Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
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PHOTOS
ABOUT
Namaste was created in 2002 in Athens and has since been traveling in Greece as well as abroad.
Namaste in Hindi means "I bow to the God within you," whereas in Greek it means "to be" or "here we are." The compositions of Namaste consist of a melting pot of world music sounds revisited through their own personal filter. As Greece is the crossroad of Europe, Asia, and Africa, so is the sound of Namaste, a way for its members to musically express this crossing of cultures!
In 2007, Namaste released their first CD called 'Namaste.'
In 2008, their second CD was titled 'Innocent Demons.'
In 2012, they released their third CD titled 'Shores of the Soul.'
On stage, Namaste members play their own compositions in different languages such as Greek, English, French, or Spanish, which always include a strong element of improvisation. Besides, they include in their program songs that enable the listener to travel to different countries such as Kenya, Mali, South Italy, Celtic or Gypsy lands, without forgetting their own homeland through covers of traditional or rebetiko songs played with their characteristic ethno-jazz sound.
They have had shows in some of the most well-known places in Athens and Thessaloniki and have represented Greece at the International Festival of Ohrid, Skopje.
They also participated in the Ethno-Jazz Festival of "Dimitra," the Mushroom Festival in Grevena, the Global Beat Festival in Kalamata and in Piraeus, and the Grito Rock Festival in Thessaloniki.
Since 2007, Namaste has been playing in different places in Santorini for an international audience where they gained the reputation of being the most popular band.
Through the years of its existence, Namaste has had the privilege of collaborating with Alban Snoopy, drummer of the well-known Love band from the 60s, as well as with Alexander Hatzis.
Namaste has been involved in the World Movement for Seed Freedom through its collaboration with Peliti, a Greek association for the protection of biodiversity and for the conservation and free distribution of traditional seeds. Namaste has been performing concerts for the last eight years at the Peliti Seed Exchange Festival in Paranesti.
In April 2014, they were Greek ambassadors at the International Solidarity Caravan for Seed Freedom, in which the world-known activist Vandana Shiva also participated. They started from Paranesti, Greece, and ended in Le Mas D’Azil in the Pyrenees, France, stopping on the way and giving concerts in Florence and Genova, Italy.
The Namaste band is based in Thessaloniki, and its current members are:
Thanasis Kleopas, voice, guitar, and bouzouki
Alexia Chrysomalli, voice, guitar, and flutes
Kiriakos Fotiadis, piano, voice, and melodica
Panagiotis Alepidis, percussions, voice, didgeridoo, and jaw’s harp.
Thanasis Kleopas is a cosmopolitan self-taught musician. After leaving his work as an electrical engineer, he began to travel and live through music. He has spent time and performed in many countries such as Thailand, Japan, India, France, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.
Alexia Chrysomalli studied clarinet and attended classical song lessons at the Municipal Conservatory of Thessaloniki. In 2004, she took part in the Song Festival in Lefkimi, Corfu, and won the six first prizes (1st prize for song, interpretation, music, lyrics, committee, public). She collaborated with the record company Libra as well as with the composers Vangelis Katsoulis, Dimitris Zervoudaki, and George Kazantzis. She is also a member of the vocal group Stringless.
Kiriakos Fotiadis studied classical piano at the New Conservatory. His musical interest lies in Jazz, World Music, and film music. He studied Music Technology and Sound Engineering at IEK Delta Thessaloniki and owns the recording studio Dawn Productions. As he was traveling, he played in different cities of England, Holland, Spain, and France.
Panagiotis Alepidis studied music at the Conservatory Symphony, attending a course in classical singing. At the same time, he studied drums and percussion at the Symphony Conservatory and at the Music Workshop.
Besides, he also practices Relaxation and Therapeutic Massage.
He has worked with the theater, participating in the theater group XNOY as an actor and a musician. He also has collaborated with the groups: Kroustomania, Pondopori, Efxinos kosmos, and has played in the opening part of Goran Bregovic’s concert in Santorini in 2011.
