26th Corfu Folklore Festival 23-25 March at Municipal Theatre

Now a well-established event, the 26th Corfu Folklore Festival, invites us to a three-day celebration from March 23rd to 25th, from 6 PM to 10 PM at the Corfu Municipal Theatre. Join us to enjoy traditional dances and songs from our homeland and admire the beautiful costumes from all regions of Greece. An event that honours the 1821 Independence Day anniversary in the best possible way.

Organiser: Laodamas, in collaboration with the Ionian Islands Regional Unit of Corfu.

"The preparations began last October, followed by two meetings with representatives of associations, dance instructors, and musicians," states Nikos Perros on behalf of Laodamas. He continues, "All of Corfu will be dancing, from Lefkimmi to Acharavi. Over a thousand dancers of all ages, from every corner of the island, across 45 dance groups (!), accompanied by live music, will present an incredible three-day spectacle. This has been a challenging yet successful endeavour in the previous two festivals as well, highlighting Greek traditional costumes.

"The real significance of the anniversary of the Greek Revolution today is, without a doubt, that without the uprising of 1821 by all the oppressed of that time, this historic event and its outcome—the overthrow of the Ottoman rule and the establishment of a new order, leading to the creation of the first independent Greek state—would not have been possible. The key message remains that people must always believe in justice and the power of their struggle. History is written through defiance and disobedience against those who seek to oppress freedom and life itself," states Mr. Perros, secretary and one of the founders of Laodamas.

He continues, "The Greek people have nothing to gain from those who cultivate fatalism and try to intimidate them into believing that nothing can change. Even then, there were those who opposed the revolution, defending the old social order, the Ottoman system, and the Sultan's rule because they benefited from it. They demanded loyalty and submission to the 'Holy Alliance' of the ruling powers of the time. Today, we must draw lessons from the messages of 1821, from the words and actions of the People's Heroes—Kolokotronis, Karaiskakis, Makrygiannis, Rigas. Corfu honours this struggle in the best way possible, with dances and songs born from the people themselves, from their fight for survival, from their social moments of joy and sorrow. This should be the most massive cultural event on our island, and the participating associations play a crucial role, fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding."

Participating Dance Groups (in order of appearance):

Sunday, March 23rd

Petritis, Agios Markos, Chlomos, Sinies, Agios Matthaios, Vouniatades, Afra, Corfu Dance Club, Acharavi, Women’s Association of Kato Korakiana, Doukades, Stroggyli, Moraitika, Ano Pavliana, and Kombitsi.

Monday, March 24th

Phaethon Lefkimmi, Laodamas, Perithia, Kavvadades, Koryfo Association, Kassiopi, Pontian Refugee Club, Synarades, Kavalouri, Vitalades, Nymphes, Platonas, Kalafationes, Krini, and Pagi.

Tuesday, March 25th

Laodamas, Arrilas, 'Spyros Samaras' Philharmonic Dance Group, Gouvia, Marathias and Perivoli, Avliotes, Epirus Association, Karousades, Giannades, Kastellani Mesis, Peroulades, Gastouri “Omonia” Philharmonic Dance Group, Kato Garounas, Velonades, and finally, the Corfu KTEL Bus Service “Saint Christopher” dance group.

At the end of each day, commemorative participation awards will be given to the dance groups. It is also worth mentioning the musicians who have been preparing for over three months to meet the demands of such a large-scale event with 47 dance groups:

1. Apostolos Valsamas – Oud, laouto, vocals
2. Yiannis Galitis – Clarinet, kaval, zurna, alto saxophone
3. Theodoros Karidis – Violin
4. Thomaï Theocharopoulou – Accordion
5. Nikos Alaitsis – Davul, Epirus tambourine
6. Konstantina Choulaki – Vocals
7. Nikos Baltzis – Trumpet
8. Konstantinos Petridis – Laouto, vocals
9. Zacharias Hassani – Clarinet
10. Spyros Kontolouris – Violin
11. Michalis Xanthopoulos – Percussion

Additionally, two musicians will accompany the Pontian Refugee Club:

• Kostakis Christoforidis – Lyra
• Kostas Stravoravdis – Davul

The event is supported by the Hellenic Rescue Team, and admission is free.

ELENI KORONAKI