Music of Cyprus / Kibris'In Sesi / Tragoudia Tis Kyprou (2007)

Greek and Turkish Cypriot musicians present the musical traditions of the island of Cyprus.

Directed by Mehmet Ali Sanlikol (voice, ud, cura, zurna, ney, kaval, def)

Musicians:
Theodoulos Vakanas (violin, voice Panayiotis League, kemençe, lyra, laouto, davul, voice)
Cem Mutlu (percussion)
Engin Günaydin (voice, percussion)
Noam Sender (voice, ney)
Robert Labaree (voice)

Produced by DÜNYA

I. Wedding Songs / Düğün Müzikleri / Tou Gamou
1. Kozan Marşı/Syrtos (Turkish and Greek)
2. To Tragoudi Tou Gamou (Greek)

II. Love Songs / Aşk Şarkilari / Tis Agapis
3. Sabahın Seher Vahdında (Turkish)
4. Dolama/Na Sou Goraso Mihanin (Turkish and Greek)

III. Sacred Music From Cyprus / Kibris'ta Dini Müzik / Thriskeftiki Mousiki Tis Kyprou
5. T'ai Giorki (Agios Giorgis, Greek Orthodox para-liturgical song)
6. Sem-i Ruhuna (ilahi: Sufi devotional song)

IV. The Village / Köy / To Horkon
7. Abdal Zeybeği/Aptalikos (Turkish and Greek)

V. Cyprus "Re-Constructed" / Kibris'ta "Geçmise Yolculuk" / Kypros: "Mousiki Anadromi"
8. Kartal (Turkish)
9. Sousta (Greek and Turkish)

VI. Dance Songs / Zeybekler / Zeybekikos
10. Varys Zeybekikos (Greek)
11. Sarhoş Zeybeği/Ime Tze Ganomatzis (Turkish and Greek)

VII. Music Of Cyprus / Kibris'in Sesi / Tragoudia Tis Kyprou
12. Agapisa Tin Pou Karkias (Greek)
13. Feslikan/Syrtos (Turkish and Greek)
14. Orak/To Mashairin (Turkish and Greek)
15. Dillirga/Tillyrkotissa (Turkish and Greek)

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Mikis Theodorakis & Zülfü Livaneli - Together (1997)

«Theodorakis et Livaneli ont initié l'Association d'Amitié Gréco-Turque en 1987, à un moment où les armées des deux pays étaient face à face, prêtes au conflit militaire.

Comme premier artiste grec, Theodorakis a alors donné des concerts publics en Turquie - ensemble avec Livaneli - et a exigé à plusieurs reprises une Confédération Gréco-Turque d'après le modèle scandinave.
Livaneli a enregistré un CD avec des chansons de Theodorakis en turc et a également donné plusieurs concerts en Grèce.
Auparavant, les deux artistes avaient passé de longues années en prison dans leur patrie et devaient par ailleurs aller en exil pour quelques ans.
Livaneli est aussi connu en Turquie que l'est Theodorakis en Grèce.
Les deux artistes sont devenus des symboles pour une mentalité anti-dogmatique et gênante, qui met la conscience au-dessus du calcul politico-politicien et ne se laisse pas intimider par la critique.
Musicalement, la même aspiration à la qualité et à l'expression d'une substance et d'un contenu dans leurs chansons et leurs grandes œuvres musicales les unit également.» (MikisTheodorakis.net)

Thanx to JTC for this post

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Mode Plagal - III (2001)

Another fine contribution from Chris (aka Avantgarterbelt). Many thanx!

«Mode Plagal, a pioneering jazz-folk Greek fusion group offering a unique approach to traditional music, has created a signature sound both familiar and refreshingly new, that has led to their album topping many lists of the best recordings of 2001 in Greece. This is a work produced with great care, with an international audience in mind, including excellent bilingual liner notes (with a special English-only text on the history of vernacular Greek music), and the high caliber (and high profile) of guest singers. All those things are simply supportive of the main ingredient of the album, the group itself. Propelling the music with a verve and dignity that shows both great musicianship and deep admiration for the original material, Mode Plagal reinvent it without betrayal. Joyful and vibrant, their versions are an adaptation of the age-old material for contemporary society, conserving the tradition's intrinsic value in a way that no amount of faithful interpretation ever can. This is music produced over centuries, where reinterpretation was part of its appeal. The skillful performances of that material have an easy air, despite the apparent novelty of the jazz orchestration. It appears that Mode Plagal thought long and hard about the way their music would sound, but then performed it with total abandon.

