Aura, the new cd by Katerina Papadopoulou and her musical partner Aegean
Arc (Stefanos Dorbarakis - kanun , Giorgos Kontogiannis - lyra, and Kyriakos Tapakis
- oud, laud), is an album that breathes the saltiness of the Greek archipelago, its
history, dimly lit like the flicker of a candle, but also captivating like the tales of the
Greek writer Papadiamantis.
This is the continuation of a musical journey by Katerina Papadopoulou, which
increasingly justifies her, and opens artistic paths not only for herself but also for her
fellow travelers. ‘Aura’ is a series of songs from the Aegean Sea that, while heard before,
are rarely interpreted in this way. Here, Papadopoulou not only converses with the
musicians but also with her soul. You can hear it in the breaths of her singing, in the
emotional burden she accepts and expresses sincerely and nobly. These songs, delivered
in this way, evoke deep emotions and also embody a rare aesthetic. The contribution of
Giorgos Kariotis, Christos Achladiotis (sound engineering), and Efrén Lopez, a gifted
musician and sound technician who handled the mastering, is not accidental. The three
of them have created a sonic landscape that highlights the songs and the musical
performance, which is not hurried but calm (‘Dísticha tis thálassas/Kalymnos Distichs’,
‘Bratsera/Bracera’, ‘Méra Mérose/Aurora‘, ‘Pernodiaveno/Serenade‘), simple but full,
tumultuous and powerful when expressing Dionysian energy (‘Mia Kóri apó tin Ámorgo/
The Sail Of the Damsel‘). Perhaps the most intense element is the beauty, gentleness, and
dynamics of the silence that is allowed by the pauses in a complete musical phrase to
hover without arrogance.
Katerina Papadopoulou notes about the album, “My companions, for yet another
time, are Stefanos Dorbarakis, Giorgos Kontogiannis and Kyriakos Tapakis. Each of them is
unique and absolutely irreplaceable for the overall distinctive sound, but mainly for the
energy balance throughout our whole endeavour, from the first rehearsals, the voyage,
the cohabitation, the performance, to the completion and the mutual support at all
levels.
Together, in a fraternal partnership, Chariton Charitonidis, who gave a touch of
intensity as well as a dancing dimension to the “Crab”. The magic touch of sound always
belongs to George Kariotis, with Christos Achladiotis’s vital contribution, both traveling
with us to record in the remote island of Karpathos for yet another time. Efrén Lopez,
whom we particularly respect, did the final mastering, adding a further shine to the final
result.”
Sotiris Bekas
1The maiden' s pillow03:15
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00101
2The bitter orange tree04:40
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00102
3Kostantis and the Crab05:14
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00103
4Kalymnos distichs04:31
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00104
5What saddens you, black crow'05:53
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00105
6Bracera05:55
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00106
7The sail of the damsel07:18
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00107
8The partridge 's boast04:30
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00108
9Serenade03:28
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00109
10Farewell05:18
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00110
11Aurora03:41
Music: TraditionalISRC: NLB36-24-00111
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