I Trata Mas I Kourelou - Greek Folk Song

Arrangement by Farya Faraji, vocals by Farya Faraji and Kelareh Kabiri. This is a folk song of the category Nisiotika, which refers to the songs of the Agean Islands. Most of my investigations when filming the video pointed to Limnos being the island where the song originated. Nisiotika songs are primarily dance songs to be danced in groups; they tend to be in double time signatures, typically follow the Malfoof -like rhythm found across this region of the world, and shares many typological features with Cretan music, especially when in the Dodecanese. In my estimation, Nisiotika and Cretan music can be perceived as two highly overlapping forms of music. The proto-typical Nisiotika arrangement uses a laouto to provide basic power chords following the rythm described, as well as a violin or lyra playing the main melody. I wanted my instrumentation to be more spruced up, so I used a whole panoply of Greek instruments: a bouzouki, outi, tambouras, sandouri and violin play the main melody, whilst my island laouto provides the basic power chords. The percussions are provided by a darbuka. The clip was filmed during my voyage in May 2023 in Crete, Gavdos, the Dodecanese (mainly Rhodes) and the Cyclades, namely Naxos, Paros and Milos, with one shot of the southernmost tip of the Peloponnese and continental Greece from my previous voyage last year. Lyrics in Greek: H τράτα μας η κουρελού η χιλιομπαλωμένη Όλο τήνε μπαλώναμε κι όλο ήταν ξεσκισμένη Αν το `ξερε η μάνα μου πως δούλευα στην τράτα θα μου `στελνε τα ρούχα μου και την παλιά μου βράκα Ωρέ, τη βάρκα μας, γκιόσα η κουρελού, γκιόσα βρε πότε εδώ, γκιόσα και πότε αλλού, γκιόσα. Γιαλέλι μ’, γιαλέλι, γιαλέλι γιασαλά γιαλέλι, γιαλέλι, γεια χαρά σας βρε παιδιά. Απ’ τ’ Αϊβαλί κινήσαμε και πάμε για τη Ντούνα, στο δρόμο που παγαίναμε, βρε μας έπιασε φουρτούνα. Ωρέ, τη βάρκα μας, γκιόσα η κουρελού, γκιόσα θέλει κουπιά, γκιόσα θέλει σκαρμούς, γκιόσα, θέλει πανιά, γκιόσα. Γιαλέλι μ’, γιαλέλι, γιαλέλι γιασαλά γιαλέλι, γιαλέλι, βρε σ’ αυτό το μαχαλά. Από τη Σμύρνη εφύγαμε, μπαρούτι φορτωμένοι κι ο καπετάνιος φώναζε, αγάντα μεθυσμένοι. Η βάρκα μας, γκιόσα η κουρελού, γκιόσα, ωρέ, πότε εδώ, γκιόσα και πότε αλλού, γκιόσα. Γιαλέλι μ’, γιαλέλι, γιαλέλι γιασαλά γιαλέλι, γιαλέλι, γεια χαρά σας βρε παιδιά. Κι αν σ’ αρωτήσει η μάνα μου τι έκανα στη τράτα, να πεις πως την εψείριζα τη βρώμα μου τη βράκα. English translation: Our patchwork boat , sewed one thousand times We were sewing it all the time and it was always torn apart Our boat, old biddy Needs rows, old biddy Needs sails, old biddy If only my mother knew I'm working on the boat She would sent me my clothes and my old breeches Heave-ho one, on the sails Heave-ho two, in the village Heave-ho three, at her house. From Ayvali we set off for Duna, On the way we were freezing, we got caught in a storm. We left Smyrna, loaded with gunpowder and the captain was shouting, they were drunk. And if my mother asks you what I did on the trawler, to say that I was sucking my stinky pants off her.