Greek folk music traditions are said to derive from the music played by ancient Greeks. There are said to be two musical movements in Greek folk music (παραδοσιακή μουσική): Acritic songs and Klephtic songs. Akritic music comes from the 9th century akrites, or border guards of the Byzantine Empire. Following the end of the Byzantine period, klephtic music arose before the Greek Revolution, developed among the kleftes, warriors who fought against the Ottoman Empire. Klephtic music is monophonic and uses no harmonic accompaniment.
Dimotika tragoudia are only from the mainland and accompanied by clarinets, tambourines, laouto, violins and lyras, and include dance music like syrtó, kalamatianó, tsámiko and hasaposérviko, as well as vocal music like kléftiko. The lyrics are based on dimotiki (folk) poetry (usually by anonymous lyricist) and popular themes are love, marriage, humor, death, nature, water, sea, religious, about klephts, armatoloi, various war fighters or battles etc. Some notable instrumentalists include clarinet virtuosos like Petroloukas Chalkias, Giorgos Gevgelis and Yiannis Vassilopoulos, as well as laouto and fiddle players like Nikos Saragoudas, Vasilis Kostas and Giorgos Koros.
Greek folk music is found all throughout Greece, Cyprus, and several regions of Turkey, as well as among communities in countries like the United States, Canada and Australia. The island of Cyprus and several regions of Turkey are home to long-standing communities of Greeks in Turkey with their own unique styles of music. (wikipedia)
And here´s a fine collection of old traditional songs from Greece.
“A series of select melodies and songs, mainly of the 1960´s, which become greatest hits.”
And yes, how I would love to be sitting on a beach on a Greek island right now, drinking ouzo, listening to the sound of the sea and listening to this music.
Personnel:
Ensemble Antonis Delaportas
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Iraklis Dafermos (bouzouki)
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vocals:
Kostas Galanos – Maria Stasinopoulou – Manolis Romanos – Maria Hajaki
Tracklist:
01. Zeibekika 6.38
02. I balantes tou zabeta 5.23
03. Roubes 7.54
04. Kalamatiana 3.54
05. Chassapika 5.07
06.Chassaposervika 5.09
07. Zeibekika 6.47
08. Bagio 9.32
ManyFantasticColors 