The arrival of house music in Europe did not originate in the sprawling clubs of London or Berlin. Instead, it began with a fateful moment in America that combined pure coincidence with a heavy historical lineage. The man who brought the first house vinyl records to the continent, Haris Broumidis, carried a storied name: he was a descendant of Constantino Brumidi, the historic artist celebrated as the "Michelangelo of America" for creating the iconic frescoes inside the United States Capitol.

The discovery of this new sound happened in the most unexpected way. In the early 1980s, while visiting America, Haris Broumidis found himself needing to use the restroom in a building. While looking for it, he suddenly heard a raw, revolutionary electronic rhythm pulsing through the walls. Captivated by the sound, he followed the music downstairs into a clean basement—an authentic underground haven where the heartbeat of house music was being born.

Being a DJ himself with a deep passion for musical innovation, he immediately tracked down and purchased the first original house pressings to bring back to Corfu.

The true magic unfolded on the turntables of La Perla. Haris did not simply deliver the records; he stepped into the DJ booth alongside resident DJ Kostas Kavvadias. Playing back-to-back, sharing the decks, the duo created what are widely considered the very first house B2B sets in Europe. The underground pulse of America spread over the shores of Agios Georgios, establishing La Perla as the absolute birthplace of European house culture.

“The House”: The Proof of a European First

The reaction from the audience to this new rhythm was almost visceral. Captivated by the warmth and intimacy of the music, the crowd spontaneously began referring to La Perla simply as "the house." The remarkable truth behind this name is that they did so entirely unaware of the English word "House" as a musical genre. They were simply reflecting the welcoming energy of the venue.

This sonic revolution was so far ahead of its time that during that seminal summer, Chris Davis—the established BBC radio DJ who had taken over as artistic director at La Perla—admitted he had never heard house music before in his life. At a time when the official broadcasting network of Great Britain was unaware of the genre's existence, La Perla already had it on heavy rotation. This admission stands as definitive historical proof that house music first stepped onto European soil right here in Corfu.

The Intersection of Legends: DJ Agios, Lorenzo, and “The Professor”

The musical heritage of La Perla continued to intertwine with the deep roots of Greek club culture. The decks were subsequently graced by DJ Agios (Argyris), the longest-serving DJ in Greece. Argyris had originally launched his mythical career playing alongside Stavros at the historic venue owned by Kostas Tournas in Kypseli, Athens.

From there, the paths of these two pioneers took separate but equally iconic directions. Argyris went on to become the legendary resident DJ of the mythical club Lorenzo. Meanwhile, Stavros relocated to the heart of London, emerging as one of the true architects of the early British rave movement.

After years of touring and headlining major European electronic stages, Stavros eventually returned to honor the turntables of La Perla. The vast technical expertise and underground knowledge he brought back from the Mecca of rave rightfully earned him the title he carries to this day: “The Professor.”

The Unforgettable Anniversary: Peter’s Sonic Subversion & The Soul of Stelios Barzoukas

The deep underground education cultivated by the residents and curators of La Perla allowed the venue to consistently host and appreciate world-class avant-garde artists. The ultimate realization of this occurred during a legendary anniversary party featuring Peter (James Dean Brown) as the guest headliner. As a core pillar of Perlon—the highly influential Berlin label that shaped the minimal house sound—and co-founder of the project Narcotic Syntax alongside Zip, Peter arrived ready to deliver a masterclass in underground culture.

Serving as the resident DJ that unforgettable night was Stelios Barzoukas, the iconic and dearly missed radio producer whose unique artistic vision set the perfect tone for the evening. His spirit remains permanently etched into every corner and every beat of La Perla.

The atmosphere was electric, with a packed house eagerly anticipating heavy Berlin techno. However, Peter, working in tandem with Stelios to read the room, chose to play a profound musical mind game. Taking over the garden stage, he began spinning an unexpected, sophisticated blend of Jazz and Latin rhythms. For hours, he held the crowd in suspense. Unprepared for this direction, many grew restless and left, assuming the night would continue in that vein.

Peter, acting as a true underground selector, was waiting for the landscape to clear. During those long hours of anticipation, a striking, surreal scene unfolded right next to the DJ booth: a Russian painter stood by Peter's side, dancing completely untamed and without pause through the entire journey. Framed behind her as a hypnotic background were the signature fires of La Perla—flames that burned continuously through the whole summer without ever fading out.

As dawn broke and only the most dedicated, discerning clubbers remained, Peter shifted gears completely and began playing with relentless, uncompromising intensity. The garden transformed into a pure rave, and the set that followed burned itself forever into the memories of those who stayed until sunrise.

