When a girl's eyes «blink blink in the dark,» it means that this girl lives, not with her senses, but through them. It means that before her presence is felt, her aura announces her arrival in a world that was created without her, but which she managed to touch, just enough to «fog up the window a little.» As an imprint and, at the same time, a passage to the next track.
Nefeli Fasouli is not exactly a newcomer. She has already clocked up many miles in her musical career. Now, Kythira, with Avlemonas and mpotzio to “dress up” to welcome her to «the beach of dreams» on Wednesday, July 13.
During her visit, Nefeli agreed to speak to Kythera.News and Nikos Antonakis. And she had a lot of very interesting things to say. She spoke about «captain» Fivos Delivorias and his “taraza,” Vasilis Kazoulis, Pagrati, anime and their codes, friendship between women and men, Kazantzidis and “Mantouvala,” the mundanity of everyday life, and Kythera, which is anything but a utopia. And above all, he shared the clear-eyed view with which he dresses external stimuli, transforming them into small sensory escapes.
Below is Nefeli Fasouli's interview with Nikos Antonakis.
Q. Nefeli, have you been back to Kythira?;
– No, this is my first time. The truth is that I had planned to come the previous two years, but it was canceled due to extraordinary circumstances (i.e., the coronavirus).
Q. So, your first contact will be at Mpotzio in Avlemonas... (pause). Okay, I think you just need to cancel your return tickets!
– (laughs)… I wish I could. I imagine it would be like a dream to vacation there.
Q. Let's listen to your album. An album written entirely by Phoebus Delivorias.
– Yes, exactly.
Q. It goes without saying, as you understand, that we will start with Casa Malaparte, the part that talks about Kythira.
– It's a wonderful coincidence that I'm coming to Kythira after releasing this song. I'm excited to see the «beach of paradise» up close. The song is an ode to an idealized summer, as we knew it in the past, as we lived and experienced it, and which is slowly slipping away from us. It is being replaced by the mundane nature of work, routine, and places where you cannot enjoy that primal feeling of isolation. From the outset, we wanted to have a nostalgic track on the album, and that is Casa Malaparte.
Q. For me, this is the part where the two different tones of your voice come together, at least as I perceive them when listening to the album. In other words, on the album, there are folk songs where your voice has the mature tone of a folk singer. And on the other hand, we have more pop songs, songs with a light bossa nova mood, where you sound like a girl your age who is now coming into her own. Well, in this song, I perceive a mixture of both of these tones of voice. And it is precisely this mixture that creates a sense of idealized utopia. Which also fits in with the character of the island in its renaissance years, as the ultimate destination for spiritual pleasures, constituting a heavenly utopia.
– And yet! I wouldn't want to feel that way. And I believe that's not the case. After all, when this piece was written, it was written with the certainty that Kythira has a crystallized character. Untouched by tourism, but absolutely real as a feeling. And as a destination.
Q. So, it was written specifically about Casa Malaparte!
– Yes, we knew exactly why this piece was being written.
Q. When was the album released?;
– The album was released a year ago. It was preceded by «For One Summer,» which Phoebus wrote for another occasion, and because he enjoyed the whole process, he decided to make it part of a whole that ultimately resulted in this album. Next came «Volta» (Walk), followed by «O kosmos sou» (Your World) and then a more folk-oriented track, «Tha sou po ego» (I'll Tell You).
Q. Yes, your folk songs, which, as I said, maintain that sense of a mature folk diva. I confess that when I heard you singing your folk repertoire, I let out an exclamation. I thought, «We've probably found the next great folk voice.» And then I went and listened to that special cover you did on another project, Kazantzidis' Mandouvala. How did that come about?;
It was a tribute that the Second Program did for Kazantzidis, and through it, they invited new girls to sing the great bard's hits. The aim was to “break the mold” of the stereotype that women cannot sing heavy folk songs. In this context, the performers were given the freedom to freely interpret the songs they chose. So I decided to give a more jazzy tone to Mandouvala, a girl I admire very much, a girl who knew fame so early but who also left this life so early and unjustly.
Q. Since we're talking about life, let's talk a little about your personal life. I read that you are the youngest of four siblings in your family?;
– Yes, that's right.
Q. Tell me, how do you feel about this relationship? I am particularly interested in your relationship with your eldest sibling, given that I am on the other side of the equation: I am the eldest of four siblings.
– The truth is that there is an age gap between me and my older sister. After all, there are 14 years between us. So, it took us quite some time to bridge that gap, but now our relationship has evolved. Now, I can say that we are two very good friends. In general, the problem with younger children is that they catch glimpses of other people's lives. They live a little on the sidelines of their own lives, and this leaves them feeling a little rejected.
Q. You don't seem to have any negative feelings about the area where you grew up, Pagrati. At least from what I've read in your interviews, you love this area.
– Yes, I love Pagrati. I was born here, went to elementary school, middle school, and high school here. I made friends here, I bonded with the place, but on the other hand, I don't rule out that Pagrati may one day be the end of a cycle.
Q. My experiences with Pagrati are more mixed. On the one hand, I loved it because as a teenager I took French lessons there, which I always enjoyed, but during class Twin Peaks, one of my favorite TV series, was playing on TV, and I inevitably missed it. So, at the same time, I also hated Pagrati. And then there are those huge apartment buildings that always made me feel a little uncomfortable. You know, I grew up in a neighborhood near yours, Ymittos, with low-rise houses. Low rooftops. And now that I mention rooftops, in my childhood home, the word rooftop did not conjure up images of laundry hanging out to dry and TV antennas, but rather art. Because from the roof of the house, I had a summer cinema on my plate, and from there, as a child, I saw everything! But I know that the word “roof” triggers an artistic association for you too. Would you like to tell us about it?;
– The truth is that I always wondered who the people living around the summer cinemas were. Well, now I finally met one (laughs)… In my case, the terrace has to do with “Fivos” Terrace“ (editor's note: Fivos Delivorias” artistic project), which I have been involved with for the last five summers. It is a variety show, a multi-spectacle by "captain" Phoebus Delivorias, which brought together many different artists. Every week, a big name from the Greek repertoire was invited, so you can understand that I learned everything there, and I consider that a great blessing.
Q. What role has Phoebus Delivorias played in your career?;
He is my mentor. I don't know if he likes that description, but that's how I feel. From our first chance encounter, our relationship has evolved into a lifelong bond, and I consider the songs he entrusted me with for this album to be a gift of life. We have experienced incredible situations together, crazy scenes on joint tours. We will always be together, whether on stage or off. I call him “maestro” and “captain” because he has this unique gift of masterfully coordinating the people he gathers around him in such a way as to get the best results. He gets the best out of everyone.
Q. But is there someone else who discovered you?
– Yes, my first collaboration on stage was with Vasilis Kazoulis.
Q. But before you went on stage, you had gone through the theory. Among other things, you have completed a postgraduate seminar in vocal technique at the National Conservatory of Athens. Do you believe that vocal talent must be continuously trained in order to develop?;
Yes. It's like exercising. You can't expect results for your body by exercising in doses. Stopping and starting doesn't get you anywhere. Especially when it comes to singing, which is a physical and mental co-function. If you give it up, you give up on everything.
Q. And you're also studying law, among other things.
– Yes, I have a law degree, but singing won me over.
Q. I assume that «there is no room for light in a law» (line from Casa Malaparte).
– You could put it that way...
Q. And even if legal codes didn't win you over, you seem to be fascinated by the codes of anime. Tell me, how did you become so immersed in this universe?;
– Yes, the truth is that I am fascinated by anime culture. I am particularly fond of Miyazaki; I have watched all of his films. Look, I think that through the imaginary codes and dreamlike motifs that anime activates, it approaches universal values such as love, respect for the environment, and respect for the elderly in a way that highlights them. All of the above are also part of our own value system, but we simply don't promote them in the same way. In fact, the value that is most prominent in these works is friendship.
Q. Do you believe in friendship?;
– I firmly believe in friendship and I believe that we should make it a priority in our interpersonal relationships.
Q. Can there be friendship between a woman and a man?;
– I have no doubt about that.
Q. Your certainty leaves no room for footnotes. But tell me, where do the notes you write on your hand and neck in the video «Your World» come from?;
It's from a book, “Code X,” I think it's called. It was written by that amazing guy who created an entire world from scratch, with his own language, his own coding, his own letters and symbols, which I paint on myself in the video.
Q. One question before we let you go, Nefeli. Do your eyes blink in the dark (notes from the diary in the video «Your World»)?;
– Yes, of course. Sometimes (laughs)…
Nefeli, I am sure that on Wednesday, July 13, in Avlemonas, we will experience a collective emotional «blink blink.» All of us who will come to enjoy you, but also you, who will finally get to know «the beach of paradise in Kythira.» Nefeli, thank you, and we look forward to seeing you.
– I can't wait either...
- Nefeli Fasouli appears in mpotzio in Avlemonas, on Wednesday, July 13. Start time: 9:00 p.m.
- I would like to thank United We Fly and Kirk Liatopoulou for organizing this interview, and of course Nefeli Fasouli for agreeing to talk to us.
Finally, we are publishing the remix of the song “O kosmos sou” (Your world) by «Prytani.» It is released by United We Fly.
