Greek traditional music (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: παραδοσιακή μουσική, "traditional music"; also δημοτικά τραγούδια, "folk songs") includes a variety of

styles played by

ethnic Greek The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser exten ...

s in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

and other parts of Europe. Apart from the common music found generally in Greece, each region of Greece contains a distinct type of

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

that originated from the region due to their history, traditions and cultural influences.

Overview

Greek folk music originally, predominantly contained one genre, known as Greek ''Demotiko (or Demotic/Paradosiako).'' This refers to the traditional Greek popular songs and music of mainland Greece and islands, which date back to the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

times. It was the sole popular musical genre of the Greek people until the spread of ''Rebetiko'' and '' Laiko'' (other genres of folk music) in the early 20th century, spread by the Greek refugees from Asia Minor. This style of music evolved from the ancient and the medieval Greek era and is still played today. The lyrics of Greek folk music are largely based on Demotic (folk) poetry (usually by anonymous lyricists) and consist of popular themes such as love, marriage, humor, death, nature, water, sea, and religion. Some lyrics make reference to the Ottoman Empire, in particular bandit insurgents (known as

klepht Klephts (; Greek κλέφτης, ''kléftis'', pl. κλέφτες, ''kléftes'', which means "thieves" and perhaps originally meant just "brigand": "Other Greeks, taking to the mountains, became unofficial, self-appointed armatoles and were kno ...

s), Ottoman soldiers (known as

armatoloi The armatoles ( el, αρματολοί, armatoloi; sq, armatolë; rup, armatoli; bs, armatoli), or armatole in singular ( el, αρματολός, armatolos; sq, armatol; rup, armatol; bs, armatola), were Christian irregular soldiers, or mil ...

), as well as various war figures and notable battles. The songs are played mainly in the following two categories of tempos: ' Syrtos' (various versions) and ' Pidiktos'. Pidikto songs are more energetic and involve leaping, whilst the Syrto songs and accompanying dances are slower and more free-flowing. Some songs also are a combination of Pidikto and Syrto tempos. Universal dances that accompany Greek folk music include Kalamatianos (a universal Greek dance from

Kalamata Kalamáta ( el, Καλαμάτα ) is the second most populous city of the Peloponnese peninsula, after Patras, in southern Greece and the largest city of the homonymous administrative region. As the capital and chief port of the Messenia regi ...

), Tsamiko, Ballos and Sousta.

Notable folk songs

Some notable folk songs include: * "Itia" * "Milo mou kokkino" * "Kontoula lemonia" * "Mou parigile to aidoni" * "Enas aetos" * "Kira Vangelio" * "Gerakina" * "Saranta palikaria" and from Nisiotika (the songs from the islands) * "Ikariotikos" * "Samiotisa" * "Thalassaki" * " Armenaki" * " Amorgos Sousta" * "Ela Na Pame S'ena Meros * "Dari Dari * "Dirlada" * " Lygaria" * "Psaropoula", such as "Tilirkiotissa" and "Psintri Vasilitsia mou" (Cyprus).

Crete

The Greek islands of Kárpathos, Khálki, Kássos and

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

form an arc where the

Cretan Lyra ) * Lira da braccio * Rabāb (Arabic الرباب) * Lijerica * Violin , musicians = * Andreas Rodinos * Alekos Karavitis * Antonis Papadakis (Kareklas) * Kostas Mountakis * Nikos Xilouris * Psarantonis * Ross Daly * Yiorgos K ...

is the dominant instrument. Kostas Mountakis, is an example of a person of Greek origin who played the Lyra and helped popularise it in Greece. The Lyra is often accompanied by the Lute ( laouto) which resembles a

mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of ...

Askomandoura Askomandoura ( el, ασκομαντούρα) is a type of bagpipe played as a traditional instrument on the Greek island of Crete, similar to the ''tsampouna''. Its use in Crete is attested in illustrations from the mid-15th Century.Ioannis Tsouch ...

(a type of

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...

) is also used in Cretan folk music. Crete has a unique history of folk dance tradition, which includes swift dances like Pentozalis, Sousta, Syrtos, Trizali, Katsabadianos, Chaniotikos, Siganos, Pidichtos Lasithou, Maleviziotikos, Tsiniaris, Ierapetrikos and Laziotikos.

