Music of Thrace
Encyclopedia
Music of Thrace is the music
of Thrace
, a region in Southeastern Europe spread over southern Bulgaria
(Northern Thrace
), northeastern Greece
(Western Thrace
), and European Turkey
(Eastern Thrace).
The music of Thrace contains a written history that extends back to the antiquity, when Orpheus
became a legendary musician and lived close to Olympus
. Though the Thracian people were eventually assimilated by surrounding Balkan groups, elements of Thracian folk music continue.
Traditional Thracian dances are usually swift in tempo
and are mostly circle dance
s in which the men dance at the front of the line. The gaida
, a kind of bagpipe, is the most characteristic instrument, but clarinet
s and toumbelekis
are also used. The Thracian gaida, also called the avlos, is different than the Macedonian
or other Bulgarian bagpipes. It is more high in pitch then the Macedonian gaida but less so than the Bulgarian gaida (or Dura). The Thracian gaida is also still widely used throughout Thrace in northeastern Greece.
As with many Greek dances, it can be danced to many songs. This one is Pses idia st'oniro mu.
each. The arms are held down and move in a synchronized motion with the steps. This dance is performed under different names in Northern Thrace and Western Thrace.
style couples dance that is danced as the bride and groom are escorted to and from the church. The bridal party also dances as they display and exchange gifts with the bride and groom, particularly gifts of handkerchiefs and head scarves. This dance is performed in Western Thrace.
kicks. This dance is performed in Western Thrace.
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
, a region in Southeastern Europe spread over southern Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
(Northern Thrace
Northern Thrace
North Thrace or Northern Thrace constitutes the northern and the largest part of the historical region of Thrace...
), northeastern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(Western Thrace
Western Thrace
Western Thrace or simply Thrace is a geographic and historical region of Greece, located between the Nestos and Evros rivers in the northeast of the country. Together with the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, it is often referred to informally as northern Greece...
), and European Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(Eastern Thrace).
The music of Thrace contains a written history that extends back to the antiquity, when Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
became a legendary musician and lived close to Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
. Though the Thracian people were eventually assimilated by surrounding Balkan groups, elements of Thracian folk music continue.
Traditional Thracian dances are usually swift in tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
and are mostly circle dance
Circle dance
"Circle dance" is the most common name for a style of traditional dance usually done in a circle without partners to musical accompaniment.-Description:...
s in which the men dance at the front of the line. The gaida
Gaida
The gaida is a musical instrument, aerophone, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag.The gaida, and its variations, is a traditional musical instrument for entire Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East....
, a kind of bagpipe, is the most characteristic instrument, but clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s and toumbelekis
Goblet drum
The goblet drum is a hand drum with a goblet shape used mostly in the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe....
are also used. The Thracian gaida, also called the avlos, is different than the Macedonian
Music of Macedonia
Music of Macedonia may refer to:*Music of the Republic of Macedonia*Music of Macedonia...
or other Bulgarian bagpipes. It is more high in pitch then the Macedonian gaida but less so than the Bulgarian gaida (or Dura). The Thracian gaida is also still widely used throughout Thrace in northeastern Greece.
Types of dances
- Chelebinsko (Chain Dance of the Gentlemen): is a choreography by Belco Stanev with great music in an interesting meterMeter (music)Meter or metre is a term that music has inherited from the rhythmic element of poetry where it means the number of lines in a verse, the number of syllables in each line and the arrangement of those syllables as long or short, accented or unaccented...
. It's 9/8 divided : 2 3 2 2. In the vocal part, the steps are exactly on the meter: QSQQ, but in the instrumental refrain, half a bar is added 2 3 (QS). The steps are in 2 2 2 3 (QQQS) and the missing half bar 2 2 (QQ) is added at the end so that is missing (mathematically). - Izgryala E Mesechinka (The moon has risen): A beautiful song from Northern (Bulgarian) Thrace that has inspired many choreographies, all of them with extensive arm work that is typical in dances from this region.
- Jambolsko Paidushko: Pajdusko/Paidushko horo/Baiduska, etc. is a family of dances usually danced to 5/16 or 5/8 (Q S) rhythmRhythmRhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
and found in a large area spanning Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and beyond. It is the classic "aksak" (Turkish for limping) dance and rhythm. Its various forms reflect local preferences. This one is from the Jambol region in Northern (Bulgarian) Thrace, and was first introduced in the States by Dick Crum. - Krivo Sadovsko Horo (Twisted chain dance from Sadovo, Northern Thrace): Very fast dance, with special rhythm (13/8), this dance has many versions.
