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Mediterranean tales

While winter has already come to the northern hemisphere, we board our boat and embark on a Mediterranean journey, through music, that charges us with sun, warmth and cosiness.
This week we are going around the Mediterranean and we somehow manage to forget that it’s currently December…here we go:
From Tarifa – this magical town, located at the spot where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic - a meeting of winds and cultures, we listen to Radio Tarifa.
From there we somehow quickly get to Algeria (and France) in order to listen to Souad Massi - a little bit about her extraordinary life:
Born in Algeria, forced to migrate to France, she continues to fill the air with music and spirit…
And so, sailing north – south, from Algeria we are back in France with our favourite green black ladies – Les Negresses Vertes and Orane.
We sail onwards and slowly approach the mythical Greek shores – the meeting begins with Imam Baildi and a dramatic rebetiko – “I don’t want you to go back no more.”
Now in Greek waters, we go to Siros and one of the most beloved Greek songs – the classic Frankosiriani – or the French girl from Siros, listened to thousands of times, in all sorts of places and conditions – here is the version of the Greek reggae band Lokomondo…
In order to get to the diva of Greek music, the born in Piraeus, but rooted in Ikaria and hasn’t been surpassed by anyone yet - Eleftheria Arvanitaki with Ton Erota Rotao.
And here, while we are wandering through the Mediterranean, we suddenly come across old and new rebetikas from both the Greek and the Turkish side, full of soul and sorrow, we start off with Istanbul’s Cafe Aman.
The connection is so strong, that up next we have Sezen Aksu and she comes up organically - a record bought in the 45 degree Marmaris heat and deeply connected to the sea…
And there’s always fishermen in the sea, and here we have an all-time classic about them, recorded by Husnu Senlendirici with musicians from Hios from his album “Both sides of the Aegean” and the play performed in Greek and Turkish , that instantly transports us exactly there – by the thin shore line of Cesme and Chios.
And we continue sailing those three seas, assisted by the winds, we are once again riding a Greek wave with Glykeria. It suddenly gets warm and summery.
And our boat continues east to Levant and from there, in Israel, we find the melancholic Yasmin Levy.
Already sailing Asia Minor and Africa, we go on with the journey with Natacha Atlas and her enchanting tales; music that affects you incredibly live.
We finish our sailing journey back west towards Gibraltar with our favourite Hindi Zahra and a Berber song.
P.S. If our journey was too intense and colourful for you – you’re not wrong, the Mediterranean is land of colours and music, of life in full colour. And our wide boat sails ahead. Many thanks to all our friends throughout the Mediterranean for all their help and support!

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