reviews:
οn Martha
“in the first rank of folk musicians from her native Greece. You could be in Athens, Istanbul, Sofia, Manhattan –but the truth is that, with Mavroidi, you are in all of them at once” Michael Church, The Scotsman
“Balkan music’s rising star” fRoots
“an outstanding singer, with a voice originating in choirs of angels” RootsWorld
“extraordinary voice” europeanjazz.net
“a wonderful, sweet voice” Jazz&Tzaz
“rare and beautiful voice…mesmerized the audience” Bulgarski Glas
οn the album “The Garden of Rila”
“a triumph of sympathetic arrangement, gentle instrumentation and quiet confidence.” John Ridpath, fRoots magazine August-September 2010
“album of the year” Charlie Gilett’s The Sound of the World
“one of the best albums of the last decade” fRoots
“sheer beguilingness” Michael Church, The Scotsman
“a standout gem” Derek Beres, Sing Out!
“an album worthy to be listened to forever” Kornilios Diamantopoulos, Jazz&Tzaz magazine
“it deserves a place among the best albums of the last years” Alexandros Gerasimou, Urban Style magazine
οn the album “Portaki”
“Martha Mavroidi’s first album -The Garden of Rila (2009)- was a record that seemed to spring fully-formed and fresh out of Martha’s creativity, like Athena from Zeus’ bonce. One of the best albums of the last decade, the seamless synthesis of her Greek music with adjoining Balkan and Anatolian had consistently strong and distinctive self-composed songs and arrangements, played by perfectly matched empathic musicians. Mavroidi’s exceptional voice, lafta and saz playing then lifted it about as high as music gets. […] Now working with jazz-inflected double bass and drums in a superb trio, her latest album “Portaki” is an ensemble work of pure pleasure: a rising Greek star.” fRoots magazine
“Martha Mavroidi haw showcased that the study, inquiry and passion in music do not have to hide in the caverns of tardy ‘elitist’ seriousness, but can create open, playful and genuine forms and sounds of dazzling quality … an inspired and visioned work.” Freegan Kolekltiva
“Portaki continually draws me to the idea of new promise. The promise of blending music genres into a new sound that is both new and old. The promise of new instruments, new compositions, and new beginnings.” Greg Harness, Roots World
“We get a chance to hear not only Mavroidi’s impressive technique on the lafta, but also some great singing.” Maria Lord, Songlines
οn the album “Agiorgitiko”
“This is heart-stoppingly wonderful singing, effortlessly expressive, beautifully toned violin, and playing on the laouto that’s just exactly right… It proves that Martha is just as good playing traditional music as she is with the jazz-leaning works of her own recent trio outings, and it’s a jaw-dropping introduction to Koukoularis for us who are inexpert… this clearly is a musical marriage that’s apparently made in heaven.” Ian Anderson, fRoots magazine
οn the album “Thread and Needle”
“A cutting edge avant-garde minimalist tour-de-force… full of sweetness which Manos Hadjidakis could have penned in one of his most inspired moments… a must-hear record, a true find, a wonderful accomplishment” Nondas Kitsos, RootsWorld
“With this album Martha takes a step forward not just for herself but for contemporary Greek song-writing in general. This project has something unreservedly ethical, innovative, and moving at the same time… A very important, entirely different album.” Phontas Troussas Diskoryheion
marthamavroidi.com ©
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reviews:
οn Martha
“in the first rank of folk musicians from her native Greece. You could be in Athens, Istanbul, Sofia, Manhattan –but the truth is that, with Mavroidi, you are in all of them at once” Michael Church, The Scotsman
“Balkan music’s rising star” fRoots
“an outstanding singer, with a voice originating in choirs of angels” RootsWorld
“extraordinary voice” europeanjazz.net
“a wonderful, sweet voice” Jazz&Tzaz
“rare and beautiful voice…mesmerized the audience” Bulgarski Glas
οn the album “The Garden of Rila”
“a triumph of sympathetic arrangement, gentle instrumentation and quiet confidence.” John Ridpath, fRoots magazine August-September 2010
“album of the year” Charlie Gilett’s The Sound of the World
“one of the best albums of the last decade” fRoots
“sheer beguilingness” Michael Church, The Scotsman
“a standout gem” Derek Beres, Sing Out!
“an album worthy to be listened to forever” Kornilios Diamantopoulos, Jazz&Tzaz magazine
“it deserves a place among the best albums of the last years” Alexandros Gerasimou, Urban Style magazine
οn the album “Portaki”
“Martha Mavroidi’s first album -The Garden of Rila (2009)- was a record that seemed to spring fully-formed and fresh out of Martha’s creativity, like Athena from Zeus’ bonce. One of the best albums of the last decade, the seamless synthesis of her Greek music with adjoining Balkan and Anatolian had consistently strong and distinctive self-composed songs and arrangements, played by perfectly matched empathic musicians. Mavroidi’s exceptional voice, lafta and saz playing then lifted it about as high as music gets. […] Now working with jazz-inflected double bass and drums in a superb trio, her latest album “Portaki” is an ensemble work of pure pleasure: a rising Greek star.” fRoots magazine
“Martha Mavroidi haw showcased that the study, inquiry and passion in music do not have to hide in the caverns of tardy ‘elitist’ seriousness, but can create open, playful and genuine forms and sounds of dazzling quality … an inspired and visioned work.” Freegan Kolekltiva
“Portaki continually draws me to the idea of new promise. The promise of blending music genres into a new sound that is both new and old. The promise of new instruments, new compositions, and new beginnings.” Greg Harness, Roots World
“We get a chance to hear not only Mavroidi’s impressive technique on the lafta, but also some great singing.” Maria Lord, Songlines
οn the album “Agiorgitiko”
“This is heart-stoppingly wonderful singing, effortlessly expressive, beautifully toned violin, and playing on the laouto that’s just exactly right… It proves that Martha is just as good playing traditional music as she is with the jazz-leaning works of her own recent trio outings, and it’s a jaw-dropping introduction to Koukoularis for us who are inexpert… this clearly is a musical marriage that’s apparently made in heaven.” Ian Anderson, fRoots magazine
οn the album “Thread and Needle”
“A cutting edge avant-garde minimalist tour-de-force… full of sweetness which Manos Hadjidakis could have penned in one of his most inspired moments… a must-hear record, a true find, a wonderful accomplishment” Nondas Kitsos, RootsWorld
“With this album Martha takes a step forward not just for herself but for contemporary Greek song-writing in general. This project has something unreservedly ethical, innovative, and moving at the same time… A very important, entirely different album.” Phontas Troussas Diskoryheion