Reviews of LPs
1.    "San Hfaisteio pou xypna"/"Like a Volcano Waking"
         Coming to you soon....
Reviews of Performances
1.    On her latest MASTERLY performance at the Municipal Theatre of Pireaus:
        a. A review by Anna Vlavianou  (in the newspaper "To Vhma").
            Currently, only in Greek.
        b. A review by George D. Sarigiannis (in the newspaper "Ta Nea").
            Currently, only in Greek.

2. On her performance in London, at the Palace Theatre, the PRESS RELEASE.

3. On the divine performance with Stamatis Kraounakis at Diogenis Studio:

a. This site's review

b. A review by www.in.gr

a. Paulos I. Agiannidis, TA NEA (16.01.1999)

"Alkestis skates on thin ice..... Scenes from the "Coming Soon" of a ...transformation. Of the woman on the stage, who is no other than Alkestis Protopsalti. However, it's another Alkestis, fragile as she breaths songs, on a lower-pitched tone. Explosive and scalding, rising "Like a Volcano" and talking to her "other self". It's the Alkestis, who reserved her energy, for so long, who let her wait become Art and allowed a very good young choreographer, Dimitris Papaioannou (of the active "Omada Edafous"), to guide her steps into her new "schema"...
 

b. Maria Vlahopoulou, ELEUTHEROTYPIA (03.03.1998)

One woman show and simultaneously a team work.
 

A musical performance on a theatrical stage, with rhythms, however, of a movie. The viewer of Alkestis Protopsalti's performance "Like a Volcano Rising" at the Municipal Theatre of Pireaus has the feeling that speech - i.e. the songs that Lina Nikolakopoulou chose - embraced the icon in a show totally professional, that primarily respects the Greek Song.

Time, during the performance, flows like water. Protopsalti is enchanted and carried away by the mild interpretation imposed by the theatrical stage and responds deservedly to her complex role....
 

c. Anna Vlavianou, TO BHMA (08.03.1998)

Choreographed Song

With courage of soul. With discipline of body. With sensitivity of voice. On the stage of the Municipal Theatre of Pireaus it is as if Alkestis Protopsalti finally found all the pieces of the puzzle she wanted to create, and she did just so.

Not only is the singer at her best. Lina Nikolakopoulou who created the scenario is also at her best, the same goes to Nikos Antypas, who is in charge of the music and plays drums with the spirit of a teenager musician. A complete show..

"Alkestis Protopsalti in Berlin - The German found the Volcano" by Nikos Moraitis (translation of the article in the Difono issue 44 May 1999 p.18)

When the greekgerman producer Asteris Koutoulas suggested to Alkestis Protopsalti to present "San Ifestio pou xypna" / "Like a Volcano rising" (a record with commercial success in Germany) in a church in Berlin, she replied that she would do it, if a very good guitar player would agree to accompany her, so as to present to the audience a minimal version of the 'Volcano", that would suit the place.  She immediately thought of Vaggelis Bountounis, she dialed his telephone number and she expressed her desire to work with him. He - a top player of classic guitar having prenticed with Andre Segovia and Manos Hatzidakis- did not know Protopsalti's record, he asked her to listen to it, and, after listening to it carefully, he accepted the challenge.

And while both began rehearsals denuding Nikos Antypas' music from its electronic wrapping, in Germany one city after the other requested from A. Koutoulas to experience the "Lava". Thus, the one concert in Berlin became six (Frankfurt, Nuremberg, Amburg, as well as Copenhagen in Denmark and Amsterdam in Holland). So "Volcano Minimal", the initial title of the program, became maximal regarding the places and the duration of the tour. Additionally, the meeting of a player of classic guitar with an important singer extended the repertoire, and it included songs of Manos Hatzidakis (Athanasia, H mpalanda tou Ouri, Marianthh, O efialths ths Persefonhs, H mpalanda twn aisthhsewn kai twn paraisthhsewn), songs of Mikis Theodorakis (Faidra), of Stamatis Kraounakis (H swthria ths psyxhs, Douleia, Yperwkeanio, Mpouloukia), as well as songs of Goran Bregovic.  With these songs in their luggage they gave their first performance (19/03) in a protestant church in Berlin, which, besides its everyday function, hosts cultural events with ethnic music for the past 15 years.  Its name is Church of Pash, but the only pathos there that night was of Alkestis Protopsalti's voice and of Vaggelis Bountounis' guitar.  A pathos hard to describe with words, except for random thoughts put down on paper: It was the first time we saw Protopsalti with eyes so moist.  A singer with a fit body, voice and emotions, could not hide that she was moved.  Protopsalti did not climb stairs, she did not need a director, she did not employ her flexibility to present a show and she thus offered the most unadorned, precious and full performance possible.  She stood behind the microphone and placed her voice in front.  At first she had her hands behind her back (a sign of unease or devoutness?), to set them free afterwards and to use them in serving the icons of the songs.  It was the first time we listened to the specific songs so naked, however so pricelessly dressed.  Can you imagine "Mwro" (the Baby), "Lava", "Dithesio" (the two-seated Car) with one guitar, which in the hands of Vaggelis Bountounis was a whole orchestra? And, if this can be true - more or less - in the case of the previously mentioned songs, can you imagine "Venzinadiko" (Gas Station) whole, rhythmic, spreading enthusiasm to the audience that persistently asked for it at the encores?

People were applauding keenly.  At the end of the concert they were tapping their hands on the church seats and the floor with their feet, forcing the artists to four encores.  In observing the faces, you saw that blonde and dark - haired people (the audience was equally comprised of Germans and Greeks living in Germany) were applauding (and ....tramping) with the same fervor.  In a heavy, cloudy and rainy Berlin, a mediterranean Volcano had awakened.  And it was as if its Lava jerked from the central dome of the church to warm up a suffering, before some years a devided, city.