The importance of music to the Cretan people goes way back in history; it is securely woven into the very fabric of their lives, playing a
major part in festivals and social occasions. The history of Cretan music goes back to Zeus, who was born on the island. The Kourites,
who were Cretan warriors, slapped their arms as they danced to cover the sound of the baby Zeus crying, to protect him from Cronus, his
father. Cronus had a bad habit of eating his newborn children to prevent them from taking his place as king of the gods.
One of the most popular forms of music are the Mantinades, which are small verses of four lines; the first and third lines rhyme, as do the
second and fourth. They are concerned with expressing emotions, usually love, and are accompanied by the Cretan lyra or laouto, which
is a stringed instrument resembling a lute. They are unique by the very fact that they are often impromptu.
Rizitika are the oldest type of music on Crete. They are popular all over Crete but originated in the Chania region in the foothills of the
White Mountains. They tell stories (rather like the epic poems, which themselves were sung) of heroic feats, revolution, history, etc.; one
of the most famous is about the freedom fighters living in the caves alongside their wild goats and is called “Agrimia and Agrimakia mou”.
Unlike Mantinades, they do not need to rhyme and they do not accompany a dance, because they are sung without instrumental backing.
Tampachaniotika are urban songs of Crete. Many people are familiar with “Oso baroun ta sidera” performed by Nikos Xylouris. These
songs developed at the end of the 19th century and are sad and melancholic, often telling of lost love. They are very much influenced by
eastern music; the first to play this type of music was a Turkish-Cretan living in Chania named Mehmet Safidakis. The songs are
accompanied by the bulgari, a stringed instrument, or the lute. Stelios Foustalieris, a virtuoso of the bulgari from Rethymnon, is a famous
singer of the tampachaniotika and was the first to record this kind of music.
The Music of Crete
The Music of Crete
The importance of music to the Cretan people goes way back
in history; it is securely woven into the very fabric of their
lives, playing a major part in festivals and social occasions.
The history of Cretan music goes back to Zeus, who was born
on the island. The Kourites, who were Cretan warriors,
slapped their arms as they danced to cover the sound of the
baby Zeus crying, to protect him from Cronus, his father.
Cronus had a bad habit of eating his newborn children to
prevent them from taking his place as king of the gods.
One of the most popular forms of music are the Mantinades,
which are small verses of four lines; the first and third lines
rhyme, as do the second and fourth. They are concerned
with expressing emotions, usually love, and are accompanied
by the Cretan lyra or laouto, which is a stringed instrument
resembling a lute. They are unique by the very fact that they
are often impromptu.
Rizitika are the oldest type of music on Crete. They are
popular all over Crete but originated in the Chania region in
the foothills of the White Mountains. They tell stories (rather
like the epic poems, which themselves were sung) of heroic
feats, revolution, history, etc.; one of the most famous is
about the freedom fighters living in the caves alongside their
wild goats and is called “Agrimia and Agrimakia mou”. Unlike
Mantinades, they do not need to rhyme and they do not
accompany a dance, because they are sung without
instrumental backing.
Tampachaniotika are urban songs of Crete. Many people are
familiar with “Oso baroun ta sidera” performed by Nikos
Xylouris. These songs developed at the end of the 19th
century and are sad and melancholic, often telling of lost
love. They are very much influenced by eastern music; the
first to play this type of music was a Turkish-Cretan living in
Chania named Mehmet Safidakis. The songs are
accompanied by the bulgari, a stringed instrument, or the
lute. Stelios Foustalieris, a virtuoso of the bulgari from
Rethymnon, is a famous singer of the tampachaniotika and
was the first to record this kind of music.
