Songs about boats, part 1
A ship with a foreign flag, the small ship of Burnovas, ships from Chios, ships that never sailed, and so on. The list of Greek songs that contain references to ships and boats are just endless, because the sea is ever-present in the geography, the economy and the culture...
Zeibekiko, part 5
The zeibekiko songs that we have picked today talk about trucks and taxi drivers, but also about angels and the birds of the underworld. They take us to pointless walks before dawn and remind us of names of love, like Antigoni and Roza and Evdokia. And they enable us to appreciate...
Zeibekiko, part 4
Zeibekiko is one of the most characteristic Greek dances. This, and some musical instruments linked to folk tradition were recently included in the National Inventory of Cultural Heritage, by decision of the Minister of Culture. Together with zeibekiko, the three-string and four-string...
Zeibekiko, part 3
One of the good things with zeibekiko is that songs with this rhythm have been performed by all of the country’s greatest singers. A tribute to zeibekiko is a tribute to all those magical voices that made folk, popular music, the fantastic genre that it is today. So, let’s explore the...
Zeibekiko, part 2
According to some analysts, zeibekiko is named after the Zeibek people and is reported to have spread to Greek urban centres in the late 19th century. Being originally a dance of two people carrying arms, it evolved into a single improvisational dance. Initially it was considered...
Zeibekiko, part 1
This week is dedicated to Greece’s best known folk dance, zeibekiko. Also called the “dance of the eagle” due to the movements of the dancer, this circular dance has no set steps and is largely improvised. This first leg of our journey takes us to zeibekiko anthems performed by, a...
Kastellorizo
The album that we are listening to today, titled “A drop of light in the Aegean Sea”, is a collection of music and songs from the beautiful island of Kastelorizo. Embedded in the wider Dodecanese tradition, Kastellorizo presents a wealth of songs structured on the manners of Ancient and...
Samothrace
Today, we will be exploring a very special instrumental album titled “Traditional Dances of Samothraki”. Renowned soloist Dimitris Tiganourias plays the violin while Giannis Sevastopoulos plays the lute. As for the dances, we come across Stavrotos, Syrtos, Karsilamas, Kalamatianos, Zeimpekikos, Bal...
Naxos
Apeiranthos of Naxos has a rich musical and poetic tradition. The album Songs and tunes from the village of Aperathou brings to the audience this peculiar colour through the amazing performances of Koula Kleronomou-Sideri and the violin of the Naxian Yannis Zeugolis.
Νάξος
Η Απείρανθος της Νάξου έχει ...
Songs about Virgin Mary
On August 15, the Greek Orthodox church celebrates the Dormition of Virgin Mary. But that is just the religious “excuse” for villages to be decorated, folklore festivals to be held, shows of traditional dances to be staged, and a festive atmosphere to be impatiently expec...
Sifnos
Musicologist Markos Dragoumis explains: Siphnian musicians customarily accompany their singing with the violin and the lute in a really striking way. Violins cover with admirable ease a much wider range than do the voices, emphasizing the general features of the scale used. Effectively they...
Apostolos Kaldaras’ “Ballads of the Fringe”
The “Ballads of the Fringe” are the last album of renowned composer Apostolos Kaldaras. They depict the heroes and villains of the folk neighborhoods, taking us back to the years of rebetiko music. Even though the album is not solely about Athens, it is a s...
“At the Foot of the Acropolis”
Today, we continue our tribute to Athens with its most important monument as our point of departure. From Acropolis our tour takes us to Stadiou Street and from there to the neighborhoods of Kolonaki, Pagrati and Kesariani - always with Greek art song as our guide.
«Στην Ακρόπολη...
Art songs about Athens
From Manos Hadjidakis to Arleta and Stamatis Kraounakis, the country’s most talented creators were inspired by Athens, its streets and its stories. Alexandras Street, Zinonos Street, Patission Street – art song might be your own personal map of Athens.
Έντεχνα τραγούδια για την Αθήνα
Από ...
Rock songs about Athens
Modern songs about Athens reveal an urban reality of loneliness, violence and meaningless erotic encounters, but also one of dreams, humour and resilience. In other words, rock Athens is a city of contrasts and contradictions, a character masterfully revealed by the likes of...
Folk songs about Athens
This week is dedicated to Greece’s capital city, Athens, and to songs that narrate the adventures, the passions and the concerns of its residents. Today, we are exploring a repertoire of a more popular sound, performed by some of Greece’s most impressive folk voices, from Ger...
Nana Mouskouri & friends
Greece’s global music ambassador, the singer with over 200 albums in at least a dozen of languages, the one and only Nana Mouskouri visited Nisiotika in a 2011 album. “I sought for new inspiration by turning to roots and the music tradition of our country. Our traditional mus...
The Aegean of Mariza Koch
Singer-songwriter Mariza Koch was born in Athens but spent most of her childhood on the island of Santorini. As a result, she was influenced profoundly by the musician tradition of the Aegean. Naturally, a big part of her repertoire has unfolded around ‘Nisiotika’ songs and...
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