THANOS STAVRIDIS & DROM – Fygame / Artway – Technotropon Cultural Productions, 2025 / Digital / world music / Greece
Thanos Stavridis was born in Langadas, Thessaloniki, Greece. He took his first steps in learning accordion at the age of six. He studied music theory and holds degrees in Harmony, Counterpoint and Fugue. He also attended saxophone courses and reached the diploma level. He graduated from School of Music Studies of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a degree in Ethnomusicology. His Graduate Thesis is entitled “Accordion and its technique as used by music troupes of Eastern Rumelia refugees in Greece“.
In his early undergraduate years he began playing accordion professionally at many music stages and haunts of Thessaloniki, performing rebetiko and various other genres of Greek music. During this period he also worked on Greek, and Balkan in general, traditional music, researching how accordion was used either as a solo or an accompaniment instrument. He participated in many folk music festivals both in Greece and abroad.
Thanos Stavridis is a renowned Greek accordionist and composer known for blending Balkan, jazz, Latin, and classical music influences. His notable works include “Spicy Margarita“, praised for its fusion of these genres , and “Tales from the Box“, a collaboration with cellist Stella Tempreli, which explores Mediterranean and jazz elements.
Much more info about Thanos Stavridis‘ biography can be read HERE.
Discography – A suitcase full of Dreams (2016) ; Spicy Margarita (Artway – Technotropon Cultural Productions, 2020) ; Fygame (Artway – Technotropon Cultural Productions, 2025)
Contributors: Vassilis Athanasiou (clarinet, saxophone) ; Thanos Stavridis (accordion, production, supervision) ; Marios Makris (electric guitar on tracks 1,6,9) ; Giannis Karakalpakidis (electric bass) ; Christos Tassios (drums, daouli)
Dear reader, it is my joy to contact you and send you this new release. Our new album with my band Drom, formed back in 2015 is released on 1st of April 2025 and it contains traditional music from the wider area of Macedonia. Music that until nowadays is being danced in all the Greek part of the region and mainly is used to accompany dances at feasts.
Drom in the language of roma means the road, coming from the Greek word for that, δρόμος, and we gave this name to our band because we as musicians are always on the road and throughout all these years, we‘ve been travelling and communicating throughout music with people all over the world. Our album is entitled “Fygame” which in Greek means “let’s go” and this time we carry in our luggage the folk music of our homelands, Macedonia.
Featuring music that is both heard and danced to in the wider region of Macedonia, particularly on the Greek side. It’s important to note that in popular culture, boundaries are often blurred. This music, which frequently includes lyrics in a language spoken and understood by the diverse communities on the Aimos peninsula for the past 300 years, reflects the shared land, images, flavors, aromas, and sounds of these groups.
Unfortunately, to survive in Greece, many have lost their native words, leaving only the music to endure. It is also of big importance to emphasize that traditional music in a very big percentage is used to be played for dance and that each song as a dance referring to it. By interpreting them through our own experiences and aesthetics, we seek to contribute to the continuation of this rich musical heritage, passing it down from generation to generation.
And about this new release? Just before the covid lockdowns took place, we felt the need to deposit our approach on playing this material. A way that is not purely traditional but still can be danced besides the fact that it has many innovative elements. So, we started “digging” and recording. Finally last year we managed to finish it and now we are so happy to deliver it to you and to our audience. We here offer the most beloved dances of the wider region of Macedonia, where the clarinet is played in a way that resembles the sound of the bagpipe (gaida). With melodies mainly played in its western part, and have a groove quite similar to the style in which the daouli drums are played in the Serres region, a style that has also influenced the way more contemporary ensembles play across the Balkans. (Thanos Stavridis)
Macedonia (a region in northern Greece) and North Macedonia (a country), share similar cultural heritages. This includes traditional music. Thanos Stavridis and his team are true masters of this musical style. They showed this with the album “Fygame“. The music on this album is danceable and with every beat it makes us want to dance ourselves. If nothing else, we follow the rhythm of the odd, but very sing able beats, at least, with the fingers of ours. With full conviction, I am giving to this music very high rating and suggest that you definitely listen to it.
Thanos Stavridis & Drom – “Fygame” – 1. Gaida ; 2. Raikos ; 3. Trite Pati ; 4. Patrounino ; 5. Vassilis dream ; 6. Zaramo ; 7. Poustseno ; 8. Sborsko ; 9. Karsilamas (Roma Havasi) ; 10. Sofka ; 11. Sirto ; 12. Vassilis dream (Angelo‘s edit)
Click the link –
THANOS STAVRIDIS – Spicy Margarita (Reviewed by: Dragutin Matošević)
TALES FROM THE BOX – Ciel (Reviewed by: Dragutin Matošević)
Photo – Promo
CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION AND INTERVIEWS: Thanos Stavridis, stavridisthanos@yahoo.gr
https://www.facebook.com/thanos.stavridis / http://thanosstavridis.com / Thanos Stavridis & Drom – “Fygame” (Full album) /
YT – Thanos Stavridis & Drom – 1. Gaida
YT – Thanos Stavridis & Drom – 4. Patrounino
