Band condemns Florina Mayor for halting concert over Slavic-language song
Banda Entopica said the incident occurred on Monday during a performance in the northern Greek city, when Mayor Vasilis Giannakis halted the concert. In a statement shared on social media, the band accused the mayor of using “unacceptable and reprehensible” language, claiming he told the musicians they were not allowed to perform songs in Slavic in Florina.
The band also reported that a member of the audience climbed onto the stage, pushed the group’s trumpeter and threatened to call the police. According to Banda Entopica, only about ten people from an audience of roughly 2,000 reacted negatively.
Banda Entopica said its repertoire includes songs in Greek as well as Slavic, Bulgarian, Turkish, Serbian and Romany, and stressed that it performs music from across the Balkans without promoting hatred, nationalism or division.
Opposition party SYRIZA condemned the incident, accusing the Florina municipality of censorship and warning that the move raised serious concerns about artistic freedom and cultural tolerance.
