Leaving Athens we enter the Peloponnese peninsula. Although Folk quartet Matzounia were founded in Athens, their members hail from various parts of mainland Greece, including Kyparissia on the Peleponnese. They specialise in traditional dance tunes from Epirus, but also include songs from Macedonia and Albania playing clarinet, lute and other traditional instruments accompanied by their voices. Here is a song from their 2021 album Στο πηγάδι του Αγγλία (in the English Well) called Σκοπός αμαν γιαρει. The album is available on Bandcamp for a pay as you feel like it basis:
Composer and violinist Evanthia Reboutsika was born in 1958 in Kato Achaia on the north side of the Peloponnese near Patras. She is mostly known for her instrumental arrangements and also for scoring for TV series and films. The latter is probably due to her father having owned a cinema in her home town. She learned the violin aged 6 and later toured with her siblings as a string quartet. Her albums became best-sellers in Greece. Here's a live version of her tune An Umbrella Over Vosporos from her 2003 album A Touch of Spice:
Next we are heading onto the mainland to Elassona in the province of Thessaly, where singer/songwriter Thanasis Papakonstantinou was born in 1959. He likes to combine his traditional rembetiko with electronic and experimental notes, even veering into rock. Here is a song called Pehlivanis, originally from his 2000 album Βραχνός Προφήτης, Vrachnos Profitis, which was reissued in 2015.
I'll leave it at that today. Apologies for the long silence between posts, I had some health issues in the last few months. Next time we'll look at some of the music from Thessaloniki. In the meantime you can check my virtual wanderings on my tripline map.
Continuing our exploration of the music of Athens, we encounter the duo of Kristi Stassinopoulou & Stathis Kalyviotis. They have taken the ancient traditional music form of Demotika and added a modern twist coming up with what they call Greekadalia. Kristi sings and plays an Indian Harmonium or a frame drum, whilst Stathis accompanies her with Greek lauto, live looping and electronics, which makes for an hypnotic effect. Here is a song from their 2012 album Greekadalia called Neratzoula Fountomeini:
Singer and composer Marina Satti was born in Athens in 1986 to Cretan and Sudanese heritage. She started playing the piano aged 5 and later went on to study classical singing and eventually jazz composition at Berklee University in the USA. She has written music for films and has done voice overs for animated movies. After several successful singles, she released her debut album Yenna in 2022. Last year she represented Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest. Her style is a blend of various cultural influences as well as pop and electronica. Here's a song from her above mentioned album called Pali:
Jazz-folk fusion band Mode Plagal were formed in Athens in 1990. They combine funky upbeat saxophone-lead jazz with traditional Greek folk inflections. Here is a track from their 1998 album Mode Plagal II called Pikrodafni:
That's it from Athens for today, next we will be exploring more music from the Greek mainland. In the meantime, as usual you can follow my virtual route on my Tripline map.
Arriving back from the Aegean Islands your literal first port of call is the busy harbour of Piraeus. Inevitably many of the people born here trace their origins to the islands too, I suppose they have better hospital facilities there.
First up we meet multi-instrumentalist Michalis Nikoloudis, who was born in 1949 to parents from the islands of Chios and Ikaria respectively. He started playing the electric guitar from an early age, playing in various bands. He later went on to play a number of string instruments including mandola, baroque lute and mandolin. He is particularly known for his custom-made mandola with a modified neck, strings and tuning. His music combines both Greek influences as well as the sounds from the wider Balkan and Anatolian region. Here is a tune called Armenistis, which originally came out on his 1995 debut album Aeolia but also features on his 2016 compilation Complete Guide to Michalis Nikoloudis:
Folk and jazz singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki was born in 1957 in Piraeus, also with roots in Ikaria. She has appeared at several Womad festivals as well as participating in the closing ceremony to the 2004 Athens Olympics. Her style has influences of both Rebetika and jazz. Here is a song from her 2019 album Ta Megala Taxidia (The Long Journeys) called Ki Ego Pou Elega (And I said):
Next we are heading into the bustling and ancient capital of Greece, Athens. I spent a couple of days there on my rough hitchhiking trip back in 1981. We arrived late at night and we tried to find a quiet spot to sleep somewhere. Seeing a fence with some trees behind, we decided to climb over and camp out there. In the morning we were woken by some tourists taking a tour of some ruins and finding us sound asleep.
