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LAS PALMAS, GRAND CANARIA – Greece may be a small country of some 10.3 million people, but its music has traveled the world. Or should I say, some of its music.

In 1961, Manos Hadjidakis, won an Academy Award for “Never on a Sunday”. Twenty-one years later, Vangelis clinched an Oscar for “Chariots of Fire”. And who doesn’t know singers Nana Mouskouri and Vicky Leandros?

But if there is one song everyone the world over associates with Greece, it is Mikis Theodorakis’ iconic “Zorba’s Dance”, composed in 1964.

In the six decades since then, talented musicians, composers, and bands have produced an extraordinary wealth of music across all genres; music that remains mostly unknown outside Greek borders.

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With that in mind, I headed to WOMEX, the largest international world music trade fair, held in Las Palmas, Spain on October 21-25. There, on the expo grounds, I stopped and asked dozens of delegates one simple question: “When you think of music from Greece, what comes to mind?”

The answer? Almost unanimously “Zorba!” Some did mention Nana Mouskouri, and a few old-timers remembered Demis Roussos.

One can only wonder why Greece—home to a thriving contemporary music scene and a broad spectrum of musical genres, many with roots in centuries-old traditions—has yet to tap into this precious cultural asset.

Greek Acts Dreaming Big

Thanasis Zikas and Evi Seitanidou, the duo behind Greek indie-folk band Kadinelia, attended WOMEX for the first time this year. Zikas, a luthier who creates his own guitars, says the time felt right to take the next step professionally.

“Up until recently, Greeks rarely had their sights set on an international career. For many, it seemed unreachable and there was little understanding about how to get there,” he tells TO VIMA International Edition.

Greek band Kadinelia – Thanasis Zikas and Evi Seitanidou – delivered an explosive showcase at WOMEX 2026 that got the audience on their feet. Photo: Maria Paravantes

“And Greek musicians never really cared about going abroad, because we are one of the few countries where traditional music is still very popular,” adds Seitanidou.

The two artists founded the band almost a decade ago. “We felt we had something meaningful to say through our music,” says Zikas. They initially performed reworked traditional songs on two guitars. And like many of their generation, they are very much connected to Greek folk music (demotika).

“It was passed down to us; it’s our heritage,” Zikas says. But he goes on to add that traditional music only provides the spark. “It’s up to us to find the way to move forward. We need to express our era, our needs, our world; to create our own musical paths and traditions.”

Over the last decade, Kadinelia have crafted a unique style of music: a genre-busting mix of Greek traditional sounds, electric blues, swing and rock ’n’ roll enhanced with the earthy tones of Zikas’ custom-made steel-string guitars, the primal drone of the tsabouna (the Greek bagpipe), the haunting lyre, and Seitandou’s soulful vocals.

And it’s true, Kadinelia’s music is best experienced live.

“Our live shows are an experience,” explains Seitanidou. “It’s the explosive energy that you get during a live gig.”

“And it’s the energy and feedback we get back from the audiences that keeps us dedicated and passionate,” Zikas adds.

The band has performed around the world, including in Australia, the UK and elsewhere in Europe. WOMEX, they say, is a step towards establishing a stronger presence abroad. This means forging the connections necessary to “show the world our treasures… and help our music reach a wider audience.”

“Let’s be honest,” Seitanidou says, “airtime, concerts, bookings are all now a matter of networking. If a band or artist wants to make it internationally, there are specific moves they need to make.”

Despite the challenges at home, they are both confident. “We know,” Zikas says, “that our showcase here will open doors.”

People out there finally need to know that there’s a lot more to Greek music than the syrtaki, he adds.

The World We Inherited

For 33-year-old singer-songwriter Alkyone, WOMEX and similar music festivals are a great way to meet fellow musicians and artists. “It’s a gateway to the world,” she says.

Born in Edessa, northern Greece, Maria Zlatani masterfully weaves the sounds of her birthplace into a romantic indie-folk style firmly anchored in Greek tradition.

Her stage name, Alkyone, which means ‘nightingale’, was inspired by a dream, she tells TO VIMA International Edition.

“In this dream, I fly over rivers and forests. I have always held a special love and admiration for birds and the sky; I often gaze at them, wondering how they perceive the world,” she says.

“And then it occurred to me that it would be beautiful, every time I sing, to honor this realm of dreams, bringing it a little closer to the real world and reminding myself that it is crucial to dream—all the more so when our eyes are wide open.”

And that’s exactly the mood her music creates. During her off WOMEX concert, Alkyone transported the audience to the mountains of Greece with her ethereal presence and mesmerizing voice.

“Our music is where the world we inherited and the world we are trying to explore meet,” she told the audience during her concert.

And that appears to be the trend not only in Greece, but all over the world. Delegates I spoke to from Ukraine, Latvia, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Canada, India, Madagascar and Nigeria all said they had turned to their traditional music for inspiration and a sense of identity, adding their own voice and crafting a new sound.

For Alkyone, her participation at WOMEX was much more than just the showcase.

An impromptu ‘Meet the Greeks’ event at the national stand organized by Music from Greece under the auspices of the Culture Ministry. Photo: Music from Greece

“More than anything else, it offered me the opportunity to exchange musical ideas with others and to witness a different kind of world—a world that dedicates its entire existence to art and the ideas that surround it. This has given me a great sense of inner strength and a desire to strive even harder,” she says.

Why was Greece’s participation so important? Both Greek acts earned their spot in this year’s WOMEX program. An international jury selected Kadinelia for participation in the coveted showcase program, and Alkyone was singled out for the offWOMEX series.

Even more importantly, both managed to pass the hardest test of all: to capture the attention of the audience and keep them engaged. This is no small feat at WOMEX, where delegates, usually bookers and music industry professionals, are running from one showcase to another in a frenzy to see it all.

Talent Is Not Always Enough

One thing is for sure, Greek artists attending this year’s expo all agreed that going international is challenging and costly. Kadinelia and Alkyone cited Music from Greece, the country’s government-recognized music export office, as playing a decisive role in their participation.

Compared to other countries, Alkyone explains, Greece offers few avenues to seek the sponsorship needed to bring a project to life.

“If it weren’t for Music from Greece and the effort they put into securing the sponsorship that allowed us to attend the festival, things would have turned out very differently,” she explains.

“Engaging in any form of art in Greece is a challenge in itself—all the more so when it comes to covering the costs of presenting one’s work at events like WOMEX.”

“That’s why efforts like Music from Greece are so encouraging: they have the potential to make a significant difference in the future and the opportunities available to many other artists,” she explains.

Kadinelia agree. “They gave us the guidance and the know-how we needed to make our dream come true,” said Zikas. But most of all, he adds, “it’s the moral support and the nurturing.”

Enkele, a Colombian all-female band in action. Just one of the many showcase events during this year’s WOMEX in Las Palmas, Grand Canaria. Photo: Maria Paravantes

Turning Visibility into Opportunity

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the showcases, the people of Music from Greece were busy talking, answering questions, meeting with producers and bookers at the Greek WOMEX stand, made possible with the support of the Greek Culture Ministry. They even held an impromptu “Meet the Greeks” event with live music, lots of wine and goodies from Greece.

This was Music from Greece’s fourth consecutive year at WOMEX, and its first time coordinating the national stand and delegation.

“It’s an important step towards giving Greek artists more consistent support in developing their international careers,” Angeliki Spyridaki, founder and CEO of Music from Greece, tells TO VIMA International Edition.

But she’s quick to point out that turning Greek artists’ visibility into meaningful opportunities takes sustained work. This involves identifying the right festivals and markets for each artist, following up on professional contacts, and building relationships with partners who can open doors to new audiences. Not to mention the practical support the artists need, everything from professional representation to funding for travel and touring.

“Our priority is to help these connections develop into lasting collaborations. Ultimately, success means a performance that leads to the next invitation, and over time, an audience that keeps coming back.”