Music
Jasmine Tea “Arleta Inspires Us”
Theatre of the NO presents Jasmine Tea “Arleta Inspires Us” on Saturday, 28 November, at 21:30: a special musical evening dedicated to Arleta, bringing together beloved songs, previously unreleased material and a lesser-known aspect of her artistic world her visual art.
Vassilis Rakopoulos, a close friend and collaborator of Arleta for many decades, joins vocalist Nana Binopoulou, wind player Leonidas Sarantopoulos and percussionist Petros Kourtis to revisit Arleta’s beloved songs through a sensitive, contemporary and improvisational approach.
For the first time, the evening will also feature previously unreleased songs with lyrics by Arleta and music by Vassilis Rakopoulos, inviting audiences to discover another side of her creative world.
The performance will be accompanied by projections of selected visual works by Arleta from the book Apo Pou Pane gia tin Anoixi (Which Way to Spring?), as well as previously unpublished sketches. This visual material sheds light on a remarkable, yet largely unknown, dimension of her artistic legacy and creates a dialogue between the music and her wider creative work.
Rather than simply reproducing the original recordings, the musicians revisit Arleta’s songs through a contemporary musical language. Improvisation and fresh arrangements offer a renewed perspective while respecting the aesthetic identity and character of the original works.
As the artists note:
“We share the same love and appreciation for Arleta. We decided to honour our dear friend, while also responding to our inner need for an aesthetic space of coexistence and communication. We seek genuine communication with the audience and believe that an artistic body of work becomes more meaningful when approached through a contemporary musical language. What matters to us is a way of presenting the songs that renews them while respecting their aesthetic. We want to offer listeners a gentle inner smile through a beautiful evening filled with emotion—something like Arleta’s smile.”
Cast & Creative Team
Nana Binopoulou — vocals
Vassilis Rakopoulos — guitar
Leonidas Sarantopoulos — winds
