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Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou - Euboea, Kymi
“Musical Travelogue with Domna Samiou” (“Musiko Odiporiko me ti Domna Samiou”) was a television series researched and presented by Domna Samiou and broadcast by the Greek National Television during the 1976-1977 season. Each episode was dedicated to the mu
Music program, Television, ERT, 1977
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This is a travelogue that presents the musical tradition of the Kymi area in Euboea and was shot in December 1976. It includes songs, dances, and tunes by locals that are either typical of the region or are influenced by the musical tradition of the Aegean islands and mainland Greece. More specifically it presents the musical tradition of Kymi, Aghios Ioannis, Aliveri, Vitalo, Kalimeriani, and Taxiarches.
In Kymi, a group of locals sing the song I Am a Fisherman's Son.
A group of women sing and dance to the tune of the love song Grass From the Meadow.
In Kymi, a group of men and women sing and dance to the tune of a typical wedding song Blessed Time. This dance, known as "klistos" (closed, sealed) or "nyfiatikos" (bridal) is danced at weddings and formal engagements, without instruments, the lyrics consisting of couplets praising the bride and groom.
A local tradition in Kymi is the "mariniarika" songs, sung by seamen in the past. Their rhythm is slow and the lyrics consist of marine or love couplets. Should You See a Vessel Pass is one of these songs, sung by Assinou Bounia and a group of women. Based on this recording, Domna Samiou performed the song in her album Songs of Dame Sea.
In the Kalimeriani village, Vassilis Stamatiou sings the songs Wake Up, You Slept a Lot and Long Narrow Passageway.
In the village Taxiarches, the musicians Giorgos Katrakos and his son Vassilis Katrakos play two well-known tunes from the area, Kavodorítikos and Tell Me, My Carnation. Kavodorítikos or Dance From Kavodoro is a typical local dance. Kavodoro (Cavo D'Oro) is a cape on the southeastern tip of Euboea in the Aegean Sea.
In south Euboea, the musical tradition of the western coast of Asia Minor musical tradition was transported either by the seamen or by the refugees from Asia Minor who settled there, after the 1922 catastrophy. In the village of Aliveri, Dimitris Mallios, a former barber who plays the violin and his old friend Vassilis Leventis who always accompanies him with the lute, play the Asia Minor tune Aptalikos.
The same musicians continue with the instrumental tune from Epirus Himariotiko. They also accompany Domna Samiou who sings A Brunette.
In the village of Vitalo, three veteran musicians who have stopped playing for many years, gathered at the village barbershop, with their musical instruments at hand and played the instrumental tune Wire Netted Anchor.
In the village of Aghios Ioannis, Domna Samiou meets Giorgos Papageorgiou, a carpenter and a manufacturer of folk musical instruments who plays the violin (as well as the lute). His regular accompanist and friend Mr. Vassilis plays the lute.
Collaborators
- Research and presentation: Domna Samiou
- Director: Andreas Thomopoulos