“Erini featuring Ara Dinkjian: A Musical Chronicle of Asia Minor”

International vocalist, Erini, accompanied by oud master, Ara Dinkjian, present an intimate duo concert of Asia Minor standards, dedicated to commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Smyrna Catastrophe and the Population Exchange. Erini’s vision for this concert is to pay tribute to her great-grandparents legacy who were refugees from Smyrna whilst shedding a light on the richness of the Asia Minor musical heritage.

The concert is a musical narrative of the Hellenic presence in Asia Minor and tells the story of the Smyrna Catastrophe through the power of the Anatolian-Greek song tradition. The joyful existence of the Greeks in Anatolia prior to the Catastrophe is exalted by love songs such as “Menexedes kai Zoumpoulia” and “Apo xeno topo”. Depicting the tragic Catastrophe itself and reflecting the despair of the refugees is the song “Giati Pouli M’ Den Kelaidis” which epitomises the powerlessness of the refugees who have lost their homes, livelihood, and relatives. Characteristic of the Population Exchange when the Anatolian-Greeks tried to acclimatize to Greece but were faced with alienation, discrimination, and trauma is the song “Ti Se Mellei Esenane”. A highlight of the concert is Erini’s performance of “Smyrneiko Minore”, one of the first Greek songs ever recorded in the United States by the iconic Marika Papagika, marking the beginning of the strong and long-standing presence of Hellenism in this country. Erini hopes that by performing this music and introducing the story of these refugees on a global scale, she will preserve this unique cultural heritage for the future generations.

Free and Open to the Public

Co-sponsored by Near Eastern Studies, the Department of Music, and the Humanities Council.