Imam Baildi

Imam Baildi is a very popular Southeast Mediterranean dish consisting of aubergine stuffed with onion, garlic, and tomatoes simmered in olive oil. It is a similar fine blend that Lysandros (drums, percussion) and Orestis (DJ, programming) Falireas do - only in musical terms!

On the one hand the unique sound of rebetiko, a sort of outlaw Greek blues that captivated the country’s music scene from the turn of the century until the early 1950s, and one the other hand a combination of remixing techniques the brothers were subjected to while studying in Europe. Bouzouki meets electro swing and Greek roots meet hip hop and mambo. Just add an MC, a female voice and a fair bit of Balkan flair to the mix and there you have it… It's Imam Baildi's global pop!

Falireas brothers stem from a family with a long connection with rebetiko: their father owned both a record label specialising in the genre and a popular record shop in central Athens with a vast 78rpm vinyl collection. Therefore the idea of mixing rebetiko with different types of music came about naturally to the siblings that grew up in such a rich musical environment.

Opening by Chris Blenda.