Folk music from Greece – part 5.
In this hour folk music that is based on the stories about the Akritai, the Greek army units that from the 9th till the 11th century protected the borders of the at the time considerable larger area that was dominated by Greece because of the ongoing conflicts with the southern Arabic states between the 7th and 12th century.Against this background many ballads and romances came into being with the story of hero Digenes as best known one. Many of these hero stories are based on the truth, but some are, like many hero stories, made up by later writers. The songs you will hear are part of a project by musicologist DOMNA SAMIOU, who recorded music from folk musicians from different provinces in Greece, that is related to the Akritai.
Source: Grèce – Musique Populaire de Tradition Orale – Chants des Akrites (VIIIe au XIIIe siècle), 1982. Ocora LP 558600
