ABOUT
Bonnendis is a London-based quartet featuring the raw sounds of the Greek islands with the iconic tsambouna (bagpipes), lyra and laouto. Bonnendis – the mist hovering over the mountain villages on the island of Karpathos – navigates from island to island, performing traditional melodies as you would hear them back home: genuine, powerful and uplifting. Thodoris Ziarkas (Valia Calda, London Improviser’s Orchestra) brings wild dance and rhythm with his karpathian lyra and bell-fitted bow; Nikos Ziarkas (Balothizer, Valia Calda, Theon Cross) entrances us with his virtuoso laouto playing; Cassandre Balosso-Bardin (Världens Band, Amaraterra) flies with the overarching sounds of the recorder and the earthy melodies of the bagpipes; and singer Pavlos Mavromatakis (The Turbans, Balothizer) moves us mysteriously with his deep vocals and the beat of the davoul. Bonnendis was formed in 2015 and has since played at venues and festivals such as Rich Mix (London), Musicport Festival (Whitby), Bath Spa University concert series, Saint Ethelburga’s Church (London), as well as in Belgium, the Netherlands and Berlin. Bonnendis launched their debut album on Wednesday 17 April 2019 in London, at Balabam. |
Their melodies and rhythms were almost 'faerie' like taking the audience into a mythical land of imagination and possibility. A set of raw, earthy beats and old folk melodies.... They brought the first half to a close with a housing-rousing set of tunes, with everyone in the audience clapping! |
Thodoris Ziarkas grew up in Rhodes where he first started to play the lyra and then the double bass. He is also a jazz musician and an improviser and tours across Europe.
Pavlos Mavromatakis grew up in Athens. With a background in rock and punk music, he also plays and sings Cretan folk music. He tours extensively in Europe and beyond with various projects.
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Cassandre Balbar is a bagpiper and a recorder player. She grew up in France and in the UK and plays a range of folk music from around Europe. She tours regularly across Europe with her different projects.
Dunja Botic is a Greek Serbian singer, front woman of Don Kipper (London). She specialises in folk singing and is widely renowned on the UK world music scene. She is a guest on Bonnendis' first album.
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Nikos Ziarkas grew up in Rhodes and is a laouto and guitar player. His musical background is a mix of folk, jazz, improvisation and rock. He tours extensively in Europe with his bands.
Vassiliki Anastasiou is the founder and director of the Amalgamation Project (Cyprus). A renowned Greek-Cypriot singer in Europe, she is involved in many international projects. She is a guest on Bonnendis' first album.
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