Greek singer Antonis Remos took the stage in Thessaloniki on Saturday, September 12, to celebrate 30 years in Greek music, walking out two hours late after heavy rain nearly forced the concert to be cancelled.
"We made it. We always make it, as we always do in our lives, and we made it through difficulty, let them talk," Remos told the crowd that had packed the purpose-built stage on the city's New Waterfront, an area that stretched as far as the YMCA building.
Remos is one of Greece's most popular pop and laiko singers, with a career spanning three decades and a long list of hit records. Saturday's concert was staged to mark that anniversary.
Tribute to Giorgos Mazonakis
The evening opened with a heavily emotional moment. After his first song, Remos paused to honour the memory of Giorgos Mazonakis, the singer who died at 54. He said words were too small to describe what he felt, and that before starting their journey through 30 years together they would take a small pause, brief but filled with great love. He said that not through their absence but through their presence, everyone together would send a song up to heaven for their Giorgos, adding that he had left too soon.
He repeated the send-off to the crowd before performing "Anikou se Mena" ("I Belong to Myself"), with a huge photograph of Mazonakis dominating the video wall behind him as he sang.
Grigoris Arnaoutoglou joins the show
Another standout moment came when television presenter Grigoris Arnaoutoglou walked onto the stage. Arnaoutoglou, who is tied to Remos by a longstanding friendship, called him "kardashi", a Greek term for a close friend or brother, before recounting Remos's journey in music.
Guest singers celebrate 30 years
Remos was joined throughout the night by a long list of fellow artists invited to perform some of his biggest hits alongside him. They included Mando, Keti Garbi, Giorgos Theofanous, the Gipsy Kings, SNAP!, Mr. President, Haddaway, Kostas Hatzis, Manos Pyrovolakis, Zeljko Joksimovic and Despina Vandi, as well as soloists Thanasis Vasilopoulos, Manolis Karantinis and Thanos Gkiouletzis.
The lineup mixed veteran Greek stars with well-known international acts. The Gipsy Kings are a French flamenco-rumba group famous for "Bamboleo", SNAP! is a German Eurodance act behind "Rhythm Is a Dancer", Mr. President had a global hit with "Coco Jamboo", and Haddaway is best known for "What Is Love". Despina Vandi, Keti Garbi and Kostas Hatzis are longtime fixtures of the Greek pop and folk scene.
Keti Garbi's fall on stage
The concert also had an unscripted moment after Keti Garbi's appearance. Once her duet with Remos had finished, she slipped and fell, though nothing more serious came of it. Remos and Arnaoutoglou rushed over to help her back to her feet.
Videos and photos from the concert
Photos of the concert were credited to NDPPHOTO.