A Timeless Sanctuary for Electronic Music

This unique energy and historic weight cemented La Perla as a legendary destination. Over the decades, it has remained a vital meeting point for the global and domestic electronic music communities. The venue has consistently hosted elite producers and DJs from the world's most influential underground record labels—including Perlon, Mr. C’s iconic Superfreq, Get Physical, and Crosstown Rebels—while continuously providing a platform for the most pioneering Greek electronic artists. Every selector has left a distinct mark on these turntables, continuing a legacy that began when house music first opened its eyes in Europe.

With La Perla opening to the arts, Stavros’s musical knowledge helped create the setting for an evening that brought the whole space together.

Giota Aggelaki envisioned this meeting of music and art. The renowned fashion designer and now author united the spirit of the space with the arts, putting together a major, avant-garde event centered around the concept of Love.

Crucial to this effort was the role of Elvira Metallinou. As a gifted graphic designer, visual communication designer, and publisher with a deep aesthetic education, Elvira became Giota's right hand. She took on the task of breathing life into the vision of that night, organizing the backstage and the production of the entire project with absolute precision and high artistry. She was the anchor behind the curtains.

Within this flawlessly set atmosphere, renowned painters from Corfu filled our "home," while the Sorbonne Professor, Demosthenes Davvetas, joined us. Davvetas gifted the audience a breathtaking performance, marrying poetry with painting. Reciting his love verses live, he simultaneously captured his emotions with colors on a canvas right on stage. Beside him, Stavros laid down the ideal musical carpet to accompany this absolute artistic ritual.

Demosthenes was—and remains—a monumental, commanding presence in Greek and international letters. As Giota beautifully put it, he is a "brilliant mind." His presence that night at Laperla was prophetic of the stature of this man. Shortly after that event, the Prime Minister of Greece officially called him back from the Sorbonne, honoring him with the position of Special Advisor for Cultural Affairs at the Maximos Mansion. This development filled us with immense joy and pride; it was the ultimate validation that Laperla wasn't just hosting events, but was becoming a sanctuary and a meeting point for the country’s finest minds.

Alongside Elvira’s invaluable contribution behind the scenes, the night culminated on stage and reached its literal "resurrection" through the exceptional voice of her sister, Anastasia Metallinou. Anastasia, a rare Corfiot personality who magically balances science and art—holding a PhD in Astrophysics while being a graduate in Monody—sent shivers of emotion through the crowd. With her magnificent, lyrical voice, filled with celestial energy, she performed pieces that took us on a journey to the grand opera houses of the world.

When the lights of the performance finally went down, the space did not fade into darkness. It remained bathed in the glow of hundreds of small candles scattered across every corner of Laperla. In the background, acting as a natural backdrop to the event, the company of a crackling fire completed the scene. In absolute silence, where everything had now turned into soft whispers, we all knew very well that what we had just experienced was not merely an event, but history being written live right before our eyes.

La Perla began to expand its creative programme, supported by distinguished artists and university professors who helped shape the next chapter.

Nikos Touliatos, the professor and percussion virtuoso who had opened the cultural events alongside the then Minister of Culture Thanos Mikroutsikos when Thessaloniki became the Cultural Capital of Europe, presented his work at Laperla accompanied by the vocals of Liza Vissi. Soon after, the great American saxophonist David Lynch performed on the stage alongside Yiotis Kiourtsoglou and Stavros Lantsias, followed by Mode Plagal and many other leading figures of the jazz scene.

From the world of tango, the Argentine Gilberto Pereira, the master of the bandoneon, founder of Sexteto Sur, and top soloist of Tango Nuevo who has performed with the likes of Sting, came to leave his own indelible mark. Alongside him, the space was honored by the presence of the great dancer Monteleone, who made history by creating the choreographies and teaching Madonna how to dance tango for the movie “Evita”.

Next, the Berlin-based Italian jazz pianist, composer, and producer Alex Trebo, a graduate in musicology and jazz piano from the University of Bologna whose composition "Three Times Bossa" was selected by Woody Allen for the soundtrack of his film “To Rome with Love”, brought a unique live performance with a DJ set. Together with Filippo Sgauro, an exceptional DJ and a world-class pole vaulter, they delivered a historic night. Naturally, many local artists took the stage as well, supporting the entire endeavor.

People from the local community played an essential part in this evolution. Kostas Kavvadias, La Perla’s first DJ, alongside Eleni Tsilikou and Andreas Pandis, brought theater and art performance into the space, breathing a new life into it. In this same shared effort, the Greek-American poet Tryfon Tolides, a recipient of the National Poetry Series, left his own distinct mark.

The next transformation—from performance space to handmade homes—continues in Remaking the place.

This photograph captures a whole era, full of energy, youthful passion, and our own unique story during the party before my daughter’s wedding, scheduled for the very next day! We had the honor of hosting 12 Tones on stage, alongside the Sends crew—the team who would later go on to create the Phaex Festival. The music continued until morning, making it a family celebration that everyone who was there will remember.