We climbed the steps of Anafiotika on a recent springtime Sunday, past cafes and tavernas already filled with tourists, to reach the top of Tholou Street. For 62 years now, Apanemia has stood on this picturesque spot in Athens’ Plaka district; it is one of the city’s most historic “boîtes” (small, cozy live music venues inspired by the French “boîtes de nuit”) – and the only one left in the area.
Live music drifted from the open door, a blend of jazz, funk, “entechno” songs, with a distinctly progressive edge. The band Irthan ta Imera, a group of 20-somethings from the northern port city of Thessaloniki, was rehearsing songs from its debut album, “Laimargos Aprilis” (Gluttonous April), with music composed by Kostis Paleoyannis. Well-known singer-songwriter Kostas Hatzis was due to perform on the same stage the next day, as he does every Monday.
“My vision was to bring together the old generation with the new – to connect the old ‘New Wave’ with the current one,” says author and songwriter Panos Dimitropoulos, who has owned Apanemia for the past 16 years. “Over the years, we’ve hosted artists such as Nikos Xydakis, Konstantinos Vita (K. Bhta), Leonidas Balafas, Babis Stokas and others in a single week.”
We met him just before the evening’s performance, in the venue’s basement – a throwback to another era, with a sofa, a chessboard and a bar in the same room. There, under warm yellow lighting and surrounded by photographs of Cavafy and other poets, musicians rehearse, joke and prepare before stepping out in front of the audience.
Nursery for artists
“This space has never stopped functioning as a nursery for emerging artists,” notes Dimitropoulos. “Although it has hosted major names, its door is always open to young artists who fit its style and have something new to offer. The goal is to bring together artists of all ages, not only well-known ones – a vision that also matches our age-diverse audience.” It is one of those places where elderly people and very young audiences share the same tastes in music and atmosphere – and often the same table. “An important factor is that many youngsters were introduced to the boîte by their parents or grandparents. They have similar musical tastes to them and enjoy ‘entechno’ music. We had a man come in with his 17-year-old granddaughter to listen to music together,” he says.
Social media has also played a significant role in spreading Apanemia’s reputation among Gen Z. “Videos from this space have often gone viral, giving us visibility among younger audiences as well. The atmosphere is so unique that someone always wants to capture a moment. We often say that young people are looking for such places – authentic ones,” the owner says.
“We chose to present our first work here because, for us, it is a historic venue and well known among people our age who love music. It is also important that the people you meet here are discerning – they come to listen, not just to drink,” says Paleoyannis before taking his place behind the microphone. “You don’t get what happens at most live music venues, where everyone talks over the music.”
The clock shows a quarter past nine, and I notice that most of those who have already arrived are switching their phones to silent. Friends of the band stop briefly in the basement to wish them good luck before heading back upstairs, while a ritualistic sense of anticipation fills the air, as strangers share tables.
“There are no distances here. One person is right next to the other. That is what a boîte is,” says the owner, referring to the space next to the stage, which holds only 70-80 people. “The venue, fittingly for the genre, is small and exudes the atmosphere of a different era. In truth, anyone arriving with expectations of the comfort of a large stage will find that this is not the experience here.” The tables and stools are all tightly packed a short distance from the stage. We stand almost beside the musicians, surrounded by dozens of people on either side. “This is a very important part of the history of boîtes: When people touch one another, many become one. And when that happens, a certain magic happens that cannot be described unless you have experienced it,” Dimitropoulos says.
The history
Boîtes are a French phenomenon originating on the Left Bank of the Seine, associated with the more alternative and progressive circles of Paris. They were small venues – in French boîte means “little box” – where artists performed with a piano or guitar, singing without microphones in an entirely minimalist setting. According to Dimitropoulos, the trend arrived in Athens thanks to composer Giannis Spanos in the 1960s.
Apanemia was first opened by singer-songwriter Mary Dalakou and poet Spyros Kampanis, taking its name from one of Kampanis’ poems. “At the beginning, it functioned purely as a meeting place for artists. They served vermouth and coffee, and important figures – not only performers but also poets such as Nikos Kavvadias – were regular visitors. People came her to to discuss lyrics, language and music.”
This tiny venue in Plaka has hosted all generations of great musicians: Markos Vamvakaris, Mikis Theodorakis, Dionysis Savvopoulos and, of course, Spanos, who performed there regularly in the last years of his life. The walls are covered with their photographs, bearing witness to a 62-year history that continues to unfold and welcome new generations.
“One scene I will never forget was during a Giannis Spanos evening, when Leonidas Balafas went on stage with a guitar, sang a song, and Manos Eleftheriou was clapping along, with the audience joining in,” Dimitropoulos says. “Here, you might find yourself sitting next to an artist who fills stadiums, singing with him, and talking as if this were the most natural thing in the world.”
Greek identity
Although it is located in one of the most touristy areas of Athens, Apanemia is not the kind of place typically listed in a city guide. The few tourists who do find it, its owner notes, discover a space unlike anything else they’ve seen in the capital. “We used to receive letters from all over the world, with visitors thanking us for the evening they spent here. Now we receive messages on social media, full of gratitude for having discovered us during their holidays,” he says. Despite the turnout – dozens of people, as we observed, sitting outside just to listen to the music – he never considered changing the venue’s identity by expanding the space or adding other types of music to the program. “You cannot arbitrarily change a place like this. I remember in New Orleans, at the venue where jazz began, there weren’t even chairs. People would come in, sit on the floor, listen for half an hour and leave. That is what I have tried to preserve here – the layers of time that are imprinted on these walls.”
His aim also remains the preservation of the boîte’s distinctly Greek musical identity. “I respect foreign music. Some foreign pieces are played here, too, but we definitely do not do purely English-language or jazz nights. The core is always Greek music.”