It was a muffled laugh at eric's joke...
I nearly came across Athena 3 years ago (I think), just before the fRoots campaign on her behalf and her subsequent UK tour. She became my MySpace "friend", which means bugger all of course. On hearing that she was thinking of coming to the UK I offered to meet, exchange views etc, given her own mixed parentage. never heard back from her (or from whoever was managing MySpace for her, as I now believe). I listened to her stuff on MySpace - good voice I thought, though too clinical delivery for my taste; and the arrangements were very good indeed, but I was not taken with her own songs. I found many of the tunes too much in the style of Hadjidakis, i.e. passe - sort of 70s and 80s Greek contemporary; and the lyrics were OK, but didn't set the world on fire for me either.

I wish her well, there will be many who will like her and as I said her voice is indeed good. And for those who were not brought up on Hadjidakis songs in their youth (i.e. most of the UK), the songs will have sufficient interest.

But I see her inclusion in the series as a promotional affair, rather than a useful episode in explaining UK folk and the influences on it. A little like the celebrities appearing on chat shows only because they have something to promote.