THE TRADITIONAL DANCES OF CRETE

Extracts from Ioannis Tsouchlarakis’ book:

The dances of Crete, legend, history, tradition, Athens 2000,

(First Praise of Academia Athinon)

THE DANCE IN ANCIENT CRETE

   According to ancient Greek tradition, the dance was born in Crete, where it evolved as an art, under divine inspiration and guidance, and spread to the rest of the Greek world from there.  It was believed that the most ancient dances were those of the Courites, who were taught by Rea herself, the mother of Zeus.  According to ancient Greek writings, the most famous dance of the Courites was the “pyrrichios”, and all the war dances of antiquity went under the general name of “pyrrichi”.  We are informed that over the years this dance spread to the whole of Greece, and each town where it was first danced gave it a different name and claimed it for its own, aspiring to be the town of origin.  In 300 A.D., women started to dance the “pyrrichios”, and since then some variations have taken the form of a love dance.

    Particularly well-known in Crete since Minoan times were also the ceremonial round dances, closed and open, as necessary elements of religious ritual.  The ancient Greeks believed that the Cretans had invented these rituals with the “syrtos” dances (dragging steps), which were danced round the alter during a sacrifice.

     The rich heritage of Crete in music and dancing, which evolved and survived till modern times, developed as a continuity of ancient local tradition and was complemented by the influences of the long historic periods of the island’s adventures.

THE TRADITIONAL DANCES OF CRETE

            About twenty traditional dances are included in the living heritage of dance in Crete.  Of these, today, some are widely danced all over Crete, and others are purely local.  In the first category we have the “sousta of Rethymno”, the “siganos”, the “maleviziotis” or “kastrinos pidichtos”, the “Chaniotikos syrtos” and the “pentozali”.  It should be noted, however, that these dances (except from “siganos”), prior to 1930, used to be confined to certain regions.  To be more precise, the “sousta of Rethymno” was known in the county of the same name, the “maleviziotis” in the county of Heraclion, and the “Chaniotikos syrtos” and the “Pentozali” in the county of Chania.

            The other, less known dances, are: the “pidichtos of Mylopotamos” which we come across in the province of that name, the “ghitsikia sousta”, the “glykomilitsa” and the “rodo” in the province of Kissamos, the “fterotos syrtos” or “dama” or “paso” (step variations of the Chaniotikos syrtos with differences in the choreography) in some villages of the counties of Chania and Rethymno, the “apanomeritis” and the “mikro-mikraki” in provinces of the counties of Rethymno and Heraclion, the “koutsambadianos” and the “trizalis” in the province of Amario, Rethymno, the “siganos” in the counties of Rethymno, Heraclion and Lassithi, the “bramianos-priniotis”, the “angaliastos” and the “zervodexos” in the provinces of Ierapetra and Mirabello, the “Lassithiotikos pidichtos” (and its variations “steiakos” in Siteia and “ierapetritikos” in Ierapetra), and the “lazotis” in various parts of the island.

            We could say that the “pidichtoi” dances (jumping) like the “sousta of Rethymno”, the “ghitsikia sousta”, the “pentozali”, the “pidichtos of Mylopotamos”, the “maleviziotis”, the “Lassithiotikos pidichtos” and the “bramianos-priniotis” are echoes of the dances of the Courites or the pyrrichi dances, either as variations or under different names, transformed with the passing of the centuries.

            The “sousta of Rethymno”, the love dance of Crete, which is danced by one or more couples facing each other, contains numerous elements of the ancient pyrrichios. The basic steps of the dance, which resemble small jumps and make the dancers’ bodies move as if propelled by springs, were probably the reason that the dance, during the Venetian occupation (1204-1669) was given the name “sousta”, from the Italian word “susta” which means spring or coil.

            In the last quarter of the 18th century we know that in Constantinople the women mainly danced what they called “candiot” or “Greek dance”.  The name “candiot” comes from the Italian name for Heraclion, “Candia”, which also referred to the whole of Crete after 1204 when it was occupied by the Venetians. Perhaps the “apanomeritis”, the women’s dance from central Crete, corresponds to the “candiot”, as they are very similar, and consequently back to an ancient Minoan dance, thus expressing its survival.

            According to the cretan tradition, the dance “trizalis” is the women’s war dance of Crete, revealing women’ s participation in war but also their support for men warriors.

            The contemporary Cretan syrtos, mostly known as “Chaniotikos syrtos”, is said to have evolved, possibly through the transformation of the steps of an older syrtos dance, in the mid-18th century in the province of Kissamos, Chania. We should note that the dance was also used, according to ancient customs, as a necessary mean of expression and encouragement in cases of war.  Tradition says that the music accompanying the Chaniotikos syrtos is based on two melodies, which had been composed, in keeping with this ancient custom, by Cretan warriors – the last defendants of Constantinople – in 1453, and carried back to Crete by the survivors.  The first music rendition of the dance is attributed to the violinist from Loussakies, Kissamos, Stefanos Triantafilakis or Kioros.  The Chaniotikos syrtos spread to the rest of Crete during the period between the two World Wars, gradually acquiring variations in style and expression.  It is a unique dance and particularly interesting due to its special way of dance performing at the province if Kissamos, where only the two first dancers in the circle dance and the rest follow them walking and the large number of accompanying melodies (tunes), created by great musicians of the 19th and 20th century.

