Yiorgos Floudas & Vassilis Triantis – Arta – Violin and Laouto Instrumentals

Authentic tradition - preserved before it’s lost.

Recorded in the ancient castle of Arta by noted song researcher Chris King, this is a life-affirming series of recordings of a unique and vibrant form of folk music. It’s performed by experts steeped in the local traditions.
Notes and tracklists are in English and Greek, as we believe there will be huge interest in the project in Greece, where the true value of its folk music is only now being realised.

Track Listing:
1. Moiroloi [Lament] -   2.Tzoumerkan Berati : Thessalian Berati -   3.Helios [Sun] - 4.Laiarni [Black Sheep] : Hora -   5.Prevezaniko [Prevezan Air] -   6.Plevra -   7.Selpho -   8.Skaros -   9.Klammata [Tears] -   10.Arta -   11.Lament for John’s Wife

Linernotes:
Arta and Preveza are districts in the region of Epirus, which lies at the north-western corner of Greece. Arta includes citrus-producing lowlands that extend in the west to 8,000-ft mountains.  
The musical traditions of the area are little known even in Greece and have been scarcely documented over the ages. Suffice it to say that Arta’s position on trade routes meant influence from East and West. Mention should also be made of the Soukas family - musicians from  Kompoti who, generation after generation, brought in sounds from the immediate south.  
The violinist here, Yiorgos Floudas embodies the slow and stately rhythms that are characteristic of the area. He was born at the mountain village of Tetrakomo. He is a fourth-generation musician, having studied classical violin and Byzantine music. He started playing when young, before moving to Athens, where he collaborated with various rembetiko revival bands. He returned to Arta, where he now teaches. He has collaborated with many of the finest musicians in the region.
The laoutist Vasilis Triantis was born in Preveza. He started learning classic guitar at the age of eleven, and played at first with laiko bands in Thrace. He later studied traditional music at Arta, where Yiorgos Floudas was one of his teachers. He also teaches. The laouto - or oriental lute - has ancient roots, traceable to Sumeria 4000 years ago. The current pear-shaped form appears to have been established by the 17th century. 
The clear melodic line and lucidity of instrumental embroidery here are characteristic of the local musical tradition. There is a strong feeling of place in these recordings. Both musicians approach their performance slowly and thoughtfully, holding to old rhythms.  
Many of the instrumentals in this record cleave to the local traditions of Arta and Preveza; others are parts of the wider anon of Epirus. The Moiroloi, or lament, is typical. One may find such laments sung across the country but only in Epirus do they occur as instrumentals. Local respect for them is so deep that many feasts may start with laments for the lost - the dead and the emigrated.
The programme encompasses stately dances, wedding and shepherd’s songs and refrains inspired by the nightingale. Whatever these skilled musicians have to say they can express in their playing. 
There’s a nobility here. “Tradition is holding on, and should survive,” says Floudas. He’s doing his part.