Nikos Papavramidis

 (1907–1995) | Leading lyra player and singer, born in Argyroupoli, Pontus, with roots in Kromni. He relocated to Greece in 1923 as part of the population exchange.

He collaborated with Domna Samiou on the album Chants des Akrites (Ocora, 1982) and participated in her concerts during 1979–1980. His discography includes, notably, the LP “Nikos Papavramidis” (1969).

In Domna Samiou’s archive, there is a recorded excerpt where Samiou introduced him as follows (11 December 1982): “Nikos Papavramidis is one of the last lyra players preserving the Pontic tradition. Unfortunately, today, although there are many Pontic lyra players, influenced by the modern way traditional music is presented, they distort the melodies, add unrelated instruments alongside the lyra to supposedly ‘enrich’ the sound and make it more pleasant, all at a speaker volume that is deafening”.

Songs

Records

Akritic songs, which are perceived as the oldest examples of Greek popular poetry, are inspired by the legends of Akrites’ lives and their fights in defense of the eastern borders of the Byzantine Empire. The LP was recorded by the French Radio, published in Ocora series and distributed along with […]
Songs inspired by the popular tradition of story-telling, relating tales of brave warriors, both high-ranked lords, and lowly soldiers. Centering on heroic Digenis, they originate from all parts of Greece.