Get closer to Cypriot culture at the third Agricultural Festival in Limassol from August 3-5.
The festival, which is organised by the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organisation, aims at bringing locals and tourists together to find out about agriculture on our island by talking to representatives of a number of local companies. These companies, such as wineries, dairies, sweetshops and more, will represent agricultural products. The festival will also give us a sample of our local cuisine via various Cypriot dishes and culture through dance and music performances. All this will showcase the cultural heritage of our country, while also entertaining us.
The festival will open officially at 8pm on August 3 with a short welcoming speech, followed by a performance by the band Vatukinio. The band will play traditional music with laouta, violins and other instruments. Also, local traditional singers Michalis Chatzimichail and Christiana Pavlou will remind us of our musical heritage.
Greek singer Babis Tsertos will be the highlight of the first day, leading us in a celebration of traditional Greek music. Tsertos comes from a musical family. He grew up playing the mandolin and, as a student, he studied the bouzouki and participated in the university band, singing rebetiko and folk songs. At the age of 17 he moved to Athens and in 1974 he entered the Faculty of Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. In 1980, Tsertos started to work as a professional musician, singing at a tavern in Athens. During his career he has worked with great Greek artists such as Vicky Moscholiou and George Dalaras. He also collaborated with the Mandolin Orchestra.
The entertainment for the second day of the festival will start at 8.30pm with soloist Georgia Dagaki, who will sing songs from Crete. Dagaki started studying the lyra at the age of 12, and from there she decided to become a musician. She then took on the piano, vocals and music theory. By the time she was 16 years old, Dagaki was a renowned representative of Cretan folk music. After mastering the lyra, she also began to experiment with various sounds, from contemporary folk music to rock and jazz, creating a unique and personal musical identity.
Up next will be Costas Chatzichristodoulou, who will sing Cypriot songs with the Greek singer Pantelis Thalassinos. Thalassinos began performing in 1977, while also working in a shipping company until 1987. Since taking on music full-time he has co-founded the group Lathrepivates in 1986. The band only lasted until 1991, when Thalassinos decided to return to his native Chios, where he founded the Myrovolos live stage. He returned to Athens in 1994, where he performs live with members of the Triphono group. During his career, Thalassinos has released six solo albums and has participated in more than 30 albums, as a composer or guest singer.
The third and final day of the festival will entertain us from 8.30pm with a performance by clarinet soloist Thanassis Vassilopoulos, who will be joined by other soloists playing traditional instruments. Together, the soloists will present music from Greece and abroad under the name Dunes of Mykonos.
Agricultural Festival
A three-day festival showcasing agricultural products, with a rich entertainment programme. August 3-5. Old Port, Limassol. Free. Opening event at 8pm. Tel: 25-878744
