Thessaloniki is one of the cities that has had a chequered history and grabbed more slices of it than most cities in the world. Thessaloniki! Even the ring to its name is epic! This harbour-city often embraced the helpless and the outcast. It sheltered many different cultures, and these left traces both visible and invisible. An encounter with musicians from this unique city is always an enticing proposal. Especially when among them is Savina Yannatou, whose voice echoes and brings all these traces together! This is not just because Yannatou sings in Greek, Turkish, Armenian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Ladino… but because her voice is a story apart: the tone, the hues, the resonances of this surprisingly polyhedral voice are full of truth and compassion for the destinies of the tales told in her powerful songs.

Critics consider that of the greatest qualities of both Yannatou and the splendid musicians of Primavera en Salonico (meaning, Spring in Thessaloniki), is that they let the songs themselves do their work. The arrangements are sober, but striking. Each form of decoration is omitted, the music is played meticulously without blowing up the emotions any further. They draw the audience into the atmosphere of the songs and one is suddenly trapped by the tales told. Primavera en Salonico is a real delight, one of the most engaging bands when facing any language, as reflected in the arrangements of Kostas Vomvolos.