The great violin virtuoso, Stefanos Vartanis, born in Izmir, in 1922, improvises on traditional scales (makam).
The violin was already a feature of Greek popular music in the 17th century. Though it serves as one of the main melodic instruments on the Greek mainland, its use is still more prominent in the islands and in Asia Minor. It is included in both types of the traditional ensemble, the companía (violin, clarinet, lute, santoúri) and the zygiá (violin, lute).
Miranda Terzopoulou (2018)
