The Hellenic Foundation for Culture, for the annual celebration of March 25th, presents the sisters Helen and Suzana Vougioukli, at the Russian Dramatic Theatre in Odessa, on March 24 at 18:00.
From their childhood, Helen and Suzana Vougioukli have explored the music of the peoples of the world and researched the potentialities of human voice as the music instrument most gifted by nature. With particular expressiveness in the original language, and with faithful respect to its elocution and sound, they perform songs in more than 20 languages and dialects while playing piano, guitar, percussion instruments and their own a cappella games.
Their repertoire includes traditional songs of different peoples: songs in rembetiko style and the folk songs in the dialects of the Greek people who traditionally live in the south of Italy; Fadu-Portuguese city romance; songs in Spanish, French, Italian, Romanian, Turkish, Arabic, Gipsy, Bulgarian, Armenian and Serbian languages; songs in the style of American blues and jazz; in the language of Jewish and Slavic ethno groups; and also originally composed songs.
All their songs are notable for their expressiveness and correspondence of place and time. The main object of their exploration is the deepest roots of song, that’s why each song is prepared for a long time before its presentation, to reveal the details which are imperceptible from the first listening. The archaism of each song, its tradition, language and music which are kept through space and time, meet the present in the way the musicians feel it through their own transformation – adaptation to modern sounds and to their own unique interpretation.
Helen and Suzana Vougioukli have collaborated with many well-known musicians, such as Maria Farandouri, the music group “AVATON” at the conservatory “Herodotus the Attic”, Fanasis Gyefillias, Georgos Kazantzis, Liudovic Anageon, Psarandonis and Vasilis Lekkas.
Their first CD was released by Legend-Lyra under the title “Helen and Suzana Vougioukli”.
Sponsors of this event are: “Michaniki Ukraine” and “Гефест”
Suzana Vougioukli was born and grew up in Xanthi where her parents were lecturing at the Democritus University. She graduated from the department of mathematics of the Aristotle University in Thessaloniki and is a specialist in classical mathematics. For more than 5 years Suzana has studied piano, guitar, higher theory and solo singing, songs in jazz style and its theory. She is also interested in composition.
She has given concerts of ethnic, classical and folk music in Greece, Cyprus, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria and other countries. She pays special attention to classical, folk and Afro-American dance and also to theatrical performance. Suzana speaks English and French well, and also knows a little Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. Her current and future research involves the study of links between music and mathematics.
Helen Vougioukli was born in Thessaloniki and grew up in Xanthi. She graduated from the department of Balkan, Slavic and Eastern languages at the University of Macedonia. For more than 5 years Helen has studied piano, guitar, higher theory and solo singing, Byzantine music, jazz style and its theory. Her first public performance was at the age of 8 during the formal events held by the Cultural Centre of Thrace in the Old part of Xanthi.
Helen was awarded first place for a cappella singing in the competition between pupils held by the Ministry of Culture of Greece.
Her concerts of ethnic, classical and folk music have taken place in Greece, Cyprus, Switzerland, USA, Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria and other countries. She has performed frequently on stage as a member of folk troupes and released many CDs with the songs of Asia Minor, Thrace and other regions.
Helen is interested in classical and folk dance and also in theatrical performance. She speaks English, French, Turkish and Arabic well, and also knows a bit of Russian and Italian.
