«The Extreme Cretan Music World»
Contemporary Cretan Music Festival 2021
Friday 5 of November 2021
21:00
Experimental Stage
Circle | Festival
The harpist Maria-Christina Harper (London) and the lutist Yiagos Hairetis (Crete), famous for his cooperation with Yannis Aggelakas, create together an original duet that combines the musical tradition of Crete with the contemporary music scene of London. The special music soundscapes that Xairetis creates with his lute, sometimes in rock style, linked with the dynamic and experimental playing of Maria-Christina and her electric harp. The result sometimes is mystagogue, others exploding or blues, approaching the Cretan tradition in several ways. They have presented their cooperation in several festivals in Greece and in important places abroad, like the legendary Vera Groningen in Holland.
Their album, Draft, was released from the Same Difference Music in December 2020 and gained exceptional critics from international media. Their music has been heard on the radio station of Seattle KEXP and Folk Radio UK.
Art Direction: Chrisanna Karelli
Credits:
Maria-Christina Harper | electric harp
Yiagos Hairetis | cretan lute
Bio:
Maria-Christina Harper | electric harp
Maria Christina Harper is an avant garde harpist with influences from Greek traditional music, experimental scene and jazz. She studied with scholarship in the Royal Academy of London. She founded the group MC & the 7 Pedals and gained the first prize in the international harp contest in Wales. She uses pioneer techniques on harp, representing sounds of bass and electric guitar on her instrument. In 2017 she released the album Gluten Free from Valentine Records (UK). She has performed in the legendary BBC2 show Later with Jools Holland and in Montreal Jazz Festival. She has also performed in Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the National Portrait Gallery, the Roundhouse, Bush Hall, 606 Jazz Club. In Greece she has performed in Half Note jazz club, Megaron Concert Hall, Onassis Foundation, Greek National Opera, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. She has cooperated with many top musicians, like Katie Melua, Soft Cell, Anni Hogan, Ala.ni, Potent Whisper, Pete Long, Georgina Jackson and Psarandonis.
Yiagos Hairetis | Cretan lute
Yiagos Hairetis started playing music in a very young age, playing lute and other Cretan traditional instruments. Growing up in Anogia, birthplace of great musicians like Psarandonis and Nikos Xylouris, he was influenced by Cretan sounds, while also by groups like Led Zeppelin, Doors and Deep Purple. These influences created the special style of his lute playing. This attracted Yannis Aggelakas, who invited him to record together his album Oso ki an derni o anemos (2012). Since then, he has performed in several places in Greece and has done tours with Aggelakas and the Episkeptes. He has also cooperated with Psaradonis, Psarogiorgis, Last Drive, Dimitrsi Poulikakos and the hip hoppers Social Waste.
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