Καλλιτεχνικός Σύλλογος Δημοτικής Μουσικής Δόμνα Σαμίου

Refugees from Eastern Rumelia used to sing to song and dance on 15th August, at the banquet of the feast of the Assumption.

Studio recording, 2006.

Domna Samiou wrote the following comment when the song first published (LP,  Travelling in Greece with Domna Samiou):

I first taped the song in 1964, in Agia Heleni in Serres (Macedonia), where every year, on the 21st of May, the Anastenaria Festivities take place. I had gone there to attend the feast through the whole duration of which -by tradition- the lyra and the daouli are being played without cease. The lyra player, Dimitris Vlaskos, played for me a number of songs from Eastern Thrace among which was this Karsilamas in question. I taped them. Of course, at the time, I could not bring local musicians to the studio, and I had the musicians I found in Athens to perform the tunes while I did the singing.

Listen to the original taped version, sung by Dimitris Vlaskos, 39 years old.