Legendary singer Maria Farantouri was born in Athens in 1947. She collaborated extensively with Mikis Theodorakis, toured with him around Europe while in exile during the military dictatorship in Greece and shared Theodorakis left-wing political convictions and, like him, later served in the Greek parliament. Her voice is a contralto spanning 2 octaves, and she has been described as the Callas of the people or the Greek Joan Baez. Here are a couple of songs from a live performance from when she was only 18 years old. They are from the 1966 Ballad of Mauthausen, which has been re-released a couple of times since:
Singer / songwriter Nena Ventsanou was born in Athens in 1955 and was gifted with beautiful voice from an early age. Like many of her contemporaries she went into exile during the junta years. Like Farantouri she has always been deeply involved with the political left and has collaborated with Mikis Theodorakis amongst many others. Here is a song called Pira Ti Strata Erhome (I took the step and I'm coming) which features on the 2004 compilation album The Rough Guide to Rebétika:
We've come across lyra master Sokratis Sinopoulos before in Istanbul as collaborator withDerya Türkan. He was born in Athens in 1974 and was taught on the lyra by Ross Daly. He is now considered one of the most eminent proponents of the lyra, leads his own quartet and teaches at Thessaloniki University. Here is a track from the 2020 album Soundplaces together with Turkan on the kemençe called Cyclades:
I've been having a bit of a busy month (blame the great weather!), so I better get this post published and continue in Athens next time. In the meantime, as usual, you can track my virtual wanderings on my Tripline Map.
Now Greece is known for its many islands, which are popular holiday destinations with pristine beaches and white washed houses. We're only be visiting a few of them, starting with Kos in the Aegean Sea near the coast of Türkiye.
Here we are reaching far back in history to the earliest recordings of music. Maria Papagika was born in 1890 on the island of Kos and died in 1943 in New York. She was the first female Greek recording artist. She emigrated to the USA in 1915 with her cimbalon playing husband, when Kos was under Italian rule. She was known for her sweet soprano voice and became a popular Rebetiko performer for the wider diaspora of the Balkans. Here is a song she recorded around 1926 called Galata Manes, which features on the 2004 compilation album The Rough Guide to Rebetika:
I don't know much about bouzouki player Takis Elenis apart from that he is originally from the island of Leipsoi, but later emigrated to the USA. He collaborated with other Greek musicians, specifically with fellow bouzouki player Anestos Athanasiou and the Feejon Group, playing traditional Greek dance tunes from all around the islands. The only release I am aware of is Smithsonian Folways' 1989 album Greek Folk Dances. Here is a tune from the album called Frangosiriani:
Next we're heading to the island of Lesbos (or Lesvos). Due to its close proximity to the Anatolian coast, it has always had more eastern influences. In 1996 Crete University Press published a compilation of traditional music from the island called Lesvos Aiolis, featuring various artists. The following song also featured on the 2010 compilation The Rough Guide to Greek Café. It's called Kontrabatzidhes:
Next we meet one of the giants of Greek music and national treasure in composer Mikis Theodorakis, who was born on the island of Chios in 1925 and only died in 2021. He most famously wrote the score for the 1964 movie Zorba the Greek and the Mauthausen Trilogy, which has been described as the most beautiful piece of music ever written about the Holocaust. He was also known for his political activism, associated with the left and the Communist party and against the 1967 to 1974 ruling Junta. The latter got him in trouble on many occasions leading to imprisonment and temporary exile. He did serve in government before and after though. As I said in the last post, I had the enormous pleasure of seeing him live with his orchestra and Maria Farantouri in 1981 at the incredible natural rock arena of Bad Segeberg in Northern Germany.
