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Greece: Vocal Monodies

Various Artists
Greece: Vocal Monodies

Dimitras Kukas, familiarly known as Barba Mitsos (“Uncle Mitsos”), sang and composed these unaccompanied songs. Born at the end of the 19th century on the island of Syros, Kukas grew up in Mykonos, and until his death in 1980 was one of the last performers of this Greek oral tradition.

While Kukas’ songs are original compositions, he comments,“I keep the tradition of my father and grandfather, who sang this sort of song when I was a child.” Kukas draws upon the traditional distich, or two-line couplet, which is the keystone of Greek oral tradition. The distiches provide a body of pre-constructed formulas—images, comparisons, and adages—which Kukas uses and reworks in his own songs. The songs include essential themes of popular Greek repertoire such as love and sorrow, odes to mother, xenitia (songs for those far from home), and miroloia (funeral songs).

Track Listing

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101
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
05:09
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102
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
02:37
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103
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
02:53
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104
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
02:00
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105
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
04:50
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106
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
03:17
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107
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
03:34
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108
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
04:30
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109
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
02:52
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110
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
04:07
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111
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
02:59
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112
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
01:59
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113
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
04:34
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114
Barba Mitsos (Dimitris Kukas)
02:07