What is bouzoukia? - Yamas Club Mamaia

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What is bouzoukia?
Thinking of Greek Music the first thing that may come to your mind will be the bouzouki
(Greek μπουζούκι). This music instrument has been combined with the history of Balkans, and
particularly Greece, for many years and is part of its traditional music. The music and the clubs
that play it, are referred to as bouzoukia (deriving from the plural of the word bouzouki – Greek
μπουζούκια), after the primary instrument involved. Bouzoukia became the main
entertainment for Athenians and Greeks everywhere.
In the 60's Greek economy – finally – starts flourishing. Living conditions for Greeks improved
vastly, compared to the previous 50 years. Tired by wars, internal conflicts and poverty Greeks
were looking for entertainment, celebration, fun and every night they would go out in search of
“la Dolce vita”. This need of the Greeks has been impressed in the lyrics of a famous laiko song;
“Μια ζωή την έχουμε, και αν δεν την γλεντήσουμε...”
Meaning “We have only one life, so we have to
celebrate it…”
This is how & why bouzoukia is born.
From the need of Greek people to let themselves go,
nibble, drink and dance while listening to their
favorite music live from their favorite artists.
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Dress Code
Starting from the look of the clientele of bouzoukia, we should notice that everyone is dressed
up. Greeks generally like to dress up to go out at night, and the more stylish the place the
better they try to look. At bouzoukia you will see men in suits and women in with glamorous
make up, fine coiffures and their best outfit.
Photographs
At all bouzoukia nightclubs there is a photographer, who will, for sure, take your picture,
either you want so or not. These
“paparazzi” do not work in the
bouzoukia in order to create a
photo album with the clientele of
the club…. in minimum time
possible the bouzoukia
photographers would have
developed the pictures, they'll
come to your table and offer them
to you in the special wrapping. You
can always decline their offer, but
usually bouzoukia customers buy
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their pictures as souvenir.
Flower Throwing
The throwing and smashing plates practice is rarely seen today. Plates have been replaced with
throwing more harmless objects, such as flowers. Within bouzoukia premises there is some
special stuff, usually women that go around the tables selling trays of carnations. Clients buy
these trays of ten or twenty carnations, to shower with them their dancing friends or the
singers. Quite often clients buy 10 or 20 trays of flowers and throw them along the trays to the
performers on stage. Throwing flowers massively is a way of showing off your social status.
This is usually done by guests at the front tables, which are the most advantageous ones. The
flowers thrown by a company at bouzoukia can exceed the cost of the drinks they have
consumed or even the basic salary.
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LOCATION:
• YAMAS Live Club is located in the northern part of Mamaia’s coast line.
• It is the former Tribute Club
• The club is set up like a bouzoukia club with a capacity of 1500 people, out of which, 1000 are
seated.
• The word YAMAS in Greek is an abbreviation for ''stin ygia mas'' meaning ''to our good health'‘.
It’s a call-out, a kind of “cheers” used in the western world.
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Target audience:
• There are over 7000 companies in Romania with Greek ownership according to Mihai Ricci,
former Diplomat of the Romanian Embassy in Greece.
• According to the last Census, there are more than 65000 Greeks and possibly 100000
Macedonians in Romania.
• The greatest concentration of Macedonians is in the Constanta province.
• Some of the most well-known Greek-owned companies in Romania include: Alpha Bank, ATE
Bank, Piraeus Bank, Alexandrion Group, Starbucks (franchise owning company)
Timeframe:
• Bouzoukia events at YAMAS Live Club will take place from July 19th to August 17th.
Budget:
• Expenses are estimated at 180.000 Euros
Expected audience:
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• We expect aproximately 1800 people/show x 5 shows/season = 9000 people in total.
July 20th
Natassa Theodoridou (Greek: Νατάςα Θεοδωρίδου), is the only
female Greek artist to have her first three albums achieve platinum
status. She has been certified for a total of at least 432 thousand
albums and 20 thousand singles sales by IFPI Greece. On 14 March
2010, Alpha TV ranked Theodoridou the 12th best selling female
singer in the nation's phonographic era (since 1960), with a total of
ten platinum and three gold albums.
Theodoridou has worked with numerous well-known composers
and songwriters who had helped her set new standards in local music
repertoire. Giorgos Theofanous, Giorgos Moukidis, Giannis Parios,
Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Ilias Filippou, Giannis Papadopoulos,
Mihalis Hatzigiannis, Eleanna Vrachali, Evanthia Rebutsika, Michalis
Gkanas, Natalia Germanou, Thanos Papanikolaou, Tasos Panagis,
Triantafyllos, Evi Droutsa, Eleni Giannatsoulia and Phoebus are only
a few of the songwriters and composers who have worked with
Natassa.
