The Greek duo Xylouris White brings its Cretan-flavored traditional music to El Crisol at Exo Coffee on Friday, Dec. 13.
Tucson world music ensemble Kyklo — fronted by Paul Aimel — will make a rare Tucson appearance to open the show.
Kyklo, which is coming out of a recent retirement from playing live, performs music from Turkey, Greece, Armenia, Ireland, Bulgaria, Egypt, Morocco, Spain, France and other parts of the world, which is a great segue to Xylouris White’s mostly Greek music.
Xylouris White is Georgios Xylouris from Greece on Cretan laouto and vocals, and his Australian partner Jim White on drum kit.
The two musicians have been friends for 25 years and bandmates for just four, combining their traditional Cretan music that combines Xylouris’ laouto — a long-neck fretted instrument popular in Greece and Cyprus that belongs in the lute family — and White’s percussion. The pair have recorded several records on the Drag City label.
Friday’s concert at El Crisol, 403 N. Sixth Ave., begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $12 in advance at exocoffee.com or $15 day of show.
El Crisol was formerly Exo Bar before the owner changed the name and refocused the space tucked into the backend of the popular Exo Roasters coffee shop to mezcal. El Crisol is the city’s first mezcalería.
