Winston McAnuff & Fixi performing for Stray Song Series
Omonoia square overbuilt by a roundabout centred on a glass sculpture called “The Runner”, had been the central hub of post war Athens and the symbol of the greek redevelopment during the 1980s serving as the meeting point for Athenians and country people who moved to the town.
According to Olympic games urban reconstruction plan, the piazza has transformed into an akward piece of concrete art something like a post modern installation project that didn’t quite fit into the overall balcan schene.
Since then Omonoia has fallen into abandonment, a passing through place for locals and tourists on their way to Syntagma, as well as a place for underprivileged people as immigrants, unemployeds, drifters, drug addicts and small-time-dealers to crash for the night.
However Omonoia seemed strangely calm and relaxed on that Sunday morning when we picked the duo of Winston McAnuff and Fixi up at a nearby hotel.
It was then that we learned that due to the annual Athens Marathon that was taking place on that time, the center of the city had been cleared of vehicles and human traffic flow, letting Omonia rest in an unexpected peace.
Great chance for Jamaican born and prodigy of the ’60s Reggae Scene, Winston McAnuff, once known as Electric Dread, to meet a different type of audience.
Winston has been living in Europe for the past years and is is frequently collaborating with his buddie, French accordion experimental player Francois X. Bossard, aka Fixi.
“Both of my parents were into the music and both of them were into church. My father was a priest and played the accordion…He was a good man. I started feeling the music inside the church.”
says Winston as he rolls a joint and starts puffing away. We walk down the road having dozens of substitute cops protecting the empty streets.
“Many cops man…many cops…”
He points out as we head to the square
“Yeah, keep an eye on them…You know joints are illegal here and police doesn’t take kindly to street musicians, hippie people, coloured or immigrants…And you look alike to all of those…”
I explain him about the situation in general in Greece, especially during the last years of social crisis.
“People should always revolt against the system man…They keep us enslaved to big cities eating each other”
He says without sounding naive. After all he is a real Rastafari. The locals of square get to the point immediately:
“Play something for us: a Bob Marley song…I Shot the Sheriff maybe”
” I shot the Sheriff and the deputy as well man…”
Winston replies laughing.
Fixi starts playing his accordion and Winston takes a walk around the square, singing “Garden of Love”.
Somewhere on the distant horizon hundreds of people are running the marathon as we enjoy our prive concert at the Omonoia.
Everyday life in this place is like a marathon. That Sunday was set aside for rest.
varvaresso 