            The “siganos” is a slow dance,  and perhaps that is the reason why it was given this name. Nowadays, it is danced by men and women at every feast. In the past, however, it was danced mainly by women.  According to tradition, during Ottoman rule the Turkish lords (aga) used to invite Cretan families to so-called feasts, in order to have their wives and daughters dance.  But they would strew chickpeas on the floor to make the women slip and fall and so ridicule and assault  them.  The Cretans didn’t want the Turks to have it their way, so they used to tell the musicians, Christians in the majority, to play the “siganos”.  We don’t know if this dance already existed or if it was formed for that particular reason. The “siganos” is danced with variations in handhold, steps and music in all over Crete, except from the prefecture of Chania. In Eastern Crete it is called “xenobassaris” (county of Ierapetra) or ή “ mana”, because when people sing mantinades, they use to repeat the phrase  “ gia to theo mana mou”.

In the category of the “syrtos” dances we also have the “rodo”, which up till a few years ago was danced only in Loussakies, Kissamos, and the “mikro-mikraki”.

            The “pentozali” (according to word of mouth tradition, which after thorough investigation and cross-checking has become historical fact) took its present music-dance form and name during the period of Daskaloyiannis' Revolution in 1770-71, perhaps by transforming an older “pyrrichios” dance.  It was named pentozali (to) -neutral and not pentozalis (o) -masculine, because it symbolizes the fifth “zalo” (step), that is, the fifth chance – hope – attempt to free Crete from the Turks.  It has ten steps, to commemorate the 10th October 1769, when the people of Sfakia made the decision to go ahead with the revolution, and its music consists of twelve music phrases (parts) in honour of the twelve leaders of the revolt.  Accounts which have been preserved say that up till the early 1960’s, the people of the provinces of Kissamos and Selinos, while dancing the pentozali, on hearing each tune of the dance music, used to call out the name of the captain that corresponded to the music phrase, in this way honouring the memory of Daskaloyiannis, his chief comrades and their revolt.

      Among those who took part in Daskaloyiannis’ Revolution  was the great war-chief Joseph Daskalakis or Sifodaskalakis (the elder) from the village of Ambadia, Rethymno.  Sifodaskalakis was among those who survived the revolt, but he was left crippled in his left leg.  Tradition says that some years later Captain Sifis wanted to dance the pentozali.  The musicians and dancers honoured him by adapting the rhythm of the music and the steps of the dance to the step of a lame man.  He danced, although lame, and his dance became part of the tradition of the Amari province as “koutsambadianos” or “ka(r)tsimba(r)dianos”, so that everyone might remember the dance of the lame man from Ambadia, Sifodaskalakis.

            The “angaliastos” is a simple dance with walking steps, and is danced at joyous occasions.  Its name comes from the peculiar way the dancers hold each other, which looks as if each dancer is embracing the one in front of him.  The musician or the “adorner” (a woman with experience in this dance who takes the lead in the circle) “adorns” each dancer with praising or teasing couplets and at the same time the process of embracing goes on.  The dance continues and all the participants respond with similar “mantinades” (couplets).

            The alternating direction of the “zervodexos”, forward and back, or left (zerva) and right (dexia), is the reason why the dance was given this name. When the music begins, the dancers move forward (to the right in the circle).  When the violin or lyre player makes a characteristic sharp sound like a screech with his bow, then the dancers change direction and the first becomes last and vice versa.  The older musicians used to play this dance at feasts when they wanted to liven things up.  It could be called a comic dance or a dance - game.

            The “lazotis” is a cheerful Cretan dance that was based on two dances of Pontos, the “omal aplo” and the “tik so gonaton”.  It is usually danced at carnival time, like so many other “exotic” dances all over Greece (Dournerakia, Arapis, Zeibekia, etc.).  The dance is the result either of contact between Cretans and people of Pontos during the First World War, or people from Pontos (Lazous) who came to Crete in the 19th century.

            In some of the dances we have mentioned that “improvisations” by the first dancer in line are a usual thing, while in others they are not.  What we must point out here is that each dance is determined by its own folk traditions, which dictate the particular in style and movement improvisations.  That means, the first dancer has to perform dance figures within bounds if he knows them or according to his own inspiration, without using movements from the improvisations of other dances.

THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

IN THE CRETAN TRADITION

Extracts from Ioannis Tsouchlarakis’ book:

The folk musical instruments in Crete, Athens 2004.

