Traditional music in today

Music ensemble Argalios

Alexandros Iosifidis: piano, instrumentation
Olga Alexiou: daouli, voice, percussion
Zoe Mantzou: voice, percussion
Telis Dimitrakopoulos: saxophone

“Argalios” is a music ensemble inspired by traditional music from around the world, focusing on greek folk songs, aiming to create a modern sound with exceptional style and emphasis on improvisation. One could say it is possible to blend in this sound Rachmaninoff, Bill Evans and Chalkiades.

Alexandros Iosifidis (piano, instrumentation), Olga Alexiou (daouli, voice, percussion), Zoe Mantzou (voice, percussion) build a sound both firm and flexible, inspired by jazz, classical music and psychedelia, all of them woven in the ancient groove of folk music. The aery vocals are combined with the earthen sounds of daouli and the playful sounds of various percussion instruments (goblet drum, tambourine, crotalum etc.), while the piano builds intriguing harmonies in a journey of expression aiming towards human emotion: from a joyful karsilama to an Epirian lament, from a pontic dipat to a Persian love song, every single Argalios concert explores a spectrum of emotions, from laughter to crying, in the way only an authentic greek festival can.

Their collaboration with a vast array of soloists coming from different backgrounds (jazz double bass, classical cello, the Cretan lyre, traditional clarinet) integrates the soloists’ musical pathways in the malleable sound of Argalios through a daring journey of improvisation.

In 2022 they were distinguished in the competition “Bridges – Open Platforms” hosted by the Music Concert Hall of Athens that was aiming to give prominence to new musical ensembles from Greece, and in the summer of 2023, they performed in the Megaron Garden (Athens). Also, in 2023 they took part in World Music Showcase of “A to Jazz Festival”, in Sofia, when they were chosen between multiple participations from all over Europe. Up until today they have released three EP and one single. Their new EP “INVITE Live Studio Session” came out during winter of 2023 and it details a live studio recording in collaboration with various guest soloists.

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