Nikos Oikonomopoulos completed the Sydney leg of his world tour, brought to us by Majestic Tours and Greek City Times, with a stellar performance on Saturday night.
In his first time performing in Sydney since 2012, it was definitely a night to remember as Oikonomopoulos performed all of his greatest hits supplemented with a wide array of other famous and timeless Greek songs by Mitropanos and others.
He was accompanied on stage by a fantastic seven-piece band and, of course the Greek flag that he famously performs next to, with great pride for the culture that he represents.
When Oikonomopoulos took to the stage, everybody was on their feet in anticipation and excitement. The atmosphere was electric, and the party raged on, in typical Greek party fashion, late into the night, with Oikonomopoulos becoming visibly emotional at the reception he received.
He expressed that it was truly unbelievable how passionate Greek-Australians are about his music and was sincerely appreciative of everybody that thoroughly enjoyed themselves on the night.
On a stage full of flowers and with tears of joy in his eyes, Oikonomopoulos provided an unforgettable performance for everybody that attended.
Performing alongside Oikonomopoulos were two beautiful up-and-coming future Greek superstars, Morfoula Iakovidou and Elena Papapanayiotou. They both performed with great pride and passion for Greek music, enjoying every moment on stage individually and alongside Oikonomopoulos.
Morfoula and Elena were kind enough to allow Greek City Times to ask them a few questions backstage after the performance to give us a glimpse into the development of their careers as Greek singers. For starters, they both absolutely love being in Australia and performing to such energetic and vibrant audiences.
For Morfoula, it was her second time visiting Australia, with her previous experience of performing here being with Nikos Vertis in October of last year. She expressed her love for the stunning views at Circular Quay and the natural, effortless beauty that separates Sydney from other cities worldwide.
She told us that she listens exclusively to Greek folk music (Laika) and is inspired by the style and lyrics of traditional Greek music.
Her brother Petros Iakovidis, another famous Greek singer and composer, writes her music, and they definitely work very well together as a team to create a unique yet authentic Greek sound.
Morfoula is delighted with the progress of her career as she continues to grow and perform next to the biggest names in the Greek music industry, taking the love of performance and music that she has had ever since she could remember all over the world. Make sure to keep an eye out for her new track, “Pali Pali”, which is being released later this month.
For Elena, it was her first time in Australia, and she was absolutely blown away by the reception Greek music receives so far away from Greece. Born and raised in Cyprus, Elena was singing ever since she could talk.
Her father is a Byzantine chanter and definitely had some influence in developing her interest in music. In 2015, when she was only 19 years old, she competed in “The Voice of Greece” season 2, where she did very well.
However fell short in week 3 of the live performances. She persisted in music, as she studied Music Education in Cyprus, and then finally caught her big break when Nikos Vertis messaged her on Instagram, telling her to come and perform in Greece.
From there, her performances caught the attention of Nikos Oikonomopoulos, who invited her to perform as part of his world tour.
She enjoys listening to emotional music and ballads, and this influence can definitely be seen in her own music, as she pours love and emotion into every song.
Elena’s career is now beginning to take off as she recently released “Den Yparhei Den Mporo” with Panik Records earlier this year.
As the tour comes to an end in Australia with performances in Adelaide and then Melbourne, it will continue all over Greece and Cyprus for an exciting European summer.
From there, keep a lookout for new music from these artists because they can guarantee us that there is much more to come, especially for our up-and-coming superstars.
See the video:
Article Photos Copyright Nick Bourdaniotis / Bourdo Photography
Photo gallery, Friday Night, Sydney, Australia.
Friday photos Copyright Vasilis Vasilas / Syndesmos Connecting People and Their Stories
Photo gallery, Saturday Night, Sydney, Australia.
Saturday photos Copyright George Karantonis / Image Smart
