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THE GREEK MUSIC

The sound of Greece
 
From Linear B to ancient Greek and from there to a multitude of different dialects to today's modern Greek, the Greek language has proven that it is a living dynamic language, one of the few in the world that presents a homogeneous evolution and is a rare phenomenon in the linguistic history of the human race because it is spoken for thousands of years without interruption.
The modern Greek language preserves the ancient writing and spelling of words and 75% of its vocabulary is based on the ancient Greek language.
Approximately 28,000 English words, including keywords such as idea, theory, system, analysis, synthesis, category, hierarchy, method, hypothesis, myth, poetry, drama, music, harmony, politics, democracy, thence, machine, episteme, psyche, Eros, ecclesia, Christ, Europe, theology, etc. are all words of the Greek language
It is a language with unique virtues: it has expressiveness, flexibility, synthetic power, and the productive ability to produce and compose new words according to needs.
 Considering that the Greek language evolved and was enriched with words and expressions from the ever-changing everyday life, the history and tradition consist of elements that have been preserved until today, rendering it the most important means of genuine expression of the Greek Culture.
In the spoken language, quotations of popular wisdom are idiomatic expressions, proverbs, proverbial phrases, which were and are widely used by the people, so much so that they have long ceased to be distinguished from the everyday phrases of the basic body of the language or to constitute a criterion of knowledge. They have penetrated deep into the core of the Greek language, were incorporated, assimilated and became one with it.
The contents of the pages of the site concerning the Greek language provide information on learning sounds, words, and phrases for basic everyday oral communication in the modern Greek language, and collections of phrases of popular wisdom, riddles, etc. which are listed with the corresponding historical/laographic information.
All the information provided is the result of personal experience, involvement, research and recording, by a native speaker who is passionate about the Greek language. It is neither a scientific study nor, of course, a complete guide for the systematic and complete learning of the Greek language.
The purpose is enjoyable learning about the cultural aspects of the modern greek language as a communication tool.

«Music is a moral norm.
It gives soul to the universe, wings to thought, lifts imagination, gives joy to sorrow and life to everything»

Plato (Greek philosopher, 427 - 347 B.C.)

Music is one of the most powerful forces on this planet having no boundaries and borders. All the people of the earth can unite through music. It is a common "code" of communication, a universal language to which we can all relate in some way or another, and we all have different reasons for listening to it.
Music is a feeling, an expression, a conversation, and a way of life.
For many people, music is an integral part of their lives, as a means of inspiration, entertainment, rest, relaxation, and even therapy.
The word "music" is derived from the word "muse," which refers to the nine muses of Greek mythology who guard the arts, sciences, and literature. At least five of the nine muses guarded the various musical genres.
Music used to be any creative or intellectual endeavor. Since at least the fourth century BC, the term "music" has been used in its modern definition. Today, this historic Greek root is used in all Western languages (music, Musik, musica etc.)
For the ancient Greeks, music was one of the most cherished arts and was thought to have divine roots.
We have a lot of knowledge about the structure and evolution of music in ancient Greece as well as its significance as a fundamental and essential aspect of Greek culture thanks to the discoveries made during archeological digs.

In Greece, the earliest musical instrument ever discovered is a bone whistle with a hole that was unearthed in Thessaly around 5.000 BC, while the 3,000 BC Cycladic sculptures attest to an ongoing musical heritage.

Numerous Greek philosophers in antiquity explored the significance of music, and Homer made numerous musical references.

After the fifth century BC, new components were added to musical expression, and Greek music became the dominant musical form until the early Byzantine period.

Greek music expanded throughout the Hellenistic world and impacted music from other cultures, such as Rome and the Middle East.

Music in Byzantium was considered the most vivid expression of religious feeling and, based on ancient Greek music, it evolved into Byzantine ecclesiastical music and Christian hymnology.
Alongside Byzantine music, popular music (of simple people and everyday life) continues to evolve by oral tradition as a way of narrating history, information and memories, passing from one generation to another.

Songs and rhythms that reflected popular culture and frequently musically complemented regional dances began to arise and develop.
Another significant aspect of Greek traditional music is the use of traditional musical instruments.
Greek traditional music is characterized by unprecedented richness, variety and beauty because it represents the expression of the genuine folk feeling of the Greek, which from generation to generation has accompanied and accompanies every event of joy and sorrow.

Strong East and West influences, over the 19th century and beyond, led to the creation of new musical genres, particularly in urban areas (rebetiko, laiko, art-song, etc), which, after going through many stages, are still used to represent Greek mood today.

The following sections present the main genres of Greek music as it has evolved over the centuries until today, with extensive reference to the basic means of expression (the sounds, the musical instruments, the songs, and the performers).