I have been in love with the bouzouki ever since I was a little girl attending Greek weddings and baptisms.  I used to stare at the musicians and wonder how they could make such a sound from, what seemed to me as, a round guitar.  My mother used to play her old laika vinyls while she was cooking dinner and my father always had a spare Kazantzidis tape for the car.  As I got older and traveled to Greece more often, I began to develop my love for rembetika songs.  I started out with some lighter popular songs that I heard on the radio or in clubs but I wanted to find its origins.  My quest led me to people like Tsitsani and Eskenazi.  I fell in love with the bouzouki, the singers, and the pain and emotion behind every note sung and every "pennia".  I knew I had to play this instrument.

So I found Dino's web site and decided to take a trip down to Crescent Street.  When I walked in I was very intimidated.  There were plenty of men standing at the door but not a woman in sight.  I thought about running back out the door and never coming back.  But Dino came to the rescue and pulled me aside to talk privately about lessons and purchasing a bouzouki.  After our chat I felt confident that I was making the right decision.  There is something warm and inviting about the store, probably because Dino is that way, you can't help but trust him completely.  The instructor George, was also very personable and I am sure with all his experience and patience he will be a wonderful teacher.

So after 25 years of loving the bouzouki, a lot of slack from friends and family who think I am insane and despite the obvious male domination of the instrument, I am taking lessons.  Wish me luck!

Maria