 THE TRADITIONAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS IN CRETE

     The traditional musical instruments used in Crete today in order to play the music of the dances and the songs of the island, in a greater or lesser degree, are the lute, the lyre, the violin, the “violin-lyre”, the mandolin, the guitar, the “boulgari”, the “m(p)andoura”, the “askom(p)andoura”, the “habioli” and the “daoulaki”.  Valid information about the time most of them appeared in Crete goes back mainly to the era of Venetian rule, and comes from various sources (illustrations, literature, records, reports of clergymen, memoirs, legal documents, etc.), concerning the “daoulaki”, the “habioli”, the “mandoura”, the “askomandoura”, the lute, the violin and the guitar, as well as other musical instruments (the “cittern”, the “harpsichord”, the trumpet, the harp, the base, etc.) whose use did not continue.  Information about the lyre, the “boulgari” and the mandolin dates from a later period, the second half of the 18th century.  Finally, the “lyre-viol” is an instrument of the mid-war period.  The use of the flute and the drum in Crete is mentioned by Greek Orthodox priests of that time from the beginning of the 15th and 17th centuries respectively.  The drums, also called “tambour”, are also mentioned in Cretan literature from about 1600.  The small Cretan drum, called “daoulaki” or “toumbi”, survives today only in the county of Lassithi, and is one of the special characteristics of the music heritage of the region.  It is a rhythmic instrument, which is played with two specially made sticks called “toumboxila”, and usually accompanies at least one melodic instrument, maybe the “m(p)andoura”, “askom(p)andoura”, lyre or violin.

     In Crete we come across two types of pipes.  The one has a neb shaped mouth-piece, like the flute, and the other a single reed, like the clarinet.  Several names are given to each type, depending on the region, and notably different from those in the rest of Greece.  The first type is known as: habioli, thiaboli, fthiaboli (or ftiaboli or fiaboli), babioli (or pabioli), sfyrohabioulo (or sfyrohaboulo), peirohabiolo and glossohaboulo.   For the instrument with the reed the Cretans use the names: mandoura, bandoura, or pandoura.  As we can see in Cretan literature, the terms fiaboli, mandoura and pandoura have been used in Crete since the end of the 16th century.  

     Askomandoura or flaskom(p)andoura is the name in Crete of the “tsambouna”, well-known in all the Aegean islands, which is one of the two types of bagpipe to be found in Greece.  Its use in Crete is testified by illustrations from about the mid-15th century.

     The presence of the lute and the violin among the other instruments that were in use in Crete is testified by many sources; literary, archival, museum (embroideries) etc. from the end of the 16th century. Despite that, by the beginning of the 20th century the lute had been confined to just the county of Chania.  On the contrary, the violin remained the most popular instrument in most regions of the counties of Chania, Lassithi, and Heracleon up to the 1960’s. The oldest folk violinist in Crete about whom we know is Stefanos Triandafillakis or Kioros (1715-1800) from Loussakies, Kissamos, who inspired or transformed the music of pentozali, as well as many accompanying melodies of the chaniotikos syrtos.  

In the last few decades, the lute has spread over all of Crete, and at the same time it changed in size, tuning and role, being confined to rhythmic accompaniment. But in Chania the lute was and is played as it had been for centuries, not as a rhythmic instrument for accompaniment but for the melody, either alone or with the violin or lyre, continuing the old tradition of the medieval or renaissance lute, which was a solo instrument.

     And what about the lyre?  Though it was already known in Greece since the 9th century A. D., it started to be used in Crete after the Turkish occupation, in the 17th or 18th century, according to modern researchers.  The lyres we find in writings of the Venetian period concern the renaissance “lyre da braccio” and have no connection to the lyre played in Crete today.  

     In Crete there were two types of lyre, the “lyraki”, which had a sharp, penetrating sound, suitable for dancing, and the “vrontolyra”, larger in size, ideal for prolonged accompaniment of singing.  From these two types comes the modern common lyre.  Today, the pear-shaped Aegean lyre (variations of which we find in Thrace, Macedonia, Karpathos, Kassos, etc.) is considered to be a particular popular instrument of Crete.  Due to chance events, it dominated and established itself in the last 40 years in the hands of great, famous folk musicians.  The fact that it was easy and inexpensive for the amateur musician to make a lyre, as opposed to the violin which needs a professional instrument maker and costs a lot, contributed to its spreading so fast through the island, probably in the late 18th century, since that is when it first appears in various sources.  The region of Crete where the lyre has always dominated is the county of Rethymno.  Up to the first quarter of the 20^th century  it was played mainly solo, without accompanying instruments in the middle of the dancers’ circle. It was usual to tie to the bow small, round bells, called “gerakokoudouna” (hawk-bells), because it is believed that similar bells were hung on hunting hawks in Byzantine times.  During playing, the bells are transformed, with skilled movements, into a second instrument of rhythmical and harmonic accompaniment.  In the early mid-war years (1920 – 1940), the “violin-lyre” came to being, a lyre in the shape of a figure eight, created in an attempt to give the lyre the technical abilities of the violin.  It was used mainly in the county of Heracleon.

