Cavo d’oro is the name given to Euboea’s southernmost cape, but also to the whole South-eastern part of the island, which is where this rhythmic, lively circle dance in a 2/4 rhythm -a staple of the local repertoire- comes from. The dancers cross their arms and accompany their movements with provocative, satirical couplets when they get into the spirit of the dance.
Traditionally, the kavodorítikos was played by the instruments associated with the area’s old-style music: the “tsaboúna” -which seems to be linked to the local Albanian communities- or the lyre accompanied by the toubáki (daouli). It’s said that when, at past times, a dancer requested the “tsaboúna”, they meant this particular dance. Today, the old instruments have been replaced by the violin and the lute but a skilled fiddler can mimic the sound of the tsaboúna satisfactorily on the former.
Miranda Terzopoulou (2018)
