Time travellers and art lovers, if it happens to be in Kefalonia or around the Ionian islands during the weekend 8-9-10 August, here’s your chance to live the unique experience of time travelling through music and art, in Saristra Festival, a festival organized among the ruins of an old village: On 12 August 1953 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, with its epicentre just off Kefalonia’s south coast, devastated the island and caused widespread damage to the nearby islands of Ithaca and Zante in the Ionian Sea between Greece and Italy. The quake effects would take decades to overcome. Sixty years later, one of the abandoned, ghost-like settlements in the green, mountainous region around the picturesque harbour of Kefalonia’s Sami, is coming back to life with an outdoor music and arts festival that marks the arrival of a ‘hot’ 2014 summer for the island and its visitors.
The Saristra Festival is the most significant cultural event in the Ionian Islands , a music and art festival organised for the past three years and staged in the ruins of the village of ‘ Old Vlahata ‘ Cephalonia which was destroyed ( just as the rest of the island ) by the catastrophic earthquake in 1953.
More than 30 top quality musicians. Groups and DJs have appeared at Saristra during the previous two occasions and approximately 5000 people attended the 3 day event in 2013. Moreover the abandoned buildings of the village are used as exhibition areas housing important individual and group exhibits , film shows,video art screenings and lectures by
well known music academics .
THE MUSICIANS
The internationally acclaimed Eleanor Friedberger from New York whose critics she globally delights.
Phoebus Delivorias with his self critical lyrics and Woody Allen type humour guaranteed to bring the audience to its feet .
Pavlos Pavlidis of the well known group ‘ Xylinoi Spathoi ‘ and his personal solo successes ( highlighted of course by the much sung < Mary > the definition of an instant classic )
‘ Last Drive ‘ deemed by many to be the best Greek rock band of all time ( and one of the few to have carved a career abroad ).
Penny & the Swinging Cats – the amazing swing band of Penny Baltatzi’s ( A Cephalonian woman by origin )
‘ The Callas ‘ whose second album was produced by < Big Man > Jim Sclavounos
( close friends with Nick Cave and Bad Seeds’ drummer, Grinderman etc )
‘ Leon of Athens ‘ who have become all the rage in UK after the release of < Baby Asteroid > ( with the famous video clip bearing the signature of George Lanthimos )
‘ The Man from Managra ‘ — Coti.K.s exceptional band ( image producer for ‘Stereo Nova ‘,’ Raining Pleasure ‘ etc) which restructures gospel and has released one of the most significant records of the year.
‘ Egg Hell ‘ Greek – Brazilian Jeff Marawi’s band , the perfect combination of romantic rock and chamber pop.
Stella —who revives the grunge 90,s ( and does superb cool lives )
‘ Plastic Flowers ‘ the group from Salonica who were selected for the roster of the important American festival ‘ South by Southwest ‘
‘ Skull & Dawn ‘ the reincarnation of Defile des Ames , with its dark country influences
‘ Indie the Blank ‘ straight from this year,s line up of Schoolwave.
‘ Baiser Noir ‘ the swing jazz band from Cephalonia
‘ Blue Lagoon ‘ ( Kormoranos team ) and ‘ Shameless Spit ‘ Dj sets.
A two day afternoon beach party at Mojito Bar on Antisamou beach with Dj sets by
‘ Dagritzikos & Shameless Spit ‘ ( 9/8 ) and ‘ Nausicaa ‘( 10/8 )
A closing party ( 11/8 ) at the Fiasco Bar in Sami with Dj sets by Aris K. and Apostolo < Patriarhi > – Varna
A FEW WORDS ABOUT OTHER ACTIVITIES
Athens Video Art Festival @ Saristra Festival ( 8-9-10/8 )
A selection of Greek and foreign creators’ video installations and art within the framework of the well known Festival’s 10th Anniversary.
Photometria Festival@Saristra Festival ( 8-9-10/8 )
Group photography exhibition entitled ‘ Photometria awards 2014 : Reflection ‘
‘Special Screenings ‘ ( 8-9-10/8):
International Festival Award winning Greek Films
‘ The eternal return of Antonis Paraskevas ‘ by Elina Psyhou,
‘ Standing aside, Watching ‘ by George Serveta
‘ Boy eating the bird’s food ‘ by Ektora Lygizo
Yiorgos Kouvaras Showing of his 5 award winning short films
“ Black Cat “ by Spyros Manolatos
‘Slide Show Installations : Depression Era ‘ ( 8-9-10/8 )
Depression Era has created and supervised a series of dialogues,texts and photographic projects by 33 people who have recorded the new area of the Depression Era in Greece for the first time ever .
‘ Saristra’s Wish Tree ‘ ( 8-9-10/8 )
Interactive installation inspired by the Georgian film by Tengiz Abuladze ‘ The Wishing Tree ‘ . The tree becomes the ‘ eye ‘ of the deepest wish .
‘ Children’s Activities ‘ ( 8-9-10/8)
Treasure hunt , painting and other activities for young visitors to the festival all within a totally safe environment.
‘ Doc Days ‘ ( 8-9-10/8 )
The award winning documentaries ‘ Earthquake ‘ ( about the 1953 Earthquake ) , ‘ Little Land ( about the way of life in Ikaria ) and ‘ Kismet ‘ ( about Turkish soap operas )
‘ From One World to Another ‘ ( 9/8 ) – a Butoh performance by Marianna Tsagaraki and Olga Stefatou Three actions of three women express the transition to a new state of being. Through photography and contemporary Japanese dance BUTOH, they explore the extent and connection between reality and vision. The performance is dedicated to all the abused children.
‘ The Basic Elements of Jazz and Improvisation on the Piano ‘ – ( 8/8 )
Jazz Workshop and performance by George Tsoli.
‘ Yoga Lessons by Niki Hayia ‘ ( 8-9-10/8 )
Enjoyable Hatha yoga in the mix with dynamic vinyasa. Get ready to greet the sun and the moon and open up your heart’s tsakra
‘ AKOPANIAphoto ‘ ( 8/8 )
Photographic portraits of the residents of Karavomylo and festival visitors by Olga Stefatou inside a house converted to a studio.
‘ The Unknown Songs and Dances of Cephalonia ‘ ( 10/8 )
Two lectures by Gerasimos Galanos
‘ Estrella Pop-Up Store ‘ ( 8-9-10/8 )
The famous Salonica restaurant comes to Saristra to make < bougatsa > its hybrid desert ( its own creation ) on site which all of Greece has been talking about ( Liana Kanelli is still talking of it ) for the past months .
Gerasimos Galiatsatos —Fluidity ( 8-9-10/8 )
Personal art exhibition
Yiorgos Katsaros ( 8-9-10/8 )
Personal sculpture exhibition
Babis Kakaroumbas – The genealogical tree of the flock ( 8-9-10/8 )
WATCH THE IMPRESSIVE VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR’S FESTIVAL
http://vimeo.com/87564709
http://www.saristrafestival.gr/
ENTRANCE IS FREE OF CHARGE
Opening Time –19.00
Under the Auspices of the Young Generation and the Ionian Islands Region Secretariat
Contact : Fotis Vallatos ( 6932457993, fvallatos@gmail.com )
photos by Focus Line Creative Photography
ACCOMMODATION
Saristra Festival in collaboration with Karavomylos Beach Camp Site has obtained a 15% discount for all Festival visitors
