started sniffing the drugs Wherever i stand and i go they make fun of me and my soul can't stand that they call me a junkie and my soul can't stand that they call me a junkie wherever i stand and i go they make fun of me After sniffing i started using the needle and slowly my body started to disintegrate and slowly my body started to disintegrate after sniffing i started using the needle Nothing remains for me to do in this world since the drugs made me die in the street since the drugs made me die in the street nothing remains for me to do in this world more
PHOTOS
 
About: Loustri Music Ensemble
About: Loustri Ensemble
About: Görkem Saoulis - Vocals - Kanun
About: Leonidas Kyridis - Upright bass
About: Yannis Saoulis - Vocals, Bouzouki
About: Loustri - D. Arabatzis - Bayan
ABOUT
"Loustri" in Greek means "Shoeshine boys" is the result of a fusion of "Saoulis Ensemble" and other artists. The name is inspired from a music piece which was written by the Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis for the soundtrack of the Elia Kazan's movie "America America".
The second reason was that such a name represents simple, hard, honest polishing work. No fancy things here. Just honest music from a colorful and rich (in terms of culture) region. The region around the Aegean Sea and even more, the region around the east Mediterranean sea i.e Greece (as epicenter), Turkey, Cyprus, Libanon etc.

The colours: Bouzoukis, Baglama, Guitars, Kanun, Upright Bass, Percussion, Accordion - Bayan, Kemence -Kemane. 5 members are signing (the most of the time), some times in two languages during the same music piece (Greek, Turkish).
The concept: Let the audience fly with the ensemble "LOUSTRI" in different times and spaces around the Aegean sea and beyond.
From Athens's rebetiko of the 1940's to Smyrna of 1900. From Smyrna to Othoman Istanbul of Aleko Badjanos end of 19th century and the traditional music of Black sea. Back to Thessaloniki of the 1960's but not for too long as we travel to Libanon in order to listen to religious music of the Maronites. Suddenly the intervals of Gnossiennes No1 sound very familiar to all these music of the East and creates the bridge to a Waltz in Bm of Fr. Schubert, Piazzolla and Rota. We need to get back in Athens where during the 1960's, 70's and later on, M. Hadjidakis, M. Theodorakis and S. Xarhakos created their legacy. We need to close with what inspired them the most: A long improvisation followed by a rebetiko song: "To minore tis avgis"
Repertoire: Greek (Rebetiko, Traditional, art music of Theodorakis, Hadjidakis, Xarhakos, Rebetiko and the ensemble's own music), Turkish (Traditional music from Anatolia) Arabic, Azeri, Classical pieces (Satie - Schubert e.a.), Conteporary composers such as Piazzolla, N. Rota e.a.

~Instagram: @i.loustri
~Facebook: facebook.com/Loustros
~Vimeo: vimeo.com/eastmedarts

EastMedArts & Ironman Productions
~
Loustri music ensemble - The Musicians:

Dimitris Arabatzis: Accordion
George Vartsakis: Guitar Vocals
Valantis Kapourelakos: Guitar Vocals
Spiros Papadopoulos: Bouzouki, Baglamas, Vocals
Alexandros Azat Saoulis: Percussions, Bouzouki
Assimoula Azize Saoulis: Ukulele, Baglama, Vocals
Leonidas Kiridis: Contrabass
Görkem Devrim Saoulis: Kanun, Vocals
Yannis Saoulis: Bouzouki, Baglama, Vocals
Thanasis Tsitsaris: Cello, Mandolin, Vocals
Tasos Tsionis: Percussion
Alexis Stefanidis: kemane