Here is the final dance scene from Zorba the Greek:
And here is a live performance from 2001 of O Kaimos together with singer Yannis Parios, who was born in 1946 on the island of Paros:
Finally we hop over to the island of Syros, where the 'patriarch of Rebetika' Markos Vamvakaris was born in 1905 (died in 1972). Apparently he left his native island in the mistaken belief that the cops were after him and settled in Piraeus, where he worked in various odd jobs. When he first heard the Bouzouki he was inspired to learn it himself and became quite a virtuoso on the instrument, writing his own songs. Mikis Theodarakis himself described him: "We all, we are but branches of a tree. Markos is that tree." Here is an extract from a 1963 documentary, which also features Vasilis Tsitsanis from Trikala. The song Markos sings is called Antonis Vakaris Seretis and features on the 2004 compilation album The Rough Guide to Rebetika:
That's it from the Aegean Islands, next we are heading for the Greek mainland. Meanwhile you are invited to follow my virtual travels on my Tripline map.
Next we are heading to the west of the island beginning in the Lefka Ori Mountain range near Chania. It is this region that his home to a distinct vocal tradition called Rizitika, which traditionally was performed by men a capella. Singer and composer Xanthoula Dakovanou is actually from Athens, but she has just released an album inspired by Cretan vocal traditions called Rizituals, giving the songs female voices and adding instrumentation. Here's a song from that album called Rizituals Sousta featuring some stunning landscapes:
Heading back towards Heraklion we stop in the village of Anogeia, which is home to the Xylouris family, which has several great musicians. Starting with the most contemporary member, singer and Cretan laoto player Giorgos 'George' Xylouris, also known as Psarogiogis. When touring with his father composer and Cretan lyra player Antonis (known as Psarantonis) in Australia he met Australian drummer Jim White and together they formed Xylouris White combining traditional Cretan sounds with free jazz and avant rock. Giorgios now spends time between Australia and Crete. Here is a song from their 2018 album Mother called Only Love:
And here is some archival footage of 3 members of the Xylouris family playing together:
Father Antonis, known as Psarantonis, was born in 1939 and is still active. He is known for his distinct gravelly voice. Here is a thought provoking piece by him called Greenhouse Effect:
Cretan laoto player Yiagos Hairetis is also from Anogeia. He got together with English experimental harpist Maria-Christina Harper (great name for a harpist!) to form the duo Hairetis Harper to create a fusion of Cretan music and London avant-garde jazz. Here is a song from their 2020 debut album Draft called Bell. Note how all the men from the region appear to have long hair and a beard, I'd fit right in!
And that concludes our tour of Crete, next we'll hop around some of the other Greek islands. In the meantime you can follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map.
Sadly there are no direct ferries from Cyprus to the Greek islands, but we'll just pretend there are as we arrive in Greece and hop around the islands. I have been to Greece 3 times in my life, Greek food was the first 'ethnic' food I was exposed to as a kid as Greek restaurants became popular in Germany, and in the background you'd always hear the sound of a bouzouki and the soundtrack of Zorba the Greek. My first big hitchhiking trip was to Greece with a friend in 1981. In preparation for the trip and I did a trial hitchhike from Bremen to a place called Bad Segeberg, to see an open air concert of legends of Greek music Mikis Theodorakis and Maria Farantouri.
There will be more about those two much later, but we'll start on the Greek islands, beginning with the largest on Crete. I stayed a week on the island once back in 1991 or 1992, and if I'll ever find the photos from that trip I'll stick one or two up here. Crete is culturally a bit different from the rest of Greece, having been the cradle of Europe's first advanced civilisation in the Minoans from 2700 to 1400 BC. It only became part of Greece in 1913. The music of Crete is collectively known as Kritika.
