Womad 2016: Greece is the word

Savina Yannatou. PHOTO SUPPLIED

If your travel bucket-list includes a trip to magical Greece, but the funds aren't ready yet, you could do a whole lot worse than taking in Savina Yannatou and her band Primavera en Salonico at Womad 2016.

You'll capture the very essence of Greek and traditional Mediterranean songs, delivered by a stunning voice, aided by a six piece ensemble that is both intense and exhilarating.

Savina sings the songs of Greece, Spain, Turkey, Albania, Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica and Arabia in their original dialects delivering a unique sound to the accompaniment of accordion, guitar, violin, double bass, and local instruments like the oud, ney and quanum.

Savina Yannatou. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Primavera en Salonico was formed in 1995 so together with Savina they've refined their music so that it's tight, expressive and conveys passion, enthusiasm and brilliance in spades.

While they choose not to play their own compositions Savina and Primavera en Salonico make the traditional songs they play their own, by their improvisations and by their high levels of musicality.

They're also no strangers to large audiences, having already appeared at earlier Womads, as well as in China, England, Germany, Austria and other European countries.

With Womad 2016 at New Plymouth's Bowl of Brooklands now only days away, on the weekend of March 18 - 20, it would pay to add these Greek musical maestros to your must-see list as their infectious sounds will undoubtedly add a few more thousand fans to their popularity.