The festival is supported by the 3 municipalities of Ikaria: Evdelos, Agios Kirykos & Raches and has been “born” from a desire to create an event which will bring high quality music, ideas and ideals in an “unspoiled” environment, for the benefit of the Icarians themselves, the visitors and the artists participating.
The island has been named Ikaria by Hercules after the fall of Icarus into the waters of the Icarian Sea, very close to the shores of the island (the rock close to which Icarus fell to the sea can be seen in the district of Agios Kyrikos).It is also believed that Dionysus was born here, in the cave of Iero, otherwise an enchanting amphitheatrical beach close to Faro. Ikaria was also a place of retreat for the goddess Artemis (temple of Artemis in Nas)
Ikaria of today is still a trip into Greece of long ago and into a land where people do things “their way”.
Hospitality, friendliness, philosophy, poetry, the wisdom of taking things slow and great love for their island are inclinations of the Icarians of today.
Klaudia Delmer Artistic Director
We are continuing -for a second year- the venture that all three municipalities of Ikaria started last year. Icarus Festival is a grand and ambitious effort, well beyond the boundaries of our island.
The performances we organized last year, demonstrated that we can contribute to the creation of cultural exchanges and to the cultivation of friendships and collaborations between artists and institutions from all places on earth. They also showed, that we can transform our island into a cultural crossroad and a hospitable meeting place (through music as well as the other forms of art) of the Greater European and Mediterranean plateau. For music and the arts in general, teach us, entertain us and inform us.
Partners in this effort are the entire island of Ikaria, our visitors and friends and most of all our valuable artists, Greek and foreign, who join forces setting aside the price tag of their work. For they believe -and we also believe- that art and music is a gift for everyone and not a commercial venture.
Without an even symbolical state assistance or subsidy, we proceed on our own on a course that will validate and establish “Icarus Festival for Dialogue between Cultures” in our place and the greater area, as an Ikarian panegyri and an Artistic event of the highest level.
With the invaluable contribution of important people of Music and esteemed members of our society, we are assured that “Icarus” will soon be one of the greatest summer events in Greece.
Stylianos Stamoulos Mayor of Evdelos, Ikaria
ARTISTS 2007
Etnika 22.07 Evdelos
Malta’s fabulous Folk Band
Yes…but they “bow” towards folk music and then go beyond it playing Malta’s ancient vanishing melodies they establish their relevance in a contemporary context using creative approach and a focusing on a vivid performance.
Their music is a fascinating mix of cultures which have affected the history of Malta throughout the ages: Arabic, Italian, Sicilian, British and of their own exuberant creativity.
Encardia 24.07 Agios Kyrikos & 25.07 Raches
Tarantella Feat
“What is a tarantella? The music which cures the bite of a venomous black spider, it is a part of a phenomena known as “tarantism” with roots reaching far into the middle ages in the South of Italy which was inhabited then by some of then Greek speaking , from the times of Pythagoras who not only cured with music but gave her the healing power.”
The Greek band Encardia embraces the music of South Italy and invites its audience to a tarantella dance and more.
Vassilis Lekkas
with Giannis Spathas 29.07 Evdelos and 30.07 Karkinagri (Raches)
Songs of wine, Songs of love
Vassilis Lekkas, one of the most expressive and artistic Greek singers opens a dialogue between two worlds: the ancient and the contemporary. With a presentation of his two albums “Songs of wine, Songs of love” based on the lyrics of ancient poets and music by his recently released album “Spinthiras”on lyrics of a famous contemporary poetess Lina Nikolakopoulou and music of Giannis Spathas.
Giorgos Psichogios 3.08 Agios Kyrikos
From Cuba to Ikaria
One of Greek best pianists ( and accordionists), with an exhilarating technique and phantasmagoric capacity in his improvisations he will present a program for solo piano improvising on the known melodic themes from all the world with the “ikariotiko”(Icarian dance) rhythm as a point of reference.
Maria Bermudez and Chicana Gypsy Band .08 Agios Kyrikos
Maria Bermudez, a flamenco dancer?, a jazz singer? Born in New York with parents of Mexican origin she starts off as a jazz and blues singer and eventually, living for many years in Southern Spain, she evolves in the art of flamenco.
Accompnied by a “gitanos” band from the heart of Andalucia she comes to Ikaria for a flamenco/jazz fusion concer
Visit:
http://icarus-festival.ikaria.gr
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