ITHAKI / ITHACA: A New Musical Journey Back to Basics

Back to basics with a fresh perspective, the poetry of Constantine P. Cavafy takes center stage in a musical interpretation and performance by Miltos Pavlou. This latest release from Protasis Music is a remarkable discographic production with a strong archival interest, undeniable musical quality, and artistry.

With special honor, we welcome and digitally release a limited number of collector's CDs from Protasis Music. This exceptional production signifies a modern approach to the precious Cavafian poetic chapter, showing respect for his work and unique compositional and interpretative interest from a musical creator and more, Miltos Pavlou, a social scientist of Cavafy's poetry.

As Miltos himself characterizes it, "The collection aims to contribute to a return to basic principles and values in a critical and challenging period in Greece and the world. It gathers musical expressions of Cavafy's poetry created over the last almost forty years as an internal response to challenges of personal and social life. It comes at a moment of multifaceted crisis in our social coexistence. By focusing on the significant, it may help us look forward. Serving as a musical work, it addresses the need for introspection, reflection, and recreation. It hopes to contribute, in its modest measure and scope, to individual and collective uplift and overcoming, as poetry and musical expression often allow or prompt us."

Regarding the English-language "Ithaca," translated by Miltos Pavlou and included as a bonus track in the self-titled collection, the composer living and working in Vienna says, "The collection also targets a non-Greek-speaking audience. Apart from the rendition of 'Ithaca' in English as a bonus track, it includes, as text in the CD Album edition, a careful rendering of the vocal performance of Greek lyrics in English (phonetic transliteration). This enables a non-Greek-speaking audience, who loves the poet, to more easily follow the Greek interpretation of each poem's musical setting."

The release of an entirely English-language collection, with modern translations of the same poems into English by Miltos Pavlou, builds upon and respects existing significant translations, constructing a new set of contemporary English translations with musical and rhythmic fluidity. "Ithaca" in English, translated by Milto Pavlou, as a bonus track in the Greek debut collection, is a sample of this second collection.

Contributors:

Music and performance by Miltos Pavlou, Orchestration by Sergios Voudris. Co-production by Miltos Pavlou and Sergios Voudris. Odysseas Tziritas on guitar. Maranthi Karagianni, Nefeli Liouta (Violin), Stelios Papanastasiou (Viola), Weronika Kijewska (Cello). Sergios Voudris on musical execution and choir. The children's choir of Spyros Lampros participates crucially in the final refrain of Ithaca, as does the Ukrainian refugee family friend, soprano Iliana-Haidouk-Koutserouk, with vocals on Acoustic God Remains. Recording Studios: Diskex Athens and Altāria in Bruckhaufen, Vienna. Mixing and mastering by Stavros Georgiopoulos at Diskex Studio.

Brief Biography of Miltos Pavlou:

Miltos Pavlou was born and raised in Thessaloniki. Today, he lives and works in Vienna, Austria, serving at the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). As a researcher-writer with studies in Sociology (Italy) and Law (Thessaloniki), he has served in institutions and organizations for human rights in Europe and Asia. In Greece, he served as a Special Scientist at the Greek Ombudsman for 13 years and was the director of institutes and centers for the study and combat of racism and xenophobia and for the protection of human rights (i-RED, Institute for Rights, Equality, and Diversity, etc.).

Parallel to his main professional career, he composes and creates songs in Greek and English, reflecting on love, travel, places, people, and anything worthwhile or life-changing.

Miltos Pavlou's artistic activity is not for profit, and any potential income from it is dedicated to donations to organizations supporting human rights and socially marginalized groups in Greece and around the world.

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iTunes/Apple Music: https://apple.co/3us0kj4
Deezer: https://bit.ly/3MUxNJs

Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/playlistITHAKI

Social Media of Miltos Pavlou:

http://www.miltospavlou.art/  (for CD orders)

https://www.facebook.com/MiltosPavlouMusic/

https://www.youtube.com/@miltospavlou

https://instagram.com/miltos_pavlou

Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/MiltosPavlou