“Travelling” (“Taxidevontas"), a program regularly running on MEGA TV Greece (hosted by Christos Nezos), is a blend: partly musical show and partly tourist showcase of Greece. Overall, this series is easy and relaxed viewing. However, the episode shown on Easter Sunday, 4th April 2010 clearly deserves special attention. A visit to Nafplio with Nikos Economopoulos simply can not be embedded into the framework of a routine hybrid entertainment show. The high quality of musical material, the main component of which is this magnetic singer's voice, elevates this television episode to the level of art.
Before focusing on an analysis of what has been broadcast, I note that the programs by Nezos are based on an alternation of information segments about relevant interesting tourist spots with songs and short interviews with Nezos’ travel companion. In this episode, the geographical attraction is Nafplio and his companion is the popular young Greek singer Nikos Economopoulos. I must say, the combination turned out brilliantly: Nafplio is not only an historically interesting place, but also is the one of the most picturesque towns in Greece. Here, like nowhere else, are woven together the Eastern and Western cultures that gave birth to the masterpieces of architecture, such as the fort Bourtzi, castle of Palamidi, Parliament Buildings and Constitution Square.
Historical events which have unfolded in Nafplio, this first capital of independent Greece, strike the imagination. Even the mysterious figure of the "helmsman" or “kyvernitis”, as the Greeks used to call their first de facto president, (BTW, before that - Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs) Ioannis Kapodistrias, with all the Masonic undertones and chilling murder at the entrance to the church of St.Spyridon already create some intrigue.
It is a hard task to withstand the competition posed by this stunning entourage. The beauty of the landscapes is blinding and the information rains down on the viewer, as if from the mythological Horn of Plenty. But in this case there is no competition - the indescribable views of the city and the Gulf are perfectly blended with the singer's divine voice, bringing out the harmony and delighting the television audience.
Nezos found a wonderful solution to film the visual elements and backdrops for a number of songs from the latest album by Nikos Economopoulos, "Katathesi Psychis” (Offering of the Soul). Despite the excellent quality of the topics the director and the singer addressed, I allow myself to skip their contents, mentioning only that Nikos - through his words - appears to be a thoughtful young man, whose concerns go far beyond his own career. Much of what they talk about I have already described, and covered in other articles and translations of some interviews with Nikos Economopoulos. Maybe one detail was missed – it is Nikos’ thoughts regarding the future of laika music, which, really, should be respected as a trademark genre in Greek musical culture.
But for now my goal of the current review is to share in a few words some impressions of the musical video sketches made by Nezos’ team and Nikos. When I look closely they are arranged in a kind of a free form, woven-of-song material, which is traditionally called a “rhapsody”
So, let me to make a heading for the following writing:
“A Rhapsody"
Introduction:
Thus, a visual rhapsody, whose circuit emerges through the dense texture of a television show, starts with a little slow introduction: the song “Thelo na ‘me” – “I Would Like To Be” (words by Vangelis Karatzanos, music by Dimitris Anastasopoulos and Christos Papadopoulos “the 2nd”) smoothly hovers over the bay. The meaning, which implies in it a declaration of love, takes on a new tone, as if the words are addressed to the corner of the universe, whose beauty unfolds for the admiring eyes of a viewer. Fabulous castles (Bourtzi, surrounded by water and Palamidi, climbing the mountain ), idyllic tiled roofs of the old town and a dazzling sparkling bay together with Nikos voice merge into a sounding mirage.
Quotations:
Inclusion into the program of several fragments from video clips of two previous albums looks like a quotation, and I cannot avoid the temptation to drop a line about the award-winning video for the song "Koita na mathenis" – “Look to Learn” (music by Panos Kapiris, words by Fontas Theodorou) which provides a sharp visual contrast: Nikos with the makeup of a sad Pierrot, thick gloomy colour palette of the video in general, while all this only underscores the reigning radiance of Nafplio in our rhapsody.
First movement: "Ti Tha Kano Me Sena” - “What Can I do With You”
The song is quite a puzzle. The music and poetry here collide, creating a romantic drama. From one side here is a psychological portrait of the growing disappointment in love, described by inimitable Eleni Giannatsoulia, from another side soaring waltz (laiko-waltz, we might say) by Marios Psimopoulos. This song already had its first visual incarnation made by the director of the promo video clip for the CD “Katathesi Psychis” Manolis Tzirakis . That video was filmed in an unfinished building, taking on the appearance of ruins. It creates the dissonance of a place a hero must leave, as there is no joy to remain inside it. The late autumn landscape increases the feeling of the upcoming end. In contrast, in the Nezos video our hero is singing while walking along the sea shore. It is a sunny spring day. We see ships steaming on the waters of the amazing Argolic Gulf, and these surroundings bring a new meaning to the song: the unhappy love story is left behind, all the “countless errors” and “hopelessness” are in the past. The lonely but free man is releasing his soul by getting rid of old memories. The spring breeze brings hope, mysterious silhouettes of the castles beckon like a dream. The romantic drama of the song promises a happy end in the future, or at least it provides hope.
