Eleni Elefterias Kostakidis is always an exciting person to connect with. Restless in her pursuit of creativity and support for the Greek language. A supporter of human rights causes over the years, an animal lover and perhaps one of her most important attributes, a leader in creating.
Whether it was the establishment of the iconic Greek Bilingual Bookshop in 2007, now run by Greek language educator Katerina Vetsikas, or publishing books and songs, Eleni is part of Sydney’s cultural heartbeat.
Eleni explains, “I started singing at 14 when I was forced to go to a Mikis Theodorakis concert in 1972. When I heard those songs and the lyrics by Yannis Ritsos I started to want to learn Greek. I was born here and hated Greek school so could not speak that well then; I started composing songs and lyrics in Greek since then. I was encouraged to write lyrics in Greek by Bolas who used to be secretary of the Greek Orthodox Community and a poet from Alexandria.”
Eleni was the recipient of the scholarship for vocal studies twice from Conservatorium of Music in the early 80s, auditioning with Themos Mexis playing piano. She was accepted on the spot, earning a Music Grant from Australia Council for the Arts to study Musical composition and guitar in Greece in 1983.
Eleni continues, “the Millennium Choir sang my song arranged by George Ellis at major events in the year 2000 and my music has been played by various orchestras. Individuals have sung my songs. I sang for Cyprus in 1975 at the Horden Pavilion. I played Marrickville Town Hall concerts with Themos Mexis and composer Tim Arvanitakis where Gough Whitlam attended our concerts and was very supportive as did Al Grassby.”
Her latest project covers Balkan nationalism, Greece and shared culture. She coordinated and edited “Whose is this Song,” allowing some of Australia’s top Greek writers to come together the new book.
We may as well say whose is this book, not just the song, as some of the best Greek Australian writers and academics contributed.
As a contributor myself, I recall one day when lawyer, writer and historian Costa Vertzayias and I were giving a lecture at Randwick Library. Eleni turned up to convince us to contribute a chapter each to the project. Her enthusiasm to the project inspired her fellow writers to join the project.
For those of us in and around the Balkan region, we always seem to have an overlap of culture, food, beautiful landscapes, religion and of course music!
As Eleni explains the origin: “One night at a Turkish restaurant, a number of friends, each from a different Balkan country are enjoying a meal. The band plays a known tune, and the singer sings in Turkish. Then the discussion gets heated as they each claim that song belongs to their country. This tune has travelled all over the Balkans and has even made it to the USA. The Serbians claim it as Serbian, the Greeks as Greek, the Albanians and Albanian, the Turks as Turkish and the Bulgarians as Bulgarian and so on.”
“Film director Adela Peeva decides to investigate the authenticity and origin of this song. She travels around the Balkans filming and interviewing people about the song.”
The filmmaker finds that at some places people are willing to go to war over ownership of the song.
Adela explores the song uncovering nationalism – what is mine cannot be yours- when perceptions of identity and culture are challenged.
Eleni continues, “When I came across this documentary, the ridiculousness of all the arguing over a tune made me want to analyse the film and song further. I decided to write about it and ask a number of other academics and friends to write something either about the film itself, the music or the Balkans and shared culture. Though I compiled the book and chose the contributors it would not have been possible without the help of Dr Alfred Vincent in particular, who also took great interest in the tune and project.”
The support of Dr Alfred Vincent is always a high point for many Greek cultural projects. His support of the Greek language in Sydney and his tireless work for the Greek Festival Cultural Committee as part of the Greek Festival is legendary. His mind is always at work. I myself recall visiting his home a couple of times, presenting Dr Vincent some of my books. In no time he had given me tips, advice, feedback and words of wisdom.
Eleni invited experts in their fields to write chapters for the book in addition to Dr Vincent and herself: the charismatic Professor Vrasidas Karalis, Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos, Dr Michael Karadjis, Professor Marian Tutui, Jorge Sotirios, Costa Vertzayias, Professor Nicholas Doumanis, George Michelakakis.
Originally presented at a pre-launch event at the Greek Australian Writers’ Festival as part of the Greek Festival of Sydney at the UTS School of Journalism, organised by Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos. A panel discussion was held with Dr Alfred Vincent, Dr Vatsikopoulos, Dr Michael Karatjis and Eleni, facilitated by ABC Journalist Dr Phil Kafkaloudes.
The book project has been funded/supported by AHEPA NSW and the La Boîte Performance Space and by friends, relatives. AHEPA NSW’s support has ensured the book has found its way across Australia.
Earlier this year, the book was launched in Melbourne by the talented writer and lawyer Dean Kalimniou, he wrote of the project:
“Whose is this Song?” a collection of fascinating essays about Balkan Nationalism, Greece and Shared Culture, edited by Eleni Eleftherias-Kostakidis deals precisely with these points. Taking as its thematic starting point a documentary film “Whose is this Song?” by Adera Peeva, through various essays, reflections and travel narratives, the book discusses the manner in which songs and other cultural items far from being shared, are claimed, rendered divisive and ultimately are utilised as tools in a broader quest to claim contested spaces. As Mary Kostakidis observes in her forward to the book: “The Balkan region, with its fascinating historical and geopolitical intricacies and shifting borders, is a cauldron of contested ownership of culture.”
The book is dedicated to her parents and grandparents as they endured a lot during difficult war years in Macedonia, Greece.
A creative heartbeat for the Inner West of Sydney, Eleni has chosen to hold an official launch on Sunday 30 November at the new creative venue run by the talented Michelle St Anne, who is the chair of the Inner West Creative Network and an acclaimed artist via The Living Room Theatre/TLRT. TLRT’s new venue opened which opened around their 25-birthday is appropriately situated in Marrickville, home of the “Greek Precinct,’ nestled in former factory sites where Balkan languages were spoken from the 1950s-2000s – hard-working migrants toiled away, often listening to songs which may be played at TLRT’s venue on the 30th.
In true creative fashion, Eleni has arranged music performers for the event, including Felicia Harris, Yannis Bardas, Marina Thiveos, John Coombs. With the support of AHEPA NSW and the talented MC Lorraine-Nia Gitsas, the launch certainly reflects Marrickville’s creative and Greek and Balkan “history.”
A Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony from Uncle John Dickson will be held. Uncle is married to a Greek woman, Aunty Liz, who shares a similar Pontian background as Eleni.
The book is on sale at the event, Hellenic Theorem Books or Bilingual Bookshop, Kogarah.
For further information visit our Greek Guide events page.
*Disclaimer, Billy Cotsis is a Board member of The Living Room Theatre. He is also author of Aristotle Roberto Carlos Smithopoulos
