Located on the old road Nicosia-Limassol, between Skarinou and Kofinou, at about 25 km from Larnaca, Ktima Georgiadi is probably one of the best options in Cyprus for a night out with good friends or family. The well-known Greek Cypriot singer Stella Georgiadi and her brother Pieris have made their father's dream come true: the return to innocence, the return to their roots, the return to tradition far away from the bright lights of the city.
Ktima Georgiadi - my friend Andreas Morfitis on the dance floor.
Stella Georgiadi Live
My friend Andreas Morfitis who invited us to a great night out at Ktima Georgiadi.
My friends Stavros Rossos and Andreas Morfitis - alias "gerondas" - wise man.
Pieris and Stella have turned a traditional, old mansion into a Greek taverna where you can let off steam, eat, drink, dance and sing with Stella and her band. In the summer, you can enjoy the show under the stars and the orange trees where Stella and her siblings played when they were kids.
Stella Georgiadi and her daughter Eleftheria who had her b-day yesterday. Her gorgeous mum sang Happy Birthaday to Eleftheria.
Stella Georgiadi who did not hesitate to give up on a bright career as a singer in Athens and return to her roots.
My husband Alkis
Last night, Alkis and I had a great time there with good friends. After a long week at work, it was THE perfect night out. Stella will welcome you to her mansion with an old Greek song which she sings amongst her guests without music or micro. A big hand follows and then the show begins with Stella and her band. Prices are reasonable, yet the food needs to be improved.
Greece is one of the few countries in the world where folk dances are as alive today as they were in ancient times. Dance has always played an important role in the life of a Greek. It is an expression of human feelings and everyday life. The Greeks danced at religious festivals, ceremonies; they danced to ensure fertility; to prepare for war and to celebrate victories; they danced at weddings; to overcome depression and to cure physical illness. Almost every dance has a story to tell. Dance was regarded as one of the highest forms of art. Plato agreed with his mentor Socrates that every educated man should know how to dance gracefully by which he meant the manly exercises that kept the body strong and supple and ready to do its duty on the battlefield. The Pyrrhic, or weapon dance (a form of mock combat) taken from Crete and perfected in Sparta, was the ideal.
The dance, of all the arts, is the one that most influences the soul. Dancing is divine in its nature and is the gift of the gods. Plato
Traditional dance continues to be passed from generation to generation, which in turns maintains national identity. Folklore is the term used for traditional dance when performed out of its traditional social context. The principal characteristic of folklore dance is that it is not transmitted in a traditional manner but by a process involving dance teachers and gym instructors.
There are two distinct categories in the traditional Greek dance; the springing/leaping dance and the shuffle/dragging dance known as sirtos; the latter being the oldest form of dance. Most dances are circle dances, start with the right foot and move counter-clockwise. Each dancer is linked by a handkerchief or by holding hands, wrists or shoulders. In mixed dances, the man will lead the dance, which allows him in most regions to improvise or break away allowing him to express himself. Until recently, men and women rarely danced together although chains of men and women danced together at the same time, the women in the inner circle and the men in the outer circle. The order of dance varies from region to region. In general, the men are commonly at the beginning in descending order of age, followed by the women also ranked according to seniority. Sometimes the married men come before the bachelors and likewise for the women. The oldest inhabitant always leads the dance. In the islands the circle is usually formed of groups of families, the husband leads the wife who is followed by the eldest son, his wife and their children etc. Occasionally the local priest will lead the first dance symbolising a blessing. In olden times a man never held a woman’s hand but a kerchief. This also applied to married couples. In some regions a woman could not dance next to a man who was not family: therefore a child or an elderly would be placed in between. Most women's dances are slow, simple and dignified
Music is an integral part of myself. I can't live without it. Classical music makes me relax after a hard day at work but I also enjoy listening to Rachmaninov and Mozart on the beach. My ipod is filled with their music. I like American oldies and Greek music, of course. . Here are a few of my favourite songs.
Love on the Rocks by Neil Diamond because to love is to receive a glimpse of heaven. And because Neil Diamond is divine!!!
Jonathan Livingston - the Seagull by Neil Diamond because I fell in love with the movie and the music.
...because I'm romantic and I love Haroula....
because Yiannis Parios is our very own Neil Diamond - Matia Mple (Blue Eyes)
Of course the list is endless. I could go on and on telling you about my favourite songs. I also love Tom Jones, Andy Williams, Michel Sardou, Joe Dassin, Al Bano, Beyonce, The Beatles and Rachmaninov!
Every year, especially in the summer, many Greek artists gig in Larnaca. The truth is I don't often go to gigs. They're usually too crowded and too noisy. But when I heard that one of Greece's greatest musicians, Giorgos Hadjinasios and my good old friend Stavros Sideras organised three music nights in the luxuariant gardens of Mousio Theasis in Larnaca, I got tickets at once!