Aegean islands

The Aegean islands of Greece are known for their Nisiótika (meaning from the islands) songs. The characteristics of these Greek island folk songs vary widely.King, C. C. (2014). Greek Rhapsody--Instrumental Music From Greece, 1905-1956. ''ARSC Journal'', ''45''(1), 105+. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A370320586/AONE?sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=acddc8f2 Although the basis of the sound is characteristically secular-

. The relative isolation of the islands allowed the separate development of island-specific

Greek music The music of Greece is as diverse and celebrated as its history. Greek music separates into two parts: Greek traditional music and Byzantine music. These compositions have existed for millennia: they originated in the Byzantine period and Gree ...

. Nisiótika songs are often accompanied by the

lyra Lyra (; Latin for lyre, from Greek ''λύρα'') is a small constellation. It is one of the 48 listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and is one of the modern 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Lyra ...

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...

, tsampouna, souravli and

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

. Notable singers include

Yiannis Parios Yiannis Parios ( el, Γιάννης Πάριος) is a Greek singer, with a career spanning five decades. Biography Yiannis Parios was born Ioannis Varthakouris (Ιωάννης Βαρθακούρης) on the island of Paros. He made his firs ...

, the Konitopoulos family and

Mariza Koch Mariza Koch ( el, Μαρίζα Κωχ; born 14 March 1944) is a Greek folk music singer who has recorded many albums since starting her career in 1971. On the wider stage she is best remembered for representing her homeland at the Eurovision Song ...

who was an active Greek folk singer in the 1970s and performed the song 'Panayia Mou' in the

Eurovision Song Contest 1976 The Eurovision Song Contest 1976 was the 21st edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in The Hague, Netherlands, following the country's victory at the with the song " Ding-a-dong" by Teach-In. Organised by the European Bro ...

. Folk dances include the Ballos, Syrtos, Sousta, Chiotikos, Kalymniotikos, Stavrotos,

Lerikos Lerikos ( el, Λέρικος) is a traditional Greek circle dance. Participants hold hands at the shoulder level and dance in a counterclockwise direction. See also *Greek music *Greek dances *Sousta * Greek folk music *Pentozali *Syrtos *List ...

, Kamara, Michanikos, Trata,

Panagia Panagia ( el, Παναγία, fem. of , + , the ''All-Holy'', or the ''Most Holy''; pronounced ) (also transliterated Panaghia or Panajia), in Medieval and Modern Greek, is one of the titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern ...

and Ikariotikos.Andrew R. Martin, & Matthew Mihalka Ph.D. (2020). ''Music Around the World: A Global Encyclopedia Volumes��: A Global Encyclopedia''. ABC-CLIO. In the Aegean

Cyclades The Cyclades (; el, Κυκλάδες, ) are an island group in the Aegean Sea, southeast of mainland Greece and a former administrative prefecture of Greece. They are one of the island groups which constitute the Aegean archipelago. The name ...

, the

is used more often than the

Cretan lyra ) * Lira da braccio * Rabāb (Arabic الرباب) * Lijerica * Violin , musicians = * Andreas Rodinos * Alekos Karavitis * Antonis Papadakis (Kareklas) * Kostas Mountakis * Nikos Xilouris * Psarantonis * Ross Daly * Yiorgos K ...

as well as the clarinet, mandolin, bagpipe, dulcimer and guitar. Some Nisiotika musicians includ
Nikos Oikonomidis
Leonidas Klados an
Stathis Koukoularis
Folk dances in the Cyclades include

, Syrtos (Serifou, Naxou and Kythnou) , Amorgos dance and Ballos. A prominent singer of Cycladic music was

Domna Samiou Domna Samiou ( el, Δόμνα Σαμίου; 12 October 1928 – 10 March 2012Simon Karas. The folk music of the Dodecanese (part of the Aegean Islands), also contains prominent elements of Cretan music. Dodecanese folk dances include the Trata, Ballos, Syrtos,

Kremasti Kremasti ( el, Κρεμαστή) is a town on the Greek island of Rhodes (', ''Ródhos''). Located on the west coast of the island, Kremasti is 12 kilometers from the capital of Rhodes, on the road to the airport. It has a population of 5,363 ...

, Issos, Syrtos Rodou, Michanikos and

Kalymnikos Kalymnikos is a dance from the Greek island of Kalymnos in the Aegean Sea The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Med ...

, which originates from the island of

Kalymnos Kalymnos ( el, Κάλυμνος) is a Greek island and municipality in the southeastern Aegean Sea. It belongs to the Dodecanese island chain, between the islands of Kos (south, at a distance of ) and Leros (north, at a distance of less than ...

Central Greece

Central Greece Continental Greece ( el, Στερεά Ελλάδα, Stereá Elláda; formerly , ''Chérsos Ellás''), colloquially known as Roúmeli (Ρούμελη), is a traditional geographic region of Greece. In English, the area is usually called Central ...

many folk songs make references to the

klephts Klephts (; Greek κλέφτης, ''kléftis'', pl. κλέφτες, ''kléftes'', which means "thieves" and perhaps originally meant just "brigand": "Other Greeks, taking to the mountains, became unofficial, self-appointed armatoles and were kno ...

and their role during the

Greek war of independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

. Folk songs accompany dances in central Greece such as the Antikrystos, Hasapiko,

Syrtaki Sirtaki or syrtaki ( el, συρτάκι) is a dance of Greek origin, choreographed for the 1964 film ''Zorba the Greek''. It is a recent Greek folkdance, and a mixture of "syrtos" and the slow and fast rhythms of the hasapiko dance. The dance ...

, Kalamatianos, Kamilierikos
Koulouriotikos
Syrtos, Zeibekiko, Tsamiko and Syrto-kalamatianos. The musical tradition of the region is also influenced by Polyphonic songs, through the

Arvanites Arvanites (; Arvanitika: , or , ; Greek: , ) are a bilingual population group in Greece of Albanian origin. They traditionally speak Arvanitika, an Albanian language variety, along with Greek. Their ancestors were first recorded as settl ...

Epirus

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...

, folk songs are pentatonic and

polyphonic Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, ...

, sung by both male and female singers. These songs often fall into three main categories including firstly, Mirolóyia (the mournful, lamenting songs) that are accompanied by instrumentals, which form the second category and are named Skáros and the third category is named Tis Távlas (songs played when drinking). Prominent instruments used in folk songs in Epirus, include the

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...

and the

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitch ...

(largely replaced the Lute in the 19th century). Ensembles may also use the violin and defi (a rimmed drum) to accompany dances, mostly slow and heavy, like the Tsamikos, Koftos, Fisouni, Sta Dio (4/4 tempo), Sta Tria (3/4 tempo), Zagorisios, Metsovitikos and Beratis.

Peloponnese

Folk dances that accompany

Peloponnese The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge which ...

folk music include the Kalamatianos (tempo is in 3/4 meter), Tsamikos, Monodiplos, Tsakonikos, Syrtos,

Ai Georgis Ai Georgis ( el, Άη Γιώργης) is a dance from the village of Nestani in Arkadia, a region of Greece in the Peloponnesus which takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. The dance is performed and danced on the feast day of St G ...

and Maniatikos. In the songs there are also references to the

. In

Mani Mani may refer to: Geography * Maní, Casanare, a town and municipality in Casanare Department, Colombia * Mani, Chad, a town and sub-prefecture in Chad * Mani, Evros, a village in northeastern Greece * Mani, Karnataka, a village in Dakshina ...

there also exists a traditional category of songs named the "μοιρολόγια" Mirolóyia (laments), typically sung by the old women of

Ionian Islands

The Ionian Islands were never completely under Ottoman control (only Kefalonia was under Ottoman control during 1479-1481 and 1485-1500) and were largely occupied by the Venetians.Stavrianos, L., & Stoianovich, T. (2008). ''The Balkans since 1453'' (2nd ed.). Hurst& Company. This is reflected in the folk music. For example Kantadhes (καντάδες), which are a form of romantic serenade, stylistically reflect the Venetian presence and Macedonian Romani (Gypsy) presence in the Ionian Islands.Nettle, B., Rice, T., Porter, J. (1988). ''Garland Encyclopedia of World Music (2013). The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 1. Routledge.

ISBN The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier that is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency. An ISBN is assigned to each separate edition a ...

978-0-203-03637-2.'' Greek Kantadhes are typically performed by three male singers accompanied by the

. These romantic songs developed mainly in

Kefalonia Kefalonia or Cephalonia ( el, Κεφαλονιά), formerly also known as Kefallinia or Kephallenia (), is the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece and the 6th largest island in Greece after Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. It ...

in the early 19th century but spread throughout

after its

liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...

in 1821. An

Athenian Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

form of Kantadhes arose later, accompanied by the

and laouto. However the style is accepted as uniquely Ionian or Heptanese. The island of

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; el, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos ; it, Zacinto ) or Zante (, , ; el, Τζάντε, Tzánte ; from the Venetian form) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. Z ...

has a diverse musical history with influences also from

and many of these traditional, Heptanese songs would be played in theatre productions. Folk dances include the Tsirigotikos (from

Kythira Kythira (, ; el, Κύθηρα, , also transliterated as Cythera, Kythera and Kithira) is an island in Greece lying opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula. It is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Ionian Islands ...

), Levantinikos (from

), Ballos, Syrtos,

, Kerkiraikos (from

Corfu Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...

)."HDNJ - The Ionian Islands". ''www.hellenicdancersofnj.org''. Retrieved 2021-12-08. Notable songs are "Kato Sto Yialo", "S'ena paporo mesa", "Apopse tin kithara mou". The Church music (Byzantine) of the islands is also different from the rest of Greece, containing many Western European and

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

influences, which played a large role on the Orthodox rite. In this region the first School of modern Greek classical music ( Heptanesean or Ionian School, Επτανησιακή Σχολή) was also founded and established in 1815.Romanou, K., Barbaki, M.(2011). "Music Education in Nineteenth-Century Greece: Its Institutions and their Contribution to Urban Musical Life". ''Nineteenth-Century Music Review''. 8 (1): 57–84. doi:10.1017/s1479409811000061.

ISSN An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication, such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs a ...

1479-4098.

Macedonia

Folk dances in Macedonia include the Hasapiko,

Leventikos Leventikos ( el, Λεβέντικος, ''Levéntikos''); or Bufčansko ( mk, Буфчанско), also known as ''Litós'' (Λιτός), ''Kucano'', ''Nešo'' or ''Pusteno'', is a dance of western Macedonia, mainly performed by ethnic Macedoni ...

Zonaradiko Zonaradiko ( el, Ζωναράδικος) is a traditional Greek folk dance from Thrace (Greece) that is named after the dance's handhold. Dancers hold the adjacent dancer's ''zonaria'' ( belt) during the dance. Zonaradiko is a village line danc ...

, Endeka Kozanis, Stankena, Baidouska,

Makedonikos Antikristos Makedonikos antikristos ( el, Μακεδονικός Αντικριστός) is a dance from Macedonia in Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the south ...

, and Kapitan Louka.Keil, C., & Keil, A. V. (1997). The instruments. ''The Village Voice'' There are also folk songs which make references to the

Macedonian Struggle The Macedonian Struggle ( bg, Македонска борба; el, Μακεδονικός Αγώνας; mk, Борба за Македонија; sr, Борба за Македонију; tr, Makedonya Mücadelesi) was a series of social, po ...

, describing the difficulties faced by Macedonian people during the Balkan wars and allude to those who became refugees and sought asylum in Greece. Often, Macedonian folk music uses the dauli (a medium sized bass drum) and a zurna (a wider oboe) as well as hand drums (tympana),

trumpets The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard B ...

and bells ( koudounia or "chálkina" in the local vernacular). Other instruments used include violin, clarinet and

Macedonian lyra The Macedonian lyra (Greek: Μακεδονική λύρα) is a Greek pear-shaped, three-stringed bowed musical instrument, used mainly in the Greek folk music of the Greek region of Macedonia, and especially in the region of Drama, usually acc ...

Thessaly

Folk songs from

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

are mostly slow and stately, however the music accompanying the Syrtos dance, is typically livelier and more energetic than it is in other parts of Greece.Hunt, Y., & Dragoumēs, M. (1996). ''Traditional dance in Greek culture'' (1st ed.). Centre for Asia Minor Studies. Songs accompany dances such as the Kalamatianos (popular universally in Greece), Thessalikos, Galanogalani, Kangeli, Gaitanaki, Tsamikos, Sta Tria, Karagouna and Beratis.

Thrace

Instruments used in Ancient

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...

music include goatskin bagpipes ('' Gaida'') and the

Byzantine lyra The Byzantine lyra or lira ( gr, λύρα) was a medieval bowed string musical instrument in the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. In its popular form, the lyra was a pear-shaped instrument with three to five strings, held upright and played by ...

. Folk dances include the Tapeinos Horos, Baidouska,

Tromakton Tromakton ( el, τρομακτόν) is a Greek dance that usually precedes or follows a Tik. It is a fast dance which has a distinct double bounce which becomes more vigorous as the dance goes on. It is usually played before Atsiapat or Serra, b ...

, Souflioutouda,

, Sousta, Tsestos, and Apadiasteite Sto Choro. Traditional Thracian dances are usually swift in

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

and are mostly

circle dance Circle dance, or chain dance, is a style of social dance done in a circle, semicircle or a curved line to musical accompaniment, such as rhythm instruments and singing, and is a type of dance where anyone can join in without the need of par ...

s in which the men dance at the front of the line. The Gaida, a goatskin

, is commonly used in Thracian music and

s are also used. The Thracian Gaida, also called ''Avlos'', is different from the

Macedonian Macedonian most often refers to someone or something from or related to Macedonia. Macedonian(s) may specifically refer to: People Modern * Macedonians (ethnic group), a nation and a South Slavic ethnic group primarily associated with North Ma ...

or other Bulgarian bagpipes. It is more high in pitch than the Macedonian Gaida but less so than the Bulgarian gaida (or Dura). The Thracian Gaida is also still widely used throughout Thrace in northeastern

. Notable singers of Thracian music include

Chronis Aidonidis Chronis Aidonidis ( el, Χρόνης Αηδονίδης) is a Greek singer born on December 23, 1928 in Karoti, a village now belonging to Didymoteicho, in Greece. His parents were Christos and Chrysanthi Aidonidis. He learned his first songs ...

and Kyriakos Sfetsas.

Pontus

Pontic music retains elements of the musical traditions of

Byzantine music Byzantine music ( Greek: Βυζαντινή μουσική) is the music of the Byzantine Empire. Originally it consisted of songs and hymns composed to Greek texts used for courtly ceremonials, during festivals, or as paraliturgical and liturgica ...

and the music from the region known as

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...

. The primary instruments in Pontic music are a bowed instrument known as Kemençe of Laz or the Pontic Lyra, which originated in the

Byzantine period The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

and is similar to the

and

.Margaret J. (1990). On Concepts and Classifications of Musical Instruments. ''Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology'', University of Chicago Press. Other bowed musical instrument are also used, such as the Kit violin and Rebec, these are more popular in the Western region of Pontus. Other instruments include the

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...

(a type of bagpipe), Daouli (a type of drum) and

Aulos An ''aulos'' ( grc, αὐλός, plural , ''auloi'') or ''tibia'' (Latin) was an ancient Greek wind instrument, depicted often in art and also attested by archaeology. Though ''aulos'' is often translated as "flute" or " double flute", it was u ...

(a wind instrument). Folk dances from Pontus include slower dances including the Omál, Tik and Dipát. Faster dances include the Tik Tónyia and Kotsari and other dances include Giouvarlantoum, Serra and Tas.

Constantinople

The main Greek dance, for which folk songs are used as an accompaniment in Constantinople is the Hasapikos. Alonso, Torre, F. de la, Anonymous, Encina, J. del, & Ballard, R. (2001). CONSTANTINOPLE: Music of the Middle Ages and of the Renaissance. Naxos Digital Services US Inc. It originated in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

as a military exercise with swords, adopted by the Byzantine military. During Byzantine times, the Hasapiko was called μακελλάρικος χορός (''makellarikos horos''). The songs were later danced by butchers in a social setting, and it was danced in both Turkey and Greece. The use of Politiki Lyra and Politiko Laouto is common to the folk songs from Constantinople. The Hasapiko also later served as one of the bases for the

Sirtaki Sirtaki or syrtaki ( el, συρτάκι) is a dance of Greek origin, choreographed for the 1964 film ''Zorba the Greek''. It is a recent Greek folkdance, and a mixture of " syrtos" and the slow and fast rhythms of the hasapiko dance. The dan ...

and it is danced in mostly all areas of Greece, with the use of

Bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

Cyprus

Cyprus is an independent country, currently contested between the

Republic of Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

and the

Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus ( tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs), officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC; tr, Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti, ''KKTC''), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. Reco ...

.BBC.(2020). ''Cyprus country profile''. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17217956 Cyprus includes a variety of classical, folk and popular genres. Cypriot folk music is similar to the folk music of Greece and includes dances such as the

, Syrtos, the Cypriot Zeibekiko and Antikristos.Rousha, Y. (2014). ''The development of musical preferences in Greek Cypriot students''

book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical ...

(pp. 32-40). Roehampton University London. https://pure.roehampton.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/429421/Yianna_Rousha_THESIS.pdf Cypriot folk music typically uses the Lute ( Laouto) and since World War Two, the violin has been also used.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greek Folk Music Greek music Folk music by country