Καλλιτεχνικός Σύλλογος Δημοτικής Μουσικής Δόμνα Σαμίου

A sensual and improvised introductory taxim is followed by romantic couplets to a melody that is danced to the steps of the karsilamas, as they dance it with thousand-and-one variations on Mytilene and the coast of Asia Minor opposite. The first two couplets are especially fine as poetry, portraying the object of desire allegorically as a beautiful and elegant rose. The third couplet definitely comes from Smyrna, where it was sung to various melodies in and around the Ionian capital.

The fixed twelve- and eleven-syllable tsakisma “douneme doumanaki...” consists of meaningless words included for their rhythm, and inducts us into the atmosphere of the so-called ‘Smyrna School’ and the first rembetika songs (compare with the tourne, tournene or dourou, dourou etc. of the latter).

Theodor Kondaras (2022)

Live recording from the concert Songs of Asia Minor with Domna Samiou at the Megaron, the Athens Concert Hall, on 8/5/2005.

Domna Samiou learned the song from Simon Karas and sang it with the musicians and choir of the Association for the Dissemination of Greek National Music on Simon Karas’ radio shows “Greek Echoes” (Ellinikoi Antilaloi), in the 1950s.