GIANNIS & PANAGIOTIS GAVALAS
Hydra’s musical heritage, across generations
Mandraki Beach | Saturday 4 October 2025
ArtCinema welcomed father-and-son musicians Giannis and Panagiotis Gavalas, joined by Makis Saratis, for a special performance during our Boy on a Dolphin Tribute evening. Their deep connection to Hydra’s traditional music brought a distinctly local voice to the programme, following Yiannis Gavalas’ appearance in ArtCinema’s film Hydra & Sophia: Echoes of the Dolphin.
A former merchant captain, teacher and poet, Giannis has long helped preserve Hydra’s musical traditions and community gatherings. He also remembers Sophia Loren’s arrival on the island for the filming of Boy on a Dolphin in 1956 and is known for his rendition of Ti Einai Afto Pou To Lene Agapi (What Is This Thing Called Love?).
His son Panagiotis, a local pharmacist and accomplished bouzouki player, continues that musical tradition through a new generation.