Music & Dance

History of Nea Kessani

a. a wide variety of rhythms,

b. a special way of pronouncing the melody with vocal and instrumental changes, cracks of the voice and exclamations,

c. Remarkable affinity with Byzantine church music.

Thracian music is characterized by a special sweetness, as the talented Thracian singer breaks and bends his voice fascinated by the power and passion of the song. Music expresses every human emotion and participates in the cycle of life (lullabies, lamentations, songs of feast and wedding) but also in the cycle of time (carols, Holy Week lamentations, Carnival, etc.). It is no coincidence that every moment of our lives is tied to song; religious faith, work, feasting, birth, love, marriage, death, exile, are sung by the people of Thrace in a special way. Some of the following songs are very old and come from the “homeland” and from the early years in this place; others are known throughout Thrace and popular in the rest of Greece, and we dance them with passion at every opportunity.

When Plastiras visited the village around 1950, they had a celebration and he danced with them:

“Gounaris will kneel

and Papagos will be filled

and Plastiras will shoot.

Come on, Plastiras weighed down in Asia Minor

the refugees in the midst of misery and despair”.

Refugee and exile, the two great sufferings of the Greek. How long were they sung:

1. “All the birds in the pasture and the slender in the fountain

I went to ride my horse to water

I see a daughter washing in a marble trough

I talk to her, she doesn’t talk to me, I tell her she doesn’t tell me

For my daughter to draw water, to water my horse.

She made forty circles, I didn’t see her in my eyes

and at forty-two I see her in tears.

What have you got daughter with you and you moan and sigh heavily?

Are you hungry, are you thirsty, don’t you have a second mother?

I am neither hungry nor thirsty, nor do I have a second mother

I have a man abroad who has been missing for ten years

And two more I will endure him, in three I will find him

I’m going to go to a deserted mountain to build a monastery

That will be eaten by foreigners even in the black robe.

Daughter, I am your husband, I am not your good.

If you are my husband, if you are not my good

tell me signs of the house, maybe I’ll believe you.

You have an apple tree at your door, a vine in your yard.

You were a passerby, the same and I say the same

Tell me body marks, maybe I’ll believe you

You have an olive on your chest, an olive on your cheek.

And then they embraced and died together.”

2. “Stranger to strangers, how do you go

who’s cooking’ and you’re not hungry?

who lays and sleeps

and don’t you remember me?

I lay my blanket

woe to my heart

layer and silk

suffering, bitterness and misery

Ah, I’m laying and hashish

all suffering and meaning.”

3. “Your mother, marry me

homehousehouse me

and don’t give me

why will you regret it

I will get sick

which mom should I ask?

You will ask for your sister-in-law in

and the first bride in .

My sister-in-law doesn’t empty me,

the bride doesn’t let me down.

The sister-in-law with her dowry,

the bride with her children”.

Characteristic song from Eastern Thrace:

“- Boat (2) that you go to sea (2)

with green ribbon and silver cross

if you are for the City (2) stop and I will come. (2)

I’m not for the City (2), I’m just for the islands (2)

girls to load (2) and freer(2)

or

where ‘x’ beautiful girls (2) and sweet wines (2)”

Spring is the most beautiful time of the year, the season of the rebirth of nature. So:

“When will spring come, in May, summer

take off your feet, tighten your thighs

to take the mountains next to you, the konotsalia next to

of Alexandria, the densely planted mountains

sugar trees and pepper branches.

I fell to sleep below in the wide shade

I also heard a partridge singing crying

damn the hunter who killed the one

it doesn’t kill us both to be loved.”

Carnival songs are cheerful, playful:

1. “Now it’s Halloween, the children are happy

and on Clean Monday the birds take flight.”

2. “A golden housewife uses

go to us cabbage, cook our cabbages

tents without lid’, fire without fire

lay down to sleep, stretched out the foot of

shook the cabbages, the neighborhood of

koutsu kūtsu the dogs, psiti psiti the kittens

peasants and dogs, let them eat cabbage

cabbage and delicacies and tender nettles.”

3. “You have spun me and you have not asked

sa noiko – as a housewife woman

I was going to get eight and ten

I gave you nine and you gave me seven.

Ai to the dia, ai to the devil to spin

I’m selling you, I’m selling you, I’m making you crazy.”

But love is sung more than any other emotion:

1.« You are a daughter with a mother and the others are

suffrage to Sultan Selim with the golden cups.”