He also participated in Bohuslav Martinu’s Opera "The Greek Passion.
Namaste in Hindi means "I bow to the God within you," whereas in Greek it means "to be" or "here we are." The compositions of Namaste consist of a melting pot of world music sounds revisited through their own personal filter. As Greece is the crossroad of Europe, Asia, and Africa, so is the sound of Namaste, a way for its members to musically express this crossing of cultures!
In 2007, Namaste released their first CD called 'Namaste.'
In 2008, their second CD was titled 'Innocent Demons.'
In 2012, they released their third CD titled 'Shores of the Soul.'
On stage, Namaste members play their own compositions in different languages such as Greek, English, French, or Spanish, which always include a strong element of improvisation. Besides, they include in their program songs that enable the listener to travel to different countries such as Kenya, Mali, South Italy, Celtic or Gypsy lands, without forgetting their own homeland through covers of traditional or rebetiko songs played with their characteristic ethno-jazz sound.
They have had shows in some of the most well-known places in Athens and Thessaloniki and have represented Greece at the International Festival of Ohrid, Skopje.
They also participated in the Ethno-Jazz Festival of "Dimitra," the Mushroom Festival in Grevena, the Global Beat Festival in Kalamata and in Piraeus, and the Grito Rock Festival in Thessaloniki.
Since 2007, Namaste has been playing in different places in Santorini for an international audience where they gained the reputation of being the most popular band.
Through the years of its existence, Namaste has had the privilege of collaborating with Alban Snoopy, drummer of the well-known Love band from the 60s, as well as with Alexander Hatzis.
Namaste has been involved in the World Movement for Seed Freedom through its collaboration with Peliti, a Greek association for the protection of biodiversity and for the conservation and free distribution of traditional seeds. Namaste has been performing concerts for the last eight years at the Peliti Seed Exchange Festival in Paranesti.
In April 2014, they were Greek ambassadors at the International Solidarity Caravan for Seed Freedom, in which the world-known activist Vandana Shiva also participated. They started from Paranesti, Greece, and ended in Le Mas D’Azil in the Pyrenees, France, stopping on the way and giving concerts in Florence and Genova, Italy.
The Namaste band is based in Thessaloniki, and its current members are:
Thanasis Kleopas, voice, guitar, and bouzouki
Alexia Chrysomalli, voice, guitar, and flutes
Kiriakos Fotiadis, piano, voice, and melodica
Panagiotis Alepidis, percussions, voice, didgeridoo, and jaw’s harp.
Thanasis Kleopas is a cosmopolitan self-taught musician. After leaving his work as an electrical engineer, he began to travel and live through music. He has spent time and performed in many countries such as Thailand, Japan, India, France, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.
Alexia Chrysomalli studied clarinet and attended classical song lessons at the Municipal Conservatory of Thessaloniki. In 2004, she took part in the Song Festival in Lefkimi, Corfu, and won the six first prizes (1st prize for song, interpretation, music, lyrics, committee, public). She collaborated with the record company Libra as well as with the composers Vangelis Katsoulis, Dimitris Zervoudaki, and George Kazantzis. She is also a member of the vocal group Stringless.
Kiriakos Fotiadis studied classical piano at the New Conservatory. His musical interest lies in Jazz, World Music, and film music. He studied Music Technology and Sound Engineering at IEK Delta Thessaloniki and owns the recording studio Dawn Productions. As he was traveling, he played in different cities of England, Holland, Spain, and France.
Panagiotis Alepidis studied music at the Conservatory Symphony, attending a course in classical singing. At the same time, he studied drums and percussion at the Symphony Conservatory and at the Music Workshop.
Besides, he also practices Relaxation and Therapeutic Massage.
He has worked with the theater, participating in the theater group XNOY as an actor and a musician. He also has collaborated with the groups: Kroustomania, Pondopori, Efxinos kosmos, and has played in the opening part of Goran Bregovic’s concert in Santorini in 2011.
He also participated in Bohuslav Martinu’s Opera "The Greek Passion.
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