Greek music icon Peggy Zina is set to make her long-awaited debut performance at the Hellenic Club of Canberra on May 2, 2025. Ahead of her performance, she spoke exclusively with The Greek Herald about her deep connection with the Greek community in Australia, her musical journey, and what fans can expect at the upcoming concert.
How is Australia?
I have been here many times since 2006 until today. I have a close relationship with the Greeks of Australia and I feel that they are a little more Greek than those of us who live in Greece.
You have been singing for over 30 years and have left your own mark on Greek music. What inspires you to continue, especially in countries like Australia?
The only thing that inspires me is the love of the people. What makes me continue is neither showbiz nor readership nor the glory and lights that our work has. The only thing that moves me is that if you can touch people’s souls with your song and keep them company from one end of the world to the other, that for me is therapy, it is a purpose. Knowing that you are keeping someone company even though you don’t know them personally. That is the main reason I do this job. That I help some people to externalise their emotions, to laugh, to dance, to cry. Emotions are life and they have to come out of us and we have to live them all.
It will be the first time you will sing at the Hellenic Club in Canberra. What can your fans expect on the night?
We will ‘inaugurate’ Canberra. My program will be exactly the same. In the era we live in, what we do is greatly influenced by social media. So, we must not present anything less anywhere. That’s why wherever I sing, I have my entire team, musicians, singers and sound engineers with me so that the show comes out the way I present it in Greece.
Has your music changed over the years? Which songs would you most like to sing to the Australian audience?
We made a selection of my own songs that have been loved the most by the world. They haven’t changed too much, they are just now in a more emotional and popular style.
We have great songs and we must pass them on to the new generations. Especially to the generations that have been born in Australia, in America… They have them in their DNA, but they don’t yet know them from their parents. We must pass on our great composers and singers. What we have done, therefore, is to include great, old Greek songs and make them known to the new generations: Mitropanos, Kazantzidis, Moscholiou, Sakellariou, Vanou, and Poulopoulos.
Greeks abroad have a deep love for your music. How is it to sing for the Greek community and especially in cities like Canberra compared to Greece?
It is very moving because it is like meeting an audience for the first time, to which you have to reintroduce yourself. This renews you and makes you feel like you are taking your first steps. It has a sweet anxiety, a sweet anticipation to create a relationship that will last for many years. We have built this with Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide for at least 20 years. Now we will build it with both Canberra and Brisbane.
Event Details:
- Date:Â Friday, 2nd May 2025
- Doors Open: Show starts at 8:30pm – doors open from 8pm. Arrive early to enjoy dinner and drinks before the show.
- Venue:Â Hellenic Club of Canberra, 1 Matilda Street, Woden
- Accommodation: Official ABODE HOTELS CANBERRA – promo code for 15% discount from Fri 2nd May until Sunday 4th May – promo code is PEGGY.
- Tickets:Â Available here.
