A MUSICAL AFTERNOON WITH JOURNEY TO ITHACA
- and -
CD RELEASE CELEBRATION FOR OUR NEW RECORDING, "TASTE OF CHOCOLATE"

A big "thank you" to all our fans for making our January 30, 2005 concert at the Tsai Performance Center
such a huge success. And many thanks for your continued, dedicated support of our original music.

ΕΘΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΗΡΥΚΑΣ, ΣΑΒΒΑΤΟ 30 ΝΟΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ 2002
Του ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΥ ΚΑΛΜΟΥΚΟΥ

ΒΟΣΤΩΝΗ. Το απόγευμα της Κυριακής <<όλα μοιάζαν ουρανός>> στο Μαλιώτιο Πολιτιστικό Κέντρο, καθώς το μουσικό συγκρότημα <<Ταξίδι στην Ιθάκη>> άνοιξε πανιά και ταξίδευε τους τριακόσιους και πάνω ομογενείς που είχαν κατακλύσει το αμφιθέατρο του, σ' ένα δίωρο μουσικό ταξίδι γεμάτο ποιότητα, ανέβασμα, νόστο από το χτες, μαρτυρία στο σήμερα. Κι όλοι στο ακροατήριο εύχονταν <<νάναι μακρύς ο δρόμος στον πηγαιμό για την Ιθάκη>>, που θα έλεγε ο Αιγυπτιώτης ποιητής Κωνσταντίνος Καβάφης, αφού όταν το πρόγραμμα έφτασε στο τέλος του, το ακροατήριο έκανε έκκληση φωνάζοντας, κι άλλο, κι άλλο.

The National Herald, Saturday, November 30, 2002
by Theodore Kalmoukos

Boston - Sunday afternoon at the Maliotis Cultural Center, the music group "Journey to Ithaca" raised its sails and took the more than three hundred attendees that filled the concert hall along on a high quality musical journey full of reminiscence. Everyone in the audience wished that "the road that takes them to Ithaca is long", as the Greek poet from Egypt, Kostas Kavafis would say; as such, at the end of the program, the audience pleaded repeatedly for the musicians to continue playing.

The Hellenic Voice, Wednesday, November 6, 2002
By Tessie Caris, Hellenic Voice Contributing Writer

The Journey to Ithaca artists with their capacious sensibilities and accomplishment in their roles as composers, lyricists, interpreters and musicians, took us on a musical journey through the neighborhoods and sokakia of their Greek ancestral homeland. Their compositions and repertoire were stirring and full of creative energy; the solo performances, striking and rich in vocal beauty and in the intonation of the lush and lilting language of the soul, in the telling of the happy and sad moments of life. Their music enriched by elements of modernity, by contemporary interpretations, has, as its origin, traditional folk music. It is in the melding, the encompassing of all these elements that creates a new genre and gives Journey to Ithaca its unique quality, expression and sound.

On Saturday evening, September 28, 2002 Journey to Ithaca performed a benefit concert to aid in the fundraising efforts of the Hellenic Women's Benevolent Association on behalf of the Hellenic Nursing and Rehabilitation Center located in Canton, MA. Thanks to our fans and supporters of the Center the benefit netted close to $20,000.00 to help this incredibly worthy cause.

In his review of our CD, "A Stroll Through Our Dreams/Βόλτα στα όνειρά μας," Christos Papoutsy of the Hellenic Communication Service said the following:

This CD is the first produced by the talented quintet, Journey to Ithaca. It represents a collection of pieces about people, places and events encountered by the group. Using original compositions, the group has bridged the gap musically between traditional and contemporary Greek music, drawing together different music styles to correspond analogously to the musicians and experiences. A Stroll Through Our Dreams richly connects musical styles of the past with poetic, and melodic storytelling.

The twelve songs reviewed on this marvelous recording were I Maria tou Dekemvri (Maria in December), Apologismos (Self-Reflection), Animera tou Ai-Yianni (St. John's Day), Thalassa Kyra-Kali (Sea, Gentle Mistress), Mikre, Glyke mou Baglama (My Sweet, Petite Baglama), To Parapono tou Kapetan-Kiriakou (Captain Kiriako's Heartbreak), Odos Evzonon (Evzonon Street), Onirevomoun tis Proalles (Yesterday's Dream), Poli Dihos Synora (City With No Borders), Tryferes Stigmes (Tender Moments), Theresia (Instrumental), Tou Iordani (To Our Friend, Jordan). Fans of Journey to Ithaca will remember that some of these numbers were performed at the Celebration of Greek Music in American concert at Harvard in 1998. The sound of this recent CD was produced according to the highest level of standard. When combined with an attractive jewel-case jacket bearing a number of photographs of the musicians, and a handsome enclosure listing the lyrics to the songs, A Stroll Through Our Dreams scores a big hit. Kudos to lyricists and composers Mike Emmanouilidis and Thanasis Haberis and to mastering expert Paul Sampsonis for arranging and producing this important recording. All of the musicians of Journey to Ithaca deserve great praise: Makis Emmanouilidis (vocals, guitar, and baglama), Thanasis Haberis (vocals and percussion), Adam Padazis (accordion), Paul Sampsonis (bass, guitars, and guitar synthesizer), and Peter Vorvis (bouzouki). As music critics would say, Real tight!

Writer assigns a five star rating to A Stroll Through Our Dreams by Journey to Ithaca. To purchase this CD, telephone or fax 781-444-2951. Visit the website: www.journeytoithaca.com.

Boston Globe Calendar Pick-of-the-Week - March 29, 2001

Makis Emmanouilidis, Thanasis Haberis, Adam Padazis, Paul Sampsonis, and Peter Vorvis are five friends who share a love of Greek music. The quintet's name refers to Ithaca, Greece, not New York. Its style, particularly the tunes on debut CD "A Stroll Through Our Dreams/Volta sta oneira mas," recalls the new-wave movement of Greek music 30 years ago of beautiful bouzouki and poetic lyrics.