- Pazardzhishka KopanitsaKopanitsaKopanitsa is the name for a family of lively folk dances from western Bulgaria written in 11/8 meter. Some dancers count the steps in terms of "quick" and "slow" beats, the pattern being quick-quick-slow-quick-quick...
: Pazardzhik Kopanitsa from Pazardzhik, Northern Thrace. - Pravo Trakiisko Horo: Pravo Trakiisko Horo (Straight Thracian chain dance) is from Northern Thrace. It has very little in common with the simple Pravo horo(straight chain dance). It's a challenging choreography by a performing group that was brought down from the stage.
- Sedi Donka (Donka is sitting): One of the most unusual musical patterns in Bulgaria, Sedi Donka is in 25/16 meters. It is subdivided 7+7+11, which in turn can be subdivided 3 2 2, 3 2 2, 2 2 3 2 2.
- Trakiiska Rachenitsa: Trakiiska Rachenitsa is a highly stylized rachenitsa from Northern Thrace with lots of arm work.
- Trite Pati: Trite Pati (the three times) is a dance from Northern Thrace. Like some other Thracian dances, it is also danced in Western (Greek) Thrace.
- Kuluriastos: Kuluriastos is a Greek dance from Western Thrace. It has a slower Zonaradikos part, and a faster part where the beginning of the line loops into the center and back out again. It's a lot of fun to dance this, especially if you are near the beginning of the line.
As with many Greek dances, it can be danced to many songs. This one is Pses idia st'oniro mu.
- Sfarlis: Sfarlis is a beginner's dance from Western Thrace.
- Troiro: Many Bulgarian dances from Northern Thrace have "cousins" (very similar dances) in Western (Greek) Thrace, and this is one of them: a Greek dance that sounds and feels Bulgarian.
- Dostlar Bizim Halaya: This is a rom dance from Eastern (Turkish) Thrace. It reminds me of the so called "tsigansko horo" (gypsy chain dance), but the dances are not at all alike.
- Hassapia: an ancient dance that simulates a stealth approach on any enemy camp, from beginning to victory. The hassapia dance has been dated back to Hellenistic times, before the time of Alexander the Great whose soldiers brought it to Macedonia. It is a warrior's dance in which the movements represent the noiseless approach on the enemy camp, the encounter, the fight, and the victory. This dance is done in a circle using a shoulder hold. A similar dance called "kasapsko horo" (butcher's chain dance) is performed in Bulgaria.
- Kallinitikos: performed by three people (either two men and one woman or two women and one man), named after the kalines, or friends of the brideBrideA bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...
during her wedding, who escort her to the church performing this dance. Kallinitikos is a dance done by groups of three people: a man in the middle and two women at his sides or a woman in the middle and two men at her sides. The dance is named after the kalines, the bride's girlfriends, who do this dance as they escort her to the church. Performed in Western Thrace. - Kouseftos: derived from kousevo (to run in the Ancient Thracian languageThracian languageThe Thracian language was the Indo-European language spoken in ancient times in Southeastern Europe by the Thracians, the northern neighbors of the Ancient Greeks. The Thracian language exhibits satemization: it either belonged to the Satem group of Indo-European languages or it was strongly...
), performed, not in a circle, but in the form of a labyrinthLabyrinthIn Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
Kouseftos, with its characteristic quick running steps, takes its name from the word kousevo in Ancient Thrace which means 'to run. It differs from other Thracian dances in that, instead of being danced in a circle, its dance progression takes the form of a labyrinth. Performed in Western Thrace. - Mandilatos (MandraMandraMandra , is a town and municipality in the central part of West Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Mandra-Eidyllia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.Mandra is part of the Athens metropolitan area...
): a couples dance performed at weddings. Mandilatos is a couples' dance which takes its name from the mandilia or handkerchiefs that the dancers hold while dancing. This dance is done at weddings as the guests escort the bride or the best man to the church. During the procession, some guests hold a mirror which symbolizes the purity of the bride and others hold brooms which symbolize her housekeeping ability. This dance is performed in Western Thrace. A similar dance called "rachenitsa" (from "raka" - an arm) is performed in Northern Thrace. - Stis tris: a slow but swift dance. Stis Tris means "in threes." Each dance set is composed of three parts of four steps
each. The arms are held down and move in a synchronized motion with the steps. This dance is performed under different names in Northern Thrace and Western Thrace.
