Me, the Melody and My Mandolin ; the Writer Louis De Bernieres Is an Aficionado of 20th-Century Greek Poetry and Music. Now He Wants to Share His Passion with Everyone

Bernieres, Louis de, The Independent (London, England)

I did not go to Greece at all until I was 28 years old, but I do seem to have made up for it since. Wherever I go, I buy cookbooks and music, and it was on my second visit that I bought three cassettes "on spec".

There was one each of Hadjidakis, Theodorakis, and Xarhakos, and a waiter spotted them on my table in the taverna where I used to eat in the evenings. This man, Nikos, was really a farmer who only worked there in the tourist season, but he also happened to be a musical connoisseur. He offered to play my cassettes on the taverna's sound system, and then, with evident pleasure, sang along to them as he worked. Subsequently I had many conversations with him, since …

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Publication information: Article title: Me, the Melody and My Mandolin ; the Writer Louis De Bernieres Is an Aficionado of 20th-Century Greek Poetry and Music. Now He Wants to Share His Passion with Everyone. Contributors: Bernieres, Louis de - Author. Newspaper title: The Independent (London, England). Publication date: November 29, 1999. Page number: 9. © 2009 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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