Reflecting on the contemporary yet timeless struggles of physical and ideological displacement, Valia Calda’s music draws inspiration from the themes of migration and exile. The group emerged into the London jazz scene in 2013, led by guitarist Nikos Ziarkas and Thodoris Ziarkas. Their music is rooted in the folk music of Epirus, Greece and psychedelic jazz, which also tangles with punk inspired guitar riffs and modal improvisations.
“My homeland is where hate, I have given
And hate, deeper than any place else, I have received”
— Yiannis Aggelakas
Back from the silence of the pandemic the band explores a new sonic universe in their third album ‘Homeland’ which was released in May 2023 by Deep Mountain Records. The album has been voted "The Best Jazz on Bandcamp: May 2023", and "Best albums of 2023 for the Quietus" and has received international radio plays on KEXP, BBC, Worldwide FM, NTS, Soho Radio, ERT. Valia Calda integrates a diverse spectrum of sounds, mixing in their long meditative improvisations, psychedelic aesthetics with elements from folk traditions and explosive drum beats.
Line up:
Jonathan Chung – tenor saxophone
Nikos Ziarkas – guitar/electronics
Thodoris Ziarkas – double bass
Nick Thessalonikefs – drums