2. “Go and tell your mother not to go wrong

I will make her mother-in-law and she will be proud of me.”

3.« A little jar that I had in the cage

ki nightingale in the coffin

panathema in love.

I was feeding it sugar

I watered the musk.

Xiskandalis’ and the cage

and the falcon is gone,

panathema in love.

and throw it at Mom’s

ki fly and comb

in a tall palace

panathemas’ agapi.

Come back to me, falcon, and come here

and come to your mansion.

And how good of mom

and what good to remember

and back to go back

where tied my wings

with nine pieces of silk?”

To sing afterwards and rejoice at the wedding, doing the necessary satire (zonaradikos):

“- Go girls to the

now that it’s been a long time,

why are you getting married tomorrow

homeyou own (or)

in suffering you are confused

don’t let your men

to go to your mother-in-law,

don’t let your feet

to go to another neighborhood.

We get their men drunk

and we put them to sleep

and we beat the

we don’t take them with us

and the bad father-in-law

I do it as I want,

I’ll lay it here, I’ll lay it there

I lay him down in the yard,

I’ll put him on the duvet

a sack of charcoals

and for

a donkey’s head

and the evil mother-in-law

I do it the way I want

I’m throwing it here, I’m throwing it there,

I’m throwing it into the fire.”

But life has more sorrows and mourning is sung (lamentations):

1. “The birds laughed, the nightingales of spring

they laughed and they went, Haros how not me he takes.

KI made my house taller than gums

sixty-two floors, forty windows

at the window I sit on the plains gazing at

I see the plains green, green and blue

I see Charo coming with a horse riding

black is, black wear, black and

taking souls“

2. “A new miracle became a new lacridian

they killed our Tassos in the big

priests, despots, play chanting

Tassos, the sisters play crying.”

Hagia Sophia, the Great Idea, the conquest, relations with the Turks often appear:

1. “My daughter, your pigeons are coming to my yard

they dig up my soil and drink my water

I need the soil and the water I want

to build Hagia Sofia and Agia Marina.”

2. “I didn’t call you Yiannis and I didn’t advise you

with the Turks, don’t fight and don’t mess

in Turkish hands don’t give up.

Turks will kill you, Romans will bury you

and three Greek women sang it.

Blaze with the chariots they make you a fire

mon’ they make the chariots for Hagia Sophia.”

3. “- Take my daughter the Turkish man

will wear you forty

I’m going to be a little bird in the woods

I don’t take my Turkish husband.

Kerou took out the beads, forget where he has a man

Kerou puts on the tservoula and laughs at the karavoula”

4. “Today churches are chanting, monasteries are chanting

sings Hagia Sofia with eighteen bells

and King Alexander fell asleep heavily

and his mother called him and pleaded with him

Rise, high me, lift me up and my king

get up to go to church and the good word.

He got up, he was agitated, he got up, he goes.

His mother goes forward, then his sister

in the middle the king is like a withered apple.”

The following songs narrate events (supposedly):

1. “Thieves entered the yard

they stole the Basilica

and they took her and took her

in the mountains they walk it

Ah, walk fast

will we be caught today

I can’t walk,

from my walk

melted my shoes,

my foot goes too.”

2. “Forty thieves were

forty lads – Cannilio

we all took an oath

on the gospel

if he gets sick – oh – no one

good to guard him, Cannilio.

He came and got sick

the first captain,

two to two they were talking,

by three and by five, Kannilio.

Let’s leave him

of the desert of the place.

He understood it

and this is why he says

Don’t leave me

the desert of the place,

only’ take me and put me

in a tall bairi – Kannilio,

dig deep, dig wide,

dig for two nomads

and on my side

let window – Cannilio

getting the birds in and out of

to sing sweetly.”

3. “Duck Duck Frozen

and ice stuck

the uncle was begging,

“God my rain, God my shine

to stick my wings

to fly to freeze

to go to the threshing floor

who’s got taps and

has tall reeds too.”

