Greek
Songs
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Although my song writing is essentially in English and for the UK folk scene (and Australia, New Zealand and US of course), my Greek roots inevitably show through now and then. This is either in the themes/subjects I address occasionally, memories of my youth etc, or in the tunes which icorporate Greek modes. Progressively, I used my roots more and more, even daring to write a song first in Greek (Emigrant's Rebetiko) or translate a favourite Greek traditional song (Erotokritos - The Parting). And yet, despite the songs' success among audiences, for ten years I have not collected these songs under a single umbrella or addressed them to Greek (albeit English-speaking) audiences. This page attempts to correct this omission. Please feel free to download etc the songs and if you happen to like any of them perhaps you could send me an email to say so.

Emigrant's Rebetiko (in Greek) When one has lived in more than one place/country one is doomed to always miss something or someone from somewhere else. As friends and families disperse more and more over time this becomes ever more relevant. Here I am using Scottish bagpipes and simulating bouzouki/baglama with a 12-string guitar as a 'nod' to the fact that I am myself split between the Greek, UK and Australian worlds.
Emigrant's Rebetiko (in English) The same song with English lyrics
Erotokritos One of my top favourite Greek traditional songs. I searched but could not find any translation, so I wrote my own using much of the imagery from the original. The Cretan lyre is simulated by a Swedish nyckelharpa (keyed fiddle), the beat given by an Iraqi frame-drum, the 6-string guitar is disguised as a lute and the 12-string guitar once more simulates bouzouki.
Tsamiko ...or 'Dance of the Old men'. True childhood memories from a 'panigyri' on the mountains of Lamia, Central Greece.
Memories of Salonika As the title says... I know of only one other song in English mentioning my home town, a not-too-complimentary Irish one from WWI. But Thessaloniki deserves better!
Vassiliki Based on the story of how my maternal grandparents (Kitsos & Vassiliki) met, at the turn of the last century. Kitsos saw her dancing and said right away 'I am going to marry her'. Brave move, as she was a couple of years older than him and anyway in the early 1900s one simply did not choose one's wife without the intervention of the 'proxenitra' (matchmaker)...
Johnny don't go walking with the fishes About Greek sponge-divers and the fact that when the standard diving suit was invented in 1860, its indiscriminate use led to hundreds of divers being killed or hospitalised by the 'bends'. Here a father pleads with his son not to go diving.
There will be dancing Sequel to the previous song. The son did go out, but is returning unharmed. Still, there is a reminder that not everyone came back safely.
Daniel and Ayse As we move internationally, cultures cross and inevitably cross-cultural relationships are created. The song attempts to show the strain exerted by such relationships on the different generations. Dedicated to my sadly now departed Turkish colleague and friend, Ayse Ozdemir. The nyckelharpa used here again.
Remember Joe Turner Joe Turner was a trawler-hand from Hull in north-east England. He is buried on the island of Leros however, having fallen there during an attack on the island by the Nazis in WWII.
Watermelon seeds 'Karpouzosporo' (watermelon seed) is what we used to call the toddlers in Thessaloniki, when I was a teenager. I am using the expression here in a song for the world's children. The tune is Caribbean rather than Greek however.
Harbour lights Another song about approaching Thessaloniki from the sea, inspired by Kavvadias' poem - the tune is generic, more French bistro than Greek, but seemed appropriate for the sentiments.