Ouzo Power

An electrifying, genre-leaping, bouzouki-driven rock band, Ouzo Power kicks new life into traditional urban Greek Rebetika blues - a music rooted in alienation and rebellion. Led by their bohemian front man, the fiery George Sapounidis, backed by three world-class musicians, Ouzo Power - nominated for Best World Group of the Year at the 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards - transforms a subversive Greek underworld music of hash dens, poverty, prison, death and lost love, blazing a trail through a hard-edged fusion of folk, rock, reggae and heavy metal.

Zorba the Greek this is not !

The Greek blues, unlike the American rural based blues, were an urban music with roots reaching back to Ottoman cafe music, a synthesis of European music, Orthodox ecclesiastical chant and traditional Anatolian dance rhythms.

George Sapounidis, Ouzo Power’s front man, is a gently charismatic bouzouki master, who performs with an intensity and passion that comes from the soul, a soul that bears the genetic imprint of a people steeped in non-conformity. He is an intercultural musical pied piper who draws a crowd wherever he goes, a musical ambassador to the world who can perform in a dozen languages, a two-time Olympic torch bearer and subject of award-winning CTV and Chinese television documentaries. He holds a PhD in statistics. He is also a descendent of Greeks who lived in Asia Minor since antiquity but were forced into exile after the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, relegated to shanty towns, living lives of broken dreams. Like the blues culture of Harlem their despair gave rise to a music of pain and protest. It was called Rebetika, the musicians "Rebetes" or nonconformists.

In creating Ouzo Power, Sapounidis pulled together a trio of Canada’s top back-up musicians on bass, drums and electric guitar.

Stuart Watkins (electric bass):
In addition to having toured for 5 years with the Grammy Nominated East Village Opera Company (NYC), he’s spent the last year with The Canadian Tenors, having backed up such legends as Paul Anka and Kenny G, artists such as Eric Benet, Charice, Kelly Levesque, to name a few. In addition to the many talented and countless Canadian artists, he’s also played bass with 18-time Grammy award winning producer David Foster and has performed at every Olympic Games since 2004. Stuart has recorded and toured with many international artists including The Mighty Popo (Universal), Chinese superstar Chairman George, and Germany’s Crystin Schulz. Watkins was the first western student of master bassist Habib Faye (Peter Gabriel, Youssou N’dour) having studied the Mbalax tradition with him in Dakar, Senegal. Watkins is a proud endorser of Eden Electronics Bass Amplification and Elixir Strings. www.stuartwatkins.com

Fred Guignion (electric guitar) has worked professionally for over 25 years in various styles of music ranging from Folk to Rock, Country to Blues and beyond. His playing has been featured on countless albums by Canadian artists as well as on many theatre, film and television soundtracks. Fred's musical travels have taken him to 11 of Canada's 13 provinces and territories, as well as to various parts of the U.S.A. and to 5 European countries.

Ross Murray (drummer) has been a professional percussionist and drummer for more than 25 years. He has collaborated with bands, composers, choreographers, and film makers across Canada and internationally including Bo Diddley, Madagascar Slim, Great Big C, Etta James, and the East Village Opera Company. He is also a well-known producer and recording engineer in Canada.

“To take a sad, heavy, hard-drinking Greek blues song with bawdy lyrics and turn it into fast rock or reggae, that’s fun. We’re not trying to be witty. We play with the style. We push the envelope.”
-- Ross Murray

CONTACT:
George Sapounidis PhD
EMAIL: info@ouzopower.ca
WEBSITE: www.ouzopower.ca
cell 613 883 5307 Ottawa, Canada

Management:
Marilyn Gilbert Artists Management Inc. (Toronto, ON)
T: 416-534-4993 C: 647-465-8004
E: marilyn@mgam.com
www.mgam.com