Greek traditional music

Greek traditional music (Greek: παραδοσιακή μουσική, paradosiaki mousiki, 'traditional music'; also δημοτικά τραγούδια, dimotika tragoudia, 'folk songs') includes a variety of Greek styles played by ethnic Greeks in Greece, Cyprus, Australia, the United States and other parts of Europe. Apart from the common music found generally in Greece, each region of Greece contains a distinct type of folk music that originated from the region due to their history, traditions and cultural influences.

Overview

Greek folk music originally, predominantly contained one genre, known as Greek Demotiko (or Demotic/Paradosiako). This refers to the traditional Greek popular songs and music of mainland Greece and islands, which date back to the Byzantine times. It was the sole popular musical genre of the Greek people until the spread of Rebetiko and Laiko (other genres of folk music) in the early 20th century, spread by the Greek refugees from Asia Minor. This style of music evolved from the ancient and the medieval Greek era and is still played today.

The lyrics of Greek folk music are largely based on Demotic (folk) poetry (usually by anonymous lyricists) and consist of popular themes such as love, marriage, humor, death, nature, water, sea, and religion. Some lyrics make reference to the Ottoman Empire, in particular bandit insurgents (known as klephts), Ottoman soldiers (known as armatoloi), as well as various war figures and notable battles.

The songs are played mainly in the following two categories of tempos: 'Syrtos' (various versions) and 'Pidiktos'. Pidikto songs are more energetic and involve leaping, whilst the Syrto songs and accompanying dances are slower and more free-flowing.