NEW YORK – One of Greece’s hottest, most talented, and acclaimed artists and performers, Konstantinos Argiros, made a special visit to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan on July 2, where he spoke exclusively to The National Herald about his visit, as well as the release of his newest album, ‘Kabanes’, and his inspirations behind it.
Taking place in the beautiful and house of worship, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at Ground Zero, was an interview like no other. Argiros explored the church for the very first time, and reflected upon what it meant to him to finally visit, after visiting the U.S. many times in the past.
Konstantinos Argiros expressed his inspirations behind releasing Kabanes, as well as how he felt to promote it in the U.S. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)
Visiting St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine for the first time
In line with America’s 250th Birthday, the Greek singer expressed to The National Herald what it meant to him to finally visit the National Shrine during such a significant moment in America’s history, while also noting the valuable role and contributions Greek-Americans played in its creation.
“I feel really wonderful, from the moment I stepped inside this beautiful church. It’s fantastic,” Argiros told TNH.
“There’s a sense of reverence and peace here, and it’s a wonderful reason for all of us to come together as one Greek family. I thank God for bringing us here together, united and embracing one another.”
From the moment Argiros stepped inside, he was extremely impressed. He noted he would love to just spend hours inside the Shrine.
“Tremendous work has been done, and congratulations to all the people who supported this project, because I imagine it was not easy to build this church here, so congratulations to everyone who made it happen,” he said.
Konstantinos Argiros speaking with TNH journalist, Evelyn Karatzas. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)
Discussing ‘Kabanes’ inside New York’s ‘Beacon of Hope’ – St. Nicholas
Argiros reflected on the inspirations behind the album and the four-year journey of its creation, while also discussing what it meant to him to share Kabanes with his Greek-American fans through a series of pop-up events and surprise performances across New York, New Jersey, Chicago, and Florida.
He began by describing Kabanes as an album which has two to three island songs. “In essence, it is a tribute to island music.
He spotlighted legends of the island tradition, such as Stathis Koukoularis, Papas on percussion, and Paris Perdikaris, who played the laouto and violin. These people [contributed] to this musical culture of Greece,” Argiros explained.
“And because I, too, come from an island, I want to honor this musical culture in my own way.”
“Some of these people are still with us, and together we formed a band. I sought each of them out on their islands, and we built a studio on Tzia (also known as Kea).”
He said every so often for the last four years, they would get together and share their experiences and stories, and then play music together.
Describing the process of creating the album, he noted: “We chose certain songs and played them again together like a family and like a team. Every so often we would record one or two songs, then after four or five months another one or two,” Argiros said.
Konstantinos Argiros was given a tour of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine at WTC. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)
The title ‘Kabanes’
When asked about how the title for the album came about, Argiros explained how ‘kabanes’ (bells), in general, are international.
“Many peoples and countries have the bell as a symbol, but the sound of the kabana in Greece sounds different. That’s what I wanted to capture in this new album – that the sound of the bells of our islands have their own uniqueness, and their own tone, which we are trying in our own way share with the whole world,” the Greek singer expressed.
“We want to do that through values and the culture of Greece – love, respect and family – those ingredients that come from a Greek family.”
He also noted how the way ‘Kabanes’ is written on the album is also unique – “It doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world. It’s a new term, which I hope will make its own path and have its own course and its own journey.”
Konstantinos Argiros and Dream Hospitality’s CEO George Karavias outside the National Shrine. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)
With a ‘c’, ‘cabana’ in English means a small house by the sea, “but if you write it with a ‘k’, the way we Greeks say do, kabana, means the church bell,” Argiros said.
“And it’s also important because with the sound of a bell, you can express joy by ringing it quickly, you can express sadness by ringing it slowly, and you can tell the time by ringing it rhythmically. So all of those elements, I think, made it worthwhile for ‘Kabanes’ to be the title.”
Argiros added how the little boy seen ringing the bell on the album cover is his Godson.
As someone who comes from an island – the beautiful Lefkada in the Ionian Sea – and who’s always had a strong love for island music and Greek traditions, Argiros expressed what he wants people to feel when listening to his latest album.
“I wanted them to feel that they are next to the sea, at a small church by the sea, with the atmosphere and the sound of the islands of the Aegean,” he said.
Konstantinos Argiros observing the beautiful iconography inside St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)
Pop-Ups and Promotions of Kabanes
Following back-to-back pop-ups across the United States and an exclusive Kabanes Listening Party in New York hosted by Dream Hospitality Group, led by George Karavias, Argiros shared a message with the Greek-American community and reflected on his experiences over the past few days traveling throughout the country to promote and spread the love for Kabanes. “I’ve seen not only Greeks, I’ve seen people from all over the world coming…I see people coming to sign vinyl records or CDs who are from Mexico, Paraguay, Brazil, Serbia, Romania, Italy, and I really like the fact that they love Greek music and Greek culture.”
“People come and tell me, ‘because of your songs we started learning Greek,’ or ‘we started learning Greek dances.’ I have a group of dancers who teach zeimbekiko, and they tell me that many people come because of songs like ‘Athina Mou’ or ‘Eleftheros’ and ask to learn how to dance zeimbekiko – so that gives me joy, but it also gives me motivation to continue doing what
I love and what I know how to do – to sing and give my heart and soul to music.”
He further noted how his goal with sharing ‘Kabanes’ in the U.S., after it officially released on June 26 was to “expand the Greek vibe…Because nobody in Greek music up until now – perhaps because we are a small country but with a big heart – has maybe had either the endurance or the desire to expand it a little more.”
Argiros standing outside the Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine. (Photo: Evelyn Karatzas)
“Of course, artists in the past have taken huge steps, and I’m building on those foundations. I think I will give the very best I can to continue this journey, this path, and this wave, and take it as far as possible, as far away as possible,” Argiros expressed.
During his visit to the Church and National Shrine, Argiros also received a brief tour of the church, where the treasurer of the Parish Council, Konstantinos Ouranitsas, discussed some of the iconography and key features of the space.
In a comment made to TNH, Ouranitsas shared: “On behalf of the Parish Council of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, we’re excited to have welcomed Konstantinos Argiros during the weekend of his album release. We’re excited that he chose to visit St. Nicholas and spend a little bit of time with us.”
One of the executive board members of the National Hellenic Student Association of North America, Paraskevi (Paris) Tsambourlianos, expressed how it was an honor for her to represent the association during Argiros’ Kabanes album tour and see him at the National Shrine. “Congratulations to Konstantinos on this exciting milestone,” Tsambourlianos said.
“It was inspiring to see how his music continues to bring people together across North America, and I wish him continued success.”
