8:30 pm Dance lesson
9 pm: Helios Greek Band with Aya Safiya
Saturday, January 20, 2023
Tickets: $20 at the door. Cash or Venmo accepted.
The Starry Plough Pub
3101 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94703
All ages before 10 pm. 21+ after 10 pm when kitchen closes.
Food, beer and wine available from the bar.
The Helios Band is one of the most versatile Greek bands in Northern California, playing traditional Rembetika, Laika, Nissiotika, Demotika and Modern Greek music. Helios has performed at Greek Festivals throughout the western U.S. and has also performed at celebrity weddings in the Bay Area (S.F. Giants Hunter Pence Wedding) and in Big Sur ( Spotify founder Sean Parker Wedding). The outstanding musicianship and vocals of the Helios Band members make each performance a truly special and memorable event. The band is available for weddings, baptisms, festivals, parties and other events at reasonable rates.
Aya Safiya is an accomplished singer, songwriter, and violinist who specializes in interpreting traditional songs from the Mediterranean, the Rromani diaspora, and island cultures. With her hauntingly beautiful and emotional voice, she captivates her listener and puts them in a spell. Aya fell in love with music the moment her father handed her a violin at age 6, and went on to study traditional Greek island violin intensively for over 20 years. However, she didn’t limit herself to violin—she soon discovered singing and began to cultivate her voice.
With guidance from master vocalists such as Eva Salina, Katerina Papadhopoulou, Kina Mendez, Merita Halili and many others, Aya has discovered her own voice within traditional music. Bay Area-born and currently based in Berkeley, Aya has traveled to the Balkans, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Okinawa, and Cuba in search of not only music, but also a deeper understanding of the traditions from which the music comes. She has performed with numerous groups including Agapi Mou, Romantique, Sarma Brass Band, Taraf de Locos, The Aya & Tano Collective, and developed her solo set in collaboration with musicians from the vibrant international music scene in Boston before relocating to California.
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