Minoan art. photo credit: By Jebulon - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99294843
We begin our journey of Crete at the main entry point and capital Heraklion, where trailblazing folk group Chainides formed in 1990 by a group of students of Crete University. They treat Cretan folk with respect as something very much alive rather than a thing of the past and have paved the way to a whole generation of young Cretan musicians. Here is a song of theirs called To Syrto Toy Ouranou (The Wind's Sweep), which features on their 2005 double album O Giteftis Kai To Drakodonti:
Poet and musician twin brothers Michalis & Pantelis Kalogerakis were also born in Heraklion. They match their own and other poetry, often spoken, to Rebetika influenced music collaborating with various other singers including Maria Farantouri. Here is a song from their 2021 album Rempotika called Mona Zyga. The singer is Lena Kitsopolo, but sadly I can't understand the words:
Ross Daly was actually born in King's Lynn in Norfolk, England in 1952, but he has made Crete, specifically the village of Achanes south of Heraklion, his home back in 1982, where he is now a highly regarded master of the Cretan lyra and where he has established the Labyrinth Musical Workshop. He has travelled the world and worked together with musicians from all over the world, including Mongolia's Huun Hur Tu and musicians from Mali, having released over 35 albums. Here is song from his latest, brand new album tin anixi perimenes - You Waited for Spring called Tsi mousikis i methi (Drunk by Music):
Bouzouki player Manolis Dimitrianakis was born in Mirtos, Crete and is well known for his traditional Rebetika around the country. Here he is performing in his home village:
Stelios Petrakis (born 1975 in Sitia in Eastern Crete) first learned to play the Cretan Lyra aged 8 and counts Ross Daly as one of his early teachers. He has now forged a successful career with various international collaborations and his own quartet. Here is a piece from his highly acclaimed 2022 album Spondi called Maleviziodis with some impressive dancing:
We'll leave it here for the moment and explore the western half of the island next time. It's been a while since my last post since I was travelling in real life and life has been busy in general. As usual you can follow my virtual travels on my Tripline Map.
Photo credit: By Joan - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6728097
Next we are taking the ferry from Türkiye over to Cyprus. Cyprus is mostly known as a holiday destination given it's mild climate and beach resorts. It only gained independence from Britain in 1963. The 2 main ethnic groups on the island, the Greeks and the Turks, were at loggerheads about the future direction of the island, and following an invasion by Turkish troops in 1974 the island was effectively split in half by a UN patrolled buffer zone into the Turkish speaking north, which unilaterally declared independence, and the Greek speaking south. Northern Cyprus is only recognised as a country by Türkiye. There are ongoing efforts to reunite the 2 halves of the island.
Musically and culturally the 2 halves are of course also influenced by Türkiye and Greece respectively, although some musicians have started bridging the divide. Our first stop in the North is the abandoned village of Achna (Düzce in Turkish), which is just north of the buffer zone. After the Turkish invasion the predominantly Greek population de-camped a few miles south and rebuilt their village. This is where young musician Vassilis Philippou claims to be from, although I suspect he was born in the Netherlands in 1991 and now lives back on the island. He performs his own compositions, but very much in the traditional Cypriot style, incorporating both Greek and Turkish elements, sung mostly in the Cyrpiot Greek dialect. Here is a live performance of part of his 2021 debut album Sol Aurorae - Ο Ήλιος της Αυκής:
Next we are heading to the divided capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. Eastern Mediterranean Psychedelia band Buzz' Ayaz are 4 musicians from both sides of the divide headed by Antonis Antoniou. They draw from the traditions of both sides with a fuzzed-out urban soundscape, dubby electronics, 70's psych organ and amplified folk organs to ritual beats of Greek and Anatolian melodicism. Here is a song from their 2024 self-titled debut album called Efdji:
Avant folk band Monsieur Doumani is also headed by Antonis Antoniou and was founded in 2011 in Nicosia. They fuse traditional Cypriot folk songs with contemporary elements and other world influences creating their own unique style singing about contemporary issues. In 2019 they were awarded the best group award by Songlines Magazine and they regularly tour internationally. Here is a song from their 2021 album Pissourin called Alavrostishiótis:
Another project by Antonis Antoniou is post-Rembetiko band Trio Tekke, who were actually started in London. They take the traditional Greek genre of Rembetiko (alternative spellings are available) to a new modern level, dragging it into the 21st century. Here is the title song of their 2021 album Strovilos (Whirlwind):
That's it from Cyprus for now, next we are hopping over to the Greek islands, although in real life there don't seem to be any direct ferry options from Cyprus, but hey, this is just a virtual trip after all. In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline Map.
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