The warm summer night bathed the 37th Antipodes Festival, infused with the panegyric celebration of all things Greek. Lonsdale Street pulsed with life as a sea of people flooded the historic centre of the Greek community. The music and dance, across three stages, were the pillars of this annual euphoric celebration of Hellenic life in Melbourne.
Rena Morfi, a former member of Imam Baildi—one of Greece’s premier world music exports—took centre stage. Her unique voice and electrifying stage presence brought a modern twist to traditional Greek sounds.
Known for her ability to perform everything from heartfelt ballads to upbeat swing tunes, Rena’s performance was full of energy and emotion. She was washed over by the golden glow of the setting sun.
Morfi shared her joy at performing in Australia for the first time and hoped it wouldn’t be her last.
Her unique meld of traditional Greek sounds with contemporary influences captivated a generationally diverse audience. Generations of Greek Australians from elders to the youngest were spellbound by Morfi’s voice and her band’s rhythmic take on rebetika, jazz swing and pop.
There was no time before people stepped forward to dance. To be Greek is to dance. At first a dozen women, then more and more, soon the whole crowd were swayed by Morfi’s siren call.
There were also people dancing in the back of the crowd, both Hellenes and non-Hellenes.
“She’s amazing, We love the Greek vocals with the vibey Latin beats,” said a group of young women.
“We came to dance, and she’s given us that.”
From a man dancing in his Scottish kilt garnering the attention of people walking through Lonsdale Street in the back of the crowd to a trio of South Asian friends enjoying the performance and two Greeks starting dance circles. She shared her joy at performing in Australia for the first time, expressing hope on stage that it wouldn’t be her last.
Morfi captivated a diverse audience—ranging from children and young adults to parents and grandparents. The most telling sign of the festival’s significance is how it connects generations, uniting them through music, dance, and a shared Hellenic heritage.
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