The next songs are included in the edition of the excellent work of Vangelis Doropoulos and Yiannis Kanargielis entitled “Blow north and air”. It is a collection of traditional songs recorded in 7 refugee villages of our prefecture and among them in ours. So here I quote some songs that were recorded in Nea Kessani after they were sung by: Athanasios and Dimitra Ekmetsis, Fylaktaki Argyri, Xanthopoulou Fotoula, Tsamourtzi Soultana, Mitreli Konstantinias, Lampaki Evangelia and Karamousalidou Giannoula. (They are our fellow villagers who, with their passion, excellent memory, love for the village and our tradition, helped me to get to know and record the treasures of our culture):

1. “De sou ‘liga Giannaki m'” – Trabanistos

“I didn’t give you a little Giannakis, I didn’t push you

mi Turkou don’t fight, Mitsa don’t fight (mitsa = neither)

Turks are agiaris, they are also poor

I’m three thousand and you’re a monk

Giannakis, to have a mother, to have a sister

to have a good wife, to come and see.

Giannaki, here is your mother, here is your sister

behold, the good woman has come to see you

with one foot in his hands, the other foot

and the ‘footing can’t stand him.’

2. “This land that I tread” Zonaradikos

“This land with the curtains

he gets old guys,

this earth that I stomped on

everyone here will gather.

you’re going to be, you’re going to be

and you will reach heaven,

English you will descend

and you will empty the sea,

to make it an orchard

be jealous of everyone,

plant limunits,

limous, pourtoukalitsis.”

3. “We were three brothers” Zonaradikos

“We were three brothers – gaitani, gaitani,

gaitani, gaitanaki,

and the three bad writers.

One takes the lieutenant’s

and the other one of the gypsies,

the third the youngest, takes the old man’s.

In the captain they slaughter lambs,

in the gypsy goat,

to the poor old man

batter in the pan.”

4. “I, Lenio, love you” Zonaradikos

“I, Lenio, love you – my birbilou black-eyed,

no one knows,

now the d’koi – birbilou mavromata me,

the foreigners also taught him.

It wasn’t you who told me,

if you don’t see me, will you die?

And now you’ve turned around and said,

where did you see me, how do you know me.

And in black I love you

and with the pounds,

and with work clothes

I’m crazy about you.”

5. “Tsaganos makes a dougoyne” Zonaradikos

“Tsaganos makes dougouni,

called the creature gum,

call the niona,

I said to go, not to go,

I moved and went.

Find the hare and the goat,

they also played the lyre,

fox and jackal

they were playing the crotch,

and the hedgehog, the king,

go fence – fence,

ki the achilon, the pagona,

Gel Berry, Marie Koukona,

to kiss kokk’na mag’la

ki achilia tzimirtzianata.”

(Tsaganos = crab, dougouni = wedding, Niona = the young)

6. “Aspra mou pisteria” – Syrtos

“My white pigeons and my black birds,

you everywhere fly and pass,

pass by the house and lower me

to get a wing to write a script,

to send me to love, not to endure me.

I, here I am, here I will get married,

I’m going to get an eighteen-year-old lad,

apu enchants the stars and the seas,

and enchant me too, and I can’t come,

when I move to come snow and rain,

where I turn back, the sun is clear.”

7. “All the birds” – Syrtos

“All the birds and aman aman,

all birds even even,

the millipedes paired,

the ‘rimo, the nightingale, the monk,

walks in the plains, with the eagle,

walks and says, and aman aman,

walks and says and sings.

– My husband, a merchant citizen,

tell us where you found it this day

the blonde, the blue-haired one?

– I came from the city and from the islands

and from her neighborhood I passed by,

her royal sat

and marjoram was fixed,

he told me a word and I liked it.”

8. “Blow the north and wind” – Zonaradikos

“Blow baby Yiannis m’, Yiannis m’,

blow north wind and wind,

shake all the cards,

bring them to my yard,

I sat down baby, Yiannis

I sat down to pick them,

find a ring,

who had the name written

the name is called Mitaxo,

I’ll take you to fly.”

9. “Where were my Panagiotoula” – Syrto

“Where were aman aman, oh aman,

where were my Panagiotoula,

so long wasted?

– I went and aman aman, oh aman,

I went to chew cabbage,

with the other girls

and there they made me a

five’ six monks,

one grabs me by the hair

and the other by the hand,

and the third the smallest

kissed me on the mouth.”

