Since its inception in 2018, Cats and The Canary has changed many of its members, but its melodies remain steadfast, resonating with the literate Australian audience.
From early performances in small pubs, to subsequent appearances at major Greek festivals in Sydney and Melbourne, Cats and the Canary have managed to represent with dignity a musical style that was missing from Antipodes.
Η Φένια Χατζημιχαήλ με τον μπασίστα και δημιουργό του συγκροτήματος Cats and The Canary, Οδυσσέα Κρυπωτό (αριστέρα) Credit: Supplied: Cats and The Canary
Speaking to SBS Greek, Fenia Hatzimihail, lead singer of Cats and The Canary, talks about how the songs that will punctuate each of the band's musical concerts are chosen.
"We choose the songs we're going to play at each stage based on how much we love them but not just on that criterion of course. For example, Hatzidakis, Chiotis and Tsitsanis are beloved composers and they have songs that are very much loved not only by Greeks but also by other people from other nationalities who love Greek music. So they are widely known and their songs are very popular. So it's a combination of both that we love them very much and that people love them very much," he said.
At the same time, Ms Hatzimihail referred to the elements that differentiate Cats and The Canary from other Greek Australian bands.
"We are the only swing band in Australia, so Cats and The Canary is a show band and they have the theatrical element in them. It's a band that marries the old with the modern. We even play rebetika songs in a Greek swing style. So I think it's a band that provides moments of joy and really entertains people. I mean people come to listen to us and sing with us, dance with us, have a really good time and I think that's something that's missing in Greek music in Australia. I don't think there is anything else like it," she said.
Τα μέλη του συγκροτήματος Cats and The Canary Credit: Supplied: Cats and The Canary
"I think the audience can look forward to a very nice evening, full of music, full of songs from favourite composers and artists. We'll be playing a lot of the songs we already play that people love so much, but of course we have some songs from Greek cinema and some new covers of old rebetiko songs. It's going to be very interesting, I hope people have as much fun as we do, because we're really excited and we're looking forward to it," she said.
When: Sunday, April 21 at 7am
Where: The Factory Theatre, , 105 Victoria Road Marrickville, NSW 2204
Listen to the full interview with Fenia Hatzimihail by clicking play on the podcast in the main photo.
