"Art and Culture are organically related with the progress of a certain society or a people. It’s not irrelevant that cultural progress goes hand in hand with social progress. When dealing with the culture of peoples, you are actually dealing with a peoples’ history."

Konstantinos Roumeliotis: Art of Living

Konstantinos Roumeliotis was born in the beautiful island of Mytilene, Greece in 1972. His relationship with writing began at an early stage. When he was still an infant, he started writing mom and dad in his old shoes (a Greek saying quite untranslated). He kept on at the same pace during kindergarten and middle and high school. He studied Business Administration but no one offered his business to him to run it and, thus, became freelance writer and content creator in an online magazine.

"The world of art and, especially, the world of music entails risk and experimentation. If you think about it, today we realize that Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd were way ahead of their time. So, I suppose every era has the music it deserves." (Photo: Konstantinos Roumeliotis, Greece)

His dream is to become a philosopher, but also a thinker and an opinion leader (not necessarily in this order!!!)

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Art and Culture influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Art and Culture are organically related with the progress of a certain society or a people. It’s not irrelevant that cultural progress goes hand in hand with social progress. When dealing with the culture of peoples, you are actually dealing with a peoples’ history.

How important was music in your life? How does music affect your mood and inspiration?

My whole life revolves around music. When I recall my childhood years, and the summers I spent at my mom’s village, my grandfather comes to mind, singing while tending his sheep. This image made a great impression on me as a child. I remember myself making friends at school just by naming and sharing the kind of music we all listened to. For me, a day without music is not a good day…    

What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

I am struggling to not thinking in such a way because, in this way, we are not paying much attention to all the great things that take place right now. Every era has its own music, either good or bad. Moreover, regarding music, something that I don’t like might sound interesting to others (ha ha). The world of art and, especially, the world of music entails risk and experimentation. If you think about it, today we realize that Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd were way ahead of their time. So, I suppose every era has the music it deserves.    

If you could change one thing in the world of art and it would become a reality, what would that be?

Art has its own way to survive and develop over time. I don’t think it needs us to make changes. I would add something, though. In my opinion, art demands education. This kind of education needs to begin from our early schoolyears and go all the way up to the higher levels of education. Art doesn’t need to be addressed only to the few, as is the case today with opera performances, abstract painting and modern sculpture. 

"The difficulties we currently deal with show that today nobody cares about art, at least in Greece. However, art in all forms is necessary. It is, also, therapeutic. Art brings out the best of us." (Photo: Konstantinos Roumeliotis & Achilleas Kyriakidis, writer/director, known for Nebraska, 2008)

Which meetings have been the most important experiences for you? What was the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I suppose you mean intellectuals that I have met in person to talk about their work. What I have learnt is that the bigger someone’s status and work, the humbler and more humane they were. Regarding the wiser and better piece of advice I have ever gotten from anyone, it was something I heard from a man who has become a symbol in Modern Greek history, perhaps in World history as well. This man was Manolis Glezos, (Greek left-wing politician, journalist, author, and folk hero, best known for his participation in the World War II resistance), a true hero. Once, he happened to be in my area for an event and I was there to pay respect to him by attending. At the end of the event, I approached him in order to thank him for his fights for a better society. His response was: “If you really want to thank me, give your own fights. That’s the only way we can make progress as a society!” A true hero and a real fighter!      

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the journalist paths?

We are all capable of good and evil.

What is the impact of art on the socio-cultural implications? How do you want the art to affect people?

The difficulties we currently deal with show that today nobody cares about art, at least in Greece. However, art in all forms is necessary. It is, also, therapeutic. Art brings out the best of us.    

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

Bethel, New York, 15 August 1969 (Woodstock music festival). I guess time passed by differently back then (ha ha) so I would have to spend more than one day, perhaps all three days of the festival. There is, actually, a saying about Woodstock which goes like: “Whoever says that they remember Woodstock, they are lying because those who were really there, can’t remember anything”.

(Photo: Konstantinos Roumeliotis & Greek singer, Foteini Velesiotou)