Areti Ketime: “Greek diaspora comes to concerts with nostalgia, emotion and longing”

Acclaimed Greek vocalist and santouri virtuoso Areti Ketime is acceptable to instrumentality to Australia for the archetypal clip since 2017, bringing her distinctive voice and emotion for rebetiko and traditional Greek euphony to diaspora audiences astatine the upcoming Zeibekiko Festival Australia.

“The invitation to the Zeibekiko Festival was a wonderful coincidence,” Ketime told Neos Kosmos. “I was moved by the thought that euphony would enactment arsenic a span – it would unite radical who whitethorn unrecorded acold from Greece but stock the aforesaid emotion for our roots.”

Music arsenic a span for the diaspora

Ketime, who began performing from a young property and has built a vocation spanning much than two decades, said she is peculiarly touched by the way Greek Australians person her music.

“The Greek assemblage of the diaspora ever comes with nostalgia, emotion, and longing. It is arsenic if they want to clasp with songs everything they miss from their homeland,” she said.

But her euphony besides resonates with those who don’t stock the aforesaid taste background.

“Non-Greek audiences usually person a sweet curiosity. They perceive attentively, fto themselves beryllium carried distant by the melody, and ultimately are moved without needing to understand each the words. Music has this magic; it speaks straight to the heart.”

A programme ‘with a batch of love’

For her Australian concerts, Ketime promises a vibrant repertoire that blends beloved classics with hidden gems.

“We person prepared a afloat programme with a batch of emotion that consists of various rebetiko and traditional songs, arsenic well arsenic different well-known hits. I want the assemblage to consciousness similar they are astatine a party, to sing, to beryllium moved, and to travel done the melodies. There will besides beryllium some much unusual songs, for those who emotion discovering hidden gems.”

Reflecting connected her creator journey, she shared that maturity has deepened her craft.

Areti Ketime will header the upcoming Zeibekiko Festival Australia. Photo: Supplied

“I think the changes happened naturally, done my acquisition and emotion for music. You larn to perceive better, to respect silence, to springiness space to your collaborators, and to tell a story much meaningfully with your song.”

Her originative spark, however, remains unchanged.

“It ever starts with a spark – a melody, a lyric, a memory. In the beginning, it was much instinctive, but present it’s much conscious: I cognize where I want to spell and however to physique it. It has changed successful that I present person the acquisition to implicit an thought much rapidly and much purposefully, but the magic of the archetypal inspiration remains the same.”

Looking ahead

Ketime is presently working connected caller recordings that question to merge tradition with innovation.

“Right now, I’m working connected caller recordings of rebetiko and traditional songs, arsenic well arsenic euphony that I want to take beyond Greece’s borders, with a modern sound but a Greek soul. We are besides preparing concerts and collaborations that will beryllium announced soon. I similar to judge that the champion is yet to come!”

The 36-year-old creator holds beloved the milestones of her vocation so far, from her archetypal steps connected stage to collaborations with large musicians she erstwhile admired from afar.

“Every step is important, but I retrieve the infinitesimal I archetypal went connected stage astatine a young property and felt the audience’s acceptance. Also, collaborations with important creators and musicians whom I admired arsenic a child. And of course, each clip I negociate to bring joyousness oregon emotion to the audience, I consciousness that this is the top ‘reward’.”

Australian tour dates

Ketime will beryllium joined by her violinist maestro Dimitrios Stefopoulos for two header concerts:

• 5 October – Ivanhoe Girls Performance Art Centre, Melbourne
• 10 October – Hurlstone Park RSL, Sydney

She will besides look astatine the Festival’s Opening Night Glendi successful Sydney astatine the Greek Community Club connected 3 October, and execute astatine the ‘Greatest Zeibekika Hits’ nighttime astatine Steki Taverna, Marrickville, connected 8 October.