Metamorphosis

Demotic music from Greece, that means: song and dance of the people and the village, presents itself mainly as a rural counterpart of the laiki or urban popular music such as rebetika. A couple of melodious expressions from Epirus: Northern Greece, what is different from all other demotic music is its original intensity and her Chthonic and communal quality. The melodies, rhythms and lyrics manifests as a sign of overwhelming fruitfulness of life, just as grim memories of death… Music celebrates life and mourns death on the two different points where the two meet: Chthonios. Communal because a lot of this music served to heal and calm contestants. Either by listening or by participating the dancing, the people had a part in the very private act of catharsis as a collective unit and together the came to a higher level of harmony and vitality.
Instrinsically pastoral in her nature, is the instrumental choice of Epirus supposedly from the Sarakatsani, a semi nomadic population who travelled thousands of acres each year to pasture their sheep. The pieces were as tools for the nomadic existence. And what a better way to live than to learn from a flock in harmony with the deep tones of the country.

1. Skaros Elias Litos and Lazaros Rouvas – Shepherd’s Song (1928) 
2. Pente Meres Pantremeni Halkias Brothers Folk Orchestra – Five Days Married (1950)
3. Stroto Pogonisio Kitsos Harisiadis – Smooth Dance from Pogoni (1930)
4. Kyragiorgena Halkias Brothers Folk Orchestra – Missus George-wife (1953) 
5. Stis Deropolis Ton Kambo Group From Northern Epirus – On the Deropolis Plain (1958) 
6. Mperati Pogonisio Nick Halkias – Berat from Pogoni (1958) 
7. Mirologi Arvantico Kitsos Harisiadis – Albanian Lament (1930) 
8. Skaros Kitsos Harisiadis – Shepherd’s Song (1931) 
9. E Vlaha Five Gliniotes – A Vlach Girl Washing By the River (1936) 
10. Samantakas Manthos Halkias and Folk Orchestra – Samantakas (1929) 
11. Mia Omorfi Gitonopoula Polyxeni and Kalliopi Litou – Next-Door Beauty (1940) 
12. Kalokeraki Nick Tzaras and Sideris Andrianos – Summer (1934) 
13. Para Mikri S’agapisa Trio Tsitsomitsos – Too Young Were You When I Love You (1931) 
14. Merko Mirologi Manthos Halkias and Folk Orchestra – A Lament for More Time (1929)
15. Gaida Moni M. Harisis Epirotic Group – Single Line Dance
16. Paleo Zagorisio M. Harisis Epirotic Group – Old Dance From Zagori
17. Kleftes Palies M. Harisis Epirotic Group – Hero Bandit Song of Olden Times
18. Kastrino Mirologi M. Harisis Epirotic Group – Lament from the Castle

All tracks of the CD: Five Days Married & Other Laments: Song and Dance from Northern Greece (1928-1958). Label: Angry Mom records