Greek band “Imam Baildi”

By ⋅ January 4, 2011 ⋅ Post a comment
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Greek bank Imam Baildi

Lisa Mullins tells us about “Imam Baildi,” a band from Athens, Greece, named after a Mediterranean dish and devoted to mixing old tunes with modern beats. Download MP3

For the past five years, the members of Imam Baildi have made it their business to experiment with old songs from the 1940s through the 1960s.

Lysandros Falireas and his brother Orestis who lead the band, pick classic urban songs and mix them with new beats and loops based on the original song’s rhythm and melody.

One – called in English “the trouble you’re giving me” – is a 1960s love tune.

“The reason we chose to remix this tune it’s because it’s very danceable, I mean even the original beat is very danceable, it has a swing to it,” Falireas said. “And we kept this groove and incorporated into a disco beat.”

The song is part of Imam Baildi’s new album called “the Imam Baildi Cookbook.”

There is more than one play on words here. See, “Imam Baildi” is the name of a classic yummy Mediterranean dish with eggplant and tomato sauce.

“Imam Baildi, which means that Imami, which is a Turkish priest, has fainted from eating too much … and the reason we chose it is because our basic concept is remixing olf Greek music, so because this dish involves a lot of different ingredients, it started as a joke and we ended up witb this name,” Falireas said.

The Falireas brothers and their band not only cook up old songs; but old melodies as well, with the help of friends from overseas. Their tune “Busca Ritmo,” Spanish for “looking for rhythm,” is a collaboration with the American hip hop group “Delinquent Habits.”

Los Angeles rap meets Greek buzuki.

Discussion

One comment for “Greek band “Imam Baildi””

  • Ora

    this band sounds fantastic. But how do I get their cd? I love your global hit segments, but hate it when you have on great music that is not available to purchase or download! : )
    would love to buy this album, but haven’t found a way to yet.