Some of us may be sorry to realise that August is almost over, the holiday month will soon be a thing of the past and our routine will once again be in motion.
Others may be counting down the days until schools start again (if indeed they start on time), until things get back on track, and until the annual Septemberfest – Nicosia Beer Fun Festival 2018 wakes us up and gets us all refreshed for a new season.
The eighth consecutive festival may have September in its name, but it will steal a little bit of the holiday month to get things started. From August 28 until September 3, Display Art PLC will run the largest beer festival on the island. There will be beer, there will be food and there will be live music, and this year the festival also has a charitable side. It will be dedicated to people who are going through financial difficulties, while also continuing to encourage youngsters to stay away from drugs and violence.
The festival will kick off at 8pm on Tuesday with a live performance by Greek singers Lavrentis Macheritsas, Nikos Portokaloglou, Steve Tesser and Mirela Pachou.
Macheritsas has been rocking the music scene for much longer than some of the other musicians set to take to the festival stage. He started out in 1982, just after his National Service, as part of a band called Termites, then launched his solo career in 1989. Since then he has been releasing hit after hit, and has never stopped performing.
Portokaloglou started out in 1980, when he founded the band Fame. The band’s first album was released in 1982, closely followed by six more albums. In 1990 the singer, songwriter and lyricist started his very successful solo career. He has released 20 albums, has written soundtracks for films, and has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the Greek music scene.
Tesser started his career in Italy at the age of 18, when he started playing rock, blues and heavy metal music with his band. He moved to Greece in 2011 when his first album was released.
Joining the boys will be singer and accordion player Mirela Pachou. The musician from Rhodes has become well-known in Greece via her own music and her collaborations with a number of Greek composers and singers, and has also participated on their albums.
The festival continues on Wednesday with a pop atmosphere when singers Makis Dimakis and Polina Christodoulou will take to the stage. Dimakis is from Greece and has been known to get crowds in Greek nightclubs on their feet, while Christodoulou – from Limassol – has done the same in Greece and Cyprus.
Next Thursday has a group feel with the bands Ypogia Revmata, Magic De Spell and Kitrina Podilata. If you like rock and that alternative music feel that gets you waving your lighter in the air, then this day of the festival is definitely for you.
The big night will be on the last day of August when Greek singer Stelios Rokkos will make a stop at the festival as part of his summer tour. The rock star writes and orchestrates most of his songs. Apart from his rock persona, Rokkos is also well-known for his romantic songs – so, if you are a romantic type and believe in the magic of the August moon, you might want to take this opportunity to pop the question, or just show your love.
The rocking vibe continues on September 1 with a performance by the band Villagers of Ioannina City. The band play stoner and psychedelic rock with a dose of Greek folk music from the Epirus region, whose musical tradition is characterised by polyphony and the use of clarinet. The band’s sound fuses traditional music into modern psychedelic forms, creating a unique blend. The boys will share the stage with the band Fuse.
September continues with Miltos Paschalides and Ellopia on September 2 and Giorgos Mazonakis and the Stavento on September 3. The concert will really end with a bang with rock, pop and alternative music all rolled into one.
Septemberfest
Beer festival with lots of beer and live performances. August 28 until September 3. Academy’s National Forest Park, Larnacos Avenue,
Aglantzia, Nicosia. https://www.facebook.com/events/261592237965701/