Giorgos Hadjinasios at the piano
This truly amazing performance started with four young artists - Dalida, Christos Hadjinasios, Pambina Kontea and Andronicos Lefkaritis and later 16-year-old Rafaela who is an opera soprano. They are all very talented and have great voices and I'm sure they will all make a dazzling career with such great masters to guide them and advise them. I was also impressed by the violinist's incredible virtuosity.
From left to right: Christos Hadjinasios, Pambina Kontea, Andronikos Lefkaritis, Dalida
Last night, Giorgos Hadjinasios and Stavros Sideras brought together almost all kinds of music with a strong emphasis on Greek music. For almost 3 hours, Mousio Theasis was filled with the sound of music and, of course we sang along! If you are in Cyprus, don't miss this event. A bottle of whiskey or a bottle of vodka or 2 bottles of Lazarides wine are included in the price for every four people together with a variety of finger food, nuts and fruit.
Last but not least, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart Giorgos Hadjinasios - it was such a great honour to have him here in Larnaca - and my great friend Stavros who is not just a great friend but also a great composer, singer, songwriter and a very successful musical theatre writer.
All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy but it certainly doesn't make me a dull girl! I've often shared my thoughts about my work and how much I enjoy working with children even though they are occasionally trying my patience! It's that time of year again when work is more important than leisure as school exams are round the corner. The IGCSE Reading and Writing exam was last Thursday, the Listening test is next Friday followed by final exams at my school, FCE on June 4 and Pitman for Young Learners in mid June- enough to keep me busy at work for the next four weeks or so.
However, in my busy weekly schedule I have made room for some time online - mostly at the weekend - and some time spent outdoors on Sundays. I sometimes wish I lived in a small village where I could enjoy nature and the great outdoors every single day of the week. What relaxes me most after a long day at work is spending some time listening to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No2. I could listen to that hours on end.without getting bored.
Apart from Rachmaninoff, I also relax listening to Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel:
When you are weary feeling small
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all
I'm on your side. When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Have you ever heard this song? It's been one of my favourites since I was 16! Working long hours doesn't always allow me to indulge in leisure activities, yet it is not work that kills but worry. Working hard won't kill you but worrying too much is bad for the health! Well, at least, I only worry a little.
I am an incurably romantic person who believes that love is very important and deserves to be celebrated on a special day. Valentine's Day is an excuse to splurge a fancy dinner, eat chocolate to your heart's content and ....buy lingerie! It is also an occasion to say "I love you." I know that actions speak louder than words, but these three magical words can do wonders when spoken! Some of you hate the commercial side of Valentine's Day. But most of you celebrate Christmas or your birthday even though these days also have a materialistic side - organise parties, give and receive presents. We all expect presents at Christmas and on our birthday, so, why not expect presents on Valentine's Day? Not necessarily expensive presents. Valentine's Day is a also a great reminder that love should be celebrated every single day of the year because true love is timeless.
I'll love you and leave you with my most favourite love song - "Love on the Rocks" by Neil Diamond.
Love on the rocks Aint no surprise Just Pour me a drink And I'll tell you some lies Got nothing to lose So you just sing the blues all the time
Gave you my heart Gave you my soul You left me alone here With nothing to hold Yesterday's gone Now all I want is a smile
First, they say they want you They haven't really need you Suddenly you find you're out there Walking in the storm And When they know they have you Then they really have you Nothing you can do or say You've got to leave, just get away We all know the song
You need what you need You can say what you want Not much you can do When the feeling is gone Maybe blue skies above But it's cool when your love's on the rocks
First, they say they want you They haven't really need you Suddenly you find you're out there Walking in the storm And When they know they have you Then they really have you Nothing you can do or say Youve got to leave, just get away We all know the song
Love on the rocks Aint no big surprise Jsut Pour me a drink And I'll tell you more lies Yesterday's gone And now all I want is a smile
Kyriacou Pelagia from Paralimni, Cyprus has made a career in our traditional folk music and singing at an age when other singers feel old and wouldn't dare think of singing in public. Kyriacou Pelagia has kept our tradition alive for the last twenty years or so. She is one in a million! Anna Vissi - the Greek ..Madonna - has acknowledged Kyriacou's amazing talent.
