At the Greek publishing house “Istos” and the sports club of Pera, in the center of Constantinople, the sound of bouzouki melodies fills the air while the lesson is in progress
originally from Koufalia near Thessaloniki
teaches aspiring bouzouki enthusiasts the techniques of their beloved musical instrument
they follow the technique laid out in BUZUKIST—a bouzouki method book written in both Greek and Turkish
the book has been available throughout Turkey since 2020
It serves as a kind of “gospel” to initiate neighbors into the famed bouzouki double-picking techniques
“Turkish people are crazy about the timbre of the bouzouki and never miss a single lesson,” says Mr
Sarantidis to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency
they have similar string instruments in their own musical culture
noting how Turkish students quickly pick up on how to play Greek bouzouki
“They learn easily because they are disciplined
and they love and respect Greek music—just as they do all other styles
Turks also have excellent instrumentalists
and I’ve met several who passionately study Greek music and its history
with a particular fondness for rebetiko and traditional music
They even visit our islands every year to attend workshops led by top Greek virtuosos
They live the experience and return with even more enthusiasm to learn,” the Greek musician adds
The bouzouki lessons for Turkish students are based on his book
which provides detailed instructions—also in Turkish—from the basics to the more advanced techniques
By the time students complete the curriculum
they are capable of playing the globally recognized piece “Zorba the Greek.”
Andreas Sarantidis started playing the bouzouki at a young age—he was only seven when he played for the first time and never put it down since
with his father playing the clarinet as an amateur and his uncle playing the guitar
the “music gene” was already in him
it began in 2014 after completing his studies and gaining substantial experience in the field
they were looking for a Greek bouzouki player for the New Year’s Eve celebration in Istanbul
I got the offer and accepted it immediately—that was the beginning
I ended up in Bodrum for the summer season
they asked me to stay in Istanbul for the whole year
I began collaborating with the laïko-rebetiko music group Café Aman Istanbul
led by Stelios Berberis,” the music teacher notes
just before the coup attempt and during a period of frequent attacks in Turkey
he began to feel insecure—especially since he didn’t yet speak the language—so he returned to Thessaloniki for the next two years
initially visiting at regular intervals and later settling there permanently
and with whom we welcomed our twin boys just two months ago
is the most important reason I now live permanently in Turkey
My family is my inspiration and driving force for everything
and I am grateful to God for this gift,” he shares
Since 2019, his career in Turkey has flourished, including work with conservatories, state orchestras, music venues, bouzouki performances, Turkish theater, and cinema. Holding a degree in European classical music theory and a diploma in bouzouki performance, he has collaborated extensively with Greek diaspora schools in Constantinople
He participated in the theatrical play Zarifi Apartmani
which continues to be performed successfully and was awarded in 2024 with the Best Supporting Actress award in Turkey
He also appeared in the documentary film Searching for Rodaki as both musical director and lead
a work that has received five awards across Turkey
In his first solo musical release in Turkey
he recorded the instrumental piece Friendship with Serkan Hakki
he composed a song titled Canım Avuçlarımda (“My Soul in My Hands”)
The song is dedicated to his father and to children who have lost their parents
Since 2020, alongside his music career, he also serves at the offices of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in the Phanar district
Andreas Sarantidis plans to re-release his book with the addition of two more bilingual versions—Turkish-English and Greek-English
which will feature instrumental arrangements of his own compositions
He is also preparing for his upcoming summer concerts in both Turkey and Greece
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