     Boulgari is the name in Crete of a “tambouras” –type instrument (saz), with a small, pear-shaped curved resonator and long, slim arm, possibly used since the mid-18th century.  It was (and is) used mainly for the rendition of “tabahaniotika” songs heard in the urban centers of Crete (Chania, Rethymno and Heracleon) during the mid-war years, where Cretan music, the music of Asia Minor and the “rebetiko” songs are combined.

     The mandolin is an instrument which was formed  in Europe in the 17th century.  It has been used for a long time (we don’t know since when) by Cretan popular musicians, mainly as an instrument for melody or accompaniment to the lyre in central Crete, and to the violin in the East.  According to the testimony of many great old musicians, in the early 20th century the accompanying instruments for the lyre in the county of Rethymno were the boulgari and the mandolin.

     The guitar (an instrument of popular music in many countries today) was formed in W. Europe gradually, from the Middle Ages till the 19th century.  Though it was known in Crete since the Venetian era, it has been used only in certain regions of the county of Lassithi, purely as ‘passo’, that is accompaniment to the violin.  Today it is very much in evidence in the provinces of Siteia and Ierapetra with their rich violin tradition.

THE KINDS OF CRETAN SINGING 

     The basic kinds of Cretan singing are: Mantinades, Rizitika, Polystiha Historika Afigimatika (Historical, narrative songs with many rhymes), Mirologia (elegies) and Tabahaniotika.

     Mantinades is the most usual kind of folk singing and also a kind of poetry, which is spread in all over the island of Crete. The term ‘mantinada’ derives from the Venetian word ‘matinada’, which is translated as ‘matinal serenade’ and refers to the love songs that were sung in the morning under the window of the beloved girl. These songs consist of rhyming couplets with fifteen syllable verse. The synthesis of mantinada is really admirable, seeing that a fully developed thought is included in just one woodnote couplet. Mantinades are sung accompanied by musical instruments or not, using the melodies of the Cretan traditional dances (chaniotikos syrtos, siganos, rethemniotiki sousta, maleviziotis, zervodexos etc) and the melodies of Rima, Klidonas, Erotokritos and others. Most mantinades refer to love. Nevertheless, there are many mantinades which are gnomic, teaching, philosophical, teasing, befooling, spicy etc.  In addition, there are couplets about christening, deposit, wedding, klidonas, embezzlement, vendetta and prison.   

     The tragoudia (songs) which were ‘born’ in the region of Lefka Ori, in the prefecture of Chania, were named Rizitika by the modern researchers. This name was chosen due to the fact that these songs are sung at the area of riza, the foot of the mountains. According to another interpretation, rizitika originate from the ancient town Rizinia, in the province of Kydonia, which is called Meskla nowadays. Rizitika were composed by the rizites, the people who live in the high mountain villages, who preserve the ethos and mores from time immemorial. We don’t have much evidence about the origin of Rizitika. It is sure that they date from the Byzantine Period. Many researchers claim that rizitika are the continuance of the martial songs of Dories, who took up their residence at the mountain region of Chania in about 1000 b. C. and preserved their ancient traditions inalterable during the ages. Most of them are creations dated in the centuries of the venetian and turkish bondage. Rizitika are sung acapella (not accompanied with musical instruments). Today we know 32, or some more, melodies, including slight variations. There are, though, another 47 idiomela rizitika (which are sung with their own unique melody). The music of rizitika is an especially interesting subject. The melody ‘suppresses’ the rhyme and adapts it to its own ‘shape’.

     There are two kinds of Rizitika. The rizitika which are sung at the tavla (table) and are also called ‘tragoudia’ (songs) and the rizitika which are sung in the street or during a walk and are called ‘tis stratas’ (of the street). The songs of strata were sung by the rizites when they were travelling (on foot) from a village to another, for example in the case of a wedding, when they carried the dowry and the matrimonial pomp (psiki) walked the bride to her new home.         

     People used to move from place to place up in the inaccessible mountain paths travelling on a mule, horse or donkey’s back. So, the melody of the strata songs was rhythmically adapted to the pace of these animals and sounds like a cavalry march. The strata songs have only one melody, which sounds primordial, dynamic and hard.

     They may sing about love for freedom, admiration for brave people, emotions related to friendship and hospitality, pastoral life, love for nature, family ties etc. There are, though, many songs that refer to specific people and events of the Cretan History. These songs are commonly heard in cases of family and friends’ gatherings, on Saint's days, festivals, christenings, deposits and weddings.      

     The historical - narrative songs with many rhymes are known in all over the island of Crete and are called Rimes. They refer to people or events from the Cretan History (local or more widespread), continuing in this way the tradition of the post-Byzantine folk historical rhymes. Almost all of them consist of rhyming couplets and fifteen syllable verses. The lengthier they are, the more remarkable are thought to be. On the contrary, rizitika ‘hide’ their ‘power’ in their brevity. These songs, just like rizitika, are a trustworthy resource of historical research, even though sometimes, in order to keep the rhyme, the poet expresses some inaccuracies. Sometimes, they give a clear and accurate picture of several important people and events that were crucial in the history of Crete or Greece and sometimes they are quite indefinite. Representative pieces of rimes are: the ‘Song of Daskalogianni’, the ‘Song of Alidaki’s tower’, the ‘Song of Theodoromanoli’, the ‘Song of Captain Michali Koraka’ and others.    

