ANTHEIA ENSEMBLE
An Anchor of Cypriot Tradition in the Modern World
Antheia is a collective ensemble led by Cypriot vocalist, Andrea Charalambous based in Boston, MA. The ensemble elevates the culture and tradition of Cypriot music with modern arrangements and instrumentation, while staying true to the origins of each composition. The group is a unique blend of four internationally-acclaimed musicians who respectfully compliment the music of Cyprus through their innovation and skillful mastery. Together with fellow Cypriot Percussionist George Lernis on percussion, Greek Laouto player Vasilis Kostas, and Middle-Eastern Cellist Naseem Alatrash, Andrea and her group seek to preserve the lush and honest sounds of the island’s tradition while inspiring Cypriot youth around the world to keep their cultural identity alive and strong.
Antheia was put together by Vocalist Andrea Charalambous after witnessing a continuous absence of bringing the tradition of Cyprus to people of the US and abroad. Traditional Cypriot music was transferred to Andrea at a very young age through family, through music school, and through life itself. The idea to create “Antheia” came to Andrea after creating a music video showcasing the traditional piece, “Yasemi”, which also featured Vasilis Kostas on the Laouto. The video garnered the attention of the prestigious national Cypriot newspaper, “Phileleutheros” with a headline reading “A Cypriot Young Lady Teaches Yasemi To The Americans”. It was then that Andrea realized that she could serve as an ambassador for the country of Cyprus and its culture, through the performance of Traditional Cypriot music in America and beyond.
The group has since gone on to perform around the United State’s North East coast by reaching out to the Cypriot communities, through a series of concerts, educational master classes and seminars with the youth of Cyprus at the forefront of their mission. Antheia acts as an anchor that connects the Cypriot tradition and cultural identity of its people with the rest of the world.
LISTEN
MEET THE BAND
Andrea Charalambous is an internationally recognized Singer- Songwriter and Entertainer. She was born and raised in the exotic and beautiful island of Cyprus, and currently resides in Boston, MA. Andrea has had the incredible opportunity to work with iconic artists such as Annie Lennox, Javier Limon, Pepe de Lucía, José Mercé and Mario Frangoulis among many others and was nominated under the category of "Best Pop Song" for her work on “What You Wanna Do" at the prestigious Hollywood Music Awards in 2012 and a Latin GRAMMY Award for José Mercé’s album “Mi Única Llave.”
Vasilis Kostas is a world class Laouto player, composer and educator. Born and raised in Greece, his latest collaboration with legendary clarinetist, Petroloukas Halkias has opened new horizons for the instrument in both the traditional Greek and Jazz worlds. Vasilis has performed at Carnegie Hall, as well as the Montreal and Monterey Jazz Festival. He has collaborated with award- winning artists such as Simon Shaheen, Tigran Hamasyan, Shreya Ghoshal, and Antonio Serrano among many others.
Cellist, Naseem Alatrash, is a striking example of a unique musical voice originating from the Middle East. An accomplished classically trained musician and improviser in diverse styles, Alatrash has earned a reputation for blending Arabic, Jazz and Classical music into his performances. He has been featured at The Nancy Jazz Festival, Lebanon’s Beit Aldeen Festival, Jerash Festival, The Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, and within the Aldeburg World Orchestra’s London Olympic tour appearing at The BBC Proms in The Royal Albert Hall, and at Amserdam’s Concertgebouw.
Drummer and World Percussionist, George Lernis, was born and raised in Nicosia, Cyprus. In addition to the drums, George specializes in a number of world percussion instruments such as: The Darbuka, Bendir, Riq, Kudums, Daire, Davul, Cajon, Pandeiro, and Congas to name a few. George has recorded and collaborated with prominent artists such as: Dave Liebman, Anat Cohen, Antonio Sanchez, Tiger Okoshi, Mehmet Ali Salnikol, Robert Labaree, Bertram Lehmann and Jerry Leake.