[THE SOUNDS OF YOUR CHILDHOOD / WATER GURGLING IN A BROOK; TINY WATERFALLS & THE MUSIC OF THE WIND THROUGH THE FOREST; THE SOUND OF THE RAIN ON THE ROOF TILES; THE SILENCE OF SNOW; MY GRANDFATHER’S MANDOLIN; THE POLYPHONIC SINGING OF THE WOMEN WORKING NIGHTS HUSKING CORN; THE HAPPY BUZZING OF THE BEE ON THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS; THE NIGHTINGALES KEEPING YOU AWAKE IN SPRINGTIME. WAITING FOR THE MOON TO APPEAR FROM BEHIND THE MOUNTAIN WE OVERLOOKED; MY 1ST CONTACT WITH DEATH; SEEING A CHILD MOTIONLESS, FROZEN; THE OIL LAMPS; CARRYING THE WATER FROM THE SPRING; ABSOLUTE FREEDOM, WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, WITHOUT ANY SHOES. THE CLARINET PLAYED IN THE VILLAGE SQUARE & THEN BEING UPROOTED. ASTRIDE A MULE WHOSE WOODEN SADDLE SPORTED A RED FRINGE, A CHILD OF 7 LEAVES PARADISE BEHIND HER, PASSES THROUGH FORESTS OF STRAWBERRY TREES & ARRIVES BESIDE AN AUTOMOTIVE MONSTER, A TRUCK THAT ROARS & HAS EYES THAT SPIT FIRE. COUNTLESS ZIGZAG TURNS; THE REVELATION OF THE SEA, LIKE THE SKY UPSIDE-DOWN; & THE LONG JOURNEY TO ATHENS.

THE CITY / WITH THE NIGHT LIGHTS, THE SMELL OF PETROL, I ARRIVED AT AN OLD STONE 3-STOREY BUILDING, A SCHOOL, WHERE MY FATHER TAUGHT. WE WOULD LIVE THERE... IN THE BASEMENT. NEXT TO AN OPEN CINEMA. FROM THE SCHOOL WINDOWS, ALMOST HIDDEN BEHIND THE HONEYSUCKLE, I DISCOVERED THE MAGICAL WORLD OF SCREEN & MUSIC. IN THE BEGINNING, I COULDN’T TAKE IN THE MARVEL THAT WAS TAKING PLACE IN FRONT OF MY ASTOUNDED CHILD’S EYES. NOT EVEN THAT USED TO ELECTRICITY, & NOW I WAS CALLED UPON TO VIEW SCENES FROM LIFE ON A WHITE SHEET… IT WAS ALL BRIGHT & NEW, ALL UNKNOWN, SHEER MAGIC. & THE SAME WITH AN OLD GRAND PIANO IN THE LARGE HALL OF THE SCHOOL, WHICH DREW ME LIKE A MAGNET & WHICH I ABRADED FOR HOURS. I START TO PRESSURE MY FATHER EVER MORE TO TAKE ME TO A PIANO TEACHER. I AM 7 YEARS OLD. SOON AFTER THIS I LOSE MY MOTHER, MUCH TOO YOUNG, & MUSIC BECOMES MY COMPANION. WHEN I WAS 10 MY FATHER REMARRIED— A YOUNG WOMAN, AN ARISTOCRAT FALLEN ON HARD TIMES, WHO HAD A WONDERFUL PIANO WITH GOLD CANDLESTICKS, RED VELVET CURTAINS, & A HOUSE FULL OF ANTIQUES & VINTAGE FURNITURE. MY NEW PIANO TEACHER LIVED OPPOSITE OUR HOUSE & PREPARED ME FOR THE STUDIES. I ADORED MY CONSERVATORY, WHERE I LIVED WONDERFUL MOMENTS, FEARS, SUCCESSES, FRIENDSHIPS, YOUNG LOVES; WHERE, ABOVE ALL ELSE, I WAS FASCINATED BY MY CONTACT WITH CLASSICAL COMPOSERS & THE WAY EACH VISIT ENTAILED THE DISCOVERY OF A NEW WORLD... ANYONE WHO HASN’T EXPERIENCED THE LIFE OF A DEDICATED MUSICIAN, THE PLEASURE OF DISCIPLINE, & THE TRANSCENDENCE GAINED BY CONQUERING THE MEANS TO EXPRESS ONESELF MUSICALLY, CANNOT KNOW WHAT LEVELS OF COMPLETION & SALVATION MANKIND CAN ACHIEVE...]

/ EXCERPT FROM A TEXT BASED ON A CONVERSATION BETWEEN ELENI KARAINDROU, MONIKA BIELSKYTE, LUKE MAYES, & RUFUS KNIGHT. ENTIRE ARTICLE ONLY IN THE PRINTED EDITION OF SOME/THINGS MAGAZINE CHAPTER005 / SHE HAS NO STRINGS APOLLO

ELENI KARAINDROU PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHED BY GIORGOS MONOYIOUDIS

TROJAN WOMEN IMAGES BY KOSTAS ORDOLIS