A wedding, a summer by the sea, an animal adopted and brought home: the memories people carry from Greece are deeply personal. In June 2020, the Greek America Foundation brought those memories together through Ellada S’Agapo — Greece, I love you.
The project paired photographs submitted by supporters around the world with a new version of the traditional island song “Mes Tou Aigeou Ta Nera,” performed by Glykeria. More than a hundred people responded to the Foundation’s invitation to share a photograph and make a donation.
A shared album of Greece
Contributors sent images of weddings, baptisms, beaches, sunsets, and the people and animals that had become part of their lives. Participants included people with Greek roots and others whose connection to the country came through friendship, travel, and experience.
Together, their photographs became a music video: many individual memories joined by one song. Glykeria’s voice connected a traditional melody with a contemporary arrangement, giving the project a familiar sound and a new form.
Turning affection into support
Alongside their photographs, participants contributed to a fund established to support hospitals and medical clinics on the Greek islands. The campaign linked a cultural experience with a practical philanthropic purpose during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ellada S’Agapo remains part of the Foundation’s history of inviting people to participate through what they can share: a memory, a creative talent, or a contribution. The project showed how music can bring a scattered community together around a common purpose.
Explore membership in the Greek America Foundation.
CREDITS
Ελλάδα Σ’αγαπώ – Γλυκερία
Μουσική-Στίχοι: Παραδοσιακό
Ενορχήστρωση-Programming: Αποστόλης Μαλλιάς
Βιολί: Μάνος Σκαλιδάκης
Λαούτο: Κωνσταντίνος Φωτιάδης
Κρουστά: Παναγιώτης Δαμιανίδης
Φωνητικά: Αθηνά Βέρμη-Αποστόλης Μαλλιάς
Μίξη-Mastering Αποστόλης Μαλλιάς BK Studios
Επιμέλεια Παραγωγής: F Productions
Διεύθυνση Παραγωγής: Γρηγόρης Παππάς
Βίντεο: Maria Wilson, Στέφανος Σιταράς
Ιστοσελίδα: Darden Livesay
Φωτογραφία Τέλους: Κωνσταντίνα Σαρρή
Ellada S’Agapo – Glykeria
Music-Lyrics: Traditional
Arrangement-Programming: Apostolis Mallias
Violin: Manos Skalidakis
Greek Lute: Konstantinos Fotiadis
Percussions: Panagiotis Damianidis
Backing Vocals: Athina Vermi-Apostolis Mallias
Produced mixed and mastered by Apostolis Mallias Bk Studios
Production Supervisor: F Productions
Production Management: Gregory Pappas
Video: Maria Wilson, Stefanos Sitaras
Website: Darden Livesay
Closing Photograph: Konstantina Sarri