     Mirologia (elegies) are sad songs, which refer to death. They refer either to the dead related person (mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, son, daughter) or to the Charon or Nadi (Hades) himself. Mirologia are divided into two general categories. In the first category there are included the common, well known elegies and in the second the original or spontaneous creations.  Elegies of the first category can be found in several collections of Cretan traditional songs. Spontaneous elegies usually cannot be found in collections, because it is almost impossible to collect such songs, as it is forbidden for strangers to watch people mourning their beloved ones. In some cases, though, someone happened to remember whole or part of a real spontaneous elegy, which was sung for a particular person. In this way, some few pieces of original elegies were preserved. Nikos Aggelis published some of them in the decade of 60’. Elegies are composed with fifteen syllable verses and either rhyming couplets or not. There is also another type of elegy, in which we see eleven or twelve syllable verses with rhyming couplets. Here we adduce three significant elegies from Nikos Aggeli’s Collection.

     The first one, with non rhyming couplets and fifteen syllable verses, is dedicated to the great tragedy of Kanakena, from Askyfou, Sfakia, whose three sons were murdered. 

«Χριστέ και να κατέβαινε βρύση απ’ τη Μαδάρα

να πορπατεί κλιτά, κλιτά, να ‘ρχεται αγάλι, αγάλι,

να βρει τσι γούρνες εύκαιρες να μπει να τσι γεμίσει

να πλύνουν οι ανύπλητες, να πλύνουν κι οι πλυμένες,

να πλύνει κι η Κανάκαινα τα ματωμένα ρούχα.»

‘Jesus, if only there was a spring coming down from Madara

to move side by side, to come down slowly,

to find empty water holes and fill them,

so that women with dirty and clean clothes can wash them,

so that Kanakena can wash the clothes, which are full of blood.’

     The second one, with rhyming couplets and fifteen syllable verse, is the elegy which was sung by Viglena from Sfakia for her son, who was a shepherd and while he was out hunting he fell off a bluff at the Samaria gorge. As he was falling, already dead, into the chaos, he was latched onto some branches and stayed there hanging.  

«Έθαψα ‘γω κι απ’ αρρωσιά, έθαψα κι από μπάλα

πέντε ‘σαν κι αποθάνασι ούλα μιτσά, μεγάλα.

Σα το δικό σου τον καυμό, άλλο καυμό δεν είχα

να σε θωρώ να κρέμεσαι τη μέρα και τη νύχτα.

Πνιγμός, γκρεμνός του τσιφτελή, του τυχερού είν΄ η σφαίρα,

μα ‘σένα σου ‘τανε γραφτό να λιώσεις στον αέρα.»

‘I buried children, who died because of illness and because of shot,

they were five and died all, younger and older.

I never had greater pain than yours,

watching you hanging, day and night.

Lucky is the one who dies drown, toppled, shot,

but your destiny was to perish into the air.’  

     The third one, with rhyming couplets of eleven and twelve syllable verse, was composed by Zambetena from Anopoli, Sfakia, who sung it for her son that was killed in the first battles during Daskalogianni’s Revolution in 1770.  

«Μαρμαρωμένο σε θωρώ, Πωλιό μου,

αγρίμι τω Μαδάρω και δικό μου.

Μιλώ σου και δε μου μιλείς, κλωνάρι μου,

πιάνω σε και μου φεύγεις, παλικάρι μου.

Που πάεις με τέτοιαν Άνοιξη, καλέ μου,

που πάεις με τέτοιον ήλιο, σύντροφέ μου;»

‘I am watching you still and cold as a marble, my Paul,

 wilding of Madares and mine too.

I talk to you and you don’t reply, my branch,

I touch you and you go away, my brave son.

Where are you going while there is such a spring, my dear?

Where are you going while there is such a sun, my companion?’

     The Cretan elegies originate from the ancient ages. They are the continuance of the Homeric mourning songs, which survived during the centuries, still existing even nowadays.        

     Tabahaniotika are urban, ‘heart - aching’ Cretan songs, in which the Cretan fork music is harmonically combined with the music of Mikra Asia and Rebetiko. Tabahaniotika are played with the boulgari.  They were very popular during the years between 1920-1940 at Chania and Rethymno. The oldest tabahaniotika were found in Chania, one of them is the well - known ‘Stafidianos’ which was composed by the renegade Cretan Mehmet Bey Stafidaki. The etymology of the term ‘tabahaniotika’ is associated with the ‘tabakides’ (the tanners) and tabahana (tanneries). We will soon publish an article about this.      

DISCOGRAPHY

In this page we represent a worldwide unique cd, which contains the authentic musical recordings of all the Cretan dances.  The cd was recently released by The Pancretan Association of America and the Hellenic Music Archives.  The cd is accompanied with a 40 page leaflet, in two languages (Greek, English).   