The songs of the dance are cheerful and the specific favorites throughout Thrace and all over Greece:

1. “It was five or six bullies” of Western Thrace

There were five bullies, there were five bullies

bre bre bre five six bullies, ha ha ha five six bullies

They all got tricks, they all got tricksters

bre all the baltadis, ha ha ha all the baltades

they took the stream from the stream, they took the stream stream

bre bre of rema rema, ha ha ha ha of rema rema

they found a hollow tree, they found a hollow tree

bre bre bre a hollow tree, ha ha ha a hollow tree

he had an owl inside, he had an owl inside

bre bre bre owl, ha ha ha owl

sat down and distributed, sat down and distributed

bre bre bre and they distributed them, ha ha ha and distributed them

Everybody gets two, everybody gets two

bre bre bre all of two, ha ha ha ull of two

of Giannak’ they gave him one, of Giannak’ they gave him a

bre bre bre they gave him one, ha ha ha ha they gave him one

and evil’ and does not take it, and evil’ and does not take it

bre bre and he does not take it, ha ha ha ha and he does not take it.

2. “Tsirtsiliagos” butchers or swindlers of Western Thrace

Both the tsirtsilia and the tsirtsiliagus in the yard (twice)

and the cirsilingus in the yard went out to love (twice)

tun gliep’ al’pou – tun gliep’ or al’pou and laugh,

tun gliep’ or al’pou and laugh and chicken poop. (billion)

what did you see al’pou m’ – what did you see al’pou me and laugh, (twice)

what did you see when you laughed and pooped? (billion)

A month is not – a month I am not an emurf, (twice)

month I’m not an emurf, I’m not a young man, (twice)

A month is not – a month I am not a tsiourbatzi, (twice)

month I’m not a tsiourbatzi, I’m not a housekeeper? (billion)

Ehou giala – haou giala koulouvi (bis)

ohou gialada koulouvi kai bitch gastroumeni. (billion)

Have one – have one – have one old one (twice)

we also have an old one and the one that is sucked. (billion)

The three pooches – the three pooches are lame (twice)

the three feathers are lame and the other one does not step on. (billion)

To ‘na tou mat’ is gavo (twice)

the ‘to kill him’ is a gavo and the other heut’ doesn’t slip. (billion)

To ‘na t’ ear – ‘na t’ t’ ear t’ ein deaf (twice)

the ‘to the ear’ is deaf and the other does not hear. (billion)

3. “Sterios pismanipsi” Zonaradikos

– “Krun’ ta daoulia more Stegiou m’, krun’ kai ta violia (2)

grandparents with the red salvara, grandparents with bruises (2)

see Sterios, begs Sterios, Sterios aan’ in agrinia (2)

go down Steriou with you go down to get married (2)

You don’t go down, you don’t change, you don’t become a calf (2)

the signs back to the bottom, Sterling Pismanipsi (2)

Three Mitziti shoes for sale (2)

down Steriou I’m going down to Steriou so that we can get married. (2)

Kousiati Villagers Sterios Sterios Sterios Sepisfansi (2)

from Agrinia he goes down and seeks to marry (2)

Sterios undressed, now bridal bride (2)

Now Sterios is too late for me, and the bride doesn’t want marriage (2)

Lalo is begging her, Sterios begs her

Get find my Stergiani, you will be nice to me

Go away from my eyes, I don’t want you for my husband (2)

Adi Stergio Budala, they were all good in the field (2)

Stergios Pismanipsi, Stergiani Pismanipsi (2)

Let the Cambodians also listen to them, that even women have knowledge (2)

4. “Which sea, which river (2)

which faucet doesn’t clog? (2)(Crease)

Idi yurgia, yurgia, yurgia, yurya

Idi ki ou houros wants songs.

Which jar, which jar(2)

which bride doesn’t argue? (2)(Crease)

which young man has come back and doesn’t regret it?

Idi yurgia, yurgia, yurgia, yurya

Idi ki ou houros wants songs.

Πετσιανης Γεώργιος, Εκμεκτσής Γεώργιος, Αγροφύλακας(ξένος), Δημητρακόπουλος Γεώργιος, Μπαρακλιανός Καριοφύλλης (γκάϊνταντζης), Μιχαηλίδης Στέφανος, Κιοσσές Καριοφύλλης, Τσατράλης Φώτης, Ακπαρίδης Νίκος, Χριστοφόρου Γεώργιος, Εκμεκτοής Αθανάσιος, Χρηστοφόρου Γεώργιος, Μιχαηλίδης Δημήτριος, Τσατράλης Παρασκευάς, Γιαλαμίδου Γιαννούλα, Πετσιάνη Σουλτάνα, Μηρτζάνη Σμαραγδή, Χρηστοφόρου Γεώργιος