NEW YORK – More than 13,000 expatriates are estimated to have attended the concert of the popular Greek singer Konstantinos Argiros, which took place on Saturday night at Barclay’s Center, home to the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

With exclusive statements to The National Herald, Argiros shared the emotions evoked by what he experienced in New York, expressing gratitude to the Greek community, the organizers, the newspaper, and Antonis H. Diamataris, Advisor to the Publishers.

“Last night will remain etched in my heart forever. I want to thank all the people who, with their presence made one of my dreams a reality and allowed me to experience such a unique moment! I also want to say a big thank you to George Karavias and Dream Hospitality for the wonderful collaboration, as well as to Mr. Antonis Diamataris and the ‘Ethnikos Kirikas’. I hope to see you all again soon!” he said.

Indeed, in a scene reminiscent of images from other decades, Greek-Americans of all ages, from the oldest to the youngest, including children and teenagers, as well as from every corner of New York – and beyond – filled every available spot in the arena, making Argiros’ concert one of the most successful in recent years.

The audience  began to arrive at 7:00 PM, with the surrounding area at the main gates of the Barclay’s Center being flooded with people. Nevertheless, the Greek expatriates waited patiently, and the entry process was completed without problems. Just before Argiros’ appearance, as the introductory program with Greek-American singer Evangelia was underway, the arena was already packed and the enthusiasm was overwhelming.

The artist himself, who appeared wearing a Brooklyn Nets jersey, welcomed the audience, and couldn’t hide his excitement at the massive turnout, offering a unique two-and-a-half-hour music and entertainment experience to the audience featuring both older and newer songs that had a great impact.

“Thank you very much. Today we made history here, at the Barclay’s Center, all together,” said Argiros, amidst applause.

The program included songs such as ‘Eleftheros’ (I’m Single), ‘Elpida” (Hope), ‘Athina mou’ (My Athens), ‘Ximeromata’ (Dawns), ‘Telika’ (Finally!), and other well-known pieces, while he collaborated on the song ‘Iliovasilema’ (Sunset) with rapper Light, who also appeared on the stage at Barclay’s.

When the clock struck 11 PM, and according to the venue management’s terms, the concert should have ended, but Argiros extended the program for another 15 minutes, cheerfully mentioning that he would foot the bill.

“They told us at 11 PM to stop and that the charge from now on would be 1,000 euros per minute. It’s okay, I’ll pay for it,” he said.

The atmosphere at the Barclay’s Center was spiced with Greek and Cypriot flags, white handkerchiefs, and the fact that before the start of the program the Greek National Anthem was heard. The concert closed with a medley of island songs, striking a different note from the earlier music.

After the concert, Argiros took photos with expatriates who remained at the venue to congratulate him and meet him in person, despite the fact that the evacuation schedules of the arena were already tight.

Indeed, the staff of the Barclay’s Center had only a few hours at their disposal to reshape the space and bring set up the basketball court, as the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Philadelphia 76ers was scheduled for 3 PM on Sunday.