Καλλιτεχνικός Σύλλογος Δημοτικής Μουσικής Δόμνα Σαμίου

A song of the Aromuni / Vlachs of Northern Pindus which is sung in Greek.

Samarina is a mountain village in the prefecture of Grevena, one of the highest in the Balkans. Home to shepherds, it flourished in the late 19th century. Although the provenance of the hero varies from version to version, popular tradition links the song to the men of Samarina who, during the struggle for national independence which began in 1821, fought at the siege of Mesolonghi and were killed as the Greek forces withdrew (1826). The lyrics express their dying wish: that their loved ones should not learn of and be saddened by their death. Formerly sung as a lament or a slow and sad wedding song, it was never danced.

The song was widely known and much-loved. Between 1927 and 1936, it was recorded six times in Greece and the US, and it is always played and danced at celebrations. The dance is a syrtós with three steps to a 4/4 rhythm.
 

Miranda Terzopoulou (2018)

Studio recording, 1979.

Watch a different version of the song by Domna Samiou