 TITLE:  THE TRADITIONAL DANCES OF CRETE

RELEASE: THE PANCRETAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA –

HELLENIC MUSIC ARCHIVES

Research, passages:  Ioannis Them. Tsouchlarakis.

Musical and artistic provision:  I. Th. Tsouchlarakis – G. Constantzos

Critics from the Greek press...

 Newspaper "Kritikoi Palmoi", October 2005

"The best publication in the discography of the Cretan dancing music"

«As the best discographic publication, we could describe the cd ‘The dances of Crete’. It highlights the cretan dancing music, in an excellent and complete way...»

 Newspaper "H ora tsi Kritis", October 2005

"The most complete publication

about the authentic Cretan dancing music in discography"

«...This publication is not only another cd of Cretan music, but also the implementation of what was lacking...»

 Magazine "Kriti", issue 276

"The dances of Crete, a unique cd published by the Hellenic Music Archives"

«...It’s a wonderful, wholly novel discographic publication...»

 Newspaper "Kritika Nea", October 2005

"For the first time a cd containing the music of all Cretan dances"

«An especially remarkable discographic publication... This cd supplements in a really well-looked-after way the gap which existed in the discography of the Cretan dancing music...»

 Magazine "Kondylies", issue 1

"The absolute publication for the Cretan dancing music"

 Newspaper "Kritiki Enimerossi", September 2005

Complimentary article written by the folk musicologist Renata Dalianoudi.

SALUTATION OF THE  PRESIDENT

OF THE PANCRETAN  ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

     The preservation and promulgation of our rich Cretan cultural traditions is the duty of each and every one of us, and consequently of all the Cretan organizations worldwide. The PAA faithful to that principle, since 1982 when the Association formally adopted it as main priority, has supported every relevant endeavor.  The most recent examples  were the tour throughout the USA of great cultural events such as,  “100 Years of Cretan Music”, , “Christianity through Crete Over the Centuries,” a comedy play from Crete “Zoi Se Logou mas” and the “Symposium of Cretan Dance and Costume”, with the writer, folk researcher and dance teacher, Mr. Yiannis Tsouchlarakis. Following that successful tour, we are happy to respond to Yiannis Tsouchlaraki's request that we continue the promulgation of the music and dance tradition of our island, by the production of this CD.  This CD features the whole range of Cretan dances, a veritable treasure that has been dangerously dwindling and is threatened with extinction. We thank and commend Mr. Tsouchlarakis for his initiative and perseverance in its production.

            The disc you are holding offers older people the opportunity to remember the various rhythms and dances of Crete, and to pass them on to our children, who will in turn pass them on to theirs, and so on, ensuring that a tradition of thousands of years will continue to move generations of Cretans in perpetuity. These are dances that were shaped in different regions and eras, from Kissamos to Zakros and from the times of the Kourites to the present day. Each rhythm reveals yet another aspect of the great soul of our race. It also expresses the uniqueness of each region, constituting a valuable folklore element, which if lost, would amount to cultural disaster. Hand in hand in the rhythmic circle, the dancer is connected not only with his fellow dancers but also with all the preceding generations who in their times followed the same steps. In this way the continuity of generations and the consequent immortality of the race are promoted.

            I wish that the Cretans living in Crete would take advantage of this music treasure for themselves and also to show to the tourists   the true depth of the Cretan spirit.  We should not forget what is so aptly expressed by the voice of the Cretan people, the “mantinada”: 

“A race that forgets or rejects its traditions

becomes like a ship without rudder, drifting at sea!”

We thank all those who toiled to realize this great work, and hope that soon a DVD will come out, with the performance of each dance and lessons on how to dance it.

Congratulations to all!

Stavros N. Semanderes

President

Pancretan Association of America

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

The Hellenic Music Archives, wishing to assist anyone interested in preserving and propagating the Greek traditional dances to have at their disposal a wealth of music material, have decided to go ahead with a series of discs with dances from every corner of Greece.  We began with Central Macedonia (AEM 017), and today we have completed two more discs, one with dances from the Greek part of the East, and the one you have before you with dances from Crete.

Ioannis Tsouchlarakis, who has spent years in research on the subject, approached us with the idea of a disc with the music of all the traditional dances of Crete.  We shared his view that each dance tune should be played on the traditional instruments of the place of origin, and that the recordings should be made by musicians who were born in those regions and have a wide experience in the local dances, so that the authenticity of the renditions may be assured.  In this way, we present the heritage of Crete in a profusion of traditional musical instruments, which in the last few decades has been limited mainly to the lyre and the lute, and also the distinctive music style of the various regions of the island.

The particular characteristic of our venture is the scholastic adherence to the measures of the music phrases, in order to have, where necessary, correspondence with the steps of the dance.  So, each recording is suitable for dancing, and therefore a useful guide for dancers and teachers of Cretan dances.  We managed to achieve this by having all the dances performed by a small group of dancers before the musicians while they were recording.  In this sense, our disc is unique.  Another difficulty in making it, was that many of these dances have almost been forgotten, and others distorted.  So we had to make a lot of cross-references among various sources in order that we might present  them with veracity and that all those involved might know the music and steps of every dance to perfection.

