Meet the rocker from Greece

MANILA, Philippines - He’s Greek to me — literally.

George Sarakinis hails from Greece, where he was born. He was educated in Germany where he later worked as an orthodontist, political consultant, public relations manager and businessman, before coming to Manila and meeting the woman of his dreams.

Married to ballroom dancing empress Becky Garcia, who was once tagged as the “Lambada Queen,” George has come to love the Filipinos and the country. He and Becky met five years ago, while he was in Manila for a business trip.

He was so smitten by Becky that after only two weeks, he proposed marriage to her. “I didn’t know who she was at that time,” George shares. “I didn’t even know she could dance. But we have a lot in common. Even then, I knew I would love her my whole life.”

The multi-lingual George — he speaks Greek, German, Dutch, English, French and is learning Tagalog — did not have a hard time adapting to the Filipino culture, traditions and way of life. He attests there wasn’t any culture shock the moment he decided to live in Manila permanently after his wedding.

“Greeks and Filipinos have a lot in common, especially in values and love for family,” George offers. “Both also have a multi-sectoral society. I wanted to bring here the knowledge that I learned in Europe and share it with Filipinos.”

Being married to someone prominent is something that George doesn’t mind. In the social circle, his wife’s friends started calling him “Becky’s husband.” But there’s more to George than living in the shadow of his more popular partner.

He has a multi-faceted career that takes him to Athens, The Netherlands and Manila. He also goes to Asian countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. In Germany, he hosted a political talk show, Cocktail and Canapes, where he interviewed politicians and became political adviser to some of them. He also participated in a number of political activities.

Despite his exposure to politics, George was never lured to seek any public office. “There’s so much corruption anywhere you go,” he explains. “I want to stay away from that.”

George says his five-year marriage to Becky has been great. “When you fall in love at an age like mine, it is no longer teenage love, it’s companionship,” reasons George, who’s turning 48 in May. “You are looking for someone you want to be with for the rest of your life.

“Becky is a very honest person. She is someone I can trust and respect. What is great about our marriage is that nothing is predictable. It’s rock and roll.”

Throughout his life, George has always been drawn to music. He joined a band as a guitarist when he was a teenager. He also composes songs, sings and plays before an audience.

“I’ve been making music nearly all my life,” George allows. “It gives me a different kind of fulfillment.”

A few years back, he brought his band, The Hard Beats, from Germany to Manila and they got to perform at Hard Rock Café.

“A rocker,” is how George describes himself when it comes to music. “It’s not that I don’t like soft music,” George explains. “But on a night when you have to party, you can sing rock.”

On March 2, George gets to flex his vocal muscles anew and play onstage in a special concert, This Man Called Love, at Merk’s Bar and Bistro, owned by jazz prince Richard Merk and his wife Roni Tapia.

To be backed up by a Filipino band, George’s repertoire will include songs by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran.

Merk’s is a familiar place to George. Whenever Richard invites him to perform there, George always obliges. “Merk’s is an intimate venue that’s why it’s always a pleasure for me to do a show there,” says George.

Even if he has gained considerable headway in music, George does not consider himself a professional musician. “Music is something that I love to do,” he grants. “God gave me a talent to perform, so why don’t I use it? I don’t want to lose that.”