- Syngathistos: performed as the bride and groom are escorted to and from the church during weddings. Syngathistos is a free
style couples dance that is danced as the bride and groom are escorted to and from the church. The bridal party also dances as they display and exchange gifts with the bride and groom, particularly gifts of handkerchiefs and head scarves. This dance is performed in Western Thrace.
- Xesyrtos: a circle dance with men performed at the front of the line. Xesyrtos is a circle dance in which the men dance at the front of the line, followed by the women, and do variations to the dance step with characteristic slaps, jumps, and
kicks. This dance is performed in Western Thrace.
- ZonaradikoZonaradikoZonaradiko is a traditional folk dance from Thrace that is named after the dance's handhold. Dancers hold the adjacent dancer's zonaria during the dance. Zonaradiko is a dance done in one form or another...
s: a circle dance in which the participants hold each other's belts. This is the primary dance of Western Thrace and primarily danced by men where many tricks are performed. The Zonaradikos is a circle dance in which the dancers hold each other by their belts or zonaria (hence the name Zonaradikos). This dance is done in every village and region of Thrace. Three variations of the basic step are paties or stomps, monopatia or single stomp, and psalidia or scissors, usually followed by the koulouriastos or curling. A similar dance called "na poyas" (for belt) is found in Northern Thrace. - Dousko Zonaradiko-Tsestos: Tsestos is a challenging dance from Northern Greece(the region named Thrace or in Greek language Thraki). The dance starts with a moderate rhythm and is danced by both men and women with very few figure(this is an intro dance named Dousko, the steps are the same whit the dance Zonaradiko(twelve steps) . As it goes on men come in front and they catch each other by the zonari (belt). At this point the dance becomes very quick and it consists of figures only(on twelve steps too). It performed by the Greek population of Northern Thrace (Anatoliki Romylia) and continues to perform now by all Greeks It's on the top 5 of the best dance in the world and it has his roots on the most ancient dance of the world, the Greek dance Pyrihios who also has twelve steps too. Bulgarian Trakiisko Pravo Horo has a lot in common with dousko zonaradiko Tsestos because in the past Greek population live on this field of Northern Thrace at Byzantine ages and now Bulgarians and many Greeks live in this areas
- Paidushko (Baiduska, Pajdusko, Pajduska, Payduska): a very aggressive dance, usually performed by men. It is performed using heavy movement. Performed in all three regions of Thrace: Northern (Paidushko Horo), Western (Baiduska), and Eastern (Payduska).
- HalayHalayHalay or Yalli is a popular dance in the Middle East....
: Halay is a famous dance in the Middle East. It is a symbol for the tempestuous way of life in its place of origin, Anatolia. It is a national dance in Armenia and Turkey. The traditional form of the Halay dance is played on the ZurnaZurnaThe zurna , is a multinational outdoor wind instrument, usually accompanied by a davul in Anatolian folk music. The name is from Turkish zurna, itself derived from Persian سرنای surnāy, composed of sūr “banquet, feast” and nāy “reed, pipe”...
, supported by a DavulDavulThe davul or tupan is a large double-headed drum that is played with sticks. It has many names depending on the country and region.-Names:Some names of davuls include:*tupan *davul...
. The dancers form a circle or line while holding each other with the little finger. From Anatolia the Halay has spread to many other regions such as Armenia and the Balkans. - KarsilamaKarsilamaKarsilamas , is a Turkish folk dance spread all over Northwest Asia Minor and carried to Greece by Asia Minor refugees...
: a dance found in Western Tharce and Eastern Thrace.
Listen to
- Yambolsko Trite Puti
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OELWoy7tmXU&mode=related&search=Eleftheria Arvanitaki - Do sta lianohortaroudia (ZonaradikoZonaradikoZonaradiko is a traditional folk dance from Thrace that is named after the dance's handhold. Dancers hold the adjacent dancer's zonaria during the dance. Zonaradiko is a dance done in one form or another...
)] - Pajdusko (Balkan Guzeli)
- Pajdusko (Balkan Guzeli) - Turkish Lyrics
- Alan Cayirlari
- Trite Puti
- Mandilatos(Mandra)
- Hijaz Mandilatos(Hicaz Mandra)
- Kazım Koyuncu - Tabancamın Sapını(Mandilatos-Mandra havası)
- A Bre Suluman Aga
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8q7ioArYm0[Dousko Zonaradiko-Tsestos][Greek Dance]