Bands
Aris Constantinou Trio
The Aris Constantinou Trio presents classical jazz standards and original compositions, orchestrated by the trio leader. The ensemble consists of Aris Constantinou on electric guitar, Costas Challoumas on double bass and Adonis Christou on drums. The three musicians have collaborated before as well as Aris and Adonis have taken part in the 9th International Jazz and World Music Showcase of Rialto Theatre. The main elements of the trio are swing rhythm and improvisation, through which the instrumentalists share their personal taste to complete the band’s sound.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION BAND
This jazz band fuses the rich musical traditions of French and American jazz to create a unique and captivating sound. With a repertoire that includes classic chanson and jazz standards, the band’s talented musicians deliver exceptional performances that are sure to delight audiences.
Atys -Vocals, Violin
Odysseas Toymazou – Guitar
Marios Menelaou – Accoustic Bass
George Koulas – Drums
BATUKINIO PERCUSSION BAND
Special Band was created by the percussionist Rodos Panayiotou, who after his studies at Codarts Rotterdam Conservatorium of Netherlands, focusing on Latin-Jazz and World Music, decided to set up “Batukinio”, the first percussion group in Cyprus.
The Batukinio percussion band consists of 40 percussion players of various age and is specialized in Afro-Brazilian percussion workshops with an emphasis on samba rhythms, such as Samba Batucada and Samba Reggae.
The Steppin' Out Jazz Band
The Steppin’ Out Jazz Band is considered to be one of the most well-established jazz bands of the island. Featuring professional musicians with extensive studies within the genre, the band is known for their dynamic performances of Jazz standards, tunes which solidified the style as a staple of American culture. This time, saxophonist Charis Ioannou will be joining them for the Vinylio Jazz Project, thus elevating and enriching their sound even more. Get ready for a great night!
Alice Ayvazian – Voice
Charis Ioannou – Saxophone
Dimitris Miaris – Piano
Costas Challoumas – Double Bass
Marios Spyrou – Drums
ALEXIS KASINOS
Alexis is a guitarist and composer based in Cyprus. He attended piano and guitar lessons from a young age. He graduated with cum laude in jazz guitar (BMus and MMus) from the Codarts Conservatory in 2015, and the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2017, respectively. Throughout his studies in the Netherlands, Alexis performed with various small and big ensembles in well-known venues including the Lantaren Venster and the Melkweg Theatre. He also participated in jazz workshops and received lessons from internationally reputable musicians such as Peter Bernstein, Jesse Van Ruller and Gilad Hekselman.
Alexis currently performs with various bands as a leader and sideman with original compositions and arrangements. In 2019 he released his debut album Right Place, Right Time.
ALEXIS KASINOS
Alexis is a guitarist and composer based in Cyprus. He attended piano and guitar lessons from a young age. He graduated with cum laude in jazz guitar (BMus and MMus) from the Codarts Conservatory in 2015, and the Amsterdam Conservatory in 2017, respectively. Throughout his studies in the Netherlands, Alexis performed with various small and big ensembles in well-known venues including the Lantaren Venster and the Melkweg Theatre. He also participated in jazz workshops and received lessons from internationally reputable musicians such as Peter Bernstein, Jesse Van Ruller and Gilad Hekselman.
Alexis currently performs with various bands as a leader and sideman with original compositions and arrangements. In 2019 he released his debut album Right Place, Right Time.
Andreas Rodosthenous
Andreas Rodosthenous was born in Limassol, in 1977 and started playing music from a very young age, self-taught. He studied in the Rotterdam’s Conservatory in The Netherlands where he had the chance to play along with Annaelis DeJong, Thierry Castel, Ilja Reijngoud in music stages like the Bim Haus, Dizzy Jazz club, Theater De Evenaar and many more. He had the opportunity to collaborate and record with Vasilis Papacostantinou and Christoforos Krokidis in Greece as well as local artists like, Savvas Chouvartas, Vasiliki Anastasiou, Nikolas Mavresis, Nicole Ardanitou. He has recorded and published his own music on the cd “Simplicity” in 2015, along with the musicians, Giorgos Morfitis on the piano, Alkis Agathokleous on the ney and Stelios Xydias on the drums. Five years later the 2nd album of Andreas has been released titled “Complexity” with Christos Yerolatsitis on the Rhodes piano and Stelios Xydias on drums, an album that has been recorded at the Dogyard studio by Andreas Rodosthenous.
He also has appeared in festivals like the Fusion festival in Germany, EUNIC jazz festival in Berlin, Technopolis jazz festival in Athens and at the music:LX in Louxembourg. Andreas composes the music for choreographer Julia Brendle as well as for choreographer Evi Panagiotou. He has also worked for the play “Hamlet” (composer and improvised music) in Nicosia, CY, directed by Paris Erotokritou. His most recent collaboration is with the Natalia Rose quartet. Natalia is a guitarist from Colombia currently residing in Germany.
Since 2010 Andreas lives in Cyprus and collaborates with local as well as international musicians. He is also a music teacher at the afternoon lessons of the music schools of the ministry of education and culture.
