Greek singer and musician, Dimitiris Basis, was visiting Sydney this year for a series of musical performances during the 2019 Greek Festival of Sydney.  Basis’ discography includes musical pieces that belong to the Greek music genre known as “Laïkó Tragoudi”, folk or urban folk music, a genre that followed Rebetiko music and which has taken many forms over the years.

Basis’ finale performance for the 2019 Greek Festival of Sydney at City Recital Hall in late May, “Mikis Theodorakis – Romiosini and Beyond”, was a tribute to the poetry of internationally acknowledged Greek poet, Yiannis Ritsos, as well as to the music of Mikis Theodorakis, one of Greece’s most important songwriters and composers. Romiosini in Yiannis Ritsos’ poetry refers to an idea of heroic Greekness as this was manifested in the Greek people’s struggles during the Greek War of Independence – 1821 and much later during the Second World War.

Following his final performance, the singer visited the Greek Orthodox Community Saturday School at Clemton Park Public School, where students asked questions about his interest in music, his career and his experience singing in front of a Sydney audience. Basis kindly answered all of students’ questions sharing his journey as a migrant in Germany early in his life. At the end of Basis’ visit to the school, the students were asked to sing along some of his songs!

The photos that follow capture the festive atmosphere at the school in late May!
 
Photos source: O Kosmos – Greek Australian newspaper  (https://kosmosnewspaper.com.au/)