Tim Mandilas is one of the army of volunteers – who makes #folkGRooves festival a reality. “I respect the younger dancers and musicians that will perform live at this year’s festival.
“I can’t wait to watch them perform”,”Mandilas says.
#folkGRooves now in its second year and will feature over 100 young performers from five- to 18-years-old , dancing, and singing to the tunes of ancient folk music of Greece.
George Kiriakidis of ‘Aristotelis, the producer of #folkGRooves is confident last year’s success will be replicated due to “so many young kids directly involved”.
“When I approached the dance groups months ago, the response I got from many of them was, ‘Thank God! Our kids were actually asking about when that folk group is going to happen again’,” Kiriakidis told Neos Kosmos.
Along with the Cultural Centre of Florinians ‘Aristotelis’ are members of junior and intermediate groups from, St. John’s Greek Orthodox College, Periklis Dance Group, Akrites Tou Pontou, Cretan Brotherhood, Pancretan Association, Pontian Association of Whittlesea ‘Panagia Soumela’ and Hellenic Schools of Dance, Culture Music and Arts.
A focus this year is on lifting the community and emerging musicians.
“We’re going to try to get more kids involved with the musical component,” Kiriakidis said.
“And we’re definitely having the Melbourne Gaida Ensemble, which Joseph Tsombanopoulos has put together. If you told me five years ago, that we’ll have a flourishing group of young kids playing gaida, I would’ve said that’s highly unlikely.
“But here we are with kids on stage, very proficient at playing that instrument.”
Gaida revival, a highlight
Seven teens and young adult performers will play the Balkan bagpipe, the gaida. Cultural awareness, entertainment, and inspiration are the core aims.
“These days it’s tricky to get young people to sort of join into the paradosi (traditions) scene, but I find more often than not if they come in to try it out, they tend to stick around,” Tsombanopoulos said.
The self-taught gaida musician, Tsombanopoulos travelled to Greece to “meet some of the older players who were 70-80 years old, who have been playing for 50-60 years” and attended seminars over the years to learn the intricacies of the pipe instrument.
When he started learning in 2008, he was out of his comfort zone, but was committed to maintain his mission to learn to play an instrument that had “almost died in Greece”.
He fell in love with the, “tradition in its raw form”.
The tradition bearer wants others to follow suit and try the gaida – an instrument integral to northern Greek and Balkan traditions.
“In the last couple of years, something happened with the gaida. Everyone wanted to play.”
“The new generation have really taken it on board, it’s been revived in Greece and now we’re building it up here in Australia.”
Behind the scenes
Organisers of #folkGRooves are working towards a vibrant atmosphere on the day. There is a big team behind the festival, including parents and a range of volunteers from the Aristotelis senior dance group, who set everything up from the day before and running all the backstage operations.
Nicole Kiriakidis, from Aristotelis and George Kiriakidis’s wife, says the senior group were “mentors to our juniors”.
“They look up to them and the seniors guide them, nourish them, and try to encourage them.
Like Greek-born Emmanouela Giannoulidou, 31, a “dedicated member of Aristotelis’ dance group committee since its inception”.
“Working with young performers is incredibly inspiring,” she told Neos Kosmos.
“It’s essential to provide guidance and support that not only enhances their technical skills but also fosters a lifelong passion for Greek culture.”
Giannoulidou looks forward to the Sunday event.
“Last year’s experience was incredibly rewarding, from the pre-festival preparations to the vibrant atmosphere on the day itself.
“It’s an event I’m passionate about.”
Mandilas stated “proud to play a role” in it.
“I find it rewarding to see parents, grandparents and teachers proud of all their talented performers.
“Last year was a success due to this; together we made our youth feel valued and appreciated, and hopefully excited and motivated to be a part of the traditional Greek community.
In 2023 the event was supported by the Victorian government’s Youthfest program, however this time around it missed out and is self-funded by the Cultural Centre of Florinians, with St John’s College providing the space once again.
“We’re going to be OK , but any support would be appreciated whether in the form of donations, prizes or whatever else,” Kiriakidis said.
The plan is to make it an annual event, “We decided this as soon as we had the first one last year”.
“Seeing how happy the kids were and everyone staying till the very end we just knew; we have to do it again.”
#folkGRooves Youth Fest 2024 is held at St John’s College in Preston, 1 Blanch St, VIC, on Sunday 22 September from 1PM.