Yemaya Son
The Band is called Yemaya Son and interpretes mostly cuban music ( Bolero, Son, Cha cha, Salsa, Timba, Reggeton , etc)
It is formed by 3 Latin musicians and one Cypriot very well known drummer , all of them with a long experience over stages in South America, Cuba , USA, and Europe.
Pedro (Son Caliente) Guevara (Cuba) – Vocals and Percussion
Andreas Stefanou (Cyprus) – Drums, Percussions and backing vocals
Alex Rodriguez (Colombia) – Keyboards and backing vocals
Rodrigo Cáceres (Chile) – Electric Bass and backing vocals
Dariel Jovoa (Cuba) – Congas
THE TOUMBAS / MESSIOS / VAFEAS JAZZ TRIO
The three experienced musicians and Berklee College of Music graduates have been collaborators for many years, performing together in various bands in Cyprus, Greece, Germany and Serbia. Their newest trio was formed recently and performs arrangements of jazz standards from the Hard Bop and other modern periods of Jazz, as well as some original compositions.
Marios Toumbas
Piano
Jazz pianist Marios Toumbas has a Bachelor of Music, Cum Laude, in Music Synthesis (Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA) and a Master of Music with Honors in Jazz Studies (New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA). He was a student of internationally renowned jazz educator Charlie Banacos and famous jazz pianist Danilo Perez.
He has performed all over the world with famous jazz musicians such as, electric bassist Anthony Jackson (creator of the 6-string el. Bass), saxophonist Tony Lakatos and guitarists Jeff Richman and Brett Garsed. He has also performed at International Jazz festivals such as, the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada, the Krakow Jazz Festival in Poland and the Blues North City Festival in Serbia, the Dusseldorf Jazz Rally and concerts in Berlin and Cologne Germany. Concerts venues include the Royal Festival Hall in London and Sun City Music Hall in Johannesburg South Africa.
He has been an instructor and lecturer of Jazz music at European University Cyprus since 2009. He is also a teacher of the international association Jazz Education Abroad which teaches Jazz all over the world.
Michael Messios
Double Bass
Messios attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston MA with a scholarship. He studied music composition, and jazz performance.
His return in Cyprus found him busy in the music industry as a member in various ensembles. The Petsteppers, Charis Ioannou Trio, Cyprus big band, Tassos Stylianou Trio, where he performs and composes.
He has participated in major Jazz Festivals like the Krakow Jazz Festival in Bologna, the Kuwait Jazz Festival, Mitrovica Jazz Festival in Serbia, the Crete Jazz Festival and played in prestigious jazz clubs like the VORTEX in London.
In 2013 he created his own band with the name “Michael Messios Symmetry Band” which performs his compositions only. His music is influenced by Contemporary and traditional Jazz and distinguished for its strong melody , harmony, complicated rhythms and motives.
MESSIOS is an endorsing artist of the ‘‘ASHDOWN AMPS”.
Ioannis Vafeas
Drums
Ioannis Vafeas studied Jazz music at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and did his master’s degree in Jazz Studies at the Boston Conservatory.
The years that followed found Ioannis busy in the music industry performing, recording and teaching music. He performs regularly in major festivals, concert halls and prestigious jazz clubs all over the world. Vafeas attended festivals and Venues in Germany, Poland, England, Lebanon, Greece, Kuwait, Italy, the U.S, Serbia and shared the stage with great artists and Symphony Orchestras. He has numerous collaborations in cd’s, recordings and theatre productions.
Since 2002 Vafeas is teaching Music in public schools. He’s been teaching Jazz Music at private universities in Cyprus since 2009. His credits also include drum seminars on soiling and brush playing in various universities and music schools.
In April 2017 he released his first album entitled “Bridge of Locks” with the IOANNOU/VAFEAS quartet. His second album with his trio is entitled CATHARSIS and was released in December 2020 by AVJ Productions.
Ioannis Vafeas is an honoring member of the Cultural Organization A. VAFEA JAZZ Projects. He is endorsing Zildjian Cymbals since 2009
ELEONORA ROUSSOU- BEATS’N’PIECES
BEATS’N’PIECES is a music project of songs from various music genres – as suggested by its name – that I created in 2018 aiming to explore the diverse depictions of love in different music styles – latin, jazz, pop, soul, world music and so on. As time goes by the repertoire keeps growing, and this year’s exploration is in pop and soul, including some original songs from Eleonora Roussou the leader of the the Band.
Eleonora Roussou – Vocals, Melodica, Flute
Alexis Kasinos – Guitars
Christos Yerolatsitis – Piano /Keys
Andreas Rodosthenous – Bass
Omiros Miltiadous – Drums
ELEONORA ROUSSOU- BEATS’N’PIECES
BEATS’N’PIECES is a music project of songs from various music genres – as suggested by its name – that I created in 2018 aiming to explore the diverse depictions of love in different music styles – latin, jazz, pop, soul, world music and so on. As time goes by the repertoire keeps growing, and this year’s exploration is in pop and soul, including some original songs from Eleonora Roussou the leader of the the Band.
Eleonora Roussou – Vocals, Melodica, Flute
Alexis Kasinos – Guitars
Christos Yerolatsitis – Piano /Keys
Andreas Rodosthenous – Bass
Omiros Miltiadous – Drums