Greece - Macedonia & Western Thrace

 

Chalkidiki, when I visited in 2013

Accordionist Thanos Stavridis was born just outside of Thessaloniki in the town of Langadas in 1978. According to his own words he didn't choose the accordion, but it chose him as he spotted one in a shop window aged 4, and he has been playing ever since.  Apart from representing dance music from his native Macedonia he widens his music to the wider Balkan region and Gipsy influences.  The name of his band is Drom, which translates as road in the Romani language.  Here is a fun track from his 2025 album fygame (let's go in Greek) called Raikos: 

  Going down to the 3-fingered hand shaped Chalkidiki peninsula, we visit the middle finger, where singer/songwriter and guitarist Sokratis Malamas was born in 1957 in the village of Sykia.  He spent large parts of his youth and adult life in Germany, but learned Greek tunes from his father.  He bought his first guitar aged 13 and later studied music at the Macedonian Conservatory in Thessaloniki.  He has since published many albums and has written music for movies too.  Here he is in collaboration with singer and actor Melina Kana from Thessaloniki playing a song called Hilia Prosopa, which features on the 2010 compilation album The Rough Guide to Greek Café:

On the next leg of our virtual journey we are going to have to leave the women behind, as we are entering the monastic settlement of Athos on the easternmost of the 3 finger-peninsulas, where women and female animals are not allowed (except cats to catch rodents (female ones I presume)).  So if you are a woman (or another female animal) and reading this, please skip to the next paragraph.  On the peninsula are some 20 monasteries housing about 2,000 monks, whom time seems to have forgotten about.  They have been here for at least 1,000 years, although probably not the same ones.  Anyway, apart from praying lots, the monks have also been known to do lots of chanting.  Somebody made some field recordings of them in the 1960's.  In 2024 French multi-disciplinary publishing house FLEE brought out a book about the musical traditions of the monks of Athos complete with an accompanying double CD, on which contemporary electronic musicians cover some of that music and incorporate some of those field recordings into their compositions.  The project was called Athos: Echoes from the Holy Mountain, and here is a track from the album by an act called Holy Tongue called Athos Dub:

Next we are heading to the far east of Greece to Xanthi  in the region of Western Thrace.  Here we meet sister duo Eleni & Souzana Vougioukli.  They sing traditional folk from Greece and other Mediterranean regions such as Italy, Spain and Portugal. Here's a song from their self-titled 2009 album called Kalinyfta, which, if my very basic Greek is correct, means good night:

As we are heading west again our next stop is in Drama, where singer Petros Gaitanos was born in 1967.  He mostly known for his interpretations of Byzantine music, the religious hymns and chants of the Medieval Byzantine empire.  Here is a more recent and contemporary song of his from 2024 called Molivia:

And finally we move little further west to the village of Agia Pnevma, where Glykeria,  one of Greece's most popular singers was born in 1953.  She started her career in the mid'70's and has been producing prolifically ever since, with several platinum albums of Greek folk and pop.  Here is a song which features on her 2009 album Tragoudi Asithimatiko called Piga Se Magissis:

That's it from the northeast of Greece, next we're finishing off in the northwest. In the meantime, as usual, you follow my virtual travels on my Tripline Map.

Greece - Thessaloniki

 We arrive in Greece's second city Thessaloniki, the capital of the Macedonia region.

photo credit: By Ymblanter - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=128512358

Guitarist Dimitris Mistakidis is based here, not sure where he was born around 1970.  He interprets Rembetiko just using his guitar and voice.  His 1996 debut album 16 Rebetika Tragoudhia Paigmena Me Kithara came out as a bonus CD on the Rough Guide to Greek Café.  Whilst the following song

Στην Υπογα

didn't feature on that album, it is played in a Greek Café:

Singer & guitarist Savina Yannatou was actually born in Athens in 1959, but her musical home appears to be Thessaloniki, as the name of her band Primavera en Saloniko suggests.  Her repertoire mixes Greek folk with jazz, Sephardic and Mediterranean influences and even throat singing.  Here are some live extracts from her 2025 album Watersong:

Singer/songwriter Nikos Papazoglu was born in Thessaloniki in 1948 and sadly died prematurely of cancer in 2011.  In the 1970's he moved to Germany to break into the international market and formed his band Zilotis.  In 1976 he returned to Greece where his music started to gain wide recognition.  His following extended to all over Europe and the USA, becoming known for his distinctive red bandana and his playing of the baglamas.  Here is the title track from his 2005 album Maissa Selini:

 Singer Sofia Papazoglou (no relation to my knowledge) was actually born in Brussels in 1972, but moved to Thessaloniki with her family when she was still young.  She started singing traditional and contemporary folk in the clubs of Thessaloniki during her student years, moving on later to tour internationally and release several solo albums.  Here is a song which features on the 2010 compilation The Rough Guide to Greek Café called Rixte Sto Yiali Farmaki (pour medicine into the glass):

And that's it from Thessaloniki for now, next we'll explore the rest of the north-eastern part of Greece.  In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.

Greece - Peloponnese & Thessaly

 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.

Greece - Athens Part II

 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:

Singer Katerina Papadopoulou is considered one of the very few in Greece who still continue the art of the old masters of traditional singing.  She founded the Anastatica Project to highlight the ancient traditions of Greece and has recorded an album with them in 2021 entitled Anástasis - a journey through old Greek music.  Here's a flavour of their music.  Turn on the subtitles for English translations.

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.

Greece - Piraeus & Athens Part I

 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 with Derya 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.

Greece - The Aegean Islands

 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.

Greece - Crete - The West

 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.