Cypriot dances are mainly of the type performed by a confronted pair, invariably two men or two women, or men's solo dances displaying virtuosity and often performed with a hand-held object, either a sickle, knife, sieve, or tumbler. In their steps and general characteristics - such as the movement of the body and limbs - they have features in common with dances of the historic Greek island area (the Asia Minor seaboard, Aegean islands and cities, and the Ionian isles). Apart from these common features, Cypriot dances are distinguished by steps peculiar to certain localities, such as stamping in one spot with the feet, crossed alternately in front of each other, in the "second" and particularly the "third" ""kartchilamas"" and in the "syrtos" for men. Improvization is another characteristic of Cypriot dances and may be attributed to their being performed by only two people and so to an overriding sense of comparison and, by extension, of competition. But it is to be noted that improvization and the freedom of the dancer to do his own thing are constrained by the community's severe strictures upon any excesses. Indeed, the more inward-looking the community, the more rigorous the restraints.
Here are some of the most popular men's dances:
Zeimpekikos
The "zeimpekkikos"is a solo dance that allows the dancer freedom to strike his own attitudes and to range more widely over the floor than in any other Cypriot dance: it also has more composite steps within the basic step pattern. All these factors help the dancer to show off his virtuosity to greater effect. Some dancers are noted particularly for their performance of the "zeimpekikos".
Tacha Dance
The "tacha" is a virtuoso's dance. The dancer spins a sieve in which he has placed a tumbler full of water, of which not a drop must be split. In the past twenty years or so dancers have been using an even greater number of tumblers.
Kandila Dance
The "arapies tis kandilas" - dance with a tumbler - has become a similarly extravagant dance After covering a half-filled glass with a kerchief the dancer turns it upside down and places it on his head, endeavouring to keep it upright as he dances. At the climax he kneels down and leans backwards to resume his original position without letting the glass fall or the water spill. The contemporary dancer balances as many glasses as he can on his head.
Drepani Dance
The "dhrepanin" (sickle) is a harvest dance. The best reapers would 'play the sickle' as they reaped, cutting swathes in the air and making swift passes about their bodies and over their heads or neatly topping the corn ears, but without ceasing to mow.
The day reapers finished the last of a farmer's fields the "potherka" would begin: threats made in jest by the reapers against the owner lest he fails to treat them handsomely, various games, and the harvest supper. A tune the instrumentalists played to the reapers during the "potherka" on the monastic estate of Saint Andrew's survives at Rizokarpaso. Old folk living in the locality of Karpasia used to call the sickle dance 'sickle games'. Till quite recently it was still seen at festivals including the celebration of the 'Cataclysmos', a festival held at Pentecost. What we know about 'sickle games' and the sickle dance in general bears witness to its antiquity. Passages of the harvest dance in Cyprus reflect a ritual involving fertility magic and the averting of evil.
With one space left in the final, the cameras were focussed on Sweden’s Anna Bergenthal, and Denmark’s Chanee and N’evergreen. The scores will be revealed on Monday, but with the final place being awarded to the Danish duet singing a song that had been rejected by the Swedish broadcaster two years ago, you have to feel some sympathy for Bergenthal. Fair play to Denmark, as the couple finally found the spark of performance that has been lacking in this Schlager pop number that throws everything including the kitchen sink at the key change. Which looks to have been successful.
A Eurovision final without Sweden is going to be a strange place, up till now they’ve been there every year they’ve entered, but it’s a welcome return to Cyprus for the Saturday night show as Jon Lilygreen and the Islanders proved a popular qualifier. The fact that Jon is welsh, and the backing band includes Scots and Irish musicians might give the BBC some food for thought when the Cypriot result is compared to the UK’s Josh Dubovie.
Still, it should mean we get one tradition back, namely the annual exchange of twelve points between Greece and Cyprus!
Yes!! After five years of absence at the Eurovision Song Contest ,Cyprus passed to the grand final.Watched by an audience of 18,000 in the Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway, and more than 120 million TV viewers in front of their TV sets in no less than 45 countries, the Final of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest will be held tonight, starting at 21:00 CET (22:00 EET).
For the first time ever in a Eurovision Song Contest Final, you will be able to cast your vote right from the beginning of the show by SMS or phone in all 39 participating countries. The televote will account for 50% of each national vote, with the remaining 50% being determined by 5-member expert juries in each participating country. The combined vote of each nation will be transformed to the Eurovision scheme, with 12 points to the first placed entry, 10 to the second placed one, and then from 8 down to 1 point from the 3rd to the 10th place, and then they will be announced live on air by spokespersons from each country.
Now, if you ask me which country I'll vote tonight, of course it'll be Greece!!! I can't vote my own country, but even if I could I'd give 12 points to OPA! This said, I also hope Cyprus will be in the first ten out of twenty-five.
Jon Lillygreen from Wales, UK and The Islanders, will sing for Cyprus "Life Looks Better In Spring"
My ... top ten exit poll!
1. Armenia
2. Greece
3. Ireland
4. Iceland
5. Georgia
6. Turkey
7. Azerbaijan
8. Germany
9. Cyprus
10. Israel
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