Second movement: “Mou ‘pe mia psychi” – “A Soul Told Me”
A few months ago in my first article dedicated to Nikos Economopoulos (“An Offering from the Soul”) I characterised the song by Christos Papadopoulos (music) and Eleni Giannatsoulia (words) as a “beautiful oriental ballad’. I take my words back. Since I made a translation of the lyrics it became clear for me – this is a psychological drama, a cruel one, as only life can be. It is a desperate attempt by a human creature to obtain a balance by self deception, to find salvation in fake hope. The bleeding wound of a lost soul… Nikos voice is an ideal instrument for the incarnation of the author’s idea. It has an ability to reflect the very nerves of the song thanks to the incredible exactness of its intonation. “Crying” oriental violins of Papadopoulos’ composition are perfectly complementing the singer’s sound and help to create an image of a certain “idea fix”. Delirious music!
The creators of the film dramatically change the atmosphere of the show by placing the song video interpretation into the God-forsaken train station surroundings. It is tremendous contrast to the previous medieval castles walls and ancient views of the Old Town. Graffiti-decorated vans are saying a lot, maybe too much, just like it is a visual insanity. A powerful song and a powerful vision of it!
Third Movement: “To Mavro Chroma” – “The Black Colour”
Dazzling beauty of the Argolic Gulf decorated with the ever drifting “ship” of the Bourtzi, magnificent walls of the Palamidi Castle and red tile roofs of the Old Town - all these tourist attractions could make a perfect enough scene for this luxurious zeibekiko-style song.
But the ear of a master (I think, Nezos and his cameramen are masters indeed) discovers something extra in the way Nikos Economopoulos sings “To Mavro Chroma.” The song, written by Alexandros Chrisovergis and Spyros Giatras in tandem, has an inner contradiction between the sustained masculine energy of the music and a sensuality of the lyrics. Nikos’ voice shapes the tune like an instrument in the hands of a sculptor carves the marble. His taste in singing reveals by showing emotions through the quality of the sound, which is rich enough not to be decorated with extra ornamentation.
The film director creates a visual equivalent to what the singer is doing by using a contrast between colourful shots of the picturesque narrow old streets of Nafplio and black-and-white fragments with two dancing boys. The stunning effects awaken associations with the neo-realistic cinema – and more! The simple vision of urban youngsters, performing a zeibekiko instead of the standard street hip-hop from wider Europe, says far more than any words. The passionate power of the song has found here its brilliant incarnation.
Intermezzo (Duet with Parios and Children’s Choir)
The touching scene of the last duet with the legendary Giannis Parios filmed in the music hall "Fever" and nearly equally touching (but in a different way) joint singing of Nikos with children (students of 1 and 2 Nafplio high schools) add the exceptional warmth to the entertaining program. The intention of the author is transparent - we see and hear that the “laika” music should be live, Parios is passing the torch to Nikos while young talents from Nafplio are growing to be able to continue the tradition. Here is traced the same idea as in the video fragment "To Mavro Chroma"
The final song “Katathesi Psychis” (The title song of the CD, which, by the way has already gone Gold) returns us to the views of the Argolic Gulf and the grandeur of the castle Bourtzi. A powerful sonic palette of this music combines beautifully with the enormity of the famous Venetian buildings.
My description of this visual rhapsody mentions some, but not all, songs that are found in this TV show’s new incarnation. For me it seemed logical to focus on the most characteristic episodes of the program.
In conclusion, it is necessary to ask a question: what sort of audience it is aimed for? It cannot be enough that all these tourist attractions that were strongly amplified by the unique voice of Nikos, are seen only by the Greek public. Hopefully, "Travelling to Nafplio with Nikos Economopoulos" will be screened on TV channels in Europe, and beyond. In my opinion, it is difficult to find a more successful promotion for tourism in Greece: unique vistas and places for recreation, and, above all, the unique voice of the singer: what could be more desirable taken as a stimulating and compelling package?
Visual rhapsody, sung by Nikos Economopoulos, actually is an outstanding musical documentary, which must be of great interest for the various TV channels of many different countries.
Lucy Vaganova
Editing: Theo Simeonidis
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