Ioannis Tsouchlarakis used his knowledge and experience to co-ordinate all the above, assisted by select veteran and younger musicians, made the recordings of this disc and also wrote the accompanying comments, based on two of his books: "The dances of Crete, myth, history, tradition" (Athens 2000), and "The folk musical instruments of Crete" (Athens 2004).

The Pancretan Association of America embraced the idea, recognizing its unique value, and covered a large part of the expenses for the venture, booking the entire first edition, which is dedicated exclusively to this historic union.

Our Archives wish to warmly thank all he above, but most of all the undying Cretan heart and courage that created and preserved these marvelous dances, showing to all the world the continuity of the Hellenic culture from pre-historic times to our days.

George Constantzos        

In the presentation we follow a direction from West Crete to East.  Information about the kind and origin of the dances can be found in the relevant page: The dances of Crete. Here we refer only to some technical points and the names of the musicians.

 1.- Chaniotikos syrtos: The dance is in 2/4 time, has eleven steps and is danced by both men and women.  A series of three tunes was recorded: a. “Chalepianos” by Nikolaos Katsoulis or Koufianos, b. “Variation of Seliniotikos” by John Vourakis, and c. “Sequence of Syntechnissas” by John Antonoyiannakis or Mantzouranas. Violin: Theodore Polychronakis.  Lute: Stelios Lainakis and Peter Karbadakis.

 2.- Pentozali: It used to be danced only by men in the past, but today women take part.  The dancers hold each other by the shoulder, arms stretched out.  It is in 2/4 time and has ten steps.  Violin: Christos Charchalakis.  Lute: Peter Karbadakis and Panayiotis Bachtis.

 3.- Rodo: Women’s dance, in the past mixed.  The dancers hold each other’s hands raised to shoulder height with elbows bent and form a semi-circle.  It is in 2/4 time and has seventeen steps.  Violin: Theodore Polychronakis.  Lute: Stelios Lainakis and Peter Karbadakis.

 4.- Ghitsikia sousta: Men’s dance.  It is also called Roumatiani because up till a few decades ago it was danced only in Palaia Roumata, Chania.  Dancers hold each other in the same way as 3.  It is in 2/4 time and has six steps.  Violin: Michael Loufardakis. Lute: Stelios Lainakis and Peter Karbadakis.

 5.- Rethemniotikes kontylies: Music that accompanies the Siganos dance of Central Crete.  Danced today by men and women.  It is in 2/4 time and has eight steps. Askobandoura: Alexander Papadakis. Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

 6.- Rethemniotiki sousta: It starts as a round dance, with men and women alternating.  After they dance in a circle, men and women separate and form two lines, facing each other.  Then the men approach the women, and dance in pairs, a dance full of symbolisms, first in two parallel lines, and then the pairs move around freely.  It is in 2/4 time and has six steps.  Lyre with hawk bells: Alexander Papadakis.  Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

 7.- Rethemniotika syrta: Though the syrtos dance originated in Chania, the fact that it spread throughout Crete in the mid-20th century, created many local adaptations by well-known musicians.  At the same time, the record industry developed and recorded many of these adaptations with the names of the younger executants, while they rarely mentioned the real composers of the original tunes.  We recorded a series of three tunes that are known as: a. “A Thousand Hearts”, b. “Like the Lone Bird” (both first played by Thanassis Skordalos) and c. “Gavalochorianos”, also known as “Apokoroniotikos” or “I pledge you, Holy Mother” in Apokorona, or “Nocturnal Syrtos”, composition attributed to Antonis Triantafyllakis or Kioros (early 19th century). Song, Lyre: Alexander Papadakis. Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

            Pain and Time are playing the lyre in my garden,

            But I’m wearing the charm of your love, my bird.

            My yearning heart, my passionate thought,

            Play the lyrobandoura for Pain to dance.

 8.- Koutsabadianos: A variation of the pentozali.  It is danced by men only, in a circle, holding hands shoulder-high (elbows bent), 2/4 time.  Lyre with hawk bells: Alexander Papadakis.  Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

 9.- Aghiovassiliotikes kontylies: These are the kontylies of the Siganos dance of Central Crete that are played in Aghios Bassileios province of Rethymno.  Lyre with hawk bells: Alexander Papadakis.  Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

 10.- Pidichtos of Mylopotamos: In recent years it is also called “Anogheianos pidichtos” or “Anogheiani sousta” because it was particularly promoted by musicians from Anoghia.  The dancers hold hands with their arms crossed in front, and dance in a circle.  It is in 2/4 time.  Lyre with hawk bells: Alexander Papadakis.  Mandolin: George Koutroubakis.  Lute: George Anastassiadis.

