User:Oudgr/sandbox

Nikos Dimitriadis
My name is Nikos Dimitriadis and I come from the beautiful city of Thessalonica, which is located in northern Greece. I am a musician and my musical instrument is the Oud. I introduced myself to music in 1980 when I started learning the Guitar. At the same time, I started learning Greek music, and especially old traditional and folk Greek and Rebetika songs. After a few years, I started making public appearances, singing and playing guitar at many places in Greece and abroad. In 1994, with the guidance of my teacher, Mr. Vassilis Cassouras (Greece), I started learning the Oud. My turn and guidance to the instrument of the Oud was my father's origin and influence which comes from the area of Black sea (Turkey) from city Ordu, as he plays the traditional Pontiac lyre "Kemence". I started to explore the traditional music roots of the Oud from Arabia, Turkey, and Persia, trying to find out the differences between them and their relationship to Byzantine music. My main studies were focused on Oud solo, which to me is the most important. I studied theoretically and practically many methods of playing the Oud and the most important soloists from Arabia, Turkey and Persia. My musical activities relating to this instrument are focused on Oud solo. I believe that it is the most appropriate way to define the soul of this instrument and the musical style of the East. I aim to seek a dialogue between other Oud musicians because I believe that through the music dialogue a musician can reach the maximum limit of his performance. One of my favourite Oud themes is extemporisation (Taqasim) through which the musician can express himself clearly, letting the audience understand his inner psychological world and personality. Taqasim always plays the major part in Oud playing. A secondary major role is the melody-tune, which reveals the strength of this instrument. Everyone can see the huge strength of this musical instrument. I have co-operated with folk music groups and I had a very interesting co-operation with the first chorarch of Byzantine music - Mr. Theodoros Vassilikos. I am composing music for solo Oud and I believe that I approach the style of the East and a part of Greece. I perform in many places in Greece and other countries, making a programme of the music I compose.I play solo Oud or I am accompanied by one to five percussionists. My dream is the creation of a group, that includes an Oud and ten percussion instruments, and I hope that it will become reality one day.
 * Oud Nikos Dimitriadis

Vasilis Kasouras
Vasilis Kasouras was born in Katouna,Aitoloakarnania,in1963. When he was still young he was occupied with Greek folk musik.He was taught by great teachers who were teaching «Baglama, Tzoyra and guitar» and then he started working with them. In 1980 he studied Technikal Engineering in Thessaloniki and at the same time he assembled musik groups and took part in others.He gave many concerts all over North Greece singing folk and rembetika songs. In 1985 he mostly paid attention and studied stringed instruments like Oud, Lauto,Tamboura and he was taught the written and oral tradition, culture by excellent teachers in South - East Mediterranean. He took part in musikal festivals, concerts,theatrical performances, seminars and he gave many lektures in Greece and other foreign countries presenting a part of his studies and working with unique persons as : Nikos Papazoglou, Hronis Aidonidis, Ros Daly and many others.He teactes in musikal schools, he composes musik, he conducts traditional orchestras and he is responsible for orchestrasions in musikal productions. He also teaches in a public supreme school in Ipiros (a supreme school of musical technology) folk and traditional music. The most important thing in the last few years is that he had made recordings and studies about music events in Makedonia which can be found in C.D. with the signature of «Archives - Collection of Giorgis Melikis» under the quidance and cooperation of Giorgis Melikis