The high point of this album, and the difference from the previous two, is the participation of four noted guest performers. They deliver some of their best interpretations on record. Savina Yannatou is her usual wildly improvisational self, but it's quite rare for her to allow herself so much leeway, certainly more than on any of her solo records with the possible exception of the live Terra Nostra. Theodossia Tsatsou, who is best known for her ethereal vocals with her former band Blé and her ensuing solo career, delivers a highly original version of a twentieth century drunkard's song. Eleni Tsaligopoulou offers a minimalist but highly effective version of an immigrant's song in a career-high performance. Yiota Vei elaborates and attenuates lyrics that in the hands of a lesser singer would have appeared banal. Her treatment brings forth the soul of the songs, especially on "Deli Papas." The importance that Greeks have been placing on 'levendià,' a traditional manly characteristic and a word that is really untranslatable, comes to life with her performance. That this is a song about a priest is just indicative of her ability.

Also featured is Evgenios Spatharis, a voice that is familiar to every Greek as the chief contemporary performer of "shadow plays," a traditional theatrical form of Middle Eastern ancestry akin to a puppet show, where the heroes are visible only through their projections on a screen. That is the only one that loses a lot of its majesty for non-Greek speakers, as the hilarious improvised dialogue is impossible to reproduce.

Mode Plagal have once again developed their particular niche, this time through the help of their esteemed guests, and it seems that the sky is the limit for them. Together with the 'Greeks & Indians' co-operative, they should be considered the pre-eminent ambassadors of the much-maligned vernacular Greek music in the 21st century, a worthy accolade for a group of rare musical instinct.» (Nondas Kitsos, CDRoots)

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The Rough Guide to the Music of Greece (2001)

«This welcome addition to the Rough Guide catalog shines a light on a country whose music has largely been ignored internationally, and proves that, within the borders of Greece, the musical traditions are complex and marvellously rewarding. Thankfully it's not solely focused on modern-day artists, but frames them in the context of the past, with tracks by the legendary Kostas Nouros, "The Nightingale of Smyrna," and George Koros, the man responsible for really introducing the fiddle into Greek music (his "Ballos" is an aural treat). Inevitably, there's plenty of rembetika and laiko, those particularly indigenous Greek forms, but this stretches beyond that, to encompass the jazz-funk of Mode Pagal, whose "Pikrodafni" is rather insipid and uninspired, as well as several of the superb female Greek singers who've broken through in recent decades, like Eleftheria Arvanitaki, Glykeria, and Savina Yannatou, perhaps the most adventurous of them all. And no overview of Greek music would be complete without Mikis Theodorakis, best known for his theme to Zorba the Greek. Memorable as that was, his real writing has extended in so many directions, and "To Trizoni" (sung by Soula Birbili) offers just a small glimpse of one of his facets. With excellent liner notes, this CD leaves you fully prepared to delve more deeply into music that deserves wider discovery.» (AMG)

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Songs of Greece's Gypsies (1996)

«This is an album that could be a source of influence for blues, jazz and even some rock musicians. Though it is ethnic folk style music, it's a hauntingly beautiful journey through minor keys with (for western listeners) unusual chord changes. The album cover states that these are live recordings. They are, actually, taken from a live concert where a variety of Greek Gypsy musicians were brought together on the same stage (as opposed to field recordings). There is a beautiful rendition of the Macedonian/Albanian song “Ederlezi” sung by Chrisoula Christopoulou (“Endelesi” on the album jacket). “The Song of the Gypsies” sung by Eleni Vitali and “Don't be Sad That I Leave” sung by Yiannis Saleas are two other noteworthy tracks. Track number 11, an instrumental improvisation, I'd recommend to any jazz, blues or rock musician. Having said that, this is primarily folk music in its style of delivery and a good example of it. I hope this album will be kept “in print” because it is such a fine example of unpolluted contemporary Greek music. This album ranks #2 in gypsy albums most frequently borrowed by my friends.» (Anonymous reader, Amazon)

«An exceptional and rewarding introduction to the music of Greek gypsies. Although the contribution of Greek gypsies has often been overlooked, their influence on Greek folk music is clear. There are twelve cuts, of which two are [marvellous] instrumentals; the remaining ten songs are vocals with musical accompaniment. The first song on the CD, “The song of the gypsies” by Eleni Vitali, is a haunting lament which showcases her fine talent. Two of the songs on the CD (“Jastar Amenge Dur” and “Good Luck”) showcase the very talented Kostas Pavlidis. In “Jastar Amenge Dur”, an introduction of strings is followed by a quickening intensity of song and guitar with a flamenco-like flavour. Pavlidis also shares the vocals with C. Christopoulou on an exceptional rendition entitled “Rom”. Other singers on the CD include Yiannis Saleas and Vassilis Paiteris. Vassilis Saleas is the clarinettist on certain cuts. The vocalists’ presentation are reminiscent of Greek singers of years past, and not the more homogenized European style characteristic of today’s Greek popular music. This CD is a worthwhile addition to the collection of anyone interested in the music and talents of the Eastern Mediterranean.» (Louis Alexander, Amazon)

Many thanks again to JTC for this post.

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Psarantonis - I Reckon (1998)

I owe many thanx to Nmos of Meet the Music Traveller blog for this wonderful CD in which Cretan composer & multi-instrumentalist Psarantonis newly interprets some of his own compositions of the last several decades & a few traditional tunes. A truly eloquent player of the Cretan lyra (an upright fiddle which involves a whole different playing technique than does the typical Western violin), Psarantonis is a striking example of a highly individual, improvisatory artist whose music is deeply rooted in tradition, but singularly his own.

«Antonis Xylouris, known as Psarantonis, was born in Anoyia Crete in 1942. He first picked up the lyra at age 13, and within one month, played at his first wedding. "The job was funny", Psarantonis now reflects. Named after his grandfather who was also a lyra player, Psarantonis in three years became one of the most renown new talents in Crete. Psarantonis plays various sorts of lyres as well as laouto, 12 stringed laouto, mandolino, tzoura, and daouli.
Psarantonis is an acquired taste. He plays unlike any of his peers. His singing is like no one else's, ranging from mellow whispers, to low singing, from cacophonous bellowing to an incomprehensible moaning. His playing ranges from simple to beautiful from wild to painful. Handpicking the musicians that accompany him, he composes a sound rooted in tradition -only newly interpreted. Psarantonis’ old albums consisted of him playing lyra with two laouta (his son was usually one), but he always added another instrument if he could, such as the askomandoura (a cretan bagpipe). As time progressed Psarantonis added more instruments to his compositions such as outi, mandolino and bulgari. Today Psarantonis’ albums are not lyra- laouto compositions, like most cretan albums of today. The use of more instruments, such as a lyraki (a small lyra) accompanied by a vrodolyra (a large lyra that looks like a small cello), allow him to form compositions that are deeper in texture than anyone else's today.» (Creternity)

Dutch review here.

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Konstantinos Vita - "2" (2006)

Here’s the first of a bunch of fine Greek & Turkish albums kindly offered by JTC from Turkey. Many thanx!

The Greek composer, painter and videoartist Konstantinos Vita (also known as Konstantinos Beta and K Bhta) was born in Melbourne, Australia, where he studied painting and history of art. Then he moved to Athens, where he studied graphic design and in 1992 was one of the founder members of Greece’s finest electronic group, Stereo Nova. In 1996, after five albums, he disbanded the group to follow a solo career. He has written music for film, theatre and dance productions, covered songs by Manos Hadzidakis (Transformations, 2003) and exhibited his paintings and videos (Soundscapes, 2005). Striking a near-perfect balance between hard-core electronica and emotive lyricism, between introspection and the pulse of city life he also composed the music for Dimitris Papaioannou’s (the acclaimed Olympic Ceremonies art director) enormously successful production “2”, winning over a broader public and earning himself his first gold record.

Konstantinos Vita creates sensitive, exhilarating soundscapes that can just as easily familiarize us poetically with the dizzying realities of contemporary life as usher us into the time and space of dreams. […] He has never stopped experimenting with the emotion of violence and the violence of emotion. (Partly based on this review)

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Kristi Stassinopoulou & Stathis Kalyviotis - Taxidoscopio (2006)

For this album, one of my favourites in the last months, I have to thank a Greek reader who passed me the link to a fantastic Greek mp3 blog, Anel’s Media (where you can also find a Greek review and higher bitrate mp3 files of this cd), which I warmly invite you to have a look at, since is a real goldmine of Hellenic music. Or, if you understand Greek language, you can follow its author to his new forum (http://www.odos-oneirwn.com), where he and his friends will continue to discuss and present past and contemporary music from their beautiful country (Anel’s media won’t be updated anymore, but many links are still there). Many thanx, Gus for this discovery!

«The songs of this album are "diaries" from journeys we made together with our band these last years, invited by music festivals and clubs in various random places in the world. They were written in vans and airplanes, in airport lounges, in dressing rooms, hotel rooms and bamboo huts. They were recorded and mixed in Athens, from October 2005 to May 2006.» (From the liner notes)

«Taxidoscopio, the new album by Greek singer, lyricist and fiction writer Kristi Stassinopoulou has already been high in the European World Music Chart for several weeks – it has also been a fRoots Playlist Choice and has received a glowing review from them. Her 1999 album Echotropia also enjoyed especially great success across Europe, as did her Secret of the Rocks CD in 2003. Kristi’s music is a unique blend of her own Greek traditions with Arab, Spanish, Italian, and Balkan influences which are all then reworked with elements from ethno trance, electronica & psychedelic rock. Her debut album, “Ifantokosmos” was released in 1997. As on this new CD, she normally collaborates with her long-time musical partner & husband: composer and multi-instrumentalist Stathis Kalyviotis, with whom she formed the band Selana in the late 80’s – an underground, cult group that combined garage rock with Greek traditional dance rhythms and melodies. Their current approach is still internationalist, neo-hippie, paganistic, experimental and described by some as ‘ethnopunk’. They have a particularly strong following as a live band with a vivid, visual stage act. Normally a 5-piece, the band on this album play a wide variety of instruments including: saz, laouto, lyre, gaida (greek bagpipe), saxophones, guitars, keyboards, percussion & djembe – and is expanded by guest musicians on individual tracks playing harp, tablas, trumpet & trombone.» (Discovery Records)

«Al parecer, Kristi es una artista de gran prestigio en el panorama alternativo griego. Se inició en los 80 en proyectos relacionados con el punk, pero su evolución ha sido importante y sorprendente. Stathis es su pareja musical y sentimental y se entienden bien. Es seguidora y ha compartido escenario con otra transgresora como Patti Smith. Aquí la descubrimos y se decanta más por una moderna electrónica sin fronteras que mira a diferentes ciudades del mundo como se indica en el mapa de portada. Vienen los nombres de artistas como Björk (hasta en la voz), M.I.A., Natacha Atlas o Diamanda Galas (rompe barreras estilísticas como ella). "Barcelona-Cantabria" tiene aire medieval y violín a lo Dead Can Dance. "S.E.S.C. tour" es jazz étnico con gran saxo y "Autovía del Mediterráneo" tiene ecos andaluces. El trabajo entra poco a poco y descubres matices, notas, instrumentos y sonidos ocultos. ¡Toda una sorpresa y lo mejor de Grecia en años!» (Paisajes eléctricos)

For more info, check also Kristi Stassinopoulou’s personal website

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