George Maggas (Yorgos Maggas) is one of the last great clarinet masters in Greece. He considers himself the product of rural town fairs and traditional wedding dances that give texture and tradition to the Greek way of life, and he remembers the great traditional players of his childhood. He studied with them, and has made his life’s work spreading this rich cultural tradition the gypsies have given Europe.
The fact is that he is simply a great clarinet player. MTV Europe presented him as the Greek phenomenon of Balkan jazz, sending in a special crew to tape his performances,and this kicked off more recognition by the European mass media. He was prominently featured in an article in Liberation, and since then, many musicians from all around the world, ask him to collaborate with them. He has played in France, Germany, Holland, England and Canada.
Accompanied by the beautiful voice of Juli Tsineri, George Maqqas gives a fantastic and authentic experience of one of the richest gifts of Gypsy folk culture. Every one of his performances carries fiesta withinhe plays tsifteteli dance, folk music, tsamiko dance, kalamatiano, though most of the time he improvises and offers music without limits and with exceptional virtuosity.
In Greece he has appeared in many venues, clubs and festivals, and has worked with Michalis Nikoloudis and Metaxopoulos. His CDs are among the best world music albums made in Greece.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
