Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni is forcing private businesses such as hotels to play a minimum quota of Greek music. With a bill submitted to public consultation out of the blue, the Culture Minister of the conservative government has triggered an outrage not only in the hoteliers organizations but also among the society.
“An unpleasant surprise is the regulations of the Culture Ministry is an unpleasant surprise. […] This is state interventionism that sets us back many years,” the Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers said in a press release on Monday morning, threatening to use all Greek and European legal means.
Officially the Ministry claims that the enforced quota to the publicly performed musical repertoire is “the preservation and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage, the protection and enhancement of the Greek-language song and the orchestral musical performance of the Greek-language song and the protection and diffusion of the Greek language, in the context of the preservation and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage.”
The quota of 45% in total of the music transmission is to be imposed in the commonly-used areas of hotels (lobby, elevators etc), shopping malls and centers, casinos, transport means and waiting lounges at airports, ports and stations…
The provisions of the bill reportedly include the extension of the advertising time limit for radio stations with a foreign language repertoire that will increase the transmission of Greek-language songs (the possibility is given for up to 30% more advertisements, in case the increase in the Greek-language repertoire exceeds 50%), the determination rate of performance of Greek-language songs in public spaces with music (at least 45% for hotels, shopping malls, casinos and public transport waiting areas), the creation of an online database for Greek-language songs and orchestral music by Greek composers.
Operators of areas with music must submit, within the first two weeks of each calendar semester the list of performances to the Intellectual Property Organization
At the same time, the bill states that Greek audiovisual and cinematographic films financed by the State “are obliged to incorporate Greek-language songs or an orchestral musical performance of a Greek-language song at a minimum rate of seventy percent (70%) of the total musical investment of the production or the film”.
In the bill under consultation, fines from 2,000 to 20,000 euros will be imposed to those violating the relevant provisions.
Speaking to Skai FM on Monday, Mendoni claimed “we give motivation to have Greek music be heard more often.”
Unofficially and based on what Greek music creators and performers posted on social media, the aim of such a provision is to increase the revenues of the company collecting fees for “Intellectual Property Organization.”
The above mentioned organization responded positive to the bill that will benefit Greek composers and lyricists, performers and in general contributors to Greek-language song.
But, next to the Hoteliers Federation, also the society is largely against the bill and criticized it with lots of ironic comments.
“First Promo video for the Coldpplay concert in Athens, conform with the Medonia bill.”
Ανέβηκε το 1ο promo video για τη συναυλία των Coldplay στην Αθήνα, μετά το νέο νόμο της Μενδώνη για την ποσόστωση σε ελληνικά τραγούδια! pic.twitter.com/hk3xhCqYWz
— Δραχμαντινετζάντ (@giopsos) March 4, 2024
“Metal-fans in secret bar to avoid Mendoni’s bill.”
Μεταλαδες σε κρυφό μπαρ ακούνε μουσική αποφευγοντας το νόμο Μενδωνη pic.twitter.com/bon97C0dLP
— Μοχθηρή Σαλούφα (@eteogs) March 4, 2024
Others said that “Mendoni will create the appropriate lists on Spotify” and some are expecting the Culture minister to expand the measure to other sectors.
“Italian restaurants will be obliged to serve mousaka once per week, while Chinese ones will serve tzarziki as side dish.”
Υποχρεωτικά μια φορά την εβδομάδα θα σερβίρουν μουσακά τα ιταλικά εστιατόρια και καθημερινά συνοδευτικό τζατζίκι τα κινέζικα #μενδωνη
— Mpaountolino (@mpaountolino) March 2, 2024
An internet user recalled that “the last Greek Culture Minister before Mendoni to enforce hotels to play specific music was Konstantinos panagiotakis in 1972 [that is two years before the fall of the colonels’ dictatorship].
Για τους λάτρεις της στατιστικής, να αναφέρω ότι ο τελευταίος υπουργός Πολιτισμού πριν από τη Μενδώνη που επέβαλε στα ξενοδοχεία τι μουσική θα παίζουν, ήταν ο Κωνσταντίνος Παναγιωτάκης. Το 1972.
— Χρήστος Φασούλας (@chrisfas_61) March 3, 2024
Others asked whether Trap music that promotes violence, drugs and sexism is also included in the Greek song heritage.
POLL: And you? What do you think?
Loading ...PS keep in mind that this neo-liberal government legislates only if friends or state registers earn money…
Let the Greek MPs vote on it after a debate. Why not? Why should the entire world through globalist pressure adopt modern western music? I am an American and I say that. Every country should encourage that the music in the language of the people is played a bit. Modern Greek artist should be given a chance to have their music get air time everywhere instead of flooding the world with music from the US and UK. Again, let the people’s representatives decide after a debate.
it’s the genre that matter not the country, I love jazz, opera & classic, pop and country, you name it. Firthermore Greek quality music died over 30-40 years ago.
Every setting needs a different type of music,a dentist waiting room doesnt need modern Greek electric bouzouki with a male singing like amputation without anesthetic,something soothing on the fear,1930/40s Greek jazz with lovely singing would be very nice but they hardly play it,you cant expect tourists to listen to that amputation stuff that Greeks gyrate to in night clubs.Of course a countrys music should be listened to like Irish traditional music but Greece seems unfortunately to have lost it along the way as well as its culture.
I’m not sure why such a law is necessary. Where I live virtually every single taverna plays Greek music 100% of the time. I know one taverna that doesn’t play any Greek music at all, it is known for playing blues and jazz. I don’t think that is going to significantly undermine Greek culture in the area.
My main problem is that Greeks only seem happy if the music is playing at a level that makes your ears bleed. I go to a taverna to talk to friends and would be happy with no music at all or at worst someone quietly strumming in the background.
All entertainment is selected based on merit , the French do similar crazy legalative bollocks to protect their language, and culture .Its nanny state to the extreme and should be avoided , if young people lean towards other cultures it’s probably because there own is failing to include them.