WELCOME TO ANOTHER EXPANDED EDITION OF THE WEEKLY RADIO BROADCAST “OPA FROM GREECE WITH LOVE” ALWAYS HEARD LIVE FROM THE FILM CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA AT THE FAMED SUNSET BLVD STUDIOS OF THE AMERICAN RADIO NETWORK’S KCLA-FM STATION AT 99.3 ON YOUR DIAL SATURDAYS AT 12 NOON PDT. WE ALSO SIMULCAST ON KCLAFM.COM AND TUNEIN.COM, AND SUNDAYS AT 6PM EST ON RADIONEO.US. WE BRING YOU A VERY SPECIAL PROGRAM UNLIKE ANY YOU HAVE HEARD. SIR RON GOODWIN, POSSIBLY THE GREATEST ORCHESTRATOR OF HIS DAY TEAMED UP BACK IN THE EARLY 60’S WITH THE FAMED LEBANESE COMPOSERS, THE RHABANI BROTHERS, WHO HELPED PIONEER THE MARRIAGE OF THE INTRICATE ARABESQUE MONOPHONIC RHYTHMIC SIGNATURE TECHNIQUE OF THEIR PEOPLE WITH THE LYRICAL POLYPHONIC MINOR SCALE MELODIC STYLE OF THE WEST THAT BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF TWO OTHER SUCCESSFUL MUSICIANS FROM OUR COMMUNITY, MIKIS THEODRAKIS AND MANOS HADJIDAKIS WHO IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE MUSICAL STYLES, EFFECTIVELY COMBINED TRADITIONAL MONOPHONIC RYTHMIC PATTERNS WITH THE HARMONY OF THE POLYPHONIC WESTERN MINOR KEYS AND THEIR SYNCOPATED COUNTERPOINT, THUS CREATING A BODY OF WORK THAT REMAINS TO THIS DAY A CASE STUDY OF CRAFTSMENSHIP AND ARTISTRY AT ITS FINEST. I CHOSE SIR RON GOODWIN’S ARRANGEMENTS OF THE RHABANI CLASSICS BECAUSE THEY ARE INSTRUMENTALS. YES THE MUSIC HAS LYRICS BUT THEY ARE ALL SUNG IN THE ARABIC/LEBANESE DIALECT. THE GREEKS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE LEVANT HAVE SHARED CULTURAL TRADITIONS THE LEAST OF WHICH CAN BE HEARD IN OUR MUSIC, SUCH AS THE EVER POPULAR “OPA NI NA NEI” AND “DIRLADA DIRLADA DA”. PUTTING POLITICAL DIFFERENCES ASIDE MUSIC IS TRULY THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE AND EQUILIZER WHEN IT COMES TO CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING. IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR SIR RON GOODWIN, THE FILM SCORER OF THE WAR ACTION ADVENTURE THRILLER “THE 633 SQUADRON” WHOSE THEME YOU ARE HEARING IN THE BACKGROUND, THAT ALSO FEATURED A YOUNG GEORGE CHAKIRIS, OF “WEST SIDE STORY” FAME, A FELLOW HELLENE AND PROUD GREEK AMERICAN, ALONG WITH THE LATE GREAT CHARACTER ACTOR CLIFF ROBERSTON. SO HERE THEN IS THE SIR RON GOODWIN ORCHESTRA IN COLLABORATION WITH THE RHABANI BROTHERS PERFORMING MUSIC FROM “ARABIAN NIGHTS” OR AS I COMMONLY CALL IT “LEBANESE POP”. OLDIES BUT GOODIES FROM ZORBA THE MAD GREEK’S MUSICAL LIBRARY COURTESEY OF “OPA FROM GREECE WITH LOVE”.

NOW THEN HERE ARE THE TRACKS IN THE ORDER OF PLAY:

1. THE 633 SQUADRON MOVIE THEME
2. DANCING EYES
3. WINDOWS OF THE EAST
4. BAZZAAR
5. SWEETIE PIE
6. AVENUE DE FRANCAISE
7. GROTTO OF JEITA
8. THE CEDARS OF LEBANON
9. ARABIAN NIGHT
10. ARABIAN NIGHT II
11. JOURNEY TO DAMASCUS
12. SUNRIST OVER CEDARS
13. ARAK AND TABOULI
14. WEDDING DANCE
15. ARAB FEAST
16. OLD BEIRUT
17. RETURN TO PARADISE
18. THE MOON AND I
19. DESERT HERO
20. BASSITA
21. BAALBEK
22. PLAIN OF BEKAA
23. BAREFOOT GIRL
24. COME BACK TO ME
25. APRIL IS COMING
26. FARWELL LEBANON
27. DANCING EYES

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