At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.

Naturally, in the large urban centers of the Ottoman Empire around the Mediterranean Sea, the “conversations” of the Greek-speakers with their Turkish-speaking Muslim “co-tenants”, the Catholic Greek-speakers, the Armenians, the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi Jews, the Levantine Protestants, and the Europeans and the Americans, were more than intense. Very often, the scope of this network extends to the Balkans, to Eastern and even to a part of Central Europe. Especially regarding relations between Orthodox and Muslims, the relevant evidence demonstrates the musical exchanges between them and elucidate an ecumene where everyone contributed to the great musical “melting-pot”, and where everyone may draw from it, as well as redeposit it, in a new form, with a reformulated text and its meaning, with sometimes clear and sometimes blurred references to its pre-text, until someone else pulls it out again, through the “melting-pot”, so that it becomes clear that there is no end in this recreational and dynamic process where fluidity prevails. It is worth mentioning that the musical exchanges and interactions between the Greek-speaking and Turkish-speaking Muslims continued even after the events of 1922. A case that comes from this type of repertoire is this song.

In addition to the present recording, "Dimitroula" was also recorded, around 1950 in New York, by Nikos Gounaris with the orchestra of accordionist Dimitris Frantzeskakis (Liberty 109-Β and Attikon Att-154 - 448-A).

Gounaris’ aesthetic deviation in the recordings in America, in relation to his overall presence in Athenian discography, is of particular interest. This is an issue that constitutes one of the most distinct chapters of the analysis of Greek discography in America, and to what extent the practices there followed the well-established ones of Athens. Gounaris, although apparently singing in the firm manner in which he starred on the elafro (light) scene in Athens, finds himself within a more fluid, popular context due to the way the orchestra performs.

Also, a musical score of the song, under the title "Dimitroula mou", was published, on the cover of which it is written "Originally sung by tenor Mr. Avgeris".

The tune seems to also "communicate" with the song "Arampas pernaei" recorded by Tetos Dimitriadis under the nickname Takis Nikolaou in New York, on February 14, 1949 (Victor CVE 49956 – V-58018-B).

The tune can also be found in the Turkish repertoire. Specifically, Zeki Müren recorded around 1961 in Turkey the song "Entarisi ala benziyor (Grafson M.G. 1118 - 2335).

It is also found in the North Macedonian repertoire. In particular, the clarinetist Tale Ognenovski and his orchestra released the record "Staro Kukuško Oro" [PGP RTB (Produkcija Gramofonskih Ploča Radio Televizije Beograd) LP 1495] in 1979. The record, which was recorded in Belgrade, includes the instrumental "Sečena Kršalma" based on this specific tune. It is also found in the form of a song with the title "Кукуш Ќе Одам" (Kukuš Kje Odam) on the LP "Охридски Староградски Средби '87" [PTC (Радио-Телевизија Скопје, Музичка Продукција) HЛ-00086] which was released in 1988 and includes recordings from various musical groups that participated, according to the title of the record, at the "Ohrid Old Town Festival '87". The song is performed by the mixed singing group "Распеани Струмичани" and a popular orchestra from Strumitsa (Мешана Пеачка Група "Распеани Струмичани" Со Народен Оркестар Од Струмица). It was also recorded by Kostadinka Palazova (δίσκος 7", "Boso nome...", PGP RTB (Produkcija Gramofonskih Ploča Radio Televizije Beograd) EP 12948) under the same title ("Kukuš Kje Odam").

(Many thanks to Ilya Saitanov for pointing out the above recordings).

Research and text: Leonardos Kounadis and Nikos Ordoulidis