 11.- Trizalis: Women’s round dance, hands held shoulder-high (elbows bent).  It is in 2/4 time, and has seven steps.  Lyre with hawk bells: Alexander Papadakis.  Lute: Panayiotis Bachtis and George Anastassiadis.

 12.- Mikro-Mikraki: Danced today mainly by women in a circle, holding hands shoulder-high.  It is in 2/4 time and has 18 steps.  Lyre with hawk bells: Alexander Papadakis.  Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

 13.- Lazotis: Carnival round dance for men and women holding hands (elbows bent).  It is in 2/4 time and has eight steps.  Bandoura: Alexander Papadakis.  Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

 14.- Apanomeritis: It used to be a mixed dance, but today it is danced by women, in a circle.  The dancers hold hands, arms down.  It is in 2/4 time and has ten steps.  Lyre with hawk bells: Alexander Papadakis. Lute: George Koutroubakis and George Anastassiadis.

 15.- Maleviziotis: It is also called “Kastrinos Pidichtos”.  It is danced in a circle by men and women holding hands shoulder-high (elbows bent).  It is in 2/4 time and has 16 steps.  Modern lyre: Astrinos Zacharioudakis. Lute: Peter Karbadakis.

 16.- Xenobassaris: Type of Siganos dance in 6 steps and 2/4 time, with steps and music resembling the local tune “Mana” (local variation of the Siganos of Eastern Crete). Men and women hold hands with arms crossed in front and dance in a circle.  Song, Violin: Vangelis Vardakis.  Guitar: Antonis Baritantonakis.

            My dear new-comer, new come to the dance,

            My curly dark-haired lass, if only you were mine.

            Your lovely face shines like the Holy Regalia in Church,

            If I gazed on you all day, still I could find no fault.

            My angel-fair and candle-slim,

            Your mother’s pride, if only you were mine.

            Two black-eyed lasses I love, both with brown tresses,

            The one is from Gerapetro and the other from Malles.

 17.- Angaliastos: It is danced by both men and women, a “walking” dance aiming at having all the participants sing mantinades.  The “embracing” is done with a complicated procedure that begins with the dancers moving in a hairpin shape and then in a circle. Song, Violin: Vangelis Vardakis.  Guitar: Antonis Baritantonakis.

             The angaliastos we’ll dance and come, let’s embrace,

            And hold a rose in your hand, that we might smell.

            What lovely lily gave you its whiteness,

            And what cool apple tree the rosy red in your cheek?

            Oh, basil, who can’t live without water,

            Deny not your smell to any who ask for it.

            Like the diamond pure is your lovely face,

            And your every glance shines in your smile.

 18.- Priniotis: This is one of the two well-known tunes of the Bra(i)mianos-Priniotis which is danced with different variations in the region of Lassithi.  Song, Violin: Vangelis Vardakis.  Guitar: Antonis Baritantonakis.

             I like no other dance as much as I do the priniotaki,

            That has three steps forward and then a little turn.

            No more, your brain spins like a wheel,

            And a dark-haired lass stands and waits for me.

            But think not, if you deny my, that I’ll lie down to die,

            I’ll become a red carnation and drive you mad.

            St. John, if you want me to light you a candle,

            Then make me neighbours with your neighbour lass.

 19.- Zervodexos: It is danced by men and women one behind the other, first in a circle and then freely in various directions.  The peculiar hold is achieved with the help of kerchiefs.  So the dancer stretches out his left arm and takes hold of the right hand of the dancer in front.  It is in 2/4 time and has six steps.  Violin: Vangelis Vardakis.  Guitar: Antonis Baritantonakis.

 20.- Ierapetritikos pidichtos: It is an urban variation of the Lassithiotikos pidichtos, danced by men and women in a circle, holding hands shoulder-high (elbows bent).  It is in 2/4 time and has 14 steps.  Violin: Vangelis Vardakis. Guitar: Antonis Baritantonakis.

 21.- Steiakos pidichtos: Another urban variation of the Lassithiotikos pidichtos. Violin: Stelios Manoussakis.  Guitar: Nikos Augoustinakis.

 22.- Candiota: As we mentioned in the introduction, this was danced in the 18th century in Crete, but in other places too, like Constantinople, for example.  The Hellenic Music Archives, during its research into music records by foreign travelers in Greece, discovered this Cretan dance, noted by the famous in his day English harpist Edward Lones, which he included in his book, “Lyric Airs” (London, 1804).  It was recorded in the style of its era, with Kyriakos Gouventas on the violin and Stelios Katsianis on the lute.  We can see the similarities of the melody with various music phrases preserved to this day in Eastern Crete and incorporated in local kontylies.  This is the reason we included the Candiota in our disc, since it is no longer danced in Crete, at least not in its historical labyrinthine form.

Photograph in the cover:  Ioannis Them. Tsouchlarakis.

The «Traditional Cretan Group» dancing. (Antonis Vendouris, Manolis Oikonomakis, Thodoris Tsoutis, Antonis Loutsetis and Giorgos Sartzetakis.) They are all wearing garments, daggers

and chains, which are hand-made, exact replicas of the original ones.

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