In Bouzouki Clubs, Some Greeks Still Live in Excess της Nicole Itano (στο περιοδικό TIME)
By 2 a.m., the party at Thalassa, a waterfront bouzouki club in the exclusive
Behind Thalassa's doors and those of dozens of other bouzouki clubs dotted around
If someone were looking for a symbol of the excesses that led to the country's financial crisis, they need look no further than the culture of bouzoukia, a uniquely Greek celebration of the good life. As the crowd in Thalassa cheers the thumping, high-wattage show, a mix of local pop and international hits (with only a token bouzouki, the mandolin-like traditional instrument that gives the clubs their name), Greece's economic woes seem far away. That's precisely why people come.
Giorgos Papadapoulos, 28, is a bouzouki regular. He used to come to the clubs three or four times a month, but in April he lost his job as a bus driver ferrying people to a local casino. "A month ago I had €2,500 [$3,000]. Now all I've got is this," he says, pulling €5 out of his pocket. "I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow."
Tonight he can't afford a table, so he's standing in the back with his platinum-blond girlfriend on a €15 ($19) bar ticket. But he claims to have no regrets about spending his euros on entertainment, saying with a wry grin that he realizes it's this attitude that got
Across town, tucked next to a Saturn dealership in a seedier district, the club Skyladico VIP — literally "VIP doghouse" — is less glamorous, a little more sexed up. Eighties haircuts abound, and even the male singers glitter. But a table, with the compulsory bottle of whiskey, still costs €130 ($160). Giorgos Marinis, the club's headlining star, is a bouzouki veteran, with 25 years on the stage. He points out that the clubs date back to the 1950s, when
In the 1990s, the clubs got bigger and the performances slicker, becoming more like Vegas-style shows featuring local pop stars. The transformation was a reflection of the times:
Now the bill has come due. As the government tries to fill state coffers, it is cracking down on tax evaders and has the entertainment world in its sights. Having already named and shamed 57 doctors accused of not paying their taxes, the country's Finance Ministry is preparing a similar list of high-profile entertainers and other celebrities.
The campaign has already claimed one prominent victim: on May 17,
But even
Still, Greeks are adamant that the singing and celebration will continue. At Thalassa, 24-year-old student Athanasia Panagoupoulos sings along to pop star Vandi's performance and says that despite the crisis, Greeks will always find ways to have fun. "You still need to go out," she says. "People still need to live their lives beautifully."
2 σχόλια:
Sorry alla to arthro einai kathari propaganda kai laikismos. Eimai apo aytous pou zhtoun ameses kai bathies metarythmiseis alla se tetoia epixeirhmata to mono pou mporeis na apanthseis einai "ela file Evrwpaie na zhseis me 700 eyrw sthn Athina ki an antekseis panw apo dyo mhnes tha katsw na me gam..."
apo
Kai na prosthesw oti einai apolytws anakribes oti o ellhnas den apotamieyei. H idiotikh apotamieysh einai apo tis megalyteres sthn Eyrwph!
apo
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