In July 2009, Theodoridou released the studio album "Mia Kokkini
Grammi", cooperating for the second time, after 2002, with
composer Giorgos Theofanous. The album was certified platinum,
with the self-titled song becoming a big hit and being as well
awarded at the 2010 Mad Video Music Awards. In 2010 she
cooperated again with Giorgos Moukidis in her eleventh studio
album, I Zoi Mou Erotas.
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July 27th
Nikolaos (Nikos) Vertis (Greek: Νίκοσ Βέρτησ) is a popular Greek
singer who was born in the Netherlands. To date, he has released five
studio albums along with one CD single, and two special edition
CD/DVD albums.
At the age of 6, Vertis and his family moved to Thessaloniki, Greece
and at 7, he started playing the Bouzouki. By the age of 15, he started
getting involved with singing. After completing his military service,
he started getting involved with his love of singing. He started
singing in small clubs in Thessaloniki and other locations around the
region of Macedonia.
Vertis' fifth studio album Ola Einai Edo (Everything is here) was
released in early April 2009. The twelve track album was written by
Christos Nikolopoulos, Antonis Vardis, and Dimitris Dekos. The first
single "Den Teliosame" was released to radios in early April and is an
erotic ballad; a music video was created and was directed by Giorgos
Gabalos. The album was certified Platinum quickly, and later
certified 4x Platinum.
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August 3rd
Despina Vandi, born as Despina Malea (Greek: Δέςποινα Μαλέα),
was born in Tübingen near Stuttgart, West Germany, Vandi's family
returned to Kavala, Greece when she was six years old. She enrolled at
the University of Thessaloniki, but eventually dropped out to begin a
career in music.
After moving to Athens in the early 1990s, Vandi signed with Minos
EMI and released two albums Gela Mou (1994) and Esena
Perimeno (1996). She then began an exclusive collaboration with
songwriter/producer Phoebus and struck commercial success with
her third album, Deka Endoles (1997), followed by the multiplatinum Profities (1999), where she incorporated pop elements
into her music, in addition to laïko, as well as a more pop stage
performance style and image, becoming one of the most prominent
portrayers of the laiko/pop genre.
Vandi also released the album abroad and the selftitled single "Gia"
witnessed some success, topping the US Billboard Hot Dance
Airplay and making her the first Greek artist to top a Billboard chart.
Vandi has won three Arion Music Awards, ten MAD Video Music
Awards, seven Pop Corn Music Awards, and a World Music
Award, becoming the first Greek artist recording in Greece to ever
win the award.
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August 10th
Elli Kokkinou & Thanos Petrelis
Elli Kokkinou (Greek: Έλλη Κοκκίνου) is among the most
popular singers in Greece today. She has performed together
with Greek music stars such as Anna Vissi, Glykeria,
Paschalis Terzis, Sakis Rouvas, Tolis Voskopoulos, Thanos
Petrelis, Natassa Theodoridou, Despina Vandi, Giorgos
Tsalikis and Kalomoira. Kokkinou has been certified for the
sales of 135 thousand albums by IFPI Greece.
Athanasios (Thanos) Petrelis (Greek; Θάνοσ Πετρέλησ)
has released four albums and several singles.
He finished third in the Greek reality show Fame Story,
behind Notis Christodoulou and Grigoris Petrakos.
He became a regular in live appearances across Greece, first
with fellow Fame Story contestants and then with singer
Peggy Zina, with whom he performed in several concerts in
Athens and Thessaloniki during 2003.
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August 16th
Panos Kiamos
His early career began with appearances in major nightclubs alongside
well-established names in the Greek music scene, such as Tolis
Voskopoulos, Makis Christodoulopoulos, Eleni Dimou and Giorgos
Alkaios.
In 1998, Kiamos released his first CD entitled Enas Erotas Latria ke
Anagki, from which two songs gained distinct popularity: Ola Ya
Senane Milane (Horis Nero) and Trelos Ya Sena. In 1999, he released
his second CD Den Ise Moni. This was followed in 2000 by Tou Erota
Feggaria.
Late 2010 he released a new album called "Tha Ziso Gia Mena" which
went on too win 4 platinum awards and a best song award for
"Sfiriksa kai elikses"
Not too long after in April 2011 he released another smash hit album
called "Olokainourgios" Which also went on too win 10 platinum
awards and 1 award for best songs "Apo Deftera", and was nominated
for best music video award for "Olokainourgios".
In January 2012 he had his first North American tour which was highly successful, all venues were sold
out and each venue had thousands upon thousands of greek people show up.
On March 10th 2012 a new song of his came out called "Krystalla" it became a huge success and to follow
up with that in June was another song called "To Aima Mou Piso" which also became very popular on
` newest album which is
Greek and North American Radio stations, but it wasn't until July 8th 2012 his
also entitled "Krystalla" came out which included a Greek Reggae song and a cover of a song from
Bulgaria called "Сен Тропе" (Saint-Tropez) Kiamos's song is called "Fotia me Fotia" (Fire with Fire).
Contact Information:
0731.04.08.70
[email protected]
[email protected]
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