On Sunday, 23 April, famed Greek popular singer Antonis Remos visited the Greek Centre
accompanied by his maestro Vasilis Panagiotou.
Mr Remos was welcomed at the Greek Centre by GCM president Bill Papastergiadis OAM and GCM Board members Assoc Prof Marinini Pirpiris, Helene Hiotis, Leonidas Vlahakis and GCM staff Jorge Menidis and Antonia Tsamis.
On the Melbourne leg of his sold-out Australian tour, the singer was taken through the Greek Centre in Lonsdale Street, seeing it in full flight as his visit coincided with Comedy Festival events at the Centre.
The German-born artist spoke glowingly of his experience with diasporic communities and was impressed with the GCM’s education and cultural programs as the hosting explained them
party.
Antonis also spoke on the various influences of music in Greece for him and the importance of music's cultural influences on people, particularly the youth. He emphasised the leadership that people need to exhibit as musicians. In that regard, he referred to various initiatives he has proposed to the Greek Ministry of Culture on mentorship programs that he was keen to involve himself in for kids in Greece.
“Wherever I travel around the world, I feel that I come to communities that speak to a real Greek culture and identity thriving in these distant places,” Remοs said.
“Antonis, you bring us joy on stage, and we share that extra bond with you as a Greek of the
diaspora,” said Bill Papastergiadis as he presented the visitors with a gift pack that included the GCM’s new history was only recently published.
Bill Papastergiadis explained that Antonis ought not to be upset that many of the GCM’s Board could not attend Antonis' concert Saturday night as we had attended the same night the GCM’s theatre group production on the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
Bill Papastergiadis noted, "The GCM has a rich cultural program that spans the entire year and involves most aspects of culture from live music, dance, film, lectures, and theatre. The importance of this program is that much of it is produced locally”.
