From the night court, to the… grocery store, the well-known maestro Andreas Dafaranos – 2024-04-28 13:50:37

Saturday night in the winter of 1998, at the legendary “La Notte”: People are jostling to secure a table, some have even put… means to find a place in this cosmopolitan entertainment center, then intertwined with its iconic form conductor Nikos Koufis.

The latter had just retired from the artistic direction of the program, having given the musical reins to his talented nephew, Andreas Dafarano! The “little” was one of the better names of musicians, with considerable experience (“Idol”, “Advantage”, “Ban Yan”, “Utopia”, “Amadeus”), but this was his first appearance as a conductor.

The center is “taking off” and the star of Andreas Dafaranos has just risen in the night of Patra: There are also important collaborations as artistic director in many emblematic schemes of the city, such as “Apotheosis”, “Parisiana”, “Volcano”, “Villy’s Park”, “Gyalino” etc., but also in music scenes of Athens, where he collaborates with Themis Adamantidis, Stelios Dionysiou, Thanos Kalliris, Lampi Livierato, Sabrina etc.

Today, what should the sought-after conductor of that time do?

“P” looked for the well-known pianist, who now, without leaving music, has another main job: He works as an employee, in the grocery department of a well-known Athenian supermarket, in the center of Patras!

THE BIG NAMES IN ENTERTAINMENT

Andreas Dafaranos is one of the many cases of artists whose economic crisis and Ovidian change in the nightlife sector has forced many of his colleagues to orient themselves to other jobs, for the sake of livelihood:

“I have been in this super market on Gounari Street since 2018. The night has been spinning for many years. Night shifts have become humiliating. The businessmen of the old days no longer exist: Nikos Koufis, Giannis Kontis, Vangelis Lois, Thanasis Liaros, Giorgos Pistolas, Thanasis Katsigiannis, Giannis and Lazaros Gantidis, etc. Among the important old businessmen, Miltiadis Andriopoulos, Yiannis Rodopoulos and others continue today.

Pianist Andreas Dafaranos, as the head of the night group

But the patrons have also changed their behavior and preferences. Now the music takes second place and in most cases, the… noise dominates! Fortunately, of course, there are some exceptions in Patras. But there are few and the night shifts are limited” he complains to “P”.

As he remembers, “we used to work 7 nights a week, without any breaks! We were paid very well. Today, night jobs are shameful, no professional musician can make a living…”.

Perhaps for this reason, many music stages and clubs hire student companies, whose financial and professional requirements are limited

However, Andreas Dafaranos does not fail to mention the worthy singers, with whom he collaborated from time to time: Giorgos Paramero, Anthoula Giakoumelou, Giorgos Kounavis, Maria Fakou, Nikos Maniatis, Giorgos Kallivokas, Marios Kounadis, Andreas Koufis, Yiannis Michos, Panagiotis Patras , Fai Kotrotsou, Maki Zambidi, Stefano Mikroni, Chrysa Anastasopoulou, Yiannis Panitsa et al.

BACK TO MUSIC

His main job may be in the super market, but his passion for music cannot be surpassed:

“We start after May 15 and every Friday, with Marios Kounadis and Vasia Panaretou at “Anemelo” on Akoli beach.

With a quality program, accompanied only by my piano! To create a warm bystander atmosphere, where the world will accompany us artists as a natural chorus”.

And from Monday, back to the grocery store counter…

The price, perhaps, to remain an artist today…