John Leatham

(1924–2003) | British writer, translator, and philhellene. He became acquainted with Greece during World War II, serving in the Royal Navy and collaborating with the Royal Hellenic Navy, while also participating in MI6 operations in Albania. Throughout his life, he worked as a journalist, translator, and writer, and from 1957 to 1961 he served as head of the Greek-language service of the BBC World Service.

From 1969 until his death in 2003, he lived and worked in Athens as a business consultant, writer, translator, and collaborator with cultural institutions. He translated a large portion of the songs for our association’s recordings. His life and career were so closely linked to Greece, its culture, history, and religion that he was baptized as an Orthodox Christian in 1999 at the Simonos Petra Monastery, Mount Athos.

Records

Carnival Songs with Domna in Thessaloniki (Live)
  • AlbumCD, Digital release1994Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

Carnival Songs

Carnival songs with their ritual bawdiness – ‘sacred in the profane’ – disturbed the prudish devotees of tradition. The recordings come with a detailed booklet analysing the pagan and ritualistic context in which these songs are performed.
Carnival Songs with Domna in Thessaloniki (Live)
  • AlbumDigital release, LP1994Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

Carnival Songs (LP)

These “sacred in the profane” songs of the Carnival with their ritual bawdiness disturbed the prudish “devotees” of tradition. The records are accompanied by a detailed booklet analyzing the pagan and ritualistic context in which these songs are performed.
Domna Samiou At Megaron, The Athens Concert Hall
  • AlbumCD, Digital release1999Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

Domna Samiou At Megaron, The Athens Concert Hall

Live recording of the tribute concert for Domna Samiou’s seventieth birthday, at The Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, in 1998.
Easter Songs
  • AlbumCD, Digital release1998Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

Easter Songs

This edition aims to convey the spirit of Easter, the Christian feast celebrated amidst the glory and promise of springtime, through the selected rituals of that period of the year and their related sacred songs and tunes.
Folk Fables in Song
  • AlbumCD, Digital release2008Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

Folk Fables in Song

Tales of the fabulous and the fantastic combining the real world with the supernatural. Narrating stories, often tragic, which might once have occurred – or could do so one day.
Kaneloriza
  • AlbumCD, Digital release1995Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

Kaneloriza

Includes songs and tunes in “7 beats to the bar” (the rhythm of kalamatianos dances) and in “9 beats to the bar” (the rhythm of zeibekikos and karsilamas dances) with lyrics and melodies both erotic and sorrowful.
Songs About Greeks Far From Home (LP)
  • AlbumCD, Digital release1992UNHCR – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Songs About Greeks Far From Home

This CD, published by UNHCR with an informative booklet, includes sixteen songs narrating different aspects of migrating to foreign lands: departure and life in foreign lands; the lives of families left behind; death in foreign lands or a return home.
Songs About Greeks Far From Home (LP)
  • AlbumDigital release, LP1989UNHCR – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Songs About Greeks Far From Home (LP)

This LP includes nineteen songs narrating all the different aspects of migrating in foreign lands: the departure and the life to foreign lands, the life of the family left behind, death in these foreign lands or the return home.
Songs of Dame Sea
  • AlbumCD, Digital release2002Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

Songs of Dame Sea

The wealth of Greek traditional music has been enriched by every aspect of maritime tradition – by its values, virtues and charm – as is amply demonstrated by this wonderful collection of songs.
The Akolouthia Of Nymphios
  • AlbumCD, Digital release2002Domna Samiou Greek Folk Music Association

The Akolouthia Of Nymphios

The masterpiece of the Byzantine music tradition, the ‘Troparion of Kassiani’ and the ‘Akolouthia (Service) of Matins on Holy Wednesday’, sung by Yiorgos Remoundos and his choir, ‘The Kalophonarides’ (‘The Fine Vocalists’).
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