Oh. interview with Anna-Maria Nikolaidou and the awesome team at NGradio.gr! Talking about the the indie music scene, film festival circuit and the road of an independent artist. @ngradio.gr #ngradio #radioshow #interview #radio #webradio #athens #athensgreece

After returning from The French Riviera Film Festival in Cannes and the Paleochora Lost World Film Festival in Crete. Anna-Maria Nikolaidou of NGradio.gr contacted me to do an interview!

I was surprised to find out the station was less than a kilometre away from where I live in Glyfada. When I first saw their website and app, I was really impressed by how high tech they are. Very active on social media and even web-TV. I haven’t encountered another independent radio station in Greece quite like it or even any indie radio station worldwide with such an impressive presence online. The team at NGradio.gr really know what they are doing.

When I arrived there I expected to find a normal one-booth radio station, but I was absolutely blown away by their space.

There are two studios at NGradio.gr. This is the booth for Anna-Maria’s show “Together in the Afternoon”. It also broadcasts on Web-TV live on their website and app. Other shows include “Surfing on Air” with Faia Steiner, “You Have it or You Don’t Have It” with Vassilia Peroglou and “11 to 1” with Haroula Nicolaidou. Many great guests have appeared on their shows like, Eric Burdon, Marinella, Alkistis Propsalti, Eleni Vitali and Marios Fragkoulis.

We talked about living in Greece and New York. About my mentors and journey. There were some deep questions about how it is to work independently and how it related to their station as well. NGradio.gr is grass roots indie station born out of the tireless work of the five founders. So we discussed about the difficulties and joys of being independent. I said to Anna-Maria, that first you really have to love what you do. And if you love it, you will find a way . There is always a path as long as you stick to it and don’t give up. That was the message for other indie artists on the same path. And especially for artists in Greece where there isn’t as much opportunity and support as in other countries. I believe NGradio.gr is changing that.

Not only do they have some great Prog —Camel and Pink Floyd—in their record collection but on top of it they are all musicians!!! with a complete drum set, upright piano and keyboards in the living space. The band is called Charisma and they are having a gig on the 21st of June (so check them out). Isidoros Pateros vocals, bouzouki and guitar, Anna Maria Nikolaidou vocals Haroula Nikolaidou piano and Tasos Peroglou percussion.

Anna Maria Nikolaidou host of “Together in the Afternoon” Program Monday–Friday 16:00–18:00 (Δευτέρα – Παρασκευή 16:00-18:00 στην εκπομπή “Μαζί το Μεσημέρι”!)
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NGradio.gr, the New Generation of the Radio, was founded in 2010 by five very cool young Greek musicians and producers, Tasos Peroglou, Vassilia Peroglou, Anna Maria Nikolaidou, Haroula Nicolaidou and Faia Steiner. They created NGradio.gr to share their love for music and through their communication with listeners, create a global Greek radio community. The station began in a humble apartment in Athens and has grown to a full-facility radio station with multiple WMA awards for Best Radio Station in Europe.

Its radio installations are among the most advanced technologically and has hi-tech PCs and tablets, for instant communication with their listeners. New Generation is an “alternative” and “young in spirit” web radio station, being among the first in terms of listeners in Greece and, in its kind, globally. Its strengths are the internet which gives the Greeks, wherever they live in the world the opportunity to listen wherever they are. NG Radio has 36 radio producers and is an active member in more than 40 social media channels, with loyal audience, who follow the station. In 2012, its program “Special Music Express” was broadcast from RealFM 97.8, with the name “The Angels of Real”, every Saturday and Sunday at 12.00 midnight, for three hours. NG Radio was originally founded as not-for-profit. After the initial period, it became commercial, continuing though to keep its philanthropic profile. Every year, it distributes a substantial part of its revenues to families in need at Perama (Attica), to elderly houses and other institutions.