Éntekhno ( el, έντεχνο, , pl: ''éntekhna'' 'tragoudia'' is orchestral music with elements from Greek folk rhythm and

melody A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...

. Its lyrical themes are often based on the work of famous Greek poets. Éntekhno arose in the late 1950s, drawing on rebetiko's westernization by Vassilis Tsitsanis and Manolis Chiotis. Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hatzidakis were the most popular early composers of éntekhno song cycles.

Origins

As opposed to other forms of Greek urban folk music, éntekhno concerts would often take place outside a hall or a night club in the open air. Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis were the most popular early composers of éntekhno art-popular songs. They were both educated in

Classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

and -among other reasons- the lacking of a wide public for this kind of music in Greece, drove them to the invention of Éntekhno, in which they transferred some values of Western art music. Other significant Greek songwriters included

Stavros Kouyoumtzis Stavros Kouyioumtzis, also Kougioumtzis, Kouyoumtzis, or Koujioumtzis, (23 July 1932 – 12 March 2005) ( el, Σταύρος Κουγιουμτζής ) is one of the most significant Greek music composers of the 20th century. Kouyioumtzis w ...

Manos Loïzos Manos Loïzos ( el, Μάνος Λοΐζος; 1937–1982) was one of the most important Greek music composers of the 20th century. Biography He was born on 22 October 1937 to Greek Cypriot immigrants in Alexandria, Egypt. His parents came from ...

, and

Dimos Moutsis Dimos Moutsis ( el, Δήμος Μούτσης, ; born 2 August 1938) is a Greek singer-songwriter and composer. Biography Moutsis was born in Piraeus. He was a student of the violin at the Athens Conservatoire from the age of seven and gradu ...

. Significant lyricists of this genre are Nikos Gatsos,

Manos Eleftheriou Manos Eleftheriou ( el, Μάνος Ελευθερίου; 12 March 1938 – 22 July 2018), was a Greek poet, lyricist and prose writer. He had written poetry collections, short stories, a novella, two novels and more than 400 songs. At the same ...

and poet

Tasos Livaditis Tasos Leivaditis ( el, Τάσος Λειβαδίτης; 1922–1988) was a Greek poet, short story writer and literary critic who belonged to the postwar generation that was deeply marked by the struggles and failures of the communist movement. Hi ...

. By the 1960s, innovative albums helped éntekhno become close to mainstream, and also led to its appropriation by the film industry for use in soundtracks.

Works

Notable ''éntekhno'' works include: *''Six folk paintings'' ( Manos Hatzidakis, 1951) *''Epitaphios'' ( Mikis Theodorakis, 1960, poetry by Yiannis Ritsos) *''Epifania'' ( Mikis Theodorakis, 1962, poetry by Giorgos Seferis) *'' Dead brother's song'' ( Mikis Theodorakis, 1962) *''Mikres Kyklades'' ( Mikis Theodorakis, 1963, poetry by Odysseas Elytis) *"To Axion Esti" ( Mikis Theodorakis, 1964, poetry by Odysseas Elytis) *''

Gioconda's Smile Gioconda's Smile ( el, Το Χαμόγελο της Τζοκόντας, italic=yes) is one of the most famous albums by Greek composer Manos Hadjidakis. It is considered one of the classic albums of 20th-century music in Greece. The album was re ...

'' ( Manos Hatzidakis, 1965) *''Romiossini'' ( Mikis Theodorakis, 1966, poetry by Yiannis Ritsos) *''Ballos'' ( Dionysis Savvopoulos, 1970) *''O Megalos Erotikos'' ( Manos Hatzidakis, 1972) *''Eighteen Short Songs of the Bitter Motherland'' ( Mikis Theodorakis, 1973, poetry by Yiannis Ritsos) *''Our Great Circus'' ( Stavros Xarchakos for the theatrical play of

Iakovos Kambanellis Iakovos Kambanellis (Greek: Ιάκωβος Καμπανέλλης; 2 December 1921 – 29 March 2011) was a Greek poet, playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, and novelist. Biography Born 2 December 1921 in Hora on the island of Naxos, the sixth of ...

, 1974) *''Tetralogia'' (

, 1975, poetry by Constantine P. Cavafy, Kostas Karyotakis, Yiannis Ritsos and Giorgos Seferis) *''Stavros tou Notou'' (Southern Cross) ( Thanos Mikroutsikos, 1979, poetry by Nikos Kavvadias)

Artists

''Composers:'' * Manos Hatzidakis *

Yannis Markopoulos Yannis Markopoulos ( el, Γιάννης Μαρκόπουλος; born 18 March 1939) is a Greek composer. Biography Early life and education Yannis Markopoulos was born in 1939 in Heraklion, Crete. From one of the old families of the island— ...

* Thanos Mikroutsikos *

* Mimis Plessas * Mikis Theodorakis * Stavros Xarchakos * Nikos Gatsos (lyricist) *Manos Eleftheriou (lyricist) ''Singers:'' * Haris Alexiou * Giorgos Dalaras * Nikos Xilouris *

Maria Dimitriadi Maria Dimitriadi ( el, Μαρία Δημητριάδη) (11 April 1950 – 6 January 2009), was a Greek singer. She was one of the most renowned performers of the songs of Mikis Theodorakis and Thanos Mikroutsikos. Dimitiradi primarily connected w ...

* Maria Farantouri *

Manolis Mitsias Manolis Mitsias (Greek: Μανώλης Μητσιάς, ; born 26 February 1946) is a Greek singer. He has been a significant artistic presence in the laïko, light laïko and entekhno genres of modern Greek music. Early life Mitsias was born i ...

* Nana Mouskouri *Nena Venetsanou *Grigoris Bithikotsis

New Wave

A form of éntekhno which is even closer to western classical music was introduced during the mid-1960s, which was called New Wave and was a mixture of éntekhno and chansons from France. One of the first contributors to the genre was Dionysis Savvopoulos, who mixed American musicians like Bob Dylan and

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

with Macedonian folk music and politically incisive lyrics. In his wake came more folk-influenced performers like Arleta,

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 ...

, Mihalis Violaris, Kostas Hatzis and the composer Giannis Spanos. This music scene flourished in a specific type of '' boîte de nuit''.Takis Kalogeropoulos: "Neo Kyma" in ''Lexiko tis Ellinikis mousikis'', Athens 1998–99.
online version
.

Artists

* Arleta * Keti Chomata *

Kostas Hatzis Kostas Hatzis ( el, Κώστας Χατζής) (born 13 August 1936) is a Greek singer-songwriter and musician of Romani origin. Kostas Hatzis was born in Livadeia, a city in central Greece to a Romani family. Considered a leading composer and a ...

Rena Koumioti Irene "Rena" Koumioti (Greek: ; 3 May 1941 – 3 April 2023) was a Greek musician. She also appeared briefly in film and on television. Biography Koumioti was born in the Nea Ionia district of Athens. Her father was a refugee from Constantinop ...

* Yiannis Parios *

Giannis Poulopoulos Giannis Poulopoulos (Greek: Γιάννης Πουλόπουλος, a.k.a. John Poulopoulos; 29 June 1941 – 23 August 2020) was a Greek singer-songwriter, who had several hits in Greece during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. In terms of total al ...

* Dionysis Savvopoulos * Giannis Spanos * Mihalis Violaris * Giorgos Zographos

Contemporary éntekhno

Contemporary éntekhno is the form of éntekhno that emerged in the 1980s and is mostly what éntekhno means when used in context today.

Artists

Eleftheria Arvanitaki Eleftheria Arvanitaki ( Greek: Ελευθερία Αρβανιτάκη) (born 17 October 1957 in Piraeus) is a Greek folk singer. She originates from the island of Icaria. Arvanitaki has worked with important musicians, such as Cesária Évora ...

(contemporary laïkó) * Haris Alexiou (laïkó-éntekhno) *

Alkinoos Ioannidis Alkinoos Ioannidis ( el, Αλκίνοος Ιωαννίδης; born 19 September 1969) is a Greek Cypriot composer, lyricist, singer, and orchestrator. He was born in Nicosia on 19 September 1969. His artistic family, with a painter father and p ...

(

Cypriot Cypriot (in older sources often "Cypriote") refers to someone or something of, from, or related to the country of Cyprus. * Cypriot people, or of Cypriot descent; this includes: ** Armenian Cypriots ** Greek Cypriots ** Maronite Cypriots ** Tur ...

singer) *

Katsimihas Brothers Haris and Panos Katsimihas (Greek: Χάρης/Πάνος Κατσιμίχας), also known as the Katsimihas brothers (Αδελφοί Κατσιμίχα; Κατσιμίχα is the genitive case of Κατσιμίχας) or Katsimiheoi (Κατσιμ ...

Stamatis Kraounakis Stamatis Kraounakis ( el, Σταμάτης Κραουνάκης) is a Greek music composer, music producer, lyricist, writer and director. He was born and lives in Athens and has studied Political Science in Panteion University. He has composed ...

(laïkó and éntekhno composer and performer) *

Lavrentis Mahairitsas Lavrentis Machairitsas ( el, Λαυρέντης Μαχαιρίτσας; 5 November 1956 – 9 September 2019) was a Greek rock musician from Volos, Thessaly, Greece. Biography Early years Machairitsas was born in Volos and began taking pian ...

Savina Yannatou Savina Yannatou (Greek: Σαβίνα Γιαννάτου, ''Savína Yannátou''; born 16 March 1959, Athens) is a Greek singer. After taking classical guitar lessons and participating in the children's choir of Yannis Nousias for some years, she ...

Miltos Paschalidis Miltiades or Miltiadis ( el, Μιλτιάδης, short: Miltos) is a Greek masculine given name. The name is derived from the Greek word for "red earth". People with the given name include: * Miltiades the Younger (c. 550–489 BC), tyrant of the ...

* Sokratis Malamas *

Thanassis Papakonstantinou Athanasios "Thanasis" Papakonstantinou ( el, Αθανάσιος (Θανάσης) Παπακωνσταντίνου; born 26 April 1959) is a Greek singer-songwriter. Short biography He is married, with two children. Papakonstantinou studied mecha ...

* Nikos Papazoglou *

Alkistis Protopsalti Alkistis Protopsalti ( el, Άλκηστις Πρωτοψάλτη), born as Alkistis Sevasti Attikuzel ( el, Άλκηστις Σεβαστή Αττικιουζέλ), is a Greek singer and songwriter. Life Alkistis Protopsalti was born in Alex ...

(contemporary laïkó, éntekhno pop) * Tania Tsanaklidou * Nikos Xydakis (composer and musician only) * Giannis Haroulis

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Entekhno Greek music

Origins

Works

Artists

New Wave

Artists

Contemporary éntekhno

Artists

See also

References