Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Illyas Pagonis




If you're at all a regular at Pegasus Wednesdays over the past 5 years or so, you've probably seen a wild-haired Greek sitting in with us from time to time playing violin. Illyas Pagonis isn't mentioned anywhere on this website yet so I thought I'd correct the oversight. He's one of the Hipsters' best friends and patrons, and we're hoping he'll do the cover art for our next album - you see, Illyas is a pretty phenomenal painter and sculptor. Among his many sculptural projects was the restoration of Calgary's Centre Street Bridge lions. In 1999 the Centre Street Bridge received a major overhaul. Prominent on the bridge were sculpted lions sitting on top of kiosks on the four corners of the bridge. Having been built in 1916, the lions had badly deteriorated. It was decided that the original lions would have to be replaced with exact replicas. Illyas Pagonis did the work. He also designed some of the prehistoric park at the Calgary Zoo. As a visual artist, Illyas' depictions of the Canadian west are represented locally by the Virginia Christopher gallery. He and his wife Margo just celebrated 30 years of marriage. Yiasou Illya!

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Nice Review from the Belleville, ON Intelligencer

Audience on its feet for Hipsters

Westben performance

Posted By JACK EVANS, SPECIAL TO THE INTELLIGENCER

Posted 24 days ago

The best way to end an exciting festival season is with a good party. That seemed to be the deal at Westben Sunday as a Greek folk group from Calgary called the Rembetika Hipsters got the audience clapping and yes, even dancing in the aisles.

The audience didn't seem to care that the music was predominantly eastern Mediterranean, with strange rhythms and often soulful melodies, even strange instruments like a baglana, a miniature version of a bouzouki, similar to a balalaika or a mandolin with a long neck.

The very name of the group clued those in the know into the type of music to be expected. Many people in the audience were Greek, of Greek descent or wished they were.

Rembetika originated in the wake of an early 20th century conflict between Turkey and Greece when large numbers of Greeks formerly residing in Turkey were expelled, forcing them to live in shack towns or slums around major Greek cities. They also brought Turkish culture and music with them, melding it into a distinct style of Greek music called rembetika, born out of poverty, disenfranchisement, oppression and perhaps even hashish, band leader Nick Diochnos explained. He compared it to the American blues, and said that it was outlawed in the mid 1930s and forced underground.

While many of the tunes were soulful, most of the rhythms, while disjointed by western standards, often in a strange nine-beat time, remained infectious, with the audience willingly swaying and clapping.

The eastern Mediterranean flavour also inspired a dancer named Zarqaa from the Meksha Belly Dance Studio in Colborne, to get up and perform, complete with tingling discs wrapped around her middle. She also led several in the audience to move with the music for the final number.

Retired Belleville businessman Bill Yeotes was front and centre in the audience, enjoying his first visit to the Westben barn auditorium and, being Greek himself, especially the music.

Typical of the Greek folklore included in the program was a song called "Tomas's Place," in which a wild party at a remote tavern attracts the interest of the angels in heaven and the demons from hell to join the party and share hands and dance with the people. Orchestra drummer Ben Johnson, spelled off for one number, moved to the back of the stage and demonstrated a Greek dance, "bent over like a hawk eyeing its prey," he explained. That inspired another person of Greek origin from the audience to get up and do a similar dance later on.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

One Yellow Rabbit Silver Jubilee

The Rembetika Hipsters are proud to be part of a gala event celebrating 25 years of Calgary's One Yellow Rabbit theatre company.
For this performance, we will be joined by three excellent musicians - percussionist Brent Van Dusen and cellist Morag Northey of Red Venus Blue Tango and bassist Joni Brent from the Lovebullies, as well as members of the Greek dance troupe Dionysus.


One Yellow Rabbit Silver Jubilee
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Show at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and available at Ticketmaster (299-8888) or ticketmaster.ca, or oyr.org
In addition to The Rembetika Hipsters other featured performers include Bruce McCulloch of Kids in the Hall, members of Rheostatics, Karen Hines, Daniel MacIvor, and many more

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Oso Varoun tops 10,000 views on YouTube

Without a doubt our most popular recording thus far, "Oso Varoun ta Sidera" (As Heavy as Iron) - recorded live at Calgary's Engineered Air theatre on December 17, 2006 - has just topped 10,000 views on YouTube. The piece features violin solos by Brigitte Dajczer and vocals by Allen Baekeland, both of which seem to pull the heart strings of many, many people.

We'd like to thank everyone who viewed the video, especially those who can't get enough and watch it again and again!

We have also made an mp3 of the live recording freely available on our audio page (scroll down to the bottom), so those who love this piece can put it on their music player on heavy rotation (pun fully intended).

Friday, February 15, 2008

Pegasus 25th Anniversary


Pegasus, where we have performed on Wednesday nights for the past six years, is celebrating its 25th anniversary on March 2. Of course, we'll be part of the fun.


PEGASUS 25TH ANNIVERSARY - MARCH 2, 2008

Sunday, March 2nd, PARTY!!!

Tickets are $50 with all proceeds going to
Woods Home Exit Outreach Program
16th Avenue & Centre Street NE

Appetizers, Wine, Beer & Live Music
Free Gift (while quantities last)

RESERVE SOON!!! 229-1231
There are a limited number of
Tickets & Gifts available

From Wood's Homes:

"Wood’s Homes’ EXIT Youth Shelter is a refuge for at-risk and homeless youth that provides food, safety, a warm bed and counselling, to offer understanding and guidance. It is here that young people are able to reconnect with society by focusing on their strengths, relationships and opportunities. Wood’s Homes, which has been helping children and families since 1914, is most pleased to count Pegasus Restaurant as one of its community supporters and is thrilled to be able to take advantage of this generous opportunity. At Wood’s Homes: We Never Say No, Never Give Up, and Never Turn Anyone Away."

For the Month of March we will offer a "Pegasus Anniversary Dinner" for $25.00 per person. This will include appetizers, salad, main course and a dessert.