A6 Tik diplo (lyra, voice) (Γιωργος Απατσιδης, Ισαακ Τηλικιδης)

Tik diplo

Kemenche [Lira] – Giorgios Apatsidis
Voice – Isaak Tilikidis

track A6 from the compilation:
Musik Der Pontos-Griechen: Nordgriechenland
(Music of Pontic Greeks: Northern Greece)
Label: Museum Collection Berlin (West) ‎– MC 5
Released: 1980

Recordings and commentary: Christian Ahrens

The Pontic Greeks were almost totally expelled from Turkey after 1921, and settled primarily in Northern Greece. Like their language and culture, their music is also quite different from that of the rest of the Greeks. It is distinguished by two traits: a strong preference for instrumental music, and polyphonic musical practices. The most important instruments are the lira (three-stringed bowed instrument) and the touloum (bagpipe, without a drone pipe). Besides these, the clarinet (klarino) and drum (daouli) ensemble, frequently supplemented with a violin, occupies and important position, mainly withing wedding ceremonies.

About the track:
A6 Tik diplo

Recorded on 1 September 1973 at Kavala, in the rooms of the Pontos Society. Lira: Georgios Apatsidis, from Kokkinochoma/Kavala, b. 1913, peasant. Voice: Isaak Tilikidis, from Charokomi/Kavala, b. 1939, laborer.
Particularly conspicuous in this recording is the vocal register of the singer and the pressed vocal quality. This sound ideal appears to enjoy a particularly great popularity today and is obviously furthered by means of phono recordings. There are several famous singers with a similar voice, among them even castrati. Interestingly, one seldwom draws upon girls or boys for public performances or phono recordings, although their vocal quality would closely approximate this ideal. In a more confined circle, however, one can frequently hear even girls and women.
The lira player is left handed and, according to our thinking, holds his instrument backwards; the bowing is accomplished with the left hand.
As with the Track A3, two pieces are joined together with a break. Both are of a differing structure: The first song has four strophes, with the form A (a) + B (b + b). Both sections are separated by interludes. The second piece has three strophes, with the form A (a + a) + B (b + b). Instrumental preludes, postludes and interludes are also found here, so that there is no essential difference in the formal movement to the recording A3. The most important characteristic musically is the meter: omal diplo 9/16, tik diplo 8/16.

Lyrics:
a)

1. Strangeness, many persons drink your poison,
They pour it into the heart with a glass,
They live with homesickness and want to return
To their wives, to their children.

2. Some work for five years, others seven,
They struggle to earn much money.
One breaks his foot, the other loses his hand,
Strangeness is a two-edged knife for everyone.

3. "Mother, where is my father?" the child asks,
My wife writes in a letter: It will cost me my life.
Will you return home when it is too late,
Will you remain nine or ten years in order to earn even more.

4. Stranger, your feet have become very weary,
You do not recognize your children because they have grown up.
Your withered wife has remained half a soul,
For her there is no life, she will pass on.

b)
1. He who will kiss beauty, he should always ask,
He who will kiss ugliness, he should care for donkeys.

2. Oi, oi, oi; you were born for me, I must bring you close to me,
I will lose my senses should I not get you.

3. An aunt, an aunt has a pretty maiden,
She dresses and undresses her, and my heart inflames.