Greece: Day 6- Hydra, The Photo Shoot, a Flying Dolphin

I popped a couple of pills before I boarded the boat in Pireus. It was about 8 in the morning and we were headed for the tourist island of Hydra, about 2 hours fromthe port near Athens. This was going to be the other featured photo shoot day in a dramatic setting. The goal for Kevork and myself was to capture guitarist Iakovos Kolanian in a casual, but distinct setting. We needed a cover shot for our Barrios CD with accompanying photos for the press and other panels in the booklet. We could not have asked for a better day in terms of weather. About 65 degrees, sunny, and clear blue water. I boarded the boat and grabbed a seat. I had not really slept the night before due to some jet lag issues again. But, sleep was not really in the schedule for this trip. Get as much out of the experience as you can and sleep at home.


The generic Dramamine I bought from Target about a year ago was doing its job well. I was started to doze off as we started going about 90 MPH on a Catamaran type boat called the Flying Dolphin. There is whole boat system in Greece called "Greek Seaways" that acts as any train or airplane company. Reservations, tickets, seats, etc. With over 1000 islands in Greece, about 100 really inhabitable for tourists, the system was pleasant to deal with. The interior looked like a stuffy airplane on one of those international flights, but overall fairly comfortable. The roundtrip from Pireaus to Hydra was about $50.
About 5 minutes into the boat ride, I was gone. When I woke up 2 hours later, we were there. The island of Hydra. Touristy and very quaint. So, here is the deal regarding the island. It's been around for ages, has no cars, you can only get around by walking or taking a donkey ride, and after dark there really isn't anything to do. During the day though, it is drop dead gorgeous. Narrow walkways with high walls, light blue colors splashed against window shutters and churches, donkeys, old men with those Zorba hats, Chinese tourists, it had everything you would want for a day trip. Getting to work in our case was just walking around until we found the perfect spot for Iakovos to be photographed. My job again was to carry the guitar and get out of the way. Kevork again had the right eye capturing Iakovos in some very cool poses.

After a good couple of hours walking around the island, the boys decided to eat some fresh calamari at a local restaurant in the middle of a walkway that had donkeys passing through. This was what a business trip should be like. Nice weather, the water to look at, talking music, and working toward something you know will be a success. After lunch, a few more photos were taken and then it was time to board the 4pm boat back to the Athens area. Once again, I popped a Dramamine pill and went right to sleep on the Flying Dolphin. It seemed like where I was felt like a dream. Indeed, two hours later, we were again at the bustling port city of Pireus, the place where Iakovos was born. Born to an Armenian father and Greek mother in this very town, Iakovos grew up with two distinct, but somewhat related cultures. However, his Armenian side had pulled him back to the first Pomegranate project of Shoror at the suggestion of Kevork. Delving into his roots, he produced a masterful piece of work on CD. Now, it was time to shift gears and tackle classical guitar's crown jewel of a composer, Agustin Barrios.

Right before we boarded the Metro back to Iakovos's Gerakas neighborhood, he received a phone call from Moraitis, the Impresario. The message was brief, but, very clear. Call Margarita, the Greek composers daughter when we come up for air from the Metro in a few minutes. Iakovos did not let on to anything at the time. It was all Greek to me. Again, the sparkling Metro system in Athens was playing classical music in the subways while we waited for our train. I was impressed with the lack of trash and graffiti in the train station. It was as if the entire national had their main city cleaned and didn't want to get it dirty again. Remarkable. After we were picked up by Iakovos's wife at the end of the train line, we went home and started on dinner. Suddenly, Iakovos received a call from Margarita Theodorakis. Her father would meet all three of us for a 5 pm appointment at his house right underneath the Acropolis tomorrow, Friday evening. Kev must have been upstairs briefly at the time the call came through, but, Iakovos and I looked at each other in shock.

We were about to meet the most famous man in Greece tomorrow at 5pm. Composer/icon/political lightening bolt/confirmed communist/ Greek God- Mikis Theodorakis was going to meet US tomorrow at his house. It was not sinking in at the dinner table just yet. The rules set forth by the Theodorakis camp were simple. No smoking in front of the 81 year old man, he likes flower, and bring him a CD of Iakovos's work. Done. Lastly, the meeting would have to be no more than 40 minutes.

The prospect of meeting the Aram Khachaturian and then some of Greece was just plain shocking to me. How was Iakovos able to pull this off? What did he tell Margarita about Pomegranate and Kevork? How the hell were we going to be stepping into the house of Greek royalty? I was nervous as could be, but, on the other hand, I was abslolutely on cloud 9. If I was supposed to be asking for a break in the music business, at least in Greece or most anywhere else, meeting Theodorakis doesn't get any bigger. The composer of the music to Zorba The Greek and hundreds of other works was going to get to know guitarist Iakovos Kolanian. We were along for the ride.

Margarita Theodorakis made plans for us to meet her at her Romanos Publishing office at 3:30pm to prep us on how to approach Mikis Theodorakis. Nikos Moraitis, Theodorakis's manager was also going to be at Margarita's office meeting with the Urugayan Ambassador in hopes of getting the government to sponsor a Theodorakis festival.

Right before I went to sleep on that Thursday night, there were a few things going on in my head. First, this was the break in the music professional I had been looking for in the last 5 years. A connection to the top. Make the most of it, and don't blow your chance. Second, I wondered how the hell Iakovos pulled this off? Lastly, I better reference some Theodorakis pieces before I met him tomorrow. One day to go, and it would be perhaps the biggest of Kevork and my professional career. For Iakovos, it seemed like he was taking it all in stride.

Photos by Kevork Imirzian, execpt number 2 & 6 from top to bottom. Those were taken by moi.

Day 7 Preview: Theodorakis meeting? Or a practical joke?