Modern Laika Music of Greece

The recent laika or Laiko-pop is currently Greece’s normal music along with some pop recordings.

source of picture: www.newrig.co.uk

Current laiko (laiko-pop) also known as Modern laiko is currently Greece’s mainstream music genre in present nightlife. Current laika arose as a style in the early 1980s. A crucial part of the current laika culture is the pista dance floor/venue. Night clubs at which the DJs play only the current laika where colloquially known on the 90s as ellinadhika. Over the periods until the present, the aim of Greek music scene is only one: Quality. Virtuoso artists and expressive singers take every season, with more professionalism and love for what they do to entertain the Greek people, to pull and to make it dance with the songs and music that everyone loves. All these efforts take place in Europe and internationally. Greek-American music both within Greece and in the diaspora, this genre has begun showing increase influences from the dance and pop elements.

Popular songwriters of the current laika include Nikos Karvelas, Alekos Chrysovergis, Phoebus, Christos Dantis, and Nikos Terzis. The well-known lyricists include Evi Droutsa, Natalia Germanou and Giorgos Theofanous.

Mainstream Laiko pop is especially from the beginnings of the new era, many musicians have arose by producing Laiko pop with dance recording, such as Katerina Stikoudi, Stan, Kostas Martakis, Demy and X-Factor participants such as Ivi Adamou and Eleftgeria Eleftheriou, with past successful musicians like Despina Vandi and Sakis Rouvas, also  supporting to the trend. Many incorporated it also, with hip pop verse to make a New Greek pop rage genre like the orchestras going through and Rec.

In the effect, there is no single name for the current laika in the Greek language. But this is often formally known as (sinxrono lai ko) a term which is however, also used for representing newly composed songs in the tradition of proper Laiko when uncertainty arises, current or disparagingly (folk pop; also in the sense of westernized) is used for the past, while (genuine) or even (pureblood) is used for the latter. The choice of contrasting the notions of westernized and genuine may often be based on ideological and aesthetic grounds.

In spite its fame, the genre of current laika (especially laiko pop) has come under examination for featuring musical clichés, average singing voices and slogan like lyrics and for being a hybrid, neither laiko, nor pop.