Essential Albums: Makis Ablianitis - Bahar
Makis Ablianitis's 'Bahar' (2000) - the multi-platinum Mediterranean masterpiece featuring Indian flute legend Hariprasad Chaurasia that proved world music could be borderless.
Imagine if someone told you in 1999 that a Greek guitarist was about to record an album with the legendary Indian flutist who played with George Harrison, plus virtuoso musicians from Macedonia, Armenia, and across the Balkans. You'd probably think they were describing some idealistic world music festival, not a cohesive album that would go multi-platinum and influence countless musicians across the Mediterranean.
But that's exactly what happened with Bahar. Released in December 2000, this album by Makis Ablianitis didn't just bridge cultures—it created an entirely new musical geography where borders dissolved into pure sound.
Twenty-five years later, Bahar remains the gold standard for how traditional music can evolve without losing its soul.
