With the sporadic E conditions in the past few days, Radio Laikos, or 87.6 Laikos from Thessaloniki, Greece, could be received well here in Coevorden. One evening I could listen to them for almost an hour, with wonderful Greek music and occasionally the typical Laikos jingle, as you can hear in the recording below:
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to send them a report via email as it bounced. So I sent a message via Facebook instead. Only to be quite disappointed that the response was nothing more than a thumbs up… it is what it is these days I’m afraid.
Radio Laikos specialises in λαϊκό τραγούδι , which translates as laïko – popular, and tragoúdi – song. Or: Greek folk-pop music. So I guess the name Laikos refers to that as well. That one year of Greek language lessons I took in grammar school does pay off😉.
The station is described as playing “the best Greek repertoire with love and care,” appealing to all ages — from nostalgic older listeners to younger fans of modern Greek music. Since it launch is 2001 it has developed into one of the top-rated local stations in Thessaloniki. And I can see why!
The picture above shows the White Tower of Thessaloniki. I vividly remember how during the height of the Macedonia naming dispute in the 1990s, unofficial souvenir banknotes depicting the White Tower of Thessaloniki were printed in North Macedonia (then Republic of Macedonia). My Greek colleague at the time was rightfully upset (as we would have been if the Chinese all of sudden printed the Dam Square on their banknotes) and it sparked intense anger in Greece, as the tower was viewed as exclusively Greek cultural heritage.
