Yiorgos Ε. Papadakis

(1947–2013) | Composer, musicologist, and researcher. Born in Chania, he studied advanced music theory, composition, and music history at the National Conservatoire of Athens. He worked extensively in theatre and cinema, composing music for more than twenty-five plays and thirty films, while also dedicating himself to the collection and documentation of ethnomusicological material related to Greek traditional music.

From 1975 he collaborated with newspapers and magazines, and from 2000 he was a regular contributor to “Istorika” and “Eleftherotypia”. From 1978 he collaborated with ERT as a musician, producer, and administrator; he served as director of the music department of the Second Programme (1981), entertainment consultant for ET-1 (1987), and programme director of ET-2 (1993–1997).

Between 1982 and 1999 he curated the traditional music recording programme of the Third Programme of ERA, gathering 3,650 recordings from around 200 soloists, part of which was also broadcast by Dutch National Radio. He edited numerous traditional and folk music releases, and in 1983 he published the book Traditional Folk Instrumentalists (Λαϊκοί Πρακτικοί Οργανοπαίχτες).

In 2002 he served as musical and scientific director of the Centre for the Study of Traditional Music of Thrace–Asia Minor–Pontus, and as music director of the Lykeion ton Ellinidon. He collaborated closely with Domna Samiou as a musical consultant for recordings and concerts.


Source: Domna Samiou Archive, Yiorgos E. Papadakis

Songs

Records

Carols, wishes and praises for Christmas, New Year and Epiphany. Some less and some more well-known, coming from various regions of Greece (2011).
Live recording of the tribute concert for Domna Samiou’s seventieth birthday, at The Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, in 1998.
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.
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.
Songs of Asia Minor by Domna Samiou. Live recording from the concert ‘Songs of Asia Minor with Domna Samiou’ at the Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, on 8/3/2005. Traditional songs from the western coasts of Asia Minor, Propontis, Constantinople, Pontus and Cappadocia.
The down-to-earth love of nature in these folk songs doesn’t derive from any form of romantic nostalgia; it lies instead in a pure experience of everyday life.
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 retelling of fine, magnificent, heroic deeds from the past has always inspired a future path for every nation, the weft on which its future is woven. Austere and Doric, as stern as the heroes they describe.

Concerts

A great concert called ‘The known and unknown Domna’, part of the series ‘Bridges’; a tribute concert for her seventieth birthday. Some of her closer friends and collaborators were invited as guests: Lykourgos Angelopoulos, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Eleftheria Arvanitaki as well as the two distinguished Turkish musicians Fahrettin Çimenli and Volkan […]