Tuesday 15.10.2024 ΚΕΡΚΥΡΑ

25th Corfu Folklore Festival 22-24 March at Municipal Theatre

festival
20 Mar 2024 / 13:50

CORFU. According to the organisers, 47 dance groups will be participating in the Festival, which is the largest cultural gathering on the island.

With significant participation from cultural societies across Corfu, the 25th Folklore Festival will soon be upon us. This event, which for 25 years now has been organised by Laodamas, honours the anniversary of the 1821 Greek War of Independence in the best possible way - through dance and song.

47 dance groups will be participating in the Festival, and, according to the organisers, the event is the largest cultural gathering on the island. It has become an established event after 24 years, commemorating a significant national liberation struggle with multiple messages.

 

"The real meaning of the Revolution's anniversary today is undoubtedly that without the 1821 revolutionary uprising of all those oppressed at that time, this historic event and its outcome, the overthrow of Ottoman rule, the old authority, and the establishment of the new, wouldn't have existed, resulting in the creation of the first independent Greek state,"  states the secretary and co-founder of Laodamas, Nikos Perros.

"The messages are still relevant, with the most important being that the people must always believe in the righteousness and power of their struggle. That history is written with disobedience and disobedience towards those who threaten their freedom, their very lives. The Greek people have nothing to gain from those who cultivate fatalism, who terrorise us with blackmail that nothing can be done. And back then, there were those who opposed the revolution and defended the old social order, the Ottoman system, and the Sultan's rule because they derived privileges from it. They demanded faith and obedience to the 'Holy Alliance' of the rulers then.

And today, one must draw conclusions from the messages of '21, from the words and deeds of the People's Heroes, Kolokotronis, Karaiskakis, Makriyiannis, and Rigas. Corfu honours this struggle in the best possible way, with dances and songs created by the people themselves, through their struggle for survival, through their social moments of joy or sorrow. Over a thousand dancers of all ages from every corner of the island accompanied by live music will present an amazing three-day spectacle, where Greek traditional costumes will also be honoured.

Admission is free on Friday 22nd, Saturday 23rd, and Sunday 24th of March from 18:00 at the Municipal Theatre."

The event is a collaboration between Laodama and the Regional Authority.

Participating dance groups in order of appearance:

Friday, March 22nd: Krini, Laodama, Karousades, Afra, Doukades, Laodamas (teenagers), 'Kerkyra' Dance Group, Gastouri Philharmonic Society Dance Group, Vitalades, Korakiana, Agios Mattheos, Arilla, Sinies, and Yiannades.

Saturday, March 23rd: Kato Garouna, Kompitsi, Alepou, Petriti, Gouvia, Velonades, Ano Pavliana, Kassiopi, Pagi, Laodama, 'Phaethon' Lefkimmi, Acharavi, Castellani  Messi, Kato Korakiana, Pontian Association, Marathias.

Sunday, March 24th: Avliotes, Iraklis (dance section "Speira"), Stroggili, Perithia, Temploni, Sinarades, Koryfo Association, Chloros, Vouniatades, Kavalouri, Kalafationes, Macedonian Union, Moraitika, Epirotic Association, Sgourades, Peroulades.

At the end of each day, participation memorabilia will be awarded to the dance groups, and it is worth mentioning the musicians who have been preparing for three months to meet the demands of such a large project, such as the festival of 47 dance groups:

  1. Apostolos Valsamas (oud, lute, mandolin, vocals)
  2. Yiannis Galitis - clarinet, kaval, zurna, alto saxophone
  3. Thodoris Karidis - violin
  4. Thomai Theocharopoulou - accordion
  5. Efthymis Koukos - tambourine
  6. Zacharias Hasanis - clarinet
  7. Nikos Alaitsis - davul, Epirotic defi
  8. Konstantinos Petridis - lute, vocals
  9. Konstantina Houlaki - vocals