Womad: 10 Questions with Rebetien

Rebetien, with Fotis Vergopoulos, second left. Photo / Supplied

Rebetien will bring their traditional Greek sound to Womad. Fotis Vergopoulos tells us they sound like the sea...

1 Tell us who you are and where you're from.

I am Fotis Vergopoulos - I was born November 23, 1988, in Melbourne and I grew up in Koroni Messinias in Greece.

2 Describe your sound in one sentence.

I imagine it sounds like the sea. It can fit in many emotional shapes, I guess...

3 What do you think is the key thing Womad festival artists have in common?

Passion for music, passion for the unexpectable, passion for good moments.

4 Which of your songs is your favourite to perform live and why?

If I say "this one" I know that at the next second, another 10 tunes will come to my mind.

5 What can the Womad audience expect from your performance at the festival?

They can expect a musical trip in Greece, in a specific style of Greek music (Rebetiko). Many rhythms, nice melodies, lots of improvisation.

6 Which other acts on the festival bill do you most want to see?

Music acts from around the world. The more bands we can see playing live the better for us.

7 What does success as a musician mean to you?

To play in places and festivals where you can express you musical identity. Also to contribute as much as you can to create new music. Take part in new compositions.

8 What would you tell a young person wanting to be a successful musician?

To stay as focused as he or she can and make studying music look like a game for him or her. Also to find always a way to find energy for doing what he or she loves.

9 Who or what excites you most about music right now?

All the music I listened growing up and also all my friends-musicians-co workers. They are the people that we share our insides to each other.

10 You can only fit one album by another artist on your device - what is it?

Manedes (vocal improvisations) from Dimitris Arapakis

Womad takes place March 15-17 at New Plymouth's TSB Bowl of Brooklands, Pukekura Park.