Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou – Epirus

This travelogue presents the unique musical tradition of Epirus: laments, polyphonic songs, shepherds’ tunes, songs about specific historical events, dances from Zagori, etc, performed by local musicians.

“Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou” (“Musiko Odiporiko me ti Domna Samiou”) was a television series researched and presented by Domna Samiou and broadcast by Greek National Television in 1976-1977. Each episode was dedicated to the music and dance tradition of a different area of Greece.

Konstantinos Saadedin aka Kerimis performs a lament on his violin accompanied by his son Stavros Saadedin by the lute.

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Lament From Epirus With Violin

Konstantinos Saadedin aka Kerimis, violin, Stavros Saadedin, lute. Ioannina 1976

TV program 'Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou'

In the village of Parakalamos, the Chaliyannis family plays the Tsakistos Dance from Pogoni. The musicians are Christos Chaliyannis on the clarinet; Kostas Chaliyannis plays the violin; Vassilis Chaliyannis plays the lute; Thanassis Chaliyannis plays the tambourine.

They also perform a Lament from Epirus On Clarinet

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Lament from Epirus on Clarinet

Christos Chaliyannis, clarinet, Kostas Chaliyannis, violin, Vassilis Chaliyannis, lute. Parakalamos, Ioannina 1976

TV program 'Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou'

In Parakalamos village, the 70-year-old Konstantinos Haliyannis (Ntikos) plays his violin and sings the song Lament for Margiola

Rise up Margiola from your grave, from the black soil
Change your fingernails to spades, your palms to shovels…

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Lament for Margiola

Konstantinos Chaliyannis (Ntikos). Papaklamos Ioannina 1976

TV program 'Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou'

In the village Ktismata, near the Greek-Albanian border, the Polyphonic Group of Pogoni sings the song Pleasant Company, which tells us about people living far away from their homeland and families.

In the village of Kipi, Christodoulos Tolis aka Litsas sings and plays the song Boulonaseina on the lute and is accompanied by Christos Dervas on the violin. The song is about a raid of the robber Davelis on the village of Skamneli, Zagori.

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Boulonasena

Christodoulos Tolis aka Litsas, song and lute, Christos Dervas, violin. Kipi Ioannina 1976

TV program 'Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou'

They also perform the Mistress Phrosyne’s Song.

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Mistress Phrosyne’s Song

Christodoulos Tolis aka Litsas, song and lute, Christos Dervas, violin. Kipi Ioannina 1976

Εκπομπή «Μουσικό Οδοιπορικό με τη Δόμνα Σαμίου»

In Ioannina, Grigoris Kapsalis and his group play two dance tunes, Dance from Zagori and  I Kleftes (The Bandits).

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Dance from Zagori

Grigoris Kapsalis, clarinet, Alekos Chaliyannis, violin, Nikolaos Dervas aka Psaras, lute, Andreas Zoumbas, lute, Michalis Markopoulos, drum. Ioannina 1976

TV program 'Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou'

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I Kleftes (The Bandits)

Grigoris Kapsalis, clarinet, Alekos Chaliyannis, violin, Nikolaos Dervas aka Psaras, lute, Andreas Zoumbas lute. Ioannina 1976

TV program 'Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou'

A group of musicians perform the shepherds’ tune Skaros. The musicians are Constantinos Neofotistos playing the clarinet; Stavros Saadedin playing the lute; Constantinos Saadedin aka Kerimis playing the violin; Napoleon Tzichas playing the lute and Mattheos Stavropoulos playing the tambourine.

The same group of musicians perform the song As I Travelled Along the Road sung by Mattheos Stavropoulos.

Credits

Research and presentation: Domna Samiou
Director: Andreas Thomopoulos

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  • Collaborators

Andreas Thomopoulos

Born in Athens in 1945. He studied Theatre at the London School of Dramatic Art (1963-66) and Cinema at the International Film School of London (1966-1968). Back in Athens since 1974, he writes movie and television scripts, and directs. He has also written and directed theatrical plays. Member of […]

See also

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Polyphonic Group of Pogoni

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  • AlbumLP1984Ocora

Polyphonic Songs and Music from Epirus

This LP published by Ocora, as well as the concert which preceded it, can be seen as a ‘universal premiere’ for the polyphonic songs of Epirus. Aris Fakinos’ initiatives brought for the first time into French public polyphonic music from Epirus, which was anyway rarely performed locally and almost unknown […]
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How Do They Grind the Pepper (Explicit)

  • Πώς το τρίβουν το πιπέρι ⬥ How do they grind, good shepherdess, how do they grind the pepper, how do they grind the pepper, those diabolic monks? With the knee, good shepherdess, they grind it with the knee, with the knee they grind it, and they grind it fine. Ho [...]
  • SongEpirusEaster Song, Lament, Ritual Song

Today, dear George…

(Necrolatric Dance of Easter)

  • Σήμερα Γιώργη μ’ Πασχαλιά ⬥ Today, dear George, is Easter Day, my dearest George, my dearest George, Today’s a major holiday, my dearest George, my handsome boy. Today young men dress in their best, and join the promenade. But you, dear George, did not show up, to join the promenade. [...]
  • SongEpirusFable Song (Ballad)

My Son, Why Dont You Go and Wash?

(Necrolatric Dance of Easter)

  • Γιε μου γιατί δε λούζεσαι ⬥ – My son, why don’t you go and wash, why don’t you change your clothing? Today, my child, is Easter Day, you’ll go and take communion. – No, mother, you must know I sinned while I was in the fighting. The other men all [...]