What do I play after Zorba The Greek?

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Abbey Lane

DJ
Jan 22, 2008
1,484
22
Ontario
I'm playing a wedding with Top 40, Rock and country music.

However, the bride wants me to play Zorba The Greek for her mother. (The wedding is not in a Greek area. Mostly English and French heritage.)

The question is, what is another Greek party song I can play after Zorba?
 
Abbey Lane said:
I'm playing a wedding with Top 40, Rock and country music.

However, the bride wants me to play Zorba The Greek for her mother. (The wedding is not in a Greek area. Mostly English and French heritage.)

The question is, what is another Greek party song I can play after Zorba?
Click to expand...

"Zorba The Greek" will pull up hundreds of songs on Amazon. I would strongly suggest to you to coordinate with the bride and get exact song titles. I just recently had this same thing where some of the family was greek and the bride asked for "Zorba The Greek". I downloaded several songs on the spot and was told "That's the wrong song" on most of them by the family. When I actually did find the right cut(s) it was HUGE. Take the time up front to make certain you're getting the correct songs, ahead of time.
 
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Most likely it would be the original by Mikis Therdorakis but it wouldn't hurt to check or even get them to send you the version they want

Unless they wanted a second one I don't know that I would but just in case Check this out Abbey it might help. I used that site as a reference a couple of years ago seems they even have an Iphone app now for the music
 
I'm not sure I'd automatically play another Greek song. I guess I'd have a few ready in case it was a overwhelming success, but it still would depend on whether I thought it was a party crowd or a group of people really into Greek music.

Nothing wrong with changing it up at this point. It's very possible that people may dance to zorba because they know that song, but may not know any more Greek songs.

I'd probably discuss this further with the bride about ethnicity. But based on the limited info given, I wouldn't assume another Greek song is the way to go.
 
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The song is Zorba's Dance. They will probably do a line dance called "Ghost Train to it. I would follow it with a Two Step, such as Where the sidewalk ends, a Country Waltz, like Waltz across Texas for those who want to couples dance.
 
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I think you'd just want to have a couple of the Greek dance rhythms covered. I used to know them by the grooves (play drums). I remember one was called "Tsamiko." Do a Google search on "Greek rhythms;" these are the standard authentic dances, and would be the Greek equivalent to "Can you play a Bossa Nova? How about a Fox Trot?"

GJ
 
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If I were you, I'd contact DJ Ducky here on ODJT. Both sides of her family are Greek, her dad still DJs Greek festivals and she's done Greek/other ethnicity weddings since she was 12 years old.
 
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A few other thoughts after mentioning this thread to Anna last night.

Zorba the Greek isn't normally played, in fact it's mainly used as a warm up/sound check song for the band. Unless it's just a family member who likes the song, she suggests you find out what island the family is from because different islands have different traditional styles of dance and songs (for example, songs and dances from Crete are different from mainland Greece).

Abbey, basically you need to find out exactly what situation you're working with: someone who just likes the song, actual Greeks, which island or mainland, traditional or modern.
 
I'll add that I was looking over an older hard drive and found some files transferred from (pretty scratchy old) LP's. The dances you probably want, in addition to Tsamiko, would be Misirlou, and Sirtaki, and you might want to have a version of "Never On Sunday" (Merlina Mercouri, anyone?).

I can hook you up if you want (these are very old, out-of-print records).

GJ
 
They may not be Greek at all. The old school crowd often like those standard line/group dances from their days.
However, there can be confusion of titles. Lots of folks refer to "Never On A Sunday" as Zorba or "The Greek Dance" (and sometimes Hava Nagila). Similar reference mistakes happen in regards to Alley Cat, Hully Gully and The Stroll.

As suggested, discussion here should be secondary to the client.
 
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Yes, we all may be making too much of this, but by all means, find out if any of them are actually Greek. If so, you will want "the right stuff